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(1). The church of Ephesians is blessed in a sphere called the super-heavenlies,
and is distinct from all other companies of the redeemed: and
(2). That those addressed in the epistle to the Hebrews are to be distinguished
from the church of Ephesians, and that their hope does not place them so high as
does the hope of the one body.
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 Rev. 21: 10.
A.--"He . . . . . showed me the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God."
B.--These two passages must therefore decide the "heavenly calling" of chapter 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 epouranios 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.
(2). Far above all principalities and powers, etc. (1: 20, 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 wickedness are certainly not "heavenly" in character, although for the
time they occupy "heavenly places".