Well over eighteen months ago, Phillip began encountering heaven. He sought for Biblical clarity on this phenomenal experience and discovered that many of the patriarchs, prophets and apostles also had encounters with heaven. He also discovered that experiencing heaven is an essential in-Christ phenomenon that is available to all believers. Jesus opened heaven up to all believers.
Heaven is open to all believers
John referred to a “door” into God’s heavenly abode. He said he saw the door opened.
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things” (Revelation 4:1).
And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm (Revelation 11:19).
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war (Revelation 19:11).
Christ performed three distinct works and they are – the work of Christ on the cross, the resurrected work of Christ and the ascended work of Christ in heaven. The author of the book of Hebrews calls Christ’s work in heaven – His “high priestly” work (Hebrews 4:14). Jesus tore down the veil existing between the Father in heaven and God’s people (Hebrews 10:20). He became the forerunner into heaven so that believers can follow in after Him (Hebrew 6:20). He opened up heaven so that believers can boldly enter into the inner sanctum of the throne room (Hebrews 4:16).
Christ entered into the holy place for us and completed a work for us there – it was not for Him to rest (Hebrews 9:24). The holy place that he is referring to is heaven.
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
After the disclosing that the holy place that he is speaking about is heaven, the author of the book of Hebrews makes this remarkable statement: He said in Hebrews 10:19-21 that believers are to enter into the holy place, boldly. In short, he is declaring that we are to enter into heaven.
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
The author of Hebrews is not speaking about entering into heaven after believers have died but while they are still living – because essentially you don’t need help in time of need after you have died and gone to heaven.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Heaven is a place for the living. Believers are to integrate themselves into heaven. Paul says in Colossians 3:1 that we are to keep seeking heaven.
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
He also said that we are to be clothed with heaven.
For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked (2 Corinthians 5:2-3).
Divine Triune Ministries
Each member of the Trinity presents to us a distinctive ministry: Christ’s ministry comprises His three works – the cross, the resurrection and heaven.
Christ’s three works releases us into the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the Father. The three works of Christ impact us various ways:
Christ’s work on the cross releases us into spiritual freedom.
Christ’s resurrection releases us into the new birth, transformation and liberty of the Spirit.
Christ’s ascension releases us into heaven. Heaven is the Father’s ministry to us.
Heaven is where we interact with the Father. Heaven brings us into intimacy with the Father. Intimacy with the Father is the power that progresses us spiritually.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3).
To receive the blessings of Ephesians 1:3 we have to be part of heaven and in Christ.
Heaven’s Accessibility
Heaven is a place of splendor, beauty, power, noise, colour, brightness and sensations. It’s a hive of activity. Heaven is implementing the Father’s decrees on earth. Also, heaven receives your heart expressions and responds accordingly.
Heaven is actively involved in your life. Heaven is actively interacting with you throughout your lifetime. You are permanently connected into heaven through Christ. It’s your rightful seating place with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). Heaven is your resource and source of power.
Faith is premised on the truth that your words ascend up into the throne room of heaven and God hears them – and acts on them. Doubt believes that your words go unheard. Your words don’t disintegrate into nothingness once they leave your mouth but rather the Father in heaven receives your words in heaven.
The patriarchs, prophets and apostles were fully preoccupied with the throne room of heaven to such an extent that it governed everything that they said and did. These people were “open heaven” conscious.
The Church needs to ascend to the same level of their heightened levels of throne room consciousness, if it’s ever going to rise to the podium-like faith levels that these people were able to exhibit. These powerfully charged people functioned through the miraculous realms of heaven. They were out there on the Earth, flying the flag high for heaven and; therefore, they became the demonstrators of heaven’s might and power within each of their generational time frames.
The Seers of the Heaven Realm Experience
A “seer” is someone who sees into the unseen realm. A seer is essentially a prophetic experience. There were many seer prophets mentioned in the Bible. A seer prophet not only hears to voice of God but also sees the will of God in picture form (as in visions involving symbolic symbols that represent future events or God’s intentions for the present time) or sees into the unseen realm (as in visions of angels, heaven and God).
Phillip’s heaven experiences are vision (seer) of heaven experiences. Paul spoke about the seer of heaven experience in 2 Corinthians 12:1.
Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Verse 1means that he was a seer of heaven -the Lord resides in heaven.
After making this statement, Paul then went on to describe a “third” heaven experience.
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven (Corinthians 12:2-3).
When Paul uses the phrase “in the body” he is referring to a vision (seer) experience and when he uses the phrase “out of the body” he is referring to an out-of-body experience (OBE).
Paul said that he prefers to speak about this anonymous man’s heaven experience rather than his own visioning of the Lord experiences of verse 1.
On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses (Corinthians 12:5).
It’s interesting that Paul boasted about this anonymous man’s experience – but just not his own – meaning that he thought it important enough to boast (to hold your head up high on or to glory in) about it.
Furthermore, Paul described his road to Damascus experience as a heavenly vision (seer) experience in Acts 26:19.
So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,
John also visioned into heaven (Revelations 1:9-17).
Stephen had a capacity to see into heaven (Acts 7:55-56).
Jesus saw into heaven (Matthew 3:16, Mark 9-11, Luke 3:21-22)
The expression “Father of lights” suggests that James was a seer into heaven (Lights can only be seen with the eyes). People who vision into heaven often claim to see lights.
–Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17).
Heaven in the Book of Hebrews
The language in the book of Hebrews suggests that its author also had a capacity to see into heaven. His various statements on heaven suggest this.
In Hebrews 3:1, he speaks about a certain “heavenly calling” that is to be partaken of by the brethren. Effectively, this text is saying that the people of God have been summoned to participate in heaven (“calling” here means to be summoned).
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession;
In Hebrews 6:4, he mentions an experience that involves “tasting the heavenly gift”. This is indicating that believers are able to be actively involved in heaven.
For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit.
He said in Hebrews 12:21-23 that the Church has “come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to God”. Simply, believers have direct contact with God in heaven.
And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
In Hebrews 6:19-20, he speaks about a “entering within the veil” experience involving Christ as the forerunner. A forerunner is someone that goes before others, so they can follow soon afterwards.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
He makes it clear in Hebrews 9:24 that when he speaks about the veil – he was referring to the heavenly veil – because the “holy place” (tabernacle tent) that he was speaking about was heaven.
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Essentially, the author of Hebrews is compelling his readers to follow Christ (the forerunner) through the veil of heaven.
In Hebrews 10:20, he once again speaks about a “through the veil” experience. We gain access into heaven via the body of Christ (the heavenly veil).
by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
In Hebrews 4:16, he speaks about a “drawing near to the throne of heaven (throne of grace)” experience. In other words, believers can have the confidence to approach the throne of heaven. It’s clear from this text that the timeline that he is referring to is the present tense because we don’t need help in time of need after we die.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Practically speaking and scripturally speaking, the three ways that we are able to approach the throne of heaven literally is through our hearts, through our words and through our eyes (visions/seer).
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:1 “but I will go on to visions…. of the Lord”, which indicates that visioning the Lord was a continual experience.
What is the Purpose of Visioning?
Answer: Because we learn by multiple ways. We learn by touching, doing, hearing and seeing. The training world knows this and God knows this, but the Church hasn’t worked this out yet. Visions are to teach us about God. Numbers 12:6 expresses this.
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream.
Heaven invokes our hearts, actions, mouth, ears and…. eyes.
Pentecost is the Prophetic Seer Outpouring
In Acts 2:14-18 Peter said that Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel 2:28 (prophesying, visions and vision dreaming). Pentecost was the time when the people of God became a prophetic people. From that point onwards the Church carried duel anointing – apostolic anointing and prophetic anointing.
According to Peter, Pentecost was primarily a prophetic seer outpouring, which was signified by the prophesying, visioning (seer) and vision dreaming (seer) mentioned in Joel 2:28. That’s exactly what Peter said in Acts 2:14-18. Joel 2:28 is only relevant to the Pentecost context if prophesying, visioning and vision dreaming was what the Pentecost experience was all about. Therefore, every believer in Christ has the capacity to be a seer and hence a seer of heaven. This is what Pentecost brings to you.
A Spectacular Realm
A spectacular realm beckons believers, with piercing bright lights, stunning colours, glorious images, horizon-to-horizon worshipping angels. This realm is heaven.
Your Father in heaven wants to share His throne room with you. He desires you to behold His splendor and majesty in heaven so that you will live in total awe of Him.
Activating Heavenly Visions
Before Phillip began visioning into heaven he was told to write down the things that he was about to be shown – which he did. Through the process he wrote down the keys that led him to vision into heaven – these keys are documented in his book “Seers of the Heavenly Realm”. By using the same keys, you also are able to become a seer of the Heavenly Realm.
Vision of Heaven Sessions
In the past year Phillip has conducted “visions of heaven” sessions for church groups in Australia and overseas with profound results.