High places
While the phrase high places appears almost 90 times in the Old testament we only see it once in the New Testament.
- Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]."
The word in the Greek epouranios [1]which comes from two words epi[2] and ouranos<Rev> 3772 ~οὐρανός~ ouranos \@oo-ran-os’\@ perhaps from the same as 3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; n m AV-heaven 268, air 10, sky 5, heavenly + 1537; 284
- 1) the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it
- 1a) the universe, the world
- 1b) the aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and lightning are produced
- 1c) the sidereal or starry heavens
- 2) the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings</Ref>
The other places in the Bible where we see the word epouranios number a total of 18 times[3] but only once translated high [places].
The first place is in Matthew where Jesus is talking about our creator and Father who only will forgive us if we forgive others. [4] The next is in John [5] where Jesus makes a comparison or earthly things with heavenly things.
The earthly things is from the word epigeios[6] is again a compound word using epi with the Greek word ge.[7] meant on the earth or the earth itself. The word epigeios had to do with things within our reach on the earth itself. While the word epouranios included things out of our reach in the sky or beyond and possibly in celestial or even other dimensions or dominions in the Quantum realms of the universe which we might call heaven.
Heavenly ways would refer to the ways of the Creator of the universe.
Men have always had the free will of choice to follow the ways of the Creator or to establish kingdoms for themselves, such as Cain’s city-state (Enoch), Nimrod's Babylon, Pharaoh's Egypt, or Caesar's Rome. Jesus was not talking about just any old kingdom of men, but the good news of the kingdom of heaven, which is translated from ouranos.
Ouranos can have several senses and meanings, “…indeed we have no suitable word to express what the Greeks at first called an ouranos. It will be convenient to use the term ‘world’ for it; …”[8]Ouranos, comes from a root that means “to cover, encompass”. The meaning of ouranos includes the “vaulted expanse of the sky”, from the outer edge of the atmosphere to the center of the earth. The phrase “kingdom of heaven” means the “kingdom of the world”, the “dominion of earth” granted to man from generation to generation.
“He owns the land from the heavens and to the center of the earth.”[9]
The Roman Law, along with many other cultures, believed that, if a man owned the land, he owned it from the sky all the way to its center. Even in American courts, when someone actually owns the land, having more than a mere “legal title”, “the maxim that a man’s land extends to the center of the earth below the surface, and to the skies above, and are absolute in the owner of the land”.[10]
Land owned with a true and actual title by an individual was his realm, his kingdom. In the Aramaic texts, the word malkuthach is translated into “kingdom of heaven”. It actually means “a realm on the earth”.
The bliss of the heavenly Kingdom of God is the liberty to do God’s will on earth as it is in Heaven.
“And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The word appears three times in Corinthians [11] where Paul is describing a difference between the man Adam who decided for himself what was good and what was evil by eating of the tree of knowledge and therefore disobeyed God and the second man who was the son of Adam in the flesh but the son of God in the spirit who did the will of the Father in heaven, the Father of the Universe, even at the loss of his own life.
The word epouranios is used 5 times in Ephesians. the first time it is used to describe the heavenly <2032> places of Jesus Christ which brings spiritual blessings.[12]
The next place it is used Paul use this word epouranios in Ephesians [13]is talking about the power given to Christ by God when he was raised from the dead which gave him power "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion". This reference to heavenly places is talking about power and dominion over principalities now in this world.
We see a similar reference to heavenly places[14] where we are suppose to be sitting now because we have been raised to this spiritual place with Christ because of our conformity with him in faith by some sort of a quickening of the spiritual nature of our bodies.[15]
Again in the next chapter he mentions these heavenly places with those principalities and powers
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Footnotes
- ↑ 2032 ~ἐπουράνιος~ epouranios \@ep-oo-ran’-ee-os\@ from 1909 and 3772; adj AV-heavenly 16, celestial 2, in heaven 1, high 1; 20
- 1) existing in heaven
- 1a) things that take place in heaven
- 1b) the heavenly regions
- 1b1) heaven itself, the abode of God and angels
- 1b2) the lower heavens, of the stars
- 1b3) the heavens, of the clouds
- 1c) the heavenly temple or sanctuary
- 2) of heavenly origin or nature
- 1) existing in heaven
- ↑ 1909 ~ἐπί~ epi \@ep-ee’\@ a root; ; prep AV-on 196, in 120, upon 159, unto 41, to 41, misc 339; 896
- 1) upon, on, at, by, before
- 2) of position, on, at, by, over, against
- 3) to, over, on, at, across, against
- ↑ Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly <2032> Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
- John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things <2032>?
- 1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also celestial <2032> bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial <2032> is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
- 1 Corinthians 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly <2032>, such are they <2032> also that are heavenly <2032>.
- 1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly <2032>.
- Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly <2032> places in Christ:
- Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly <2032> places,
- Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly <2032> places in Christ Jesus:
- Ephesians 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly <2032> places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
- Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high <2032> places.
- Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven <2032>, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
- 2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly <2032> kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly <2032> calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
- Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly <2032> gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
- Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things <2032>, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
- Hebrews 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things <2032> themselves with better sacrifices than these.
- Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly <2032>: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
- Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly <2032> Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
- ↑ Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly <2032> Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
- ↑ : John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things <2032>?
- ↑ 1919 ~ἐπίγειος~ epigeios \@ep-ig’-i-os\@ from 1909 and 1093; adj AV-earthly 4, terrestrial 2, in earth 1; 7 1) existing upon the earth, earthly, terrestrial
- ↑ 1093 ~γῆ~ ge \@ghay\@ contracted from a root word; n f AV-earth 188, land 42, ground 18, country 2, world 1, earthly + 1537 + 3588 1; 252
- 1) arable land
- 2) the ground, the earth as a standing place
- 3) the main land as opposed to the sea or water
- 4) the earth as a whole
- 4a) the earth as opposed to the heavens
- 4b) the inhabited earth, the abode of men and animals
- 5) a country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region
- ↑ PLATO’S DIALOGUES, Early Greek Philosophy, Introduction , John Burnet.
- ↑ Cuius est solum, ejus est usque ad caelum et ad inferos
- ↑ Taylor v Fickas, 64 Ind. 167, 172 (1878)
- ↑ : 1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also celestial <2032> bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial <2032> is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
- 1 Corinthians 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly <2032>, such are they <2032> also that are heavenly <2032>.
- 1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly <2032>.
- ↑ : Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly <2032> places in Christ:
- ↑ : Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly <2032> places,
- ↑ : Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly <2032> places in Christ Jesus:
- ↑ Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
- ↑ : Ephesians 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly <2032> places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
- ↑ : Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high <2032> places.