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Now seeing that the Hebrews were partakers of a heavenly calling, and
looked for a heavenly Jerusalem, it seems as though your distinction falls to
the ground.
B -- Let us see. My contention is that the heavenly places of
Ephesians are unique; yours is that they are one and the same with those of
Hebrews. Tell me, did those Hebrews, who had tasted of the heavenly gift and
who were in danger of falling away, ascend up to heaven in order to taste it?
A -- Certainly not, they tasted the gift which had been sent down from
heaven.
B -- Will the heavenly Jerusalem remain where it is now, in heaven?
A -- Well, now you mention it, I suppose not.
B -- We will have no suppositions; please read Revelation 21:10.
A -- (Reads). `He ... showed me ... the holy Jerusalem, descending out
of heaven from God'.
B -- These two passages must therefore decide the `heavenly calling' of
Hebrews 3, and do not prove that such calling is the same as that of
Ephesians.
A -- Why do you say then that the same word when used in Ephesians
means `up in heaven', whereas when it is used in Hebrews you are careful to
draw attention to the fact that it refers to things that come down `out of
heaven'?
B -- The reason is this. First the construction of the phrase `in
heavenly places' is peculiar to Ephesians. While epouranios occurs
elsewhere, en tois epouraniois occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.
The `heavenly' calling, gift, country, etc., of Hebrews gives us the
character of the calling, gift, etc., but does not give its locality.
Ephesians tells us that the character of its blessings are `spiritual', not
`heavenly', and the sphere of its enjoyment is not `heavenly', but `In
heavenly places'. These heavenly places are definitely declared to be
(1)
At the right hand of God (1:20; 2:6).
(2)
Far above all principalities and powers, etc. (1:21), and
(3)
To be occupied by principalities and powers who are either
learning from, or antagonizing, the Church (3:10; 6:12).
These spiritual wickednesses are certainly not `heavenly' in character,
although for the time they occupy `heavenly places'.
I think you will see that you must not only collect Scripture
references, but you must seek their meaning. Use the concordance by all
means, but use it with understanding. None of the passages you have quoted
makes the slightest difference to the teaching of Ephesians, for not one
passage outside the five occurrences in Ephesians uses the word in the sense
of locality, and as that was our contention you have spent your effort in
beating the air.