The Bible states in 2 Peter 3:8: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” It is interesting to note that we can find two glimpses into heaven that are spaced about 835 years apart. In 740 BC, the Prophet Isaiah got a glimpse of Heaven and the throne room of God. 835 years later, the Apostle John saw the same throne room in 95 AD.
This 835 year space of time is the closest picture we can get of one day’s activity in Heaven. You can read these two accounts in Isaiah chapter 6 and Revelation chapters 4 and 5.
Isaiah saw the throne of God, four angelic beings called the Seraphim, and an altar. He heard the Seraphim crying out to each other: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 835 years later, the Apostle John also saw the same Seraphim, this time they were saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.“
Remember, 835 earth years is less than a day in Heaven. What had happened on the earth during this period of time?
The Assyrian and Babylonian world empires had risen and fallen, the Persian Empire had come and gone, Alexander the great was no longer great, the Caesars of the great Roman Empire had started their ascent— all spanning less than one day in the throne room!
Yet in the waxing and/or waning of five world empires on the stage of human history the events taking place on the earth are so inconsequential to the Throne of God, that the Seraphim have just began verse 2 of their hymn of praising the awesome holiness and glory of our God!
What had impressed the Seraphim was the 48-minute period of time that the second member of the Trinity had stepped out of Heaven, allowed Himself to be reduced to a single cell and placed in the womb of a young virgin named Mary. This child, given the name Jesus, grew up and became the “Lamb of God” who took away the sins of the world by dying on a cross in our behalf. He then rose from the grave three days later, and after spending forty days instructing His disciples, He ascended to His Father’s throne to appear before God on humanity’s behalf.
In Heaven this process took 48 minutes, on earth it took Jesus 33 years. Heaven wasn’t impressed by five world empires, and it won’t be impressed by the last one. You see for a short period of time, God did view this earthly life from our perspective, now He invites us to view it from his!
This event literally changed Heaven, as you see no people in Heaven in Isaiah Chapter 6, but you do see people in Heaven in Revelation chapters 4 and 5. The most important thing this means to you and me, is that when Jesus re-entered Heaven, after accomplishing His earthly ministry – HE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN!
Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven..”
And He invites us to enter in. Will you not accept His invitation?
