rendered "socket" fifty-three times, and that fifty-two of the occurrences refer to the

sockets on which the Tabernacle rested in the wilderness, then the references in

Job 38: takes on a richer and deeper meaning. The firmament of Gen. 1: 6 is a

lesser and temporary heaven, destined to pass away when the ages come to an end. This

firmament is not only the distant heaven of the sun, the moon or stars, it is also the place

where birds can fly (Gen. 1: 17). Consequently we can understand that when Christ

ascended, He is said to have "passed through" the heavens dierchomai not "passed into"

(Heb. 4: 14).  In Heb. 7: 26 Christ is said to have been "made higher" than the

heavens, while Ephesians declares that He ascended up "far above all heavens", with the

object that He might "fill all things" (Eph. 4: 10). Christ is said to have passed through

the heavens, to have been made higher than the heavens and to have ascended up far

above all heavens. Thus it is impossible for Him to be far above all heavens, and yet be

at the same time seated in those very heavens if one and the same heaven is intended, for

even though knowledge of heaven and heavenly things may be very limited, we can

understand the simple import of the language used. Consequently when we discover that

two words are employed for "heaven", one is ouranos which includes the highest sphere

of all, but nevertheless can be used of that heaven which is to pass away (Matt. 5: 18), of

the air where birds fly (Matt. 6: 26), the heaven of the stars (Matt. 24: 29) and of the

angels (Mark 13: 32).

The other word is epouranios. We perceive that in many passages ouranos refers to

the firmament of Gen. 1: 6, while epouranios refers to the heaven of Gen. 1: 1 which

was unaffected by the overthrow of verse two, and will not be dissolved and pass away.

This is where Christ now sits at the right hand of God "Far above all of the heavens".

Heb. 9: 24 speaks of this sphere as "heaven itself". In two passages the heavens are said

to be rolled together or to depart "as a scroll" (Isa. 34: 4; Rev. 6: 14). The present

heaven and earth is a temporary "tabernacle" (Psa. 19: 4) in which the God of creation

can dwell as the God of Redemption. This creation is to be folded up as a garment

(Heb. 1: 11, 12), the firmament is likened to the curtains of a tabernacle, which will be

"unstitched" at the time of the end (Job 14: 12 LXX), and pass away as a scroll. The

figure is one that appeals to the imagination. A scroll of parchment stretched out and

suddenly released, is a figure employed to indicate the sudden departure of the

"firmament", "the stretched out heavens".  The word used in  Rev. 6: 14  is

apochorizomai, which occurs but once elsewhere, and speaks of a departure that followed

a violent "paroxysm" or "contention" (Acts 15: 39). Chorizo which forms part of this

word means "to put asunder" (Matt. 19: 6) and "separate" (Rom. 8: 35). Isa. 34: 4

which speaks of the heavens being rolled together as a scroll, and so speaks of the

"firmament" of Gen. 1: 6, leads on to the repetition of the condition of Gen. 1: 2, for in

Isa. 34: 11, as we have seen, "confusion" is tohu and "emptiness" is bohu, the two

words translated "without form and void".