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The word used in Eph. 4: 10 is huper-ouranon; therefore "heavenly places" are
"super-heavenly".
We really feel grateful for this criticism, for its investigation has proved, up to the hilt,
the reality of the peculiarity of the position in Ephesians.
The problem that is connected with the fact that the throne of God, Principalities and
Powers, even wicked ones, are alike spoken of as "in heavenly places" has been dealt
with in Volume II & III, new edition, page 105 (Volume III original edition, page 56),
and a difficulty connected with the usage of ouranos in Col. 1: 5 is dealt with in
Volume XVI, page 126.
We rejoice that God in His grace has not given us a place in the "heavenly city" that
comes down from God out of heaven, but that, with fullness of thanksgiving, we can say:-
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"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).
#2.
"Spiritual blessings in heavenly places."
pp. 72 - 75
The expression "heavenly places" occupied our attention in the first paper of this
series; in this we turn to the equally important item, "All spiritual blessings". These
blessings are "in heavenly places"--a definite locality "far above all"; but while we are
there, in spirit, we are nevertheless still waiting for the redemption of the purchased
possession, so that the enquiry as to whether these spiritual blessings can be enjoyed, in
their full meaning, until the whole church enters into its glorious inheritance is a very real
one.
If these blessings are enjoyed now by members of the One Body, and if these
blessings are their everyday experience, it would be reasonable to expect that throughout
the epistles of Paul written for this company, there would be references to them. The fact
is that whatever the reason, the words "to bless" and "blessing" (eulogeo and eulogia)
occur nowhere else in the prison epistles other than in Eph. 1: 3.
The section in which they occur has to do with the plan and purpose of the Father
made before the overthrow of the world. There is no mention of sin and death,
redemption or forgiveness, and the "acceptance" which is ours in the Beloved is, strictly
speaking, "high favour". Here in fact is the Father's will. Until we reach the time
appointed by the Father, we must not presume that we are of age or have entered into our
title. This is the lesson of Gal. 4: 1-10, which has a bearing on the point as we shall see
by the reference to the "adoption". Those blessings that are ours by purpose (Eph. 1: 3-6)