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The endeavour to read in I Cor. 12: that which is declared to be a mystery unrevealed
until the imprisonment of Paul robs both sets of teaching of their point and purpose. In
Corinthians the Church in connection with the supernatural gifts is likened to A body, the
Church of the mystery is spoken of as being dispensationally THE body.
Let us try the things that differ.
#3.
The Heavens and the Super-heavens.
pp. 75, 76
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1: 1).
"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide
the waters from the waters, and God made the firmament, and divided the waters which
were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was
so. And God called the firmament heaven."
"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day
from the night.......and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven......."
(Gen. 1: 6-17).
"The heaven, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain Thee" (I Kings 8: 27).
"Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth" (Isa. 65: 17).
"He.......ascended.......far above all heavens that He might fill all things"
(Eph. 4: 10).
"A great high priest who has passed through the heavens" (Heb. 4: 14).
"A high priest made higher than the heavens" (Heb. 7: 26).
"The heavens and the earth which are now are reserved unto fire.......the heavens
shall pass away with a great noise.......the heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved.......nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II Pet. 3: 7-13).
"The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together" (Rev. 6: 14).
"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and
the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.......and I saw a new
heaven and a new earth: for the former heaven and the former earth were gone"
(Rev. 20: 11, 21: 1).
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in the super-heavenlies in Christ.......far above all principality and
power" (Eph. 1: 3; 20, 21).
The above collection of references hold within them some wondrous teaching. Let us
seek to separate the material into groups. Peter in his second epistle speaks of three
worlds, as will be seen upon examination:--
1. "The world that then was" (II Pet. 3: 6).
2. "The heavens and the earth which are now" (3: 7).
3. "New heavens and a new earth" (3: 13).
This suggests to us that all our material belongs to one or other of these three groups.