I’ll use Psalms 8:1, 16:2; 31:1-4

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures in Psalm 148. The Mind of the Spirit captured the fascination of the spirit of my mind in verse 4:

Psalms 148:4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

I noticed that the Spirit addresses “ye heavens (plural) of heavens (plural),” and commands them to praise the Creator. (This gets very technical, so I’ll summarize. See * for details.)

Along the still waters, I pondered the language of Psalm 148:4a. The intent of the language “heavens of heavens” is first, to describe the extraordinary and unfathomable vastness of God’s Creation, and second, to call on the heavens of heavens to praise our Creator.

When Satan was the prince of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), he was commanded to take his place behind the Son of man (Luke 4:8; see also Matthew 16:23), the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45; see Psalm 8:1-6).

Remember that the angels God created were tasked to “minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:13-14; and remember that He died for the sins of the whole world — 1 John 2:1-2; John 3:16). Regarding His angels, He said not some, but, “Are they not all ministering spirits?” I think that includes Satan.

Satan was appointed by Christ to minister to the first Adam, created in the image and likeness of GOD. Satan rebelled and sought instead to usurp man’s place in the earth (Psalm 8:1-6; especially 3-6). God sent His Son to become flesh and is called the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Christ is the Creator of the “heavens of heavens,” inclusive of all principalities, powers, dominions, and thrones (Colossians 1:15-18). He created all the angels (Hebrews 1:13-14). He created the first Adam and made him a “little lower than the angels” (Hebrews 1:13-14). He put all things under the feet of man (Colossians 1:15-18; Psalm 8:1-6). Satan was appointed to minister to mankind (Hebrews 1:13-14). Envious of the place God gave to man, the image bearer, under whose feet all things were placed, Satan set out to usurp man’s place on the Earth (Genesis 3). Christ Jesus came into the world to recover those principalities, powers, and dominions intended for man that Satan had finally usurped (Colossians 2:15-18; see Luke 4:6). Christ succeeded! Now He is “prince of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5), ruler over all: “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21, see 12-21). Now and forever!

In the valley, I was reminded that Jesus defeated Satan, and reconciled man to GOD by thinking it “not robbery to be equal with God, but left that glory and took on him flesh, and was found in fashion as a man (Philippians 2:5-7). In this form, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross (Philippians 2:8). For this reason, GOD has “highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

I melted before Him, kneeling in deep worship, contemplating what He did to reconcile me to Him, and to make me an heir of salvation, and a joint-heir of Christ (Hebrews 1:13-14; Romans 8:17).

When I heard Him speak: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23), I obeyed. Looking unto Him, it was not hard (Hebrews 12:1-2).

At the table, He condescended to anoint my weary head with His invigorating oil, and filled my cup with His all sufficient grace. Goodness and mercy appeared, ready! We walked together into the harvest!

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v7aue04-shepherds-pasture.html

[* Technical Note: The Hebrew expression is   הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם

שְׁמֵ֣י (Remember Hebrew is written from left to right. Begin with the word in the last position and read left to right. Shemie Ha -Shama-yim). The expression literally means “heavens of heavens.” A similar expression is found in three other verses, but it’s not the same: Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; and Nehemiah 9:6.

Deuteronomy 10:14 uses          

הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם

שְׁמֵ֣י

הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (Translated “heaven, and the heaven of heavens”). (Note, I had to force the text field to accept the correct order of the words, which explains the odd formatting.)

1 Kings 8:27 uses the exact same phrasing as Deuteronomy 10:14: הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וּשְׁמֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙  (Translated “heaven, and heaven of heavens”).

And Nehemiah 9:6 uses does the same: הַשָּׁמַיִם֩ שְׁמֵ֨י הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם  (Translated heaven, the heaven of heavens”).

If you examine the expression as used in Psalm 148:4, you will see that it’s different. It’s not “heaven, and heaven of heavens,” it’s “heavens of heavens.”

The sticking point is that the expression translated as “heavens (plural) of heavens (plural)” in Psalm 148:4 is translated “heaven (singular)” if “heavens (plural)” in the three examples given above.

The explanation is nuanced. Take the word water. (Interestingly, the Hebrew word for water is within the Hebrew word that is translated heaven. Furthermore, notice that in creation, the waters were separated by the firmament of heaven, so that there are waters below and above it (Genesis 1:16-8). The word water is used as a singular or as a plural term. It takes a singular verb. When multiple bodies of water are meant, the usual accepted form is to use waters. Water is used when it refers to an uncountable whole. Waters is used when it is used for separate, or countable portions. It’s a weird word, and heaven is the same way. Anytime the word is used to speak collectively of the separate realms into which the heavens may be divided, the plural form is used, heavens. If the whole realm of Heaven is meant, or a separate, countable, realm of the heavens is meant, the singular form may be used.

Technically, the expression under examination employs the plural twice, which is usually taken to be an enhancement of the scope and size of the heavens. We know there are three heavens: The first heaven (Genesis 1:20), the second heaven (Deuteronomy 4:19), and the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2). If we are speaking of one of these, we may say heaven. If we are speaking of all three of these, we may say heavens. But like the word water, anytime we refer to heaven, whether referring to the first, second, or third, it is a plurality, an expanse inclusive of all within the space.

Now, here’s the thing: most believe the reason Psalm 148:4 uses the plural for both terms is that in the context of the expression, all the heavens are called to engage in praising the Creator (Psalm 148:1-4). The other three examples do not provide that context and seem to indicate that all three are within the ultimate realm of GOD. This is perfectly acceptable and consistent with Hebrew grammar and the expression’s contextual use.

But I think it is also agreeable and acceptable, within the context provided in Psalm 148, to say that the stand-alone expression indicates multiple heavens of the heavens. One simple example would be our “air.” We breathe air, extract oxygen from it, and exhale carbon dioxide. Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:1-2). The “air” is identifiable with the first heaven (Genesis 1:20), the domain of the fowl. Satan does not govern the air we breathe, but his domain of darkness operates in that domain, that is, in the first heaven. The first heaven is, therefore, comprised of the realm in which the birds fly, and the realm in which the devil and his devils have their base of operations. It is curious, is it not, that Jesus used fowl as representative of Satan (Matthew 13:4,  19).

Furthermore, it’s possible the LORD is giving us a glimpse into the vastness of His Creation, in the subtle way He has informed us that the earth is circular (Isaiah 40:22) and that the life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). There are multiple galaxies within the second heaven, a realm we call Space, the expanse between our atmosphere where the fowl fly (the first heaven) and the Third Heaven. Just as there are multiple realms within our atmosphere, at least one for the birds of earth and another for the “fowl” of that fiend,  Satan, the archenemy of God and man, it is not hard to conceive of multiple realms within Space, and within Heaven too.

In any case, it is certain that in Psalm 148:4, the intent is to express the extraordinary vastness of God’s heavens, calling on the “heavens of the heavens” to praise Him.]