The Heavenly Realms (Ephesians 1:3)

In Lesson 5 of the Deeper Christian Bible Study Series in Ephesians, we focus on the phrase “the heavenly realms” which Paul uses to describe where all the blessings we have in Jesus are found.

In this study, we look at the five usages of the phrase throughout Ephesians and realize that though we live in a physical world, we are called to have a heavenly/spiritual mindset and focus through every circumstance and situation.

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Lesson 05:
The Heavenly Realms

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A Simple Study Reference

Passage: Ephesians 1:3
The Heavenly Realms

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, in Christ; …

• 3 “Blessing” Words
  • Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ [adjective]
  • Who has blessed us [verb]
  • With every spiritual blessing [noun]
• The focus of every spiritual blessing is Jesus Himself
• Heavenly Realms: Epouranios (Greek Word) » The throne room, the heavenly place where God dwells, heaven, the heavenly temple, sanctuary, the place where spiritual battles take place
  • Used 20 times in NT but this particular Greek grammatical construction is exclusive to Ephesians (found 5x)
    • Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ
    • Ephesians 1:20 – which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms
    • Ephesians 2:6 – and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus
    • Ephesians 3:10 – to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realms
    • Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms.

Other Passages Mentioned:

• 2 Kings 6:15-17 – And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
• 1 Samuel 17:45–46 – Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
• 1 Kings 18:39 – Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
• It Is Well With My Soul
  When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
  When sorrows like sea billows roll;
  Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
  It is well, it is well, with my soul.

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NRJohnson Commentary on “The Heavenly Realms” in Ephesians 1:3

» sorry for the delay on the commentaries, I am working on it and will have it available on here shortly. Thanks for your patience.

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In Our Next Study Together …

I invite you to join me on this journey from the book of Ephesians to discover God’s eternal purpose, His plan for your life, and learn how to practically live out an abundant and fruitful Christian life. 

If you desire to join me in preparing for next week’s study, I encourage you to do the following three things:

1. Read the book of Ephesians (preferably every day)
2. Saturate in Ephesians 1:3-14 (the blessing section)
3. What does it mean to be “In Christ”?

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The Deeper Christian Bible Study Series

The Deeper Christian Bible Study Series in Ephesians is an in-depth verse-by-verse study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. These studies will guide you through this life-changing book of the Bible and give you practical application to help you grow in your faith, gain greater intimacy with Jesus, experience the victorious Christian life, and help you build your life around Jesus Christ. 

About NRJohnson 

NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is a Christian who has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps Christians discover and experience a passionate love for God and His Word so that they can grow in their faith, live victorious lives, share the Gospel boldly, grow in their intimacy with Jesus, and transform the world through the indwelling life of Christ.
Read more about him here.