In the article entitled Hope2 we have referred to three spheres of

blessing, the earth, the heavenly city, and the position indicated in

Ephesians 1, as `far above all'.  This aspect of truth is vital.  It gathers

up unto itself all that is distinctive in what is called Dispensational

Truth, and we must spare no pains, nor begrudge the space needed to provide

the Scriptural evidence for believing that there are `three spheres of

blessing' revealed in the Scriptures.

Now because the term `sphere' does not occur in the Scriptures, is it

therefore unscriptural?  According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word

`scriptural' is anything `based upon, derived from, or depending upon Holy

Scripture'.  Because, therefore, an English word does not appear in Holy

Scriptures, such word need not be unscriptural; it could only rightly be

called unscriptural if the idea contained in the term was not based upon,

derived from, or depended upon Holy Scripture.  Therefore, to say regarding

the use of the term `sphere', `as it is not an inspired term we have no means

of fixing its force', as one who opposes this teaching affirmed, seems either

to manifest ignorance of the English language or to be an effort unduly to

influence the unwary.  In either case the matter is no longer disputable, for

the use of the term `sphere of blessing' has been proved to be both good

English and Scriptural.

Our next step is to enumerate in Scriptural terms the actual `spheres

of blessing' that are spoken of in the Scriptures, and then to compare and

contrast them so that by trying the things that differ we may avoid confusion

and keep each calling in its appointed place.  Let us begin with our own

calling as revealed in the epistle to the Ephesians.

`Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath

blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ'

(Eph. 1:3).

At the moment we are not concerned with the kind of blessings here set

forth, namely, `spiritual', but with the `province', `range or domain' in

which these blessings naturally find their setting, and we have but to

The sphere of blessing found in Ephesians 1:3 is defined as `in

heavenly places'.

Again we are not yet concerned as to whether these `heavenly places'

are no higher than the firmament in which birds fly; whether they denote the

starry heavens; or whether they refer to a position far above all.  All that

we are immediately concerned with is that a distinct `sphere' is indicated by

the words `in heavenly places'.

We now turn to another part of the New Testament, where we read of

another sphere of blessing: `blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the

earth' (Matt. 5:5).  Once more, we are not concerned with the character of

those here referred to, nor with their inheritance, but exclusively with the

`sphere' of their inheritance, and we therefore record:

A sphere of blessing is found in Matthew 5:5 which is defined as

`the earth'.