In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul talked several times about heavenly places. This is the only place in Scriptures that this terminology is used. This daily devotional explores where those heavenly places are, Jesus’ role in those heavenly places, and how the impact on the coming ages.
Nuggets
- Jesus’ glory is the expression of the qualities of God resulting from the authority of God.
- While Ephesians 2: 6 is not the first or only time in this letter that Paul referred to heavenly places, he uses this term only in this letter.
- God and Jesus (at God’s right hand) are going to rule from New Jerusalem.
- God has made Himself very accessible to us.
- Those reigning with Jesus for 1,000 years will be those who remained faithful unto death during persecution and those who did not worship the image erected (Rev. 13: 14) or take the mark (Rev. 13: 16).
- The great thing about New Jerusalem and whoever gets there first is that they will be living in fellowship with God the Father and God the Son.
- God is going to take His grace and kindness to the next level.
Devotions in the The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians series
I had someone tell me once that, since Jesus laid down His glory to come to earth, He could not pick it up again. Jesus’ glory is the expression of the qualities of God resulting from the authority of God.
Therefore, Jesus wouldn’t be residing in heaven. He would rule on the new earth once we are all called home.
I was always a little skeptical of that but haven’t taken the time to research it. Until now.
I remembered this conversation when I read Ephesians 2: 6. It talks about heavenly places and the coming age.
What role is Jesus going to have then – glorified or not glorified? Let’s see what we can find.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Heavenly Places
"and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2: 6 ESV)
This is not the first or only time in the letter to the Ephesians that Paul referred to heavenly places (Eph. 1: 3; Eph. 1: 20; Eph. 3: 20; Eph. 6: 12). But he uses this term only in this letter.
Paul’s use of the term here begs the question: How is heavenly places different from heaven? From my research of commentaries, I don’t think Paul was trying to make a distinction.
I think Paul was trying to tie this to Jesus’ ascension. He went up to what has been interpreted as high places. Heavenly — high — sounds like they are synonymous.
We do know that Jesus talked about there being some sort of division. “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you” (Jn. 14: 2 ESV).
If it were not so, Jesus probably wouldn’t have said anything at all. There could be some division between heaven and high places.
Then we tie this in with Revelation. It talks about a new heaven and a new earth. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” (Rev. 21: 1 ESV).
After that, we get a New Jerusalem. “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21: 2 ESV). It is identified as a great city (Rev. 21: 10) with walls (Rev. 21: 14) and gates (Rev. 2: 12). It has a street (Rev. 21: 21; Rev. 22: 2). (One street — not plural.)
But look at this. “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him” (Rev. 22: 3 ESV).
This is along the same lines as what Paul wrote in Colossians. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Col. 3: 1 ESV). Jesus already is where He will forever be — right next to the Father.
So, what all is that telling us? God and Jesus are going to rule from New Jerusalem. Jesus is even now at God’s right hand. I doubt that Jesus would be ruling if He had laid down His glory and not been able to pick it back up.
One commentary pointed out that Paul’s whole message in all of this was the accessibility of heaven. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3: 2 ESV).
God has made Himself very accessible to us. He was the one Who devised the Plan of Salvation to restore His relationship with mankind.
Jesus is the one Who gave us the model prayer to make sure we have a line of communication open to us now. We are told to “pray without ceasing” (II Thess. 5: 17 ESV). That is how we access heaven today.
Where Will New Jerusalem Be?
Bible Verse
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” (Rev 21: 10 ESV).
Back up a second. There is some question where New Jerusalem is going to land. Revelation 21: 2 and Revelation 21: 10 both say it descends out of heaven.
That would have to come out of the new heaven, because the old heaven already passed away in verse 1. That makes some assume that it will land on earth, where we will spend eternity.
Maybe that is an assumption because Revelation 22: 3 says, “No longer will there be anything accursed …” (Rev. 22: 3 ESV). The earth, not heaven, was cursed (Gen. 3: 17).
However, Revelation 21 and 22 does not say if or where New Jerusalem lands. The Scriptures only say that it descends. We don’t know if it lands on earth or stays suspended between heaven and earth.
It is also assumed that Jesus will reign on earth for the 1,000 years. “… They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev. 20: 4 ESV).
Who is they? “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands …” (Rev 20: 4 ESV).
So, they is not all of the saints. It is those who remained faithful unto death during persecution. Also, those who did not worship the image erected (Rev. 13: 14) or take the mark (Rev. 13: 16).
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
The great thing about New Jerusalem and whoever gets there first is that they will be living in fellowship with God the Father and God the Son. The cares of this world will be a thing of the past. Think of the rejoicing and celebrating that will be going on!
What Does the Future Hold?
“so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (ESP. 2: 7 ESV).
But back to Ephesians. We need to look at verse 7.
Paul talked about the future when he said, “so that in the coming ages …” (Eph. 2: 7 ESV). He was talking about eternity.
In the last devotion, we talked about immeasurable. We said it talked about taking things to the next level.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
God is going to take His grace and kindness to the next level. We think He shows us grace and mercy now — just wait!
We all want to be better than we are right now. We know that we are not as He made us because we are trapped in sinful bodies.
We also know that, one day, we will be changed (I Cor. 15: 52). We will truly be in God’s image. We won’t have to deal with sin or sickness. Everything will be like God originally intended.
To read God’s Wrath and Mercy, click the button below.
Making the Connections
We don’t understand now — we aren’t supposed to understand now. “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away” (I Cor. 13: 9-10 RSV).
Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Sin is not believing that Jesus is our Savior to save us from our actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
Glossary
We can understand some things now. He has raised us from being dead. Jesus justified and sanctified us by substituting Himself for us. We’ve been adopted into the holy family.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
God already blesses us. He provided what we need. He isn’t waiting for us to all get to New Jerusalem before He gives us the good stuff.
I told my Ladies the other day that Mom and Dad once gave me money to by a three-bedroom mobile home from another lady in the singles group in which we belonged. They told me they were spending my inheritance on me.
God is doing that, too. He is rewarding us now while He is giving us a glimpse of things to come.
How Do We Apply This?
We are supposed to watch. We need to believe and trust.
Watchfulness is a continual conscious examination of ourselves and all events so that we may follow God in all things.
Trust is assurance that the promises of God are true.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
When we are in the midst of trials, God will give us what we need to remain faithful to Him.
Paul got it that this life is precursor to the next life. He knew God would show us enough to want the next life. He knew that God was fixing us to prepare us for what is to come.
We have to be open to the fixing.
Loving Heavenly Father. You have told us to watch for Jesus’ return. We will watch. Whichever way You choose to send Him back and call us home doesn’t matter. What matters is we will be home with You. We look forward to that day. Amen.
What do you think?
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