Evangelist Ikechukwu Peter
This is an Elaborate teaching and Bible study about God’s existence before and after creation. A Popular Nigerian pastor came out with a doctrine that I want us all to verify from the lens of Scripture. The Scripture of course was written by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof , for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be Perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. I’ll like to know your thoughts in the comment section below, so as to know how accurate my researches and observations are.
WHERE WAS GOD BEFORE HE CREATED THE HEAVEN AND EARTH ![Where was God before he created the Heaven and the Earth - Evangelist Ikechukwu Peter 1 🔥](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxNiIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxNiIgdmlld0JveD0iMCAwIDE2IDE2Ij48cmVjdCB3aWR0aD0iMTAwJSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxMDAlIiBzdHlsZT0iZmlsbDojY2ZkNGRiO2ZpbGwtb3BhY2l0eTogMC4xOyIvPjwvc3ZnPg==)
A trivial emergency has necessitated this subject matter. The events around the controversy making round with regards to a video that has circulated viral on account of a statement credited to a Nigerian preacher on the fact that God doesn’t live in heaven and that if your goal is heavenly, it’s a stupid goal. Well, I want to respectfully disagree with the claim of the said man of God. The statement is not true to scriptures. However, it is inappropriate to just make a blanket statement without scriptural presentations.
I think this kind of matters should drive us closer to our Bibles for further studies. First of all, we must understand the concept of heaven….once that is missed, we can never be correct with any position as it relates with this matter, my name is
Evangelist Ikechukwu Peter.One of the strongest argument of this preacher was hinged on a question he asked. He said, if God lives in heaven, where was He before He created the heaven? Now, take note of the fact that, if we are dealing with the issue of heaven, we cannot arrive at a proper perspective if we don’t address it as plural ‘Heavens’. What I just said is true to what heaven means in Hebrew….it occurs in plural;
Shamayim (Hebrew: שָׁמַיִם šāmayīm), the Hebrew word for “heaven” (literally heavens, plural).
This would mean that there are different kind of heavens. There’s the atmospheric heaven, which was the one that was created and will also pass away to give way for a new one at the end of the age.
God created the
heaven and the earth Gen 1:1
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.—Matthew 24:35-36
Notice that Jesus didn’t say heavens, He said heaven….referring to the atmospheric and created heaven. He referred to the one created. This word Jesus used here is a Greek word which refers to the sky; The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos), applies primarily to the sky. This was the same referred to in this scripture;
Revelation 21:1
New International Version
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
From the above submission you can see that the matter of where was God before He made the heaven doesn’t hold water with regards to Him not living in heaven.
This atmospheric heaven, even demons operate from there, so that can’t be where God lives.
“And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?”
This heaven wasn’t the one Jesus referred to in the Lord’s prayer ‘ …..which art in heaven’.
In fact, that heaven that was created in Gen 1:1, God bows down to behold the activities that are therein…meaning He sits above that zone;
Psalm 113:5-6
New International Version
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
Which throne does He stoop from to look on the heavens and the earth?
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne
Does this nit tell you that the heaven where His throne is, is different from the one created in Gen 1:1?
That heaven is environmental. It is a realm, an essence, an ambience. It’s a spirit realm, Paul describes clearly that he was caught up into that realm.
What does it mean to say God lives in heaven?
To understand this, let me give you a practical example. But first of all, understand that where you live is not same as where you inhabit….there’s a context to this, let me explain;
I live in Brazil, but my house is in a particular place called Rua Tavares in a particular address. In fact, God lives everywhere, so to say He doesn’t is to limit His omnipresence capacity.
Ok, let’s say the Oba of Benin lives in Benin. …are we wrong to say that? Of course not, but in Benin, there’s a place he dwells, but that place he dwells is still in a territory called Benin…..so when we say God lives in heaven, we are not wrong. Now, let’s see this little difference as we examine few scriptures;
Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the ground which You have given us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers
Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive.
From the two scriptures, you will discover something similar. ….the author referred to God’s habitation and then mentioned heaven. Why?
Anywhere God appears, there is an ambience that follows Him…..it is that ambience that is called heaven…..it can’t be separated from God, it emits from His essence. That environment carries His throne. Jacob in the old testament explained this;
He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
He mentioned two things, the house of God and the gate of heaven. Let me leave the aspect of the house of God for the concluding part.
God came down to Jacob and the environment he captured on account of that visit was called Heaven. This keeps the definition simple. …heaven in the context of where God lives and His throne is captured is an environmental matter….it is the ambience that is configured by God Himself and anywhere He is found, heaven is there….He lives in that Glory. No man can see that ambience in the flesh, that why Paul says no man can approach there….except by the Spirit.
In an attempt to conclude, let’s try and answer this question
If we say heaven is God environment, where therefore is His house, His dwelling?
If you are fast to say man….well, you are correct because the scripture says so;
JOHN 14:23
Jesus answered and said unto him, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him.
In fact He also dwells in our praises;
“God Inhabits the Praises of His People” – Psalm 22:3 KJV
But, I want to ask, if you limit your answer by simply saying ‘He dwells in man’…..I will ask you, where was He dwelling before He made man?
Let me provide the answer as the conclusion of this article
Jacob said, this is the house of God…..what he said here looks like what Jesus said in John 14;
In my father’s house there are many mansions there. I want you to observe the fact that Jesus used the word house and not houses. Meaning His father’s house is just one but it has the capacity to accommodate mansions. Jacob also said house, not houses.
Let scriptures answer for us;
Colossians 1:19-23 AMPC
For it has pleased [the Father] that all the divine fullness (the sum total of the divine perfection, powers, and attributes) should dwell in Him permanently. And God purposed that through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross.
Jesus is that house, He was that ladder that Jacob saw and called house. Jesus is the house that accommodates all the divine fullness….it pleased the father to make it so. This would mean that what Jesus told them He was going to prepare for them so they can be accommodated in that house was His body that was given up for us on the Cross….by His death we both live in Him and Him in us.
So it’s not just God that dwells in us, we dwell in Him…..the relationship is interwoven. Jesus and the father are one and we are one with Him;
John 14:20
New International Version
On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
We are those mansions in the father’s house, each if those mansions also accommodates God. So we are also His dwelling place.
When we get to heaven, you won’t see three individuals. ….You will just see on throne. The Son seated, the father and the Spirit dwells in Him….they are one….and we also. You can see the perfect unity in the trinity and by extension to us.
Jesus is the father’s house and that house carries an environmental called heaven. We are in that house and that house is in us. Mystery.
Therefore to say a heavenly goal is a stupid goal is a huge disservice to scriptural interpretation. And to say God is not in heaven is not a sound teaching.
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