[Bates’ Pamphlet #1] The Opening Heavens

THE OPENING HEAVENS

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see HEAVEN OPEN and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man.” - John 1:51. BP1 3.1

NOTWITHSTANDING my incompetency to do justice to this momentous subject, I feel constrained to throw out my views in this public manner, for the benefit of all who feel an interest in the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to set up, and establish his “everlasting kingdom,” upon this renovated earth. BP1 3.2

I believe, according to the testimony of the “two men seen in white apparel,” that “this same Jesus which was taken up into Heaven will in like manner come again,” (Acts 1:11) from the same place, and stand in the same place he left. (See Zechariah 14:4.) I believe he is in the third Heaven, in Paradise, with God, the Father; (see 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 1:3, 9 and 24) that he is now about to come with the Holy CITY, THE CAPITAL of his everlasting kingdom, and locate it in the “midst” of the promised land where he was crucified. According to this view then there is but one place in the heaven for this CITY to come from. A spiritual exposition of these glorious things, now about to be realized, beclouds the whole, and leaves no tangible ground for God’s people to stand on. Whoever attempts this willfully will run the risk of losing his soul, for Jesus says “if any man shall add or take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part (from the tree of life - margin) and out of the Holy CITY.” Revelation 22:19. Proof positive, that the Saints have a part in the City, and not in themselves. BP1 3.3

Let us now listen to his description of this glorious view he sees before him, while he sits, pen in hand, all ready to write down what transpires at the command of his guide. BP1 4.1

“I, John, saw the holy CITY NEW JERUSALEM coming down from God, out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” In the 5th v. John saw him that “was dead and is alive forevermore,” seated upon “his throne;” and he said unto me “write, for these words are true and faithful.” “And there came unto me one of the seven angels, saying come up hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife; and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great CITY THE HOLY JERUSALEM, descending out of Heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone, clear as crystal. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, behold, the TABERNACLE of God is with men.” What a beautiful description is here - please read the whole chapter. In the two first verses of the 22. chapter, we learn that the walls of this CITY enclose “the tree of life,” “which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Moses testifies that “the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and became into four heads.” Genesis 11:8, 10; 3:3, 17, 22, 24. Compare this with Ezekiel’s prophecy, Ezekiel 47:3, 5, 12; also Ezekiel 48:30, 35. There he speaks of waters first shallow and then deep; waters to swim in that could not be passed over, on the “banks of which shall be fruit every month, and the leaves for medicine.” He also shows the four sides or “heads” to the river. The prophet Isaiah says “Look upon Zion, the City, Jerusalem, Tabernacle, a place of broad rivers and streams; where shall pass no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby,” - 33:20.21. Surely this is the same which Moses and Ezekiel has described; and John says, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17, 2, 7. Then this “Holy City, new Jerusalem, the Zion of God, the Tabernacle of God, the Bride the Lamb’s Wife, the Mother of us all,” is a City, enclosed with a wall one hundred and forty-four cubits high, which embraces the “garden of Eden, the Paradise of God.” And God calls it his “SANCTUARY.” I suppose that it will be conceded by all, that the Garden of Eden at the time of the fall, was a literal place, and was planted eastward. Yes, says one, and it is located in “Ethiopia or Assyria.” How then is it, that the traveller and historian are entirely silent about it? Surely, it is a most remarkable place. Hear Moses’s description of it: “Therefore the Lord God sent him (Adam) forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man: and placed at the East of the garden of Eden, Cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the tree of life.” Genesis 3:23, 24. Now we have no account that these Cherubims and flaming sword has ever been seen within the orbit of this planet (which is allowed to be 162 millions of miles in diameter) since the fall of man, but has been far removed out of their sight. The prophet says, “Behold the time shall come that these tokens which I have told thee, shall come to pass, and the Bride shall appear, and she coming forth shall be seen that now is withdrawn from the earth.” - xi. Esdras:7,26. This shows that Paradise is not located in this planet. But perhaps you do not believe that Esdras is a true prophet; well then, will you believe St. Paul? He says, “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body I cannot tell, God knoweth) such an one caught up to the third Heaven - God knoweth how that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not (possible: margin) for a man to utter.” 2 Corinthians 12:4. St. John’s testimony agrees with Paul, for he says he “saw the Bride the Lamb’s wife, coming down from God, out of Heaven,” without doubt, the same place where he had been. But says the objector, if John saw it coming down 1750 years ago, it ought to have been here by this time. Very true; but John “saw things which must shortly come to pass.” Revelation 1. Let us just look at a few of the things he saw, and remember at the same time how he was directed to write them down, that every important point might be recorded. He saw the “abomination (Popery) that maketh desolate set up,” four hundred and forty-five years in the future. Again, he saw the seven angels going forth with their trumpets to sound - he particularly describes the three last. See Revelation 8:13; 9:17, 19. Here he shows us what was to be the component parts of gunpowder, and in a very peculiar and clear manner describes the musket with the ball, (head) how they killed men 1350 years before muskets were used on horse-back - 17th v. Further, how could he have described the second advent history so minutely as he has done in the 14, chapter, if he had not have seen what was to be, and has been fulfilled; and how is it possible he could have given such a lamentable picture of “Mystery Babylon,” if he had not have seen in these last days of “perilous times,” the professed children of God drinking from the old mother’s cup of poison, while “she was drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” Revelation 17 and 18. Once more, how did David see that blood thirsty mob shoot out the lip, and laugh to scorn their Savior; and the four Roman soldiers under his cross dividing his garments and casting lots for his vesture, twelve hundred years before it took place. John 19:23, 24. Why! just as St. John saw the Holy City coming down at the second advent of Jesus - just as I believe, it will be seen, “Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” Revelation 21:11. The most precious is the green, spotted with red and purple. We will now look at the BP1 4.2