Eyes Open to the Unseen

By Dean Collins

There is so much we do not know. You can fill in the blanks on all of the topics where that would be true. I imagine it would take you the rest of your life to make that list since the more we learn about most anything, the more we discover that we do not know.

As we go about our daily discipline of reading scripture and taking time to pray, we grow in our knowledge of God and our intimacy with him. But it will not be until we see Jesus in our first breath of eternity that we may discover the thin space that exists between heaven and earth. 

N.T. Wright and other scholars have stressed that for centuries, Christians, especially western Christians, have misunderstood God’s plan of bringing heaven and earth together. The church sadly has taught that heaven is a place we depart to somewhere in the sky instead of the reality that Jesus has already begun his grand restoration project on earth through his own resurrection. As the church, we are to be living in such a way that the world sees what heaven will be like because we are living the life represented in the kingdom of God.

In 2 Kings 6, we may have a glimpse of this thin space between how close we are in proximity to heaven. In this chapter we see the frustration of the king of Syria because every time he makes a plan to attack the king of Israel, he discovers that somehow the king of Israel knows his plans and therefore avoids being defeated. The king of Syria believes that he must have a mole or a traitor on his team but finds out that his men are loyal. He then discovers that somehow the prophet Elisha knows of the king’s plans because God reveals these things to his prophet who then informs the king of Israel.

Of course, the king of Syria makes the same mistake we sometimes make in thinking that somehow we can outsmart God. Syria’s king discovers where Elisha is located and decides to send an army to capture Elisha, thinking that then he will somehow stop God’s communication with his prophet. The king of Syria sends a large army to surround the house where Elisha and his servant are staying.

When Elisha’s servant looks out the window and sees the army, he panics and asks his master: “What shall we do?” Elisha responds: “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” At this point, I am confident that Elisha’s servant thinks that his boss may have lost his mind because the two of them are certainly not more than the large army that surrounds the house. Seeing the fear in the eyes of his servant, Elisha prayed that God would open his eyes so that he understands the protection they have around them. In an instant, God allows the servant to see the horses and the chariots of fire that surround the Syrian army. Elisha’s servant gets a peek at how close the thin space of the divine is to those who are on the earth.

What happens next is both amazing and an incredible example of the kingdom of God in action. Elisha then prayed that the Syrian army would be blinded, which allowed Elisha and his servant to escape unharmed. Elisha led the blinded army right into the center of Samaria where two crazy things happen. Elisha prayed that God would open the eyes of the Syrians so that they could see again. And when the king of Israel found that the Syrian army was right in front of him, he asked Elisha if he should kill them since they were right in front of him.  

But the second thing that happened is the big reveal of how God’s kingdom is to work. Elisha told the king of Israel that he should not kill his enemy but rather prepare a feast for them. And after they all ate together, the Syrian army was allowed to leave and go back to their homeland.

As disciples of Jesus, we are to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we are to then live according the how the kingdom of heaven works. We were given the Holy Spirit to guide us and empower our work. What we need is the faith and courage to live in such a way that the thin space that separates heaven and earth today will be revealed through our acts of kindness and generosity each day.

Father, thank you for the stories in the Old and New Testaments that show us how close you are and how your kingdom can be revealed through us even today. We pray that you will return soon when heaven comes to earth and all is restored. Until then we pray that you will use us now to spread the good news far and wide by our words and especially by our actions. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
2 Kings 6:8-23 ESV

Photo by Pexels
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.