Another important aspect of the House of God was that it operated under an open heaven, which means that the demonic realm was broken, and there was clarity between the kingdom of God’s rule and what was happening on earth. This was described in Jacob’s dream as a ladder with angels ascending and descending. Angels ascend when they have completed a mission and descend when they are on their way to accomplish a supernatural task.

(Allow me to add in passing that I have often spoken and written about how I am convinced that many angels have been waiting for decades for Christians to live the risky lifestyle that God expects from us. Their work is to bring the reality of God’s reign into situations that affect and torment humans.

Hebrews 1:14 tells us: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?“
Angels are necessary to accomplish the Lord’s mission. Psalm 104:3 says that God “walks on the wings of the wind.“

The wind is described as an angelic presence. God is actually introduced into a situation by riding on the angelic presence. I would dare say that you have never been involved in a supernatural activity, except when the angels of the Lord were there to support and help you accomplish that mission. A risk-free lifestyle has little need for angelic help.)

Jacob woke up from his dream and declared that the place where he stood was “none other than the house of God.” What did he mean? He could not have meant a physical shelter, as there were no buildings there, not even a small shed. He could not have meant that the house of God was an organization, tribe, or religious group, as there were no other people around.

He was likely as confused as anyone about the meaning of the dream, and as far as we know, he did not get the answer to his puzzling prophetic dream, though he must have pondered it for the rest of his life. The answer came hundreds of years later in the person of Jesus, who was the initial fulfillment of that prophecy. John 1:14 says,

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.“

“Dwelt” in this verse means “tabernacled.” Jesus dwelt among us; He was the House of God made flesh, the place where God lived. He was the initial fulfillment of the prophetic image in Genesis 28.

The House of God was not a building, a place, or a denomination, but a Person. We see this illustration further developed later in the gospel of John where Nathanael answered and said to Him: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him: “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:49-51).

The fulfillment of the House of God began with Jesus. He was the House of God on earth. But this concept did not stop with Him—not at all. He was the initial fulfillment of the House of God, but not the ultimate fulfillment. There is a big difference.

For example, your conversion was not God’s ultimate intention for you. It was His initial intention that prepared you for the ultimate fullness—that is, to be filled with His fullness, living the normal Christian lifestyle as defined by what happens in heaven. God’s initial fulfillment of the House of God was Jesus, the tabernacle of God on planet Earth. But then Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:16, speaking of the Holy Spirit:

“And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.“

Paul expanded on this when he said in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” And in Ephesians 2:19-22:

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.“

We, the Church, the redeemed, are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, the eternal dwelling place of God! We are living stones, according to 1 Peter 2:4-5:

“perfectly joined together, building the eternal dwelling place of God. The House of God is us! Jacob’s dream was not just about the Messiah but about you and me and every born-again believer throughout history. This is the very core of our identity.“

The House of God is the image of God’s intention for your life and for everything you do. He desires a house where He will dwell, where angels ascend and descend on missions, and where the heavens are open over a people who remain in Him, which means they stay connected in their actions and love for Him.

God so desires to invade this world with the reality of what was purchased at Calvary. But He is waiting for a people who will live the normal Christian life, putting themselves at risk, continually drawing from the unseen resources of heaven that have remained untapped. This is how we function as the House of God.

If we understand and trust our identity as the House of God, we can accomplish great exploits. No power of darkness in any realm of creation can stop our fellowship with the Father. There is an open heaven over each of us, from the newest Christian to the most mature.

Being the House of God means we have the exact authority that Jesus has at the right hand of the Father. We have the right and the power to be His “House,” His incarnation on earth. As a Christian at this very moment, you have absolute freedom and access to heaven. I have been to many cities known for their darkness.

Yet the practices of occult leaders cannot block the open heaven over any believer who remains in Christ. Even the demoniac, as tormented as he was, could not be stopped from his “encounter with God” as he fell at the feet of Jesus in worship! I never notice the absence of an open heaven unless I am impressed by the devil’s accomplishments in that city.

But some of our ladders have not been used for a long time. There are no angels coming or going because we have not stepped into the realm of the supernatural. That is our problem. To be the House of God, we must be alive and overflowing with the life, joy, healing, and peace that are normal in heaven.

We must set our hearts on being a House filled with His glory everywhere we go…

This text is an excerpt from the book “The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind” written by Bill Johnson.

We invite you to read the following article: “THE GATE OF HEAVEN.”