Page 269 - Through New Eyes

270 THROUGH NEW EYES

after the last judgment. So, while the fullness of the New Jeru-
salem and the New Heavens and Earth will not come until after
the last judgment, yet they are spiritual realities now. Thus,
Hebrews 12:22 says that we have already come to the heav-
enly Jerusalem.
Both the literal heavens and the governmental heavens have
been changed. The Iiterzd heavens were changed when a man,
Jesus Christ, ascended into them for the first time, and sat down
next to God the Father (Hebrews 9:24; Revelation 4-5). This
had never been the case before, because Adam and his posterity
had been barred from the garden and from heaven. Now that
Jesus has taken His throne, there is no longer any room for Satan
in heaven; and at last, Satan is cast out (Revelation 12:9).10
The change in the literal heavens necessitated a change in
the governmental heavens. The saints are seated in heaven with
Christ (Ephesians 2:6), and thus are stars (Philippians 2:15).
The total Church is pictured as seven lampstands, with her eld-
ers as seven stars (Revelation 1:20). Thus, the Church as a whole
and her leaders in particular constitute the new heavens. The
old heavens are cast down. In the Old Covenant, there were two
political heavens: the sun, moon, and stars of Israel, and the
suns, moons, and stars of the nations. The heavens of Israel
were destroyed in A. D. 70, and this is pictured in Revelation 6:11
as the fall of her sun, moon, and stars. The heavens of the na-
tions began to be shaken down immediately after the destruction
of Jerusalem, according to Matthew 24:29. (See our discussion
of these passages in Chapter 5 above. )
As regards the earth, we find the same dual change. The
literal earth was changed at Pentecost by the descent of the
Spirit. Until the ascension there had never been a man in
heaven, and until Pentecost the fullness of the Spirit had never
been poured out on the earth. The coming of the Spirit literally
changed the earth.
This literal and cosmic change on the earth resulted in gov-
ernmental changes as well. Previously, the priests had possessed
a status different from that of the lay Israelite. Only priests were
permitted to draw near into the Holy Place. Now, however, all
believers are in Christ, and in Christ there can be no distinction
of access. Christ is at the right hand of the Father, and in Him all