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calling" of Heb. 3: 1--"heavenly" in character but not enjoyed "in heaven"--and the
blessings of the church which are to be enjoyed "far above all principality and power" at
the right hand of God "in the heavenlies". The above quotation might have been given
by our critic from one of our own volumes. The remarkable fact is that it is his own
recent statement. According to our critic The Berean Expositor is definitely "committed
to apostasy", yet his teaching on this point is the same as our own. He differentiates
between two callings, both of which are "heavenly"; one "heavenly" company going to
heaven, the other receiving its blessings from heaven, but enjoying them on earth. With
all these things we are in complete agreement, and it seems that we are perfectly right
to emphasize the distinctive sphere of blessing of the church of the mystery in the
super-heavenlies.
When dealing with other occurrences of the word epuraniois, our critic, speaking of
the "celestial body" referred to by Paul in I Cor. 15: 40, says:--
"According to this division of the word of truth, Corinthians is concerned with the
lower heavenly sphere. Now, in speaking of the resurrection, those who are to be in this
second sphere are provided with bodies for the third! How are my dear brethren, who
claim the `super-heavenlies' for themselves, going to keep me out if I am given a
`super-heavenly' body?"
The writer of this statement knows as well as we do that the present system, including
the "heavens" of the present creation, are destined to pass away. Some things are to be
shaken; some will endure and remain. A resurrection body that is going to pass
unscathed through the final conflagration at the end of this system must be connected not
with the heavens that pass away with a great noise, and roll up like a scroll, but with the
super-heavens, the heavens of Gen. 1: 1, the "heaven of heavens" of the O.T., the new
heavens of Rev. 21:
The answer to our critic's question as to how he will be kept out of the
super-heavenlies which we claim for ourselves is found in his own words: "It is the same
heaven, but the direction of the action is different. So the Ephesians are going to heaven.
The Hebrews get their blessings from heaven and enjoy them on earth."
He approaches the answer to his own question when he refers to II Cor. 5: 2 and its
"home which is from heaven".
If our brother is a member of the body of Christ, nothing can exclude him from his
sphere of blessing, not even his own denials or ignorance. If our brother is not a member
of that body, the possession of an epuraniois body will not, on the principle which he
himself warrants, be sufficient passport to enable him to go to heaven; he may find that
this body from heaven is to enable him to enjoy the epuraniois city that comes down out
of heaven. If, we do not say it is so, but if there be any analogy between Kadesh Barnea
and the revelation of Ephesians, if we despise the highest and the best that love has
provided, and attempt to stone our brethren who bring back a good report, surely we
should not be surprised if, according to our faith, or rather unbelief, it shall be unto us.