“Heavenly realms” or “heavenly places” (ESV) is a phrase unique to Ephesians. It is comes from the Greek word, epouraniois. This word is found in other places in the NT, but only in Ephesians is it translated this way. Paul uses it five times in Ephesians, so it’s an important term to understand if we want to get a grip on the framework of Ephesians—particularly the scope and span of what Paul wants to talk about.
1. The heavenly realms are not the same thing as heaven. The heavenly realms include heaven, but they contain more than that (see 6:12ff). In 1:20-21 we’re told that God “raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” When he says “far above” there’s no doubt Paul is making a spiritual point about Jesus’ authority, but it seems to me he is quite possibly also making a spatial point as well.
If we think about Jesus from a directional perspective, we’re always being pointed upward. Christ was raised from the dead. He was taken up from the apostles (Luke 24, Acts 1). It looks like Paul is continuing this when he tells us that Jesus is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. He is employing a spatial truth to teach a spiritual one. Jesus’ authority is like His location—it is above everything else.
We know Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3; Acts 2:33-34). Paul tells us here He is in the heavenly realms. We could lazily equate the two, but it wouldn’t be accurate. Heaven is God’s holy dwelling place (Deuteronomy 26:15) and as we’ll see in 6:12ff, there are some unholy things in the heavenly realms that certainly aren’t part of heaven. So even though the heavenly realms contain heaven, they are not to be equated with it. The heavenly realms are like our solar system and heaven is like the sun, but no one would think of equating the two.
Heaven represents the pinnacle—it is “far above” everything else in the heavenly realms. Paul alludes to something like this in 2 Corinthians 12:2 when he talks about “the third heaven” or the phrase “the highest heaven” is used in 1 Kings 8:27. You may want to think of it like this: Mt. Elbert is the highest point in the state of Colorado—it is above everything else. But there’s more to Colorado than just Mt. Elbert. So, the heavenly realms contain heaven, but they are more than that.
2. The heavenly realms are the dimension of spirit activity. Chapter 3:10 speaks of “rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” I don’t think there’s any way we can stretch that to mean earthly rulers and authorities. We don’t need to because Ephesians 6:12 speaks of “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Daniel 10:1-11:1 gives us a peek at the same kind of thing.
3. The heavenly realms contain both good and evil powers. In Daniel 10:1-11:1 we have an angel who has been delayed 21 days in getting a message to Daniel because the “prince of the Persian kingdom” “resisted” and “detained” him and the arch angel Michael (Jude 9) had to come to his aid (v. 13). Later he speaks of conflict with the prince of Greece (v. 20) and how he supported and protected Darius the Mede (11:1). Here we have both good and evil powers contesting each other.
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 