An Open Heaven

Obeying the Great Commandment

Third, an open heaven is experienced by obeying the Great Commandment. The promise of an open heaven is conditional: “The Lord will open the heavens…if you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God…” (Deut 28:12-13). But what are those commands? Jesus provided the answer when he was asked which was the greatest commandment. Quoting from the shema (Deuteronomy 6) he answered, “Hear, O Israel, … Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk 12:29).

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Being under an open heaven, above all else, is a love relationship of covenantal fidelity. The good news is that Christ has already lived this life in perfect obedience to the Father, fulfilling the righteousness of the law; and so, we now live unto God in the power of another life—Christ now lives his perfected humanity through us (Rom 5:10; 6:1-23; Heb 2:10; 5:9; 7:16). The Father is preparing a worshipping bride who at the climax of history will stand under an open heaven. She will enjoy unhindered communion and enter the full benefits of all that Christ has purchased.

We are in that climax of history. Now is the time, through faith and patience, to appropriate the promise of an open heaven. Let us therefore labour to enter Christ’s rest (Heb 4:1-11), obeying the commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength.