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of the firstborn" (Heb. 12: 16, 22, 23), and makes it clear that to Abraham two sets of
promises were made viz., (1) The Land, and (2) The heavenly City. Israel according
to the flesh will inherit the first, and believing Jews, and Gentiles called during the Acts
period, will inherit the second.
The third sphere is limited to the Dispensation of the Mystery. The adoption of
Eph. 1: 5 cannot be the same as that of Rom. 9: or Gal. 4:, but pertains to the third
sphere of blessing which is in "heavenly places", far above all principality and power,
where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.
Israel are called the Firstborn on the earth (Exod. 4: 22). Those who inherit the New
Jerusalem are called the Church of the Firstborn whose names are written in heaven,
while the Church of the Mystery constitute the body of Him Who is the Firstborn from
the dead.
To each sphere of blessing pertains a citizenship. To the earthly sphere, the
citizenship of Zion goes with the adoption (Psa. 87:). To the second sphere pertains
the citizenship of the New Jerusalem, and to the third sphere, the citizenship which is in
heaven where Christ now sits in the holiest of all (Eph. 2: 19, Phil. 3: 20--
"conversation" [politeuma] = "citizenship"). In each sphere, those who have the adoption
have pre-eminence. In the earth, Israel will be the head, a Kingdom of Priests, and "The
nation and kingdom that will not serve thee (Israel) shall perish" (Isa. 60: 12). In the
second sphere, the pre-eminence that belongs to the adoption is not national but spiritual:
"The saints shall judge angels" (I Cor. 6: 3), and in the heavenly city, where there is an
innumerable company of angels, the saints have the pre-eminence, being the "Church of
the firstborn" (Heb. 12: 22, 23). To angels God has not subjected the world to come
(Heb. 2: 5). In the third sphere, neither nations nor angels are mentions, but
principalities, powers, might, and dominion--the very aristocracy of glory. "In Christ"
the Church of the Mystery is far above even such.
We therefore hold and teach that there are three spheres of blessing, viz., the
Earth, the New Jerusalem, and the Heavenly Places, which by way of distinction
we call the super-heavens (en tois epouraniois), closely allied with three distinct
Callings, the Kingdom, the Bride and the Body. We believe the recognition of
three spheres honours the record of Scripture which speaks of three distinct
adoptions, reveals three phases of the "second coming" as the hope of each
separate company, introduces order where there is confusion, faces the presence
of miraculous gifts in the Acts period (and their absence now) with clear sighted
understanding, and makes the walk that is worthy of each separate calling clear
and definite.
The following articles should be consulted for details and fuller exposition:
Adoption . . . . .
Vol. 20: 47-51.
Heavenly Places . . . . . .
Vol. 11: 75; 14: 41; 19: 29, 30; 20: 109, 128, 148.