“Heavenly Things" is a composite work, divided like Caesar's Gaul into three parts. Part 1 "From Earth to Heaven an Outline of the Race in Hebrews" is an orderly expansion of notes compiled from many years of Bible study. Part 2 "From Heaven to Earth An Outline of the Ephesian Letter" is the first English edition of my book on Ephesians published in India in 1974 in the Tamil language. Part 3 "Heaven and Earth at the end of the Bible" is a digest of addresses I have given on Revelation over the years. So much for the history of the composition of the book. Scanning it quickly might lead to the premature conclusion that its structure is haphazard. On the contrary the form it took arose out of the gradual understanding of the relationship of these subjects to one another. Part 1 is the race from earth to heaven in Hebrews whereas in Part 2 Ephesians man comes down from heaven to earth. Part 3 is an overview of those themes in Revelation which focus on these contrasting but complementary viewpoints. These are the 21 judgments and the Holy City Jerusalem. The 21 judgments originate in heaven but fall on the earth. They prepare us for the unveiling of the Holy City Jerusalem. Until then this city was hidden from the world's view like the believers who inhabit it whose life was hid with Christ in God Col. 3:33For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3). It comes down from heaven to an earth purified by judgment. It was sin which separated heaven and earth morally. Once God judges man's world, heaven and earth will no longer be separated. That is why John witnesses the descent of the Holy City from heaven to earth at the end of the Bible.
Having pointed out these distinctions it becomes clear that our subjects are both heaven and earth. This being the case some readers might question the title "Heavenly Things" as not fully descriptive of this book. However we chose it for a number of reasons. Heaven is our destiny our eternal home. The Man in the glory is there, so it is the home of the heart to us. It is the source of the judgments on the earth and eventual rule over it. We are a heavenly people these things are our things.
Should we not, therefore, be interested in heavenly things? The Lord wanted to share heavenly things with Nicodemus but he wasn't ready. Jesus said "If I have told you of earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?" So the Lord would like to instruct His people about heavenly things. But our ears must be opened to His words in the Holy Scriptures. If they are, He will surely show us "that which is noted in the Scripture of truth" Dan. 10:2121But I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. (Daniel 10:21). May Paul's prayer for Timothy "the Lord give you understanding in all things" 2 Tim. 2:77Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. (2 Timothy 2:7) be the earnest desire of the reader and the writer.