have, and thank God they do have what answers to the Holy of holies -- even

Heaven itself.  There, "in the Light", in the presence of what answers to the

Shechinah of the tabernacle and temple, even the light of the glory of God they

find their inheritance'.

As the believer acknowledges this most wondrous aspect of the high calling

of the Mystery, the second petition of the apostle's prayer in Ephesians 1:18

will be answered: `Hope', `Riches', `Power'.  These three items are the basis of

the threefold prayer of Ephesians 1:15-19.  We now give attention to the third

petition found in verse 19:

`And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe'.

If the preceding petitions are associated with the two subdivisions of

Ephesians 1:3-14 `The Will of the Father' and `The Work of the Son' this third

petition is definitely linked with the third division `The Witness of the

Spirit', for it is in this section alone that we find any reference to

`believing'.  Note too that it is His calling, His inheritance and His power,

with which we are concerned, and only as we know these shall we be ready and

able to understand what is our calling, our inheritance, and our power; they

will then be held in their right relationship.

The word `exceeding' is the first of three occurrences of the Greek word

so translated, namely huperballo, `to throw beyond', and a figure of speech

called hyperbole is so named because it often overshoots or exaggerates to

heighten the sense, as the spies heightened their report, saying that the cities

of the giants were `fenced up to heaven' (Deut. 9:1).  When Paul compared the

Old and the New Covenant, he used the word huperballo when he spoke of the

`glory that excelleth' (2 Cor. 3:10).  The three occurrences in Ephesians are:

Eph. 1:19

The exceeding greatness of His power.

The exceeding riches of His grace.

The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.

We are called upon in Ephesians 1:19 to consider the surpassing greatness

of His power.  Greatness is the Greek megethos from megas great.  This word

enters into the make up of the word translated `majesty' (Heb. 1:3); it is used

in Ephesians 5:32, 1 Timothy 3:16 and Revelation 17:5 of a `great' mystery.  It

is to be noted that the first occurrence of megethos `greatness' is in the

triumphant song of Moses, at the overthrow of Pharaoh and the safe transit of

Israel across the Red Sea (Exod. 15:16).  Here in Ephesians, it refers to a

greater overthrow of a greater enemy, followed by a greater translation (Col.

1:13).  This exceeding great power is `to us-ward who believe'.  The `believing'

is not the consequence of this mighty power, rather it is the essential

condition for its reception.  The occurrences of dunamis `power' in Ephesians

are interlinked, and this relationship can be most readily seen if we print the

occurrences in structure form:

A

Eph. 1:19.

The exceeding greatness of His power.

Note it is `exceeding'; it `worketh in us' and is `to us-ward'.

It leads on to `the fulness of Him that filleth all in all'.