Salvation Summaries

This is my third post on the Lord’s Prayer.  In it, I’ll discuss the meaning of “in heaven.”   Although this post is a little long, it’s a fairly quick read.

Our Father, who art in heaven…

Summary

In the Lord’s Prayer and on many other occasions, Jesus referred to God as “in heaven.” I believe He did this to show that God is separate and distinct from us; there is no one like Him.  Further, I believe He did it to remind us of who God is.  From a review of verses with the phrase “in heaven,” we see several of God’s attributes.  God is a king with great power.  He has authority to judge His creation, and can extend His wrath upon the ungodly.  God is forgiving and loving too, and has shown His love by giving His Holy Spirit to those who turn to Him in faith.  Because of who God is, we should praise and honor and worship Him.  God’s attributes, and our need to revere Him on account of these, should be on our mind when we say the phrase “Our Father, who art in heaven.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jehovah dwells in heaven only and is not omnipresent.  I used material from well known Christian philosopher William Lane Craig to show Craig’s reasoning for God’s omnipresence.  Although there are a number of verses that refer to God as being in heaven with none specifically mentioning His omnipresence, there are sufficient verses in the Bible to support this concept.

Heaven

In the Lord’s Prayer, why did Jesus refer to God as “in heaven,” since Christians believe that God is omnipresent (Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t, but I’ll get to that in a minute)?  Why didn’t Jesus simply say, “Our Father, hallowed be thy name?”

To begin, we need to acknowledge that the Bible speaks of more than heaven:

• Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
• 2 Corinthians 12:2  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know– God knows.

From my review of verses on heaven, there appear to be three heavens.

The first one is where the birds fly and our rain/snow comes from; the sky and our atmosphere:

• Psalm 8:8  The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
• Deuteronomy 11:17  “Or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you.

The second is where the stars and planets shine; outer space and our universe.

• Genesis 15:5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
• Isaiah 40:26  Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

And the third is outside the physical realm; it is where our Father, Jesus and angels are said to reside (and I assume believers/saints who had died on the earth).

• 1 Peter 3:21-22 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you– not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience– through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

However, one Bible commentator I value views the heavens differently.  According to him, the first one is everything above the land of the earth; the second is what we normally think of heaven (where angels reside for instance), and the third one is a special place only for God.

Omnipresence (a brief detour)

When I was researching the meaning of “heaven” in the Lord’s prayer, I got sidetracked after reading a Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) article on this topic.  They believe that God, or Jehovah, literally resides in heaven and thus reject God’s omnipresence.  I didn’t want to go down this road but yielded to temptation, so I’ll briefly summarize what I found (in case you are curious).  My sources of information included articles from the JW website and a video and posts by well known Christian philosopher, William Lane Craig.

Here is a summary of JWs’ view on omnipresence:

• “The Bible does not teach that God is omnipresent…Instead, it shows that he is a person and that he resides in a dwelling place.  He is never depicted as existing everywhere.  In a sense, God resides at a specific location.”

• Through his holy spirit, God can perceive and do anything, anywhere, at any time, without being present in person.”

• They believe Psalm 139:7-8 does not refer to God’s location; rather, it “poetically teaches that no place is too remote for God to act in our behalf.”

Here is the argument Craig used to support God’s omnipresence with supporting verses from the Bible:

• “God is everywhere present. There is nowhere that the psalmist can go where he can escape God‘s presence. From the realms of the underworld in Sheol to the highest heaven or the farthest part of the sea God is there.”
  • Psalm 139:7-10 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

• Unlike other gods in Bible times, our God is not a localized deity:
  • Jeremiah 23:23-24 23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away? 24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.

• “Heaven and earth can’t contain God” much less a temple:
  • 1 Kings 8:27  “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!

Omnipresence to Craig means that God is “causally active at and cognizant of every point in space” but “not literally in space.” He doesn’t exist in space; He transcends it.

Significance of “in heaven”

Is there something significant about heaven we need to understand when we address God in this prayer? I think so.

Why?  This prayer is not the only place Jesus referred to God as being in heaven. According to Matthew, He did it quite often:

• Matthew 5:16  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

• Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

• Matthew 7:21  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

• Matthew 18:14  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

• Matthew 23:9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

Why? I believe Jesus did this to emphasize that even though God is our Father, He is separate and distinct from us, as reflected in the following Psalm:

• Psalm 113:4-6 ⁴ The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.  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?
  

• Psalm 14:2  The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Further, I believe Jesus mentioned it to remind us of who God is. I’ve included some of His attributes below.

God is a king, with a temple and throne in heaven.  As a king, He rules over His heavenly kingdom with great power.

• Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

• Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

• Deuteronomy 26:15  Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

God has authority to judge His creation.  He can extend His wrath upon those who are ungodly.

• Psalm 76:8-9 From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet–  when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land.
  

• Romans 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

God is loving and forgiving too.  Out of love for His creation, He sends His spirit into the hearts of those who turn to Him in faith.

• 1 Kings 8:30  Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

• 1 Peter 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven— things into which angels long to look.

Because of who God is, He is someone we should praise and honor and worship.

• Revelation 5:13-14 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.