GOD’S HOUSE AND THE GATE OF HEAVEN

M.P.

Genesis 28: 16, 17; 35: 1 (to “dwell there”)

How wonderful, beloved brethren, is the desire of our God that we should be in His company, in nearness to Him. That we should live with Him is the end of all His ways. We read of it in Revelation 21, the tabernacle of God with men. That is what God has before Him. God finally had His way with Jacob. He brought him to what corresponded with His own thoughts. To begin with, Jacob was not equal to these thoughts; he did not value them enough. But his eyes were opened. He recognised that the place of which God spoke to him was God’s house but he did not yet have the desire to live there. He said, “How dreadful is this place!”

This remark of Jacob’s relates to what we read in Revelation. He continues to speak of the house of God and the gate of heaven. John had two visions in the Revelation in relation to which it is said that he was “in the Spirit”. Firstly, we read that he was on the isle of Patmos and “became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” and he saw the Son of man among the seven assemblies. I would say that he was in the house of God. The house of God is on the earth; it is the assembly. John receives instruction from the Lord with reference to the house of God in the seven addresses to the assemblies. At the second occasion we read of the door of heaven (Revelation 4: 1) and that connects with Jacob. Here is the gate of heaven. It should speak to our hearts, beloved brethren, that the house of God is the gate of heaven. Through the assembly we learn to understand and enjoy heavenly things. It is wonderful that at this time these things remain to us. In spite of the decline of things publicly the same privileges are preserved to us. It is possible for us to come in by this heavenly door and enjoy the nearness of our God. Jacob did not yet have this desire. But God continued His ways with him and finally brought him in. We can all remember the time when we still did not have the desire to be in the presence of God.

In the second scripture in Genesis it says, “Arise, go up to Bethel” (that is, the house of God)

“and dwell there”. That is very important for us; we should dwell in the house of God. The door is wide open for us. We have entrance into the heavenly area, even to the Father, through Christ and by the Holy Spirit. We can perhaps say that Christ is the door by which we enter in

and the Spirit is the power which helps us. We have both. The man in Acts 3 sat at the gate.

His feet were not strong, therefore he could not enter in. He received wonderful healing and his feet and ankles were made strong. He could go into the temple walking, and leaping, and praising God. What a picture is this for us, beloved brethren. We should be like him and have our dwelling in the house of God. What a sphere it is!

May the Lord give us this grace, that we value it so much that we desire to live in the house of God and to enter in spirit through the wide-opened door of heaven. What joy it is for our God and Father and for our Lord Jesus when His saints long to be in nearness to Him. May it be so with us all for the joy of His heart and to the glory of His name.