IN THIS first chapter of Job the veil is drawn aside, as it were, and we get a glimpse of the unseen world which surrounds us. We can only find these things out in truth from God’s Word. People like to give their thoughts on this subject, but we have to learn that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. (Isa. 55:88For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8)). It is sad that the great majority of people prefer to go on with their own thoughts and remain in ignorance of what God has to say to them.
What we have here brought before us is that there is an unseen world, and Satan, the great enemy of God and man, is very actively seeking to frustrate God’s purposes, and to prevent man from laying hold of what He has so plainly given us in His Word. Satan is a real person—he would be no more real if we saw him—and though we may little realize it, filled with hatred he is watching the child of God, even as he did Job whom God had blessed. Satan has limited access into heaven, but not where God dwells in unapproachable light (1 Tim. 6:1616Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:16)). But he has some access and is called the accuser of the brethren. By and by he will be cast down out of heaven to the earth (Rev. 12:9, 109And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:9‑10)), and finally into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:1010And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)). But God uses his accusations for the final blessing of His people in the end.
There is another who has passed through the heavens, our Lord Jesus Christ, to appear in the presence of God for us (Heb. 4:1414Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14)). He has accomplished our redemption, and bears His people upon His heart and upon His shoulders of strength.
Scripture speaks of the heavens (plural) in several places. Deuteronomy 10:1414Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is. (Deuteronomy 10:14) tells us, “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORDS’S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.” Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the temple recognized that there was more than one heaven, sang, “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have build.” 1 Kings 8:2727But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? (1 Kings 8:27). Then in the New Testament Paul speaks of being caught up to the “third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:22I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2)).
Some have wondered at this remarkable scene where the sons of God (or evidently the angels) came to present themselves before God, Satan being among them. But we have seen from the scriptures referred to that there are different spheres of the heavens. We also learn this from Luke 16 where Lazarus, when he died, was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. But the rich man found himself in hades — a part of the unseen world—a great way off, and yet there was a conversation carried on between them. The rich man was in torments, but Lazarus was at peace in the place of blessing. There could be no changing of place—it was too late. Sometimes we hear some one say of another who has departed this life, that he is better off. But the rich man found himself in torments because he was a rejecter of God’s Word. So if we want to be better off after death, we must beware not to reject in life the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God saw that while Job was a wonderful man in almost every way, yet he had need of a great lesson. There was something there that needed correcting and Job was entirely ignorant of it. So God allowed Satan to send some great calamities into Job’s life, to sift him. If we are sifted of Satan, there is always a needs be, but there is also this precious comfort for the believer that God is making all things work together for his good. He ever acts in grace with His own, that we might be conformed to the image of His beloved Son.
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