You recall the scene in Lord of the Rings where Gandalf finds himself in a lone stand-off with a Balrog, a fiery demon from the sh
adow regions. He makes a stand between his companions and this devilish enemy amid a very narrow rock-hewn bridge that spans a fearful
chasm. Gandalf, a servant of the Secret Fire, wield
er of the flame of Anor, defiantly faces the Balrog, the servant of Morgoth. With all authority, Gandalf declares, ‘You shall not pass!’
This is an unforgettable scene in an unforgettable movie.
Gandalf did his darnedest to maintain his position on that narrow bridge of dangling rock. The boundary Gandalf had set was decided, and he wouldn’t budge, not even in the face of what seemed like overwhelming and terrible power.
Likewise, God has set in place boundaries to establish the separation between many different areas within creation, both in the seen and unseen realms. God Himself, in effect concerning these, has declared, ‘You shall not pass!’
“Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.” (Jeremiah 5:22 NASB)
Boundaries are important to God. They represent separation, the removal of the possibility of mixture between one realm and another or one type and another. Purity is God’s standard, not mixture. God clearly delineates between one thing and another to maintain order and distinction.
“Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”” (Genesis 1:6 NASB)
“You have established all the boundaries of the earth; You have made summer and winter.” (Psalm 74:17 NASB)
“and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,” (Acts 17:26 NASB)
In the verse in Genesis above, He separated the waters of the earth. The expanse above the earth contained fresh water, where the clouds would hang. We read that the expanse separated the waters above, purified by the heavenly osmosis, from the waters below, the salty brine or seawater. This environment not compatible with sustaining human life. However, the creatures God created to live there are as happy as a fish in water!
He has separated the light from the darkness.
He has separated the day from the night.
He separated heaven from earth.
All of these boundaries maintain that which God has set apart.
We can follow this pattern throughout Scripture. God, in His infinite wisdom, has established boundaries that cannot be crossed. These separations have eternal meaning. Separating the heavens and the earth seems the most obvious. What is of heaven, what is of the earth. What is of God, who dwells in heaven and what is of mankind, who resides on the earth. What is Spirit, what is material etc.
The presence of boundaries rules out the possibility of defilement, the result of mixing what has been separated. The constant intention of God’s enemy is to blur boundary lines. This is often between what can be blurred, such as truth or morality. Religion is one of his best weapons. Blurring this line has reduced God’s precious and pure church to a mere values system to apply to one’s life, a place to practice personal piety, or a whole system of works and good deeds, social events and cordial religious ceremonies; most of which fall short of the glory of God and Christ. Such a church does not threaten the devil. It registers its presence in the earth but not in the heavens where it matters most.
Christ is the only one who can span the gulf between heaven and earth, between what is spirit and what is physical. He is the stairway that stretches from the highest heavens to the depths of the earth below—He is Jacob’s ladder!
He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. – (Genesis 28:12 NASB)
He is the only one where His heavenly servants, the angelos1Noun: ἄγγελος (angelos), GK 34 (S 32), 175×. angelos means “angel, messenger.” Similar to malʾāk in the OT, there are two primary uses of this word in the NT. (1) angelos can refer to a human messenger serving as an envoy (see messenger). (2) angelos refers especially to nonmaterial, spiritual beings—a transcendent power who carries out various missions or tasks for God William D. Mounce, Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 20., ascend and descend upon the rungs of His glorious heavenly life.
And he said to him, “Truly, truly I say to all of you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” – (John 1:51 LEB)
Christ has bridged the gap between the two, having become one in Him—God and man forever in perfect harmony by Christ’s victorious descendent mission and ultimate ascendent enthronement. God’s eternal intention for all mankind is seen in Christ Jesus, the God-Man. He didn’t remove this boundary but brought harmony between the two in perfect togetherness, perfect oneness.
We are now a heavenly people in Christ who transcend the natural boundaries spiritually. He has enjoined us to Himself in the power of an altogether other life, made in His likeness. We are now born from above yet dwell on the earth. A people of the Spirit who walk the streets and lanes of this life, yet are known in the heavens.
The two disciples from Emmaus, who sat in front of Jesus as He broke bread, were, in fact, witnesses to the perfection of this transcendent and boundary-bridging Christ, as He, yet as an invited guest, disappeared right in front of them!