Unity of Heaven and Earth
Last year I traveled into Germany. It was one of my favorite trips because I learned so much history. I’m sorry to say that my knowledge of WWII was limited and I didn’t understand the reunification of Germany in 1990. I was raising two active boys back then! After walking through what was previously the military-guarded, barbed wired border, I felt humbled at what had taken place. Reunification is the uniting again after being divided, like East and West Germany. That’s where our scripture from Eph. 1:10 brings us to this Friday.
As we wrap up this section of scripture Paul reminds us of what he had taught in the beginning: we are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Now he closes that it was the plan and purpose of Christ to reunify or unite all things in heaven and things in earth from the beginning. When the fullness of time comes and He returns to earth He will bring reunification. Think about that.
There is an interconnectedness, an overlapping, or a weaving together of heaven and earth today in a partial fulfillment but then, on That Day, it will be complete.
How will this linking of heaven and earth operate? Think back to the Garden of Eden. Creator and creature were in constant communion. Kingdom principles in God’s realm (heaven) were also operating in man’s realm (earth). That’s true unity. However, after sin entered our earthly realm, God divided the kingdom. We had to wait for the heavenly things, accomplished through the Redeemer, to be united again to the earthly things. Mercy, justice, forgiveness: earthly things.
Jesus warned us in His conversation with Nicodemus,
But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? (John 3:12 NLT)
The spiritual blessings of the heavenly places that we’ve been discussing for several months are partially fulfilled now but when the fullness of time arrives, look out, the Fifth Kingdom of Daniel 7 will be inaugurated.
And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’ (Daniel 7:27 ESV)
We were originally created in His image and, as believers, reflect Him in all we say and do. Our sin is washed away, we communicate with God, and experience divine unity with Him: heavenly things. But then, at the fullness of time, we will rule and reign with Him in this new kingdom that reunifies heaven and earth. Dominion is restored, Satan and his demons are banished, and we arrive full-circle. We have a foretaste now but then we’ll experience complete unity.
Eph. 1:3-10 is an fascinating portion of scripture that I hope you understand and appreciate now more than you did when we began. I know I do.
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