Biblegems #78
Ephesians 6:12 talks about wrestling against principalities and powers...and "against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." What is meant by “the heavenly places” in this case?
The phrase “heavenly places” or “heavenly realms” (NIV) translates the Greek word epouraniois, (lit., “the heavenlies”), and is found only 5 X in Scripture, all of them in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12). That is actually helpful for interpretation purposes because Paul clearly has a theme going in Ephesians in which ”heavenly realms” plays an important role. We can expect the phrase to have a consistent meaning throughout.
When we follow the concept throughout Ephesians we discover several characteristics of the “heavenly realms.” For example, chapter 1 verse 3 tells us that the heavenly realms are now the normal plane of the believer’s existence and experience. The spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ are given and received in the heavenly realms:
Eph. 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
This heavenly realm is where Jesus is right now at the Father’s throne:
Eph. 1:20 …which he [God] exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…
The obvious implication of this is that we as new creatures in Christ inhabit this same heavenly realm as Jesus does, even while we inhabit the earthly realm. In fact, Ephesians 2:6 specifically says that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead enables every born again believer in Jesus Christ to experience life in the heavenly realms as really as we experience life in the physical realm:
Eph. 2:6 [For] God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…
This is not a metaphor. God wants to introduce us, to show us off—His spiritual children—to those for whom heaven has been their only home. Why?
Eph. 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…
Beyond that, God needs us to function in the spiritual realm with a certain degree of confidence and familiarity. We now live in two realms at the same time, the earthly and the heavenly. We are creatures of two natures, and we are engaged in the spiritual warfare that is raging in both realms.
Eph. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Those who are truly “in Christ” have been given access into the heavenly realms through the Spirit. We have “have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,” as it says in Hebrews 6:5. One day that will be our primary residence; and it is that wonderful day and that wonderful, imperishable life that we are in preparation for now.
thanks for this clear exposition of God's Word, I plan to come back to this as needed to absorb the wonderful truths contained herein
ReplyDeleteThanks, this write up answers a lot of my questions.
ReplyDeleteI'm still a little confused about how evil can be in heavenly realm "against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Pray for me pastor I also want to experience the heavenly realms.
ReplyDeleteI dont feel like Im seeing or experiencing any 'heavenly tealms'. Maybe we get there by deep prayer time? Or through meditation and dreams. But this is exactly the things I so much enjoy learning about and wonder at the hope that one day I can experience the heavely realm here on earth. Praise God.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that there are times that I don't "feel" like I am an American Citizen or not has absolutely nothing to do with whether I am one or not. Both my parents were citizens of the United States when they got together and conceived me, I didn't come to this country as an immigrant, nor did I become a naturalized citizen to gain my citizen status. I was born an American. "(Verily, verily I say unto you, except a man be born (citizenship status) again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven"). Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God (St. John 3:3)
DeleteSimply put, we "get there", (your words, not mine) by being born a Citizen of the Kingdom [Government] of God, as my birth as a Citizen of the Government of the United States of America. They are one and the same concept. Except a man is born of the United States, he has no legal citizenship status and therefore restricted from enjoying all the rights and privileges of a legal, lawful citizen. A man from Zimbabwe sneaks into this country undetected, somehow gets a job and buys a nice home. "Someone" breaks into his home, steals his property, rapes his wife and burns his house to the ground. He identifies the culprit, files a criminal complaint. He gets to court and tells the judge what happened. The judge tells him, "Your criminal complaint has no basis, because you, sir, have no legal rights, not being a legal citizen of this country". The Kingdom of Heaven the Original Government! The United States is s mere replica, or "Icon" of the original. If you have indeed have Legal Status of that Government, why is there a need to "pray and wait" someday for something that you automatically became the moment you were born?? I humbly rest my case.
Dr. Richard N Bailey
When you become "Born Again" (by accepting Christ's sacrifice and resurrection as your own), birth's you into Citizenship into God's Kingdom and your name automatically gets written in the Book of Life! Luke 10:20. I was spurred on by your comments Dr. Bailey!
DeleteThank you so much for this clarification! It helps with my personal study and understanding of this concept. You rock!
ReplyDeleteMy problem with this is that satan and his minions are in the heavenly realms ... so how can Jesus and God be there too...but I guess that's where they were when God questioned satan about Job....
ReplyDeleteEphesians 4:10 says that Christ has ascended higher than than all the heavens. This suggests that heavenly realms is not one place. There are different levels of heavenly spheres and Christ is at the highest level above the level of the principalities nd powers. These are spiritual authority levels of operation. The good news is that we are positioned at the highest level with Christ in him.
ReplyDeleteWhen you say heavenly realms here...on this earth along with the people who have accepted christ. Is that the things that we are greatful for that God has provided to us? Like happiness, love, joy...all the good things in the midst of all the bad? I still don't understand fully.
ReplyDelete