Ephesians 1:19-21

‘The exceeding greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to that working of the strength of His might which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit 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 world, but also in that which is to come.'

And what is this power that is at work? It is the power that broke the chains of death and overcame all the powers of evil. So Paul seeks to bring out the greatness of the power exercised by God and he does it by multiplying words, - exceeding greatness, power, working, strength, His might. For this is the power of His resurrection, when the powers of Hell were defeated (Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 4:8), the power of death was broken (Hebrews 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54), and man and the world were potentially released from their chains (Romans 8:21; Romans 8:23). Who can even begin to comprehend the power that was needed to this end? And that power is available to those who believe. It is outside the knowledge of the world who are totally unable to see what is happening, but it is known more and more by believers the nearer they grow to Christ.

‘The working of the strength of His might which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.' As ‘God made Man' Christ was crucified, and all the sin of the world, past, present and future, was laid on His shoulders. He was made a sacrifice for sin (1 Peter 1:19) and He Who knew no sin was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). And not only that but all the powers of Hell were there to ensure His demise. What a catastrophe this seemed! And what amazing power had to be exercised to reverse the situation so that Christ Jesus rose triumphant and victorious, the power of sin broken, the powers of Hell defeated, and took His rightful place again in Heaven, receiving all authority in Heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18).

‘And made Him sit at His right hand in the heavenly places.' To sit at the right hand was to share the glory and the rule (Psalms 110:1; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22). This He had known from all eternity, but now as glorified Man He was made co-regent with His Father, sharing the throne of God (Revelation 3:21), and all power and authority in Heaven and on earth was given to Him (Matthew 28:18; John 3:35; Acts 2:36; Romans 14:9; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 2:8; Isaiah 9:6; Daniel 7:14). He was made Ruler over all.

‘The heavenly places.' The spiritual world. This is not some world within the universe, or indeed outside the universe. He is not so far away. It is a world totally different from the physical, a spiritual world, a world of non-space which we can penetrate even while on earth (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 6:12), a world that exists alongside our world, but of totally different essence. When Elisha's eyes were opened he became aware of that world (2 Kings 2:11; 2 Kings 6:17), a world of which we are constantly unaware and yet which is ever there. A world in which we can participate even now (Ephesians 2:6), and where we have to battle with powerful forces (Ephesians 6:12) because we are His. And He is Lord over it.

The Christian lives in two worlds simultaneously. He lives through his body in the physical world, and he lives through his spirit in a spiritual world, and it is in that latter world that Christ reigns, that Christ is King. There the Christian enters under the rule (the kingship, the kingdom) of God, acting as His ambassador in this mundane world (2 Corinthians 5:20) and carrying out the orders of the King. Indeed God mainly breaks through into this world through His people, and thus to an extent He depends on us.

‘Far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come.' Here Paul gathers together all the words he can think of which relate to power and control. Christ is over them all. That includes all power and authority in this world, and all power and authority in the world that is yet, as regards full experience, future to us. It includes the powers of Heaven and the powers of Hell (compare Ephesians 6:12; Rom 8:38; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Colossians 1:16; Colossians 2:15; 1 Peter 3:22).

‘Rule, authority, power, dominion.' All who exercise power, whether in Heaven, in the air, or on earth, are included under His jurisdiction. These words simply depict every type of Ruler. The ancients had many theories about heavenly forces and these words, among others, were used to describe them, but Paul is not following any particular view or particularising any special beings (compare a similar list in Ephesians 6:14). He is being all-inclusive.

‘Every name that is named.' Whatever title is given, whether Emperor, King, Potentate, Majesty, President, Excellency, Prince or whatever, He is set above them all, both human and supernatural. For His is the name which is above every name, the name of ‘LORD' (Yahweh) (Philippians 2:10).