Understanding The Heavens
UNDERSTANDING THE HEAVENS
By Abu Bako
- Introduction
- Understanding the Kingdom Through Patterns In the Heavens
- Decrees Come From The Seat Of Government
- Dominion Was Given to Man
- The Heavens Are Seat of Kingdom Authority
- Highest Heavens – God’s abode
- Mid Heavens – Abode of Angelic Ministers
- First Heaven – Visible Firmament
- Satan’s Access Limited To First Heavens
- Jesus Christ Is Above All
- We Are Seated With Christ Above All
- Our Role As the Body of Christ
- Knowledge Is Key
- Learn From Pharisaic Error
Introduction
During one mission trip to Brazil, a colleague and I had the LORD’s assignment to go and visit an institution of higher learning in one of the major cities. The purpose was to take away the scepter from off their leadership and bring a shut down on the wicked institution. It was the well-recognized and attended University of Witchcraft.
In that institution they trained people in all manner of witchery from all over the world; and awarded them with degrees in witchcraft. There is witchcraft from the Far East, Africa, Americas, Europe, Polynesia and the Pacific. There are masters who train in everything from massage, hair-dressing, crafts, the arts, sciences, corporate witchcraft etc.
We were taken to a place where there was a huge cauldron. The head-witch guide informed us they would cook the destiny of individuals and nations. How do they do it? They watch for the patterns in the heavens, and on the exact moment the new moon appears, they begin to make incantations into the lay lines of the earth and do their enchantments to manipulate the destinies of leaders, world meetings, financial institutions, nations as per their agenda.
Can you imagine this going on and the uninformed Ambassadors of God sleeping away on the job, and rejecting knowledge of these heavens which God gave us?
When we left that control room empty, the enemy came and hijacked it and is using it in all manner of ways including astrology, horoscopes, and other demonic practices.
Occult use of Crescents and Quarter Moons
The shape of the moon determines the difference between the sickles and the bows as it goes through its phases. When it looks like a C or its mirror image, it is a crescent; but when it looks like a D or its mirror image, then it is a bow.
Various occult groups use the sickle shaped crescent moon as sickles (e.g. Hecate’s sickle), for harvesting the gains of many who are ignorant, and for demonic strength and fortification with intense enchantments. They also use the bow-shaped moon to shoot destructive demonic arrows (Psalm 91::4-6). Deuteronomy 23:25 forbids this. It is therefore the duty of every child of God to enforce this provision.
❖ Pray that the sun, moon and stars will this month, on a daily basis, yield their finest and very best firstly for the church and secondly for the nations. Deut. 33:14.
❖ Pray that the One who sits on the cloud with the sharp sickle in His hand will thrust in the sickle and reap off the earth all those who involve themselves in such wicked acts of reaping the gains of the ignorant to enrich themselves. (Joe 3:13, Rev 14:15)
US First Lady Nancy Reagan relied on a San Francisco astrologer to determine the timing of the President’s every public move. In dead earnest, she looked to the alignment of the heavenly bodies for guidance[1]. In her own memoirs, the former US first lady quotes, “I felt panicky every time Ronald left the White House”, and made it her concern to know her husband’s schedule: the events he would be attending, and with whom.
Eventually, this protectiveness led to her consulting an astrologer, Joan Quigley, who offered insight on which days were “good”, “neutral”, or should be avoided, which influenced her husband’s White House schedule. Days were color-coded according to the astrologer’s advice to discern precisely which days and times would be optimal for the President’s safety and success. Even the signing of major arms deals with former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev were manipulated for a particular day and a particular hour because these were “favorable.” Sometimes the president would be a “prisoner” in the white house because he was not allowed to go out as the day was not “right”[2].
Steel business magnate Lakshmi Mittal is the CEO of the one of the world’s biggest steel manufacturers. Even against fiercest rejection from whole national governments like France which was against his bid for a steel manufacturing plant in Luxembourg he was able to win over the EU and buy the plant. How does he do this? He is well known to rely on prognostications and spiritual influences from alignment of the heavenly bodies to gain favour before he makes a bid to buy any steel company or run any business deals[3].
He has a team of Indian astrologers, diviners and prognosticators who study the patterns in the heavens for six months or even longer before advising him on when and how to make his business decisions. This way, he has made his acquisitions by “registering[4]” himself in the spirit realm, and securing the deals there . Currently, he is said to be the wealthiest man in the UK and the fourth wealthiest man in the world, owning vast steel businesses all over Europe, USA, South America, Asia and Africa. This one man produces 10% of the world’s steel.
In Africa it is common for people to rely on the spiritual influences of the heavenly bodies before they enter into any project, make any major transition like marriage, or merging with other companies etc. From presidents to peasants, people have an understanding of the influence of these heavenly bodies on daily life both spiritually and physically.
As a Kingdom citizen, you may think the above are sensational events that have no real impact. However, more and more Kingdom citizens in their numbers dabble with the demonic science of astrology both casually and earnestly, to determine their lives and actions.
Is there a gap which the body of Christ has not filled with regard to understanding the heavens?
For a number of years now, our ministry has been called to raise up an army of people with spiritual steel backbones, who will take their families, neighbourhoods, communities, cities, nations and literally continents for God.
To achieve this, part of what God has given us, is a burden to raise strong foundations in the body of Christ by equipping this body with knowledge and understanding of the Kingdom of God and its patterns in every area of life. Our purpose is to transform these men and women into the ultimate expression of God and His kingdom wherever He allows them to be in life. This will enable them integrate kingdom values to gradually replace all other values, thus laying God’s kingdom foundations for future generations.
“That which has been [is] what will be, That which [is] done is what will be done, And [there is] nothing new under the sun.” (Eccl 1:9)
The above scripture reminds us that we are not teaching something unique or new to the body of Christ. We are simply going back to the ancient paths. There have been numerous teachings on the kingdom of God from the time Jesus Christ manifested Himself here on earth to date.
However, everyone has a unique contribution to make to the body according to Ephesians 4:16.
“from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph 4:16)
This month we share a bit on the heavens as part of our contribution, as Logos-Rhema, to the effectiveness of the body of Christ in taking responsibility for the earth (as God’s property – Ps 24)
God has revealed Himself as JEHOVAH SABAOTH – the LORD of Hosts; and we are to understand the word “hosts” in the most comprehensive sense, as including the hosts of both the heavens and the earth.
In the heavens these include the angels and other spirit beings such as the living creatures of Revelation 4, the sun, the moon, the stars, all planets, and the waters above the heavens, which, as an army in battle array, perform the will of God.
On the earth, these include all bodies of water of earth and their inhabitants, the atmosphere (including lightning, hail, snow, clouds and stormy winds), mountains, hills, animals (wild and domestic), small creatures (such as the locust that plagued Egypt, the palmer worm, canker worm of God’s army of Joel 2:25), birds, spirits that move upon the face of the earth, nations and human beings of all races, class and sex. Lastly, the people of the LORD, both of the old and new covenants, a truly great army, of which God is the general and commander in chief (2Sa 6:2 Ps 24:7-10 Ro 9:29 Jas 5:4).
Understanding the Kingdom Through Patterns In the Heavens
While a lot of teaching has gone out about various aspects of the kingdom of God, not much has to do with the heavens. As stated earlier, part of the many teachings about the kingdom with which God has graced this ministry to begin equipping the body of Christ, has been an understanding of the heavens and their relevance in every era and season: to our daily lives, in the establishment of God’s dominion on earth, and in possessing every gate for the kingdom of God.
When we adequately understand God’s purposes for his creation as displayed in the heavens which God began to tell Abraham (Gen 15:5), Job during his tribulation, and the men of old, then we can understand how key these aspects of the kingdom of God are to earthly activities in every dispensation. This is why like the sons of Issachar we need to understand the times:
“of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command;” (1Ch 12:32)
According to the Targum, this meant that they knew how to ascertain the periods of the sun and moon, the intercalation of months, the dates of solemn feasts, and could interpret the signs of the times. A company from Issachar came to the celebration of the Passover when it was restored by Hezekiah. Even for the birth of Jesus, wise men from the East observed signs in the heavens and saw his star, which they followed to a manger where he was born, to see him.
As a child of God, therefore, you ought to be interested in, and conversant with, the heavens and these elements that seem to be so far away from us. If you still further convincing, all you need is to look at even physical science which proves that the heavens have an influence on the founding and function of various earthly matters e.g. the ebb and flow of the tides, the gestation period, bodily responses of creatures.
Some people will go to the extent of saying “We are supposed to deal with serious issues. They are trying to make us go into the heavens. Those things are strange and ungodly.” In fact some well known ministers of the gospel have even gone to the extent of writing books informing the Kingdom citizen that he has no business dealing with the heavens.
Some of the teachings that we receive today like refusal to gain understanding of, and deal with the heavens or any other area of intercession, is because sometimes because of inadequate knowledge or understanding, or level of spiritual maturity, some people handle carelessly some portions of intercession and get heavy backlash.
Instead of going back to learn where they went wrong so that they can change, and get it right, they freak out. Over time, they pull together scriptures and create a doctrine refuting that style of intercession, or that portion of Biblical teaching.
Nevertheless, I would like you to see only one reason why we should take responsibility for the heavenly elements and ensure that they perform the duty they were created for.
Decrees Come From The Seat Of Government
Where do all instructions, decrees and laws governing the entire lifestyle in your nation come from? Do they come from the streets of the city? Basically the decisions for the nation are not taken on the streets, but in the king’s palace or the presidential palace or the state house (e.g. the white house in the USA) Those are seats of government. All ordinances and laws for governance are regulated from there.
Representatives of the King or president in various places form part of the government and they have some ordinances and laws which they have charge of. Normally, cabinet ministers and other national leaders are privy to the decrees and decisions that come forth from the seat of government because they are part of these meetings.
The ministers of government do not necessarily live at the seat of government, but they work there and attend meetings there. Most of their duties are then carried out in their assigned places of work. Then their instructions trickle to lower level of authority where the decrees are turned into policies and work plans that are implemented in the nation. How does this relate to the kingdom of God?
Dominion Was Given to Man
If you own a house, you have dominion over everything in that house. You will ensure that any influence coming from both within and without the house is controlled. You will not leave your gates wide open for anyone and anything from the outside to go in or out as they please. You will not let other people control what comes into your compound or what goes out. You tend to take charge of such matters.
When God created man He gave him dominion over all of created things. Man has influence to control anything that may have an effect on his domain – just as the owner of a house has control of anything that may have effect on his house. We will clarify this point further. The Bible says
The highest heavens belong to the LORD but the earth he has given to man. (Ps 115:16).
Understand that when God gave the earth, it was to all men, both redeemed men or those who are agents of the kingdom of darkness. All men are included in this clause. It means that whatever influence comes upon the earth is dependent on the kind of men in that area. If the people are defiled and ungodly, then the land will become defiled and ungodly. If the people in the land are righteous redeemed men, then the land will be influenced with righteousness.
The Heavens Are Seat of Kingdom Authority
“Thus says the LORD: “Heaven [is] My throne, And earth [is] My footstool (Isaiah 66:1a)
In the same vein, decisions for the universe are taken from the seat of the government of the universe which is in the highest heaven. As we study the kingdom, we learn that it has 3 spaces – the heavens, the earth and the prison houses. I shall focus on the heavens. The heavens are further divided into 3 spaces.
Highest Heavens – God’s abode
The throne of the King of the universe is in the highest heaven as seen in the above scriptures including Ps. 115:16. That is Paradise, the habitation of God. Paul narrates
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago––whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows––such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man––whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows–– how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2Co 12:2-4)
From the highest heavens, God’s kingdom rule and authority is over all.
“The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.” (Ps 103:19)
Nebuchadnezzar is a witness & testimony to this. Daniel said to him, “You shall be driven from among men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass as do the oxen and you shall be wet with the dew of the heavens; and seven times [or years] shall pass over you until you learn and know and recognize that the Most High [God] rules the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whomever He will.”(Dan 4:25)
At the end of the period . . . “34 And at the end of the days [seven years], I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding and the right use of my mind returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him Who lives forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion; and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing?(Dan 4:34,35).l/
Mid Heavens – Abode of Angelic Ministers
When I read Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 there is an account which infers the fall of Lucifer who was guardian cherub in heaven.
The Bible infers that there is a second heaven where he resided. He desired to ascend – meaning go up- into the utmost heavens, the mount of assembly (the place where the heavenly hosts assemble to receive decrees from God as in Jeremiah 23:18,22, 1 kings 22:19): Paradise, the highest heaven to occupy the seat of God.
It means his place of occupation was not the highest heaven, but the mid-heaven which is the abode of angelic beings. We also know that the angels are ministers of God; who hearken to the voice of His word, attend the council of the LORD to receive his decrees, and do His bidding in the universe according to the office and ministry they hold.
There are spiritual laws and ordinances which are in their jurisdiction. Please note that the second and third heavens are spiritual heavens.
First Heaven – Visible Firmament
Then we come to the first heaven, part of God’s visible creation according to Genesis; the firmament which was called heaven including the heavenly bodies – the sun, moon, and stars. These too have laws and ordinances that are under their jurisdiction. Genesis 1:14-18 gives their 8-fold role as follows:
- They will divide the day from the night.
- They will be for signs.
- They will mark the seasons.
- They will mark the days.
- They will mark the years.
- They will give light upon the earth.
- They will rule the day.
- They will rule the night.
Satan’s Access Limited To First Heavens
The accounts in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 reveal that the angels that fell from heaven were thrown down; some say to earth and in Jude in the New Testament it says
And angels who did not keep (care for, guard, and hold to) their own first place of power but abandoned their proper dwelling place—these He has reserved in custody in eternal chains (bonds) under the thick gloom of utter darkness until the judgment and doom of the great day (Jude 1:6 amplified).
From that time on, Satan has no more legal authority to enter the mid or highest heavens at all except by God’s permission. He was thrown out, he came and deceived Adam and took authority of the earth. After Jesus Christ’s victory on the cross reconciling all creation back to God, Satan can only abide on earth at the invitation of unredeemed man as the prince of the power of the air. From this position, he can only have access to the first heavens which is the firmament (Eph 2:1-2).
Satan knows that whoever comes from above is above all (John 3:31), so he uses the advantage of being prince of the power of the air to access the highest he can go now which is the first heavens – the sun, moon, stars and planets. If people give him access or Kingdom citizens in their ignorance leave the ordinances of the first heavens vacant, he will manipulate them for his own advantage. That is why almost all the pagan, idolatrous religions access the powers in the heavens to gain unfair advantage over nations, and strengthen the hold of the kingdom of darkness.
Jesus Christ Is Above All
However though all men have access to dominion of the earth, God has not left His inheritance without a strong position to ensure that the gates of hell do not prevail over the nations. Since it is from the heavens that decrees and ordinances that govern the earth come from, Ephesians 1:20-23 describes Christ’s position:
Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], [Ps. 8:6] Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].(Amp)
We Are Seated With Christ Above All
From such a lofty position in the highest heavens, above all dominion, principalities and powers, Paul the apostle further expounds the position of the Kingdom citizen in Eph 2:4-6
But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved ( delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
In Psalm 8:5-8 we learn that God has made man a little lower than “Elohim” – the triune God. I mentioned earlier that if you have a house, you will ensure that everything influencing it would be under control. As the Body of Christ, we ought to take responsibility for everything that influences the earth which is our domain. We are superior spirits and from our superior position, when loyal to Jesus Christ, we can operate far above all principalities, powers and rulers of this dark world in the heavenly places i.e. all the heavens including the visible heavenly elements. We therefore have jurisdiction over anything that affects the earth which is our domain. For lack of knowledge our inaction as the body of Christ and as representatives of His kingdom here on earth, leaves a vacuum in the heavens which the devil fills with his representatives.
Our Role As Body of Christ
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” (Col 2:16-17 NKJV)
We do not want to be observers of time but possessors of the gates. In the Old Testament times, God used the seasons and times to bring the people to a place of heightened intercession, prophetic actions in solemn assemblies as a shadow of things to come. We are in a new dispensation. Jesus Christ has already won the victory over all creation on our behalf. When we take responsibility to maintain sustained victory of every area of creation, we do not only spiritually, but physically stake a claim on the territory of earth for God. We do this by directing the ordinances of the heavens and ensuring that they affect the earth positively so the kingdom of God and His purposes are established firmly on earth as it is in heaven.
Knowledge Is Key
We are fond of quoting Matt 16:19 that whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven but we miss the strong emphasis of the authority to bind and lose; Jesus Christ said He would give us the Keys of the kingdom first before he could bind or loose. What are the keys of the kingdom? In Matt 23:13 and Luke 11:52 Jesus told the Pharisees that they had shut up the kingdom of heaven for they had taken away the keys of knowledge from the people and refused to enter in themselves. Could it be that the rejection of the truth about the heavens is a strategy by the devil to keep Kingdom citizens from entering in and enjoying the full benefits of kingdom authority here on earth? Job was asked
“Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?” (Job 38:33)
In this new dispensation where we are not operating in types and shadows any more, we ought to answer in affirmative, that because of the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, because of the indwelling Holy Spirit who teaches us all things, we do know the ordinances of the heavens and we shall set their dominion on earth to the glory of God. We do not do this through horoscopes and other practices of demonic science of astrology.
In the prayer guide, you will pray about some of the star constellations and planets that are prominent during each month. Each of these occurs in the Bible but is not necessarily named as you know them today. Most of the 12 major constellations occur in “Mazzaroth, also known as “northern crown” or “Zodiac” (Job 38:32, 2Ki 23:5)” and were appointed for holy use by God Himself . “Mazzaroth” (from Arabic “menzil – “an inn”) are the 12 “lodgings” or “stopping places” in which the sun successively stays or appears to stay in the sky.
To the Hebrew and ancient Eastern people, “Mazzaroth” means “the 12 signs,” literally, “premonitions,” i.e. “group of stars that give warnings or presages.” from the usage of the root, mazzar or nazar, ((rzn – meaning consecrated, set apart for holy use.). Mazzaroth, the group of stars set apart for holy use by God, has ordinances which have been perverted and manipulated by Satan in astrology and other demonic activities in the heavens. However, as the Body of Christ gains knowledge of these constellations and how to set their dominion on earth, we shall redeem them from the frustration that the enemy has rendered upon them to play a role that they were not created for.
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Ro 8:19-21)
Learn From Pharisaic Error
The moon marks off the seasons and the sun knows its going down (Ps 104:19).
The signs of the times are clearly reflected in the heavenly bodies. Unfortunately, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, most Kingdom citizens are ignorant of the seasons and times we enter into with each new moon. However, the children of darkness manipulate and plan all their key projects and events around the demonic science of astrology. The sun, moon and stars rule the day and night and mark off the seasons and times both in the physical and spiritual realms.
When Jesus Christ prophesied about the signs of the end of the age He said there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars (Luke 21:25). He rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees because they could only interpret the physical weather patterns but could not discern the signs of the times as depicted by the heavens ((Matt 16:1-3). They could not discern the birth of the Messiah which was shown by the star yet the astrologers could recognize that a key event in history had occurred and they traveled from distant lands, to come and pay homage to this King (Matt 2).
Unfortunately the pattern persists today as the Body stubbornly clings to ignorance about the heavens and their significance in earthly events and refuses to take control of this neglected source of universal legislation. It is therefore imperative for us to pay heed to the seasons and times as marked off by the sun moon and stars in our generation.
Today, if you will receive an understanding of the heavens and their purposes here on earth, you shall begin to enter in to a new level of kingdom authority.
[1] For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington Donald T Regan ©1989 St. Martins Press
[2] My Turn – The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan with William Novak ©1990 Reed Business Information
[3] Keys To Effective Business; Business Service Audio by Abu Bako ©2008 LogosRhema Media
[4] Registering Your Business In The Spiritual Realm: Business Service Audio by Abu Bako ©2007 LogosRhema