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The believer of that dispensation could say, Blessed be God Who hath blessed us with
all earthly and carnal blessings in this land of promise. We saved ones of the Gentiles
(irrespective of Abrahamic blessings) can equally bless God for spiritual blessings which
He has given us in the heavenlies. When once we realize the character and sphere of our
blessings, we can read such a passage as Deut. 8: 7-10, and without robbing Israel of
one iota of its fulness, may see some of our spiritual blessings in the terms of the earthly
blessings.
Readers may remember that in Vol. 1:, page 125, and in Vol. 3:, page 56 (Vol.2:/3:,
page 105), we have dealt with the special meaning and teaching of the words translated
"heavenly places." We will not repeat all we have there said, but just summarize the
meaning and usage of the expression. The expression in one form or another occurs
twenty times in the New Testament, and is distributed as follows. In the Gospels, twice;
the Epistles before Acts 28:, five times; Hebrews, six times; the Prison Epistles, seven
times.
There is a most important distinction to be observed between the five occurrences in
Ephesians, and the fifteen elsewhere. The peculiarity of the expression in Ephesians is
that it is in the dative plural, en tois epouraniois ("in the heavenlies"), speaking of
locality, whereas the word in the other passages signifies heavenly, but not necessarily in
heaven. Those who tasted of the "heavenly gift" (Heb. 6: 4) certainly did not taste a gift
which was "up in heaven." The heavenly country or city of Heb. 11: 16 will be seen
coming down from God "out of heaven," whereas the citizenship of the present
dispensation is "in heaven" (Phil. 3: 20). The five occurrences of this expression in
Ephesians have a relation to one another which will be seen if set out as follows:--
A | 1: 3. Spiritual blessings in the heavenlies.
B | 1: 20. Christ raised to the right hand of God, far above all principality and power.
--"Exceeding greatness of power."
C | 2: 6. Christ and His church raised and seated together.
B | 3: 10. The church a witness unto principalities and powers.
--"Manifold Wisdom."
A | 6: 12. Spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies.
The difficulty arising from the fact that the Lord Himself, the believers' blessings, and
spiritual foes, are all spoken of as being "in heavenly places" has been considered at
some length in Volume 3:, previously referred to, to which the reader is asked to turn if
these thoughts should still present any difficulty, space being too limited to warrant a
repetition here.
Our investigations in this connection have led us to see that the blessings of the
present dispensation are quite distinct from any that have preceded it. A new sphere of
blessing has been revealed consequent upon the temporary setting aside of Israel, and
with them the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. These covenants will yet have their
beneficent fulfilment; Israel and the nations will yet be blessed; the earth and the heavens
shall yet respond to the millennial reign of Christ, but the super-celestial glory pertaining