ABUNDANT LIFE VISION
Sounds from Heaven. Luke 3:21-22
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” NLT.

Over the last two years I have had to talk about heaven and in the period, I have taught that there are three levels to the heavenly realm. The first heaven is the sky as we know it, James 5:18. The second heaven is the outer space, Mt 24:29, and the third heaven is the invisible realm where God dwells. Hebrews 8:1: Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. NLT. Hebrews 9:24: For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. NLT.

The teaching today deals with the third heaven, the abode of God. The Bible tells us that God lives in the third heaven although the exact location is not given in the scriptures. The third heaven also is a location where we find heavenly beings such as angels, the twenty-four elders and other beings. Because heaven is a location and the fact that our God speaks, there is a transmission of sounds and language from heaven to the earth.

Furthermore, for us to understand today’s teaching very well, I need to define sound. A sound is a vibration that travels through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person’s or animal ear (Oxford Languages). Therefore, sounds from heaven refers to the vibrations or speech form that originates from heaven and are perceived by humans on earth either physically or spiritually.

Let’s start with some instances when the voice of God came from heaven to speak with us on earth.

1. The children of Israel in wilderness: Exodus 20:18-26
This was this first time the children of Israel heard a sound from heaven after Moses had relayed the ten commandments to them. God spoke to them from heaven to prove to them that he is the living God who is above all things. It was a revelation to tell the children of Israel to desist from the worship of idols.

2. King Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment for his sins: Daniel 4
The bible tells the story of God warning to king Nebuchadnezzar which came to him in a dream. God had forewarned him about what would happen to him but he refused and when the judgment of God came on him, he heard the voice of God from heaven saying to him that he was no longer the king of his kingdom. The result was that he lost his sanity and lived as an animal for seven years.

From this, we can see that God can speak audibly to judge when someone or some people are wrong. Daniel 4:29-33: Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. [30]As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’ [31]“While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. [32]You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’ [33]“That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws. NLT.

3. The sound from heaven that affirmed Jesus’ sonship: Luke 3:21-22
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, [22]and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”NLT.

On two occasions, God spoke from heaven to affirm to the world that Jesus is his son who came to die for the sins of the world. The first time was at his baptism, while the second time was during his transfiguration. Mark 9:2-8. On these occasions, God spoke from heaven to take away any form of confusion that may arise from Jesus’ claim as his son. The voice was designed to reveal Jesus to the world as the one and only saviour.

4. The sound from heaven that affirms our rest: Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!” NLT.

One of the things God wants us to have is rest. The concept of rest has been talked about from the days of the law, when Moses gave the children of Israel the ten commandments. Exodus 20:8-11: “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [9]You have six days each week for your ordinary work, [10]but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. [11]For in six days the lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. NLT. This law was only a shadow of the real deal that Jesus revealed completely in his ministry. Matthew 11:28-30: Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29]Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30]For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” NLT.
Rest is in two dimensions, earthly and heavenly rest. Earthly rest is divided into two; physical and spiritual. When we come to Christ, we get rest both physical (mental, financial, emotional etc.) and spiritual (freedom from powers of hell through our knowledge of our rights in Christ). The second rest which is heavenly refers to eternal life which we would get at the end of time. Hebrews 4:9-11: So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. [10]For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. [11]So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. NLT.

5. The sound from heaven that will announce the second coming: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

[13]And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. [14]For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. [15]We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. [16]For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. [17]Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. [18]So encourage each other with these words. NLT.

The events if the end of this earth will begin with a loud sound from heaven. After the sound of the Lord’s archangel and the trumpet, the events that will follow will finish with us meeting the Lord in the clouds and be with the Lord forever.

However, rising from the dead to be with the Lord or meeting up with the Lord in the clouds is not automatic. There is a condition attached to it which is being saved by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour. Therefore, if you are ready to give your life to Christ, say this prayer wholeheartedly; Lord Jesus, I confess you as my Lord and saviour today, please save me and be my lord and bring me into your fold. Amen. If you have recited the prayer wholeheartedly, I congratulate you and I welcome you to the family of God. Make sure you join a bible believing church as you start your journey in Christ.

God bless you.