The Bible opens with the sentence:<\/p>\n
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.\u00a0\u00a0 (Genesis 1:1)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
How creation came into being is not stated, but the Bible uses the word \u2018heaven\u2019 in three different contexts:<\/p>\n
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- The first heaven, the heaven we see when we look at the sky.<\/li>\n
- The second heaven, also called the heavenly realms.<\/li>\n
- The third heaven, God\u2019s dwelling place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Heaven as God\u2019s dwelling place \u2013 also called the third heaven.<\/span><\/h3>\n
In the Psalms it is stated that heaven is the place where God dwells:<\/p>\n
From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth.\u00a0\u00a0 (Psalm 33:13-14)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The apostle Paul calls God\u2019s dwelling place the third heaven, when he writes:<\/p>\n
I know a man in Christ who \u2026 was caught up to the third heaven. And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.
\n(2 Corinthians 12:2-4)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhen Jesus was nailed to a cross at the end of His life, two murderers were also crucified with Him, one at each side.
\nOne of them recognised who Jesus was and asked Him:<\/p>\nJesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.\u00a0\u00a0 (Luke 23:42)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Jesus answered him:<\/p>\n
Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.\u00a0\u00a0 (Luke 23:43)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Here heaven is called the Kingdom of Jesus.
\nJesus often talked about \u2018the Kingdom of heaven\u2019 in His teaching.
\nAnd on the cross He Himself calls it: \u2018paradise\u2019.<\/p>\nIt is God\u2019s desire that all men should receive the citizens\u2019 rights of the Kingdom of heaven and that they should live forever in the heavenly paradise, in God\u2019s presence, after their death in this world.<\/p>\n
The third heaven is also the dwelling place of the angels.<\/span><\/h3>\n
Jesus said:<\/p>\n
See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.\u00a0\u00a0 (Matthew 18:10)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And when Jesus was taken prisoner, and did not want His disciples to fight for Him, He said:<\/p>\n
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
\n(Matthew 26:53\u00a0 –\u00a0 a legion consisted of 5,000 to 8,000 soldiers.)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe angels are sent to help people.<\/p>\n
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?\u00a0\u00a0 (Hebrews 1:14)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The third heaven is situated in the spiritual, unseen world.<\/strong>
\nThere is more to be found about angels<\/span><\/a> here.<\/p>\nHe heaven we see \u2013 the first heaven.<\/span><\/h3>\n
When earth was created, when God formed the firmament, it is said:<\/p>\n
God called the vault \u201csky\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 (Genesis 1:8)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
When we look up, outside, we see the first heaven, the sky, the clouds, the firmament.<\/p>\n
The first heaven is situated round about the earth, in the visible world.<\/strong><\/p>\n
The heavenly realms \u2013 the second heaven.<\/span><\/h3>\n
Between heaven, God\u2019s dwelling place, and earth, man\u2019s dwelling place, there is a spiritual, invisible world, which the Bible calls \u2018the heavenly realms\u2019.<\/p>\n
Man can exercise influence in this unseen world, in the heavenly realms, through his behaviour in this visible world.<\/p>\n
The \u2018heavenly realms\u2019 are also the angels\u2019 field of action.
\nThey are also the battleground between the angels of God and the angels of His adversary, Satan.<\/p>\nMore information about Satan<\/span> <\/a>can be found here.<\/p>\n
In the book Daniel a description is given of how he was carried off in to exile and served several kings, as a high government official, during the period from 600 to 530 years B.C..<\/p>\n
At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.\u00a0\u00a0 (Daniel 10:2-6)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Then he continued, \u201cDo not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. \u2026
\n(Dani\u00ebl 10:12-13)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat does Daniel\u2019s testimony suggest?<\/strong>
\nAt the moment Daniel is in prayer, the angel Gabriel is sent by God, from the third heaven, to deliver a message to Daniel in this world.
\nGabriel is retained in the heavenly places by \u2018the prince of the Persian kingdom\u2019, and has to fight him in order to get through to Daniel.
\nIn the end Gabriel is assisted by a brother-in-arms, the angel Michael.
\nIn Daniel 12:1 it is stated that Michael is an important angel, who supports the people of Israel.<\/p>\nGabriel and Michael\u2019s struggle lasts three weeks apparently, until they prevail against the prince of the Persians.<\/p>\n
What is described here is the battle in the heavenly realms.<\/strong>
\nDaniel\u2019s prayer influences the unseen world.
\nGod also appears to have appointed a prince, in the person of the angel Michael, to keep watch over the people of Israel.
\nSatan, God\u2019s adversary, has also appointed a prince, an angel from the realm of darkness, who keeps watch over the kingdom of the Persians. Further on in Daniel\u2019s testimony the angel tells Gabriel that he has to fight the prince of Greece as well.\u00a0\u00a0 (Daniel 10:20)<\/p>\nConclusion:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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- There is apparently a heavenly army of angels. This army has a clear structure. On one side there are angels appointed over lands and nations. On the other side Jesus says that the angels of children are constantly in God\u2019s presence.\u00a0\u00a0 (Matthew 18:10)<\/li>\n
- Satan, a fallen angel, also has an army at his disposal and, as the great imitator of God, his army is structured along the same lines.<\/li>\n
- What the story of Daniel clearly shows, is that prayer exercises influence on the unseen world<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
- The battle in the heavenly realms, the unseen world, is a reality.<\/li>\n
- Furthermore, Daniel\u2019s prayer apparently not only brought about Gabriel\u2019s mission, but also Michael rushing to his aid, so that they prevailed together.<\/li>\n
- It is very certain that if Daniel had stopped praying after 10 days, because he received no reply, Gabriel would have never gained the upper hand and would therefore never have got through to him.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Persevering prayer is extremely important, therefore!<\/strong><\/p>\n
General remarks:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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- How man behaves and speaks in this world exercises influence on the heavenly realms, the unseen or spiritual world.<\/li>\n
- In turn, what happens in the heavenly realms exercises influence on the visible world.<\/li>\n
- <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The creation of the earth<\/span> <\/a>is dealt with in the following chapter.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n