The Intersection of Heaven and Earth

In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. And then, He created the firmament and divided heaven and earth. However, God provided that there should be moments when a sort of gateway would open between the two realms, and heaven and earth would intersect. This intersection occurred upon many different mountains. It also occurred at various places of sacrifice where the altar of God (representing the mountain of God) pierced heaven from earth, and the fire of God would fall and consume the offering. The rising smoke of the offering entered into the glory-cloud of God's presence and symbolized the ascension of the worshippers into the heavenly realm before the throne of God. The smoke of the offering would mingle with the cloud of God's glory showing how God receives worshippers up into Himself to share in His eternal glory. Thus, each altar was an intersection of heaven and earth.

Bethel is an example of such an intersection. Isaiah's vision is another. Uzza's breach is another. All of these examples show that heaven breaks into earth throughout biblical history. And the ultimate intersection of heaven and earth occurred at Bethlehem in the incarnation of God in Christ. Then, Pentecost is the next great intersection of heaven and earth when the Spirit of the ascended Christ was poured out through the Holy Ghost, and the fire of God settled upon those gathered in the Upper Room. As noted, when heaven and earth intersect at the altar, faithful worshippers enter into the heavenly realm before the throne of God. Paul teaches us that this happened at Pentecost and shall be fulfilled finally at the final burnt offering of heaven and earth when Jesus comes again, which is the final intersection of heaven and earth.

The intersection of heaven and earth always offers men a chance to choose one of two directions: they can choose either to ascend to heaven or return to earth. There are many examples in scripture of men who chose the wrong path when standing at the intersection of heaven and earth (Cain, Lot, Nadab and Abihu, Hophni and Phinehas, Uzziah, Uzza, Joab at the horns of the altar, etc). The altar represents a "choose you this day" moment. When we stand at the altar to worship, we are confronted with the choice: "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that he present you bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed but be transformed." The altar, as the intersection of heaven and earth, is the time and place of choosing. What will we choose—heaven or earth?