It was according to the Divine Plan that our Lord Jesus came down from heaven to the sons of men taking on human flesh. The Son of Mary was the Son of God, and He that suffered, He that bore our sicknesses, He upon whom our sins were laid, was no other than God over all. The Word who is God, and was in the beginning with God, dwelt among us—God with us! There was a door opened in heaven then, for if the Godhead comes into actual union with manhood, man and God are no more separated. Sin prevented mankind from going up to God, so in His great love He came down to earth. God opened the door of heaven and sent angels to earth proclaiming songs of joy and gladness, hailing the birth of the Prince of Peace. But the door was not opened completely, for Christ, when He came into the world, had to stand, though in Himself pure and holy, in the position of a sinner. Jesus was obedient to the Father’s plan of redemption—even unto death on the Cross so that you and I can become children of God and enter into that relationship with Him as Father that He always desired. Jesus became the Door so that we can enter in the door of heaven!
It is important for us to embrace the depth of Jesus’ great sacrifice as “The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all.” The transgressions of the people—our sins were laid on Jesus as He was numbered with the transgressors. He came up to the Cross with the load of sin upon Him, a load that would have staggered all the angels, and sentences human beings to hell. Up to that Cross He came, and there He bare the consequences of the guilt of the whole world. He became our substitute—an acceptable sin offering and sacrifice to the Father. When He spoke the words “It is finished,” He took the great veil that hung up between earth and heaven, and rent it from top to the bottom, never to be put together again, to make an open way—an open door between God and man. The door of heaven is laid open to all believers!
Jesus Christ won the victory over sin and death and arose from the grave fulfilling the first prophecy in the Bible—Genesis 3: 15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.” Christ is the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the earth (Rev. 13:8). The Old Testament substitutionary animal sacrifices pointed to Jesus. Christ is our substitute slain for us on the Cross. He entered into death for us, and when He arose, He went to heaven, entered into the holy of holies in heaven, sprinkled His precious blood upon the mercy seat before the throne of God forever settling the sin question, and delivered us from the curse of the law. This is revealed in Hebrews 9: 12: “But by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Dr. M.R. Dehaan explains it perfectly: “The Bible makes plain when He accomplished this. On the morning of the Resurrection He meets Mary at the tomb. As soon as Mary recognized Him, she prostrated herself upon Him, and would have kissed His feet, but with shocking suddenness, Jesus emphatically says to her: “Touch me not”; and then He proceeds immediately to give the reason why Mary is not permitted to touch Him at this time. He said: “For I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” (John 20: 17)....We can understand this action when we remember the high priest after he had offered the sacrifice, was to enter the holy of holies, before he did anything else, with the precious blood. No one was allowed to approach him. Everyone was shut out until this was completely done. And here in the record of the meeting with Mary we have the fulfillment of this type.” Jesus is our High Priest and fulfilled all the requirements for forgiveness of sin and victory over death.
During His earthly ministry Jesus made it clear that He is the Door in John 10:7, contrasting Himself with the religious leaders of His time who were described as “thieves and robbers.” This statement reiterates the fact that only through Him is salvation possible. Jesus is not only the shepherd of the sheep, but also the door of the sheep. He is the Divine passageway that we are required to go through if we desire to experience the kind of life we were originally designed to possess. This statement is the third of seven recorded “I am” declarations in John, and it claims divinity and Himself as the passageway, the Door, to the Father. In John 14, Jesus was instructing the disciples that He was going to the Father to prepare a place for them and they knew the way. One of them protested that they did not know the way because they didn’t know where He was going. Jesus replied: “I am the way and truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) No one who rejects Jesus can ever claim to know God because Jesus is God. (John 8: 41)
When Jesus’ 40 days of appointed weeks upon this earth were finished after His Resurrection, He once again entered heaven; this time taking possession of it for our bodies and our souls. Prior to His Resurrection, the Old Testament saints were in Paradise, also called Abraham’s bosom, in the center of the earth separated by a great gulf from Hades according to Luke 16: 19-31. In Luke 23: 40-43 we have the account of the criminal hanging on the Cross who said: “Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come in Your kingly glory!” Jesus responded to Him saying: “Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Paul fills in the details in Ephesians 4: 8-10 when he says “When He (Jesus) ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)” Matthew 27: 51-53 reveals that after Jesus’ resurrection the saints in Paradise were raised to life and appeared to many in Jerusalem. Paul reveals in I Cor. 15: 20-23 that Christ is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep in death. Paradise is now located in a place in heaven prepared for us as Jesus told His disciples. Jesus led the Way, made the Way, who is the Way into heaven for all saints to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8)
Chapter 11 of the Book of Hebrews states the amazing truth that all of the heroes of the Old Testament were saved by faith in Christ, although they did not have the full revelation that the disciples of Jesus had. When the unbelieving Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah, the door of faith was opened to the Gentiles according to Acts 14: 26. A door will be opened in heaven for each one of us who have believed in Christ as our Savior and Lord.
In Revelation Chapters 2-3 we have Jesus’ message to the seven churches. The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the Church. The Church is comprised of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. (Ephesians 5: 25-27) Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the Bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the Church Age for almost 2000 years. Her responsibility during this period is to be faithful to Him—to be purified without spot and wrinkle. Of all the churches addressed in Revelation, I believe that the church at Philadelphia (3: 7-13) most closely relates to the message for us today. Jesus Christ presented Himself to these saints as “holy”, true (genuine), and authoritative. Jesus refers to the “key of David” in which He possesses God’s full administrative authority over salvation and judgment, and to distribute or not distribute all of God’s resources according to His will. They had received an open door of opportunity to be a spiritual blessing—a special opportunity for revival and evangelism. “I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it for thou has a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” They were a blood-bought remnant who had faithfully obeyed God’s Word, and they had maintained a faithful testimony for the Lord in the midst of trials, persecutions and a major earthquake. Jesus gave no rebuke to this church and gave them six promises: First, stand firm as true followers of Christ and be a witness to unbelievers. Second, Jesus promised them that they would not go through the wrath of the Tribulation but would be translated to heaven at the Rapture. Third, He promised this church to come “quickly.” (I Thess. 4: 13-18) Fourth, Jesus promises crowns as rewards for faithfulness. (1 Co. 9: 25; I Thess. 2: 19; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1: 12; Rev. 2: 10; 1 Peter 5:4) Fifth, He will make them pillars in the spiritual temple of God, the New Jerusalem. Sixth, He will write the Name of God upon them—being eternally sealed and secure. Seventh, Jesus will identify with His faithful people writing upon them His new Name.
James 5: 8-9 warns us that the judge (Christ) is standing at the door and His coming draws nigh. Jesus in Matthew 24: 32-35 warns of signs indicating that He is even at the door. In Revelation 4: 1 we see a door opened in heaven—the Door that ushers in true believers—the everlasting door: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting-doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” (Psalm 24:7) As we reference Psalm 24 in 2024, we are reminded that according to the Hebrew year 5784 this is the YEAR OF THE OPEN DOOR! May God grant us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches! (Rev. 3: 22) May we who make up the Body of Christ walk through the door of deeper surrender, alignment, and transformation. In the closing verses of the Bible we have the Last Promise, Last Prayer and Last Provision: “He which testifieth these things saith, ‘Surely I come quickly.’ Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22: 20-21)