Lesson for February 21, 2021
The Book of Ephesians
Chapter 1:19b-23
Verses 19b-23
“These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Paul was praying that these believers would allow wisdom (applied doctrine) to enlighten their minds. Then he gave them a list of doctrines he was praying that they would learn: 1) the hope of His calling 2) the riches of their inheritance and 3) the greatness of His power which are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might. The strength of His might refers to the omnipotence of God. This time His power refers to the Resurrection, the Session, and the Exultation of Christ. The power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven is the exact same power we have to execute the Christian Way of Life and glorify God. The sign of Christ’s victory over Satan was His resurrection, ascension, and session. After the resurrection of Christ, He was seated at the right hand of the Father in a place of honor.
Session means that God the Father was completed satisfied with work of Christ on the Cross. It is because God the Father was completely satisfied that He is free to make the offer of eternal life. When Christ became our substitute on the Cross and paid the penalty for sin, the barrier of sin that previously existed between God and mankind was removed forever. The removal of this sin barrier means that sin is no longer an issue at salvation. The issue at salvation is whether a person will accept God’s free offer of eternal life through faith in Christ.
Because God’s righteousness has been satisfied, He is justified in bestowing His grace blessings upon all who believe. God’s blessings, however, are only potential for the believer in Christ. Though God has promised certain logistical grace blessings to all believers, He has also promised greater grace blessings to those who faithfully execute His plan for their lives. Only increased capacity to receive blessing from God, through the consistent study and application of God’s Word, will allow these greaterblessings to be given. God does not give greater grace blessings to immature, inconsistent Christians. God’s “blueprint” for success must be followed precisely, if the believer is to enjoy the greater blessings in this life and in the one to follow. (Romans 5:19-21)
Exultation means Christ returned to His rightful place of glory and dominion at the right hand of God after His resurrection. The Greek word for exalted is “huperupsoo,” which occurs only in one passage in Scripture and refers to only Christ. It means to exalt highly or over and above any exultation. This is the honor that Christ received after completing the plan of God for the salvation for the world. (Philippians 2:5-11; Romans 14:9; I Peter 3:21-22)
Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Far above is the Greek word “huperano,” which means way above. It means that Jesus Christ in resurrection body is far superior to mankind and angels in any dispensation. (Hebrews 2 and 3)
The Greek word for rule is “arche,” which means those in charge. The Greek word for authority is “exousia,” which means the lawful right to exercise power. It refers to the various offices of authority of the angelic realm – both elect and fallen angels. The Greek word for might is “dunamis,” which refers to the power in angels. Angels are superior and mightier than any human being except Jesus Christ. In resurrection bodies, believers will be superior to both elect and fallen angels. The Greek word for dominion is “kuriotes,” which means force, strength, or manifested power. It is used for a special class of angels who are distinguished by exercising great power and authority. Every name that is named is referring to any category of authority that angels or mankind may have. Once the humanity of Jesus Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father it meant that Satan and the fallen angels had been defeated. And it meant that all angels were now inferior to the resurrected Christ seated at the Father’s right hand.
And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Under his feet is a reference to Operation Footstool. Operation Footstool refers to the termination of the Angelic Conflict when Jesus Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom and to remove Satan and all fallen angels. Satan loses the rulership of the world to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:13; 10:13) First comes the triumphal procession in which all demons are disarmed by Jesus Christ and publicly displayed. (Colossians 2:15) Satan is imprisoned for one thousand years. (Revelation 20:1-3) Demons are cast into prison. (Zechariah 13:2; I Corinthians 15:24-25) The removal of Satan and all fallen angels, plus the rulership of Christ, changes things during the Millennium. Perfect environment will exist on earth until Satan is released to begin the Gog revolution. (Revelation 20:7-10) Religion is eradicated. (I Corinthians 10:20-21) False doctrine is removed. (I Timothy 4:1) Spirituality changes to include ecstatics since Christ is personally present on the earth. In the Millennium, there will be an emotional appreciation of Christ. (Joel 2:28-29)
Human history cannot be fulfilled until Operation Footstool is completed. It will take one thousand years to complete Operation Footstool once it starts. Operation Footstool cannot even begin until two more prophecies are completed. Originally there were three prophecies that had to be fulfilled before Operation Footstool could begin: 1) the victory of the Cross 2) the formation of a Royal Family of God (the Church) 3) the Tribulation. So far in history, one prophecy (the Cross) has been fulfilled. Now, during the Church Age the second prophecy is in the process of being fulfilled. The final prophecy will be fulfilled immediately after the Rapture of the Church.
In Operation Footstool, every believer who reaches spiritual maturity will rule with Christ during Operation Footstool (the Millennium). God decides when the resurrection of the Church will occur. You cannot pray for the resurrection of the Church. No one knows when it will occur. All we know is that it will happen “suddenly.” Anyone who says they know when the Rapture will occur is mistaken.
And gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Head over all things means the absolute authority and the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ over the Church. Christ is the head of the Church. The Church is called the body of Christ because at salvation believers are place into union with Him and receive as a result, forty spiritual assets.
The fullness of Him is a reference to the body of Christ being filled up. Every time a person in the Church Age believes in Jesus Christ, the baptism of the Spirit which occurs at the moment of salvation, does the fulfilling of the body of Christ. When the body of Christ is completed (full), it will be removed from this earth at the Rapture. (Zechariah 13:2; Colossians 2:15; I Corinthians 15:24,25)
The Rapture is a technical theological term (not found in Scripture) for the resurrection of the Royal Family of God, the Church. Once the Royal Family of God is completed, the Church is resurrected as the body of Christ to meet Jesus Christ in the air and become the bride of Christ. The Church Age in which we live is that period of human history when the Royal Family of God is being formed on earth. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:16, 4:4-5; Colossians 1:18, 24, 2:19) When the royal family of God is completed, then the Rapture will occur. (I Thessalonians 4:16-18; I Corinthians 15:51-58)
The Rapture is imminent meaning that it could occur anytime during the Church Age, which began at Pentecost. Since it has not occurred, it is still future. The Rapture will occur when the last member of the body of Christ is saved, which is known only by God. The Church Age is the only dispensation in which there is no prophecy. The Church Age began with an event prophesied in the Old Testament and by Jesus during the Age of Israel called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus prophesied the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in Luke 24:49. No prophecy between the Baptism of the Spirit and the Rapture means that the Rapture is imminent. It could occur at any time; no one knows the day or the hour.
The resurrection of the Church, like our dying, is completely out of our control. Just as we have no control over the time and manner of our death, so we have no control over the time and manner of the Rapture. The resurrection of the Church is totally beyond our control because resurrection is the Lord’s victory. (I Corinthians 15:57, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”) Distortion of the imminency of the Rapture results in instability and foolish explanation or speculation about the time of the Rapture. James gives an admonition in James 5:7-8. “Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord (the Rapture). The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near (imminent).” To have patience means to apply what you know. Patience is a system of thinking Bible doctrine, a system of concentration, the application of doctrine to experience. In effect, that application says, “As long as I’m alive, I have control over my life. I can, by positive volition, execute the Protocol Plan of God or, by negative volition, be a reversionistic believer and be my own worst enemy.” You cannot have patience without a stabilized mentality. Every day that the Rapture approaches, you have control over your life, and you decide what that life will be.
So, while the Rapture is imminent, no one really knows when it will occur. In the meantime, the Royal Family of God lives in this dispensation of historical trends. (Revelation 2-3) Three times in Revelation is the phrase, “I am coming soon.” (Revelation 22:7,12,20) Remember that to the Lord a day is a thousand years and a thousand years as a day.
The Rapture of the Church is the next prophetical event to occur in history. Titus 2:13, “Waiting with keen anticipation for that blessed hope [Rapture], even the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” How do you wait with keen anticipation? You wait through thinking; you wait with patience, which is the application of doctrine. You know the Rapture is coming. It may not occur in your lifetime, but you still know it’s coming. In this way you apply doctrine, are occupied with the person of Jesus Christ, share the happiness of God, develop virtue-love, so that you have a wonderful life.
The Rapture is a doctrine for spiritually advancing believers because they are the ones who eagerly wait for it to occur. They are so occupied with Christ that they look for the Rapture, though only God knows when the Rapture is going to occur. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that resurrects each of us at the Rapture or resurrection of the Church. The Church Age ends at the Rapture. The Rapture of the Church is the first mass resurrection, when all Church Age believers receive their resurrection bodies. I Corinthians 6:14, “Now God has not only resurrected our Lord, but He will raise us up through His power.” (Acts 2:24; Romans 6:4; I Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians2:12; I Thessalonians 1:10; I Peter 1:21)