The Co-Existing Spiritual Realm
When Scripture speaks of the presence of God or hearing His voice, the picture presented is never a distant voice hammering through the heavens, or the long descent of a condescending God visiting mankind. The picture is one of nearness. Heaven is nearer than you think.
THE TABERNACLE
One of the clearest pictures is found in the tabernacle. The tabernacle was built by Moses after he was told to build what he saw while on the mountain with God:
Exodus 25:8-9 “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”
Moses was shown something, wrote the plans down, and handed out instructions to the skilled workers to build the tabernacle. When Moses erects the tabernacle, the presence of God is ushered in and occupies the physical space:
Exodus 40:33-35 “And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
God was not distant, He was present with the people of Israel. The tabernacle had become their touching point for the reality of God’s presence all around them. There was no kind of go-to-heaven theology, God was incredibly available right in front of them.
HEBRAIC TRANSLATION
The Hebrew word for presence literally means face. To be present with God is to be face to face with God. The Kingdom of God is never pictured as far off, it is pictured as right in your midst:
Luke 17:20-21 “Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
BIBLICAL ENCOUNTERS
Abraham had a number of significant experiences which highlight this fact. When God came to visit Abraham, he sat down and had a meal with him and his wife, waiting around while the food was being cooked. When Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, the angel of the Lord calls to him and tells him not to touch the boy:
Genesis 22:11 “But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
Heaven is right in his midst. It was not some place he had to be taken in order to hear. The kingdom of heaven is pictured as overlapping the natural environment. In the creation narrative, the Spirit of God is hovering over the face of the waters. This literally means His presence was among the waters. David echoed this when he realized that the presence of God permeated all of creation:
Psalms 139:7-10 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
We don’t dwell in heaven or bring heaven to earth, heaven and earth have always been intrinsically interlinked. The interaction of heaven and earth is not so much about coming and going, it is about co-mingling. The revelation of Jacob’s ladder and the angels ascending and descending was not that Jacob had to ascend the ladder to reach God, but that God had chosen to have His glory dwell on the earth.
When Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an army looking to kill them, Elisha prayed that the eyes of his servant would be opened:
II Kings 6:17 “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
Elisha’s servant saw what was already there, not what had to come from an external place. Again, heaven and earth co-mingling.
STORIES FROM THE DESERT FATHERS
When John the Baptist saw the dove descend it was the intersecting of heaven and earth. Time and again, throughout scripture the kingdom of heaven is near and interacting with the natural realm.
The Desert Fathers carried forward this understanding. There are many stories of heaven and earth intersecting in tangible ways. Gregory the Great was privy to a visit from a heavenly stranger during a meal. Agathon the Great carried a lame man to town who later revealed himself to be an angel. Paisios the Great encountered an old man on a hike up a mountain and carried him on his back. The old man revealed himself to be the presence of God.
Moses the Ethiopian was shown a vision of the interaction between heaven and earth:
"Once, Abba Moses was severely beset by thoughts of fornication and, unable to sit any longer in his cell, departed and confessed his thoughts to Abba Isidore. The Elder told him to return to his cell. However, not wishing at all to listen to this advice, he replied to Abba Isidore: ”I can no longer hold out, Abba.” The Elder then took Abba Moses with him and, after climbing onto the roof of the cell, said: ”Look towards the West." So he looked carefully in that direction and saw a host of demons provoking confusion and causing disturbance with their warmongering. Then Abba Isidore said again: ”Now look towards the East.” When he turned to the East, Abba Moses saw countless hosts of Holy Angels surrounded in glory. The Elder then said to Moses: ”There! These that you see are the ones the Lord sends to help the Saints Who struggle; but the ones that you saw previously in the West are those Who make war on them. Our allies, therefore, are greater in number. This is why you should have courage and not be afraid.” After this, Abba Moses gave thanks to God, took courage, and returned to his cell."
Why is this relevant hearing the voice of God and prophetic ministry?
Because, God is not some place distant where He is difficult to hear, He is but a breath away. His voice can come in the most innocuous ways. He whispers to Elijah on the mountain, not because His presence is faint, but precisely because He is so near.