Ephesians Series: Ephesians 1:10c-Every Animate and Inanimate Object in the Heavens and the Earth Will Be United in the Sphere of Christ’s Authority

Ephesians 1:3 The God, namely the Father of the Lord ruling over us, who is Jesus Christ, is worthy of praise. Namely, because He is the one who has blessed each and every one of us by means of each and every kind of Spirit appropriated blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. 4 For He chose each and every one of us for His own purpose because of Him alone before creation in order that each and every one of us would be holy as well as uncensurable in His judgment. 5 He did this by predestinating each and every one of us for the purpose of adoption as sons because of His love through Jesus Christ for Himself according to the pleasure of His will. 6 This was for the purpose of praising His glorious grace, which He freely bestowed on each and every one of us because of the one who is divinely loved. 7 Because of whom, each one of us are experiencing that which is the redemption through His blood, namely the forgiveness of our transgressions according to His infinite grace. 8 This He provided in abundance for the benefit of each and every one of us because of the exercise of a wisdom, which is absolute and divine in nature resulting in the manifestation of an insight, which is absolute and divine in nature. 9 He did this by revealing the mystery of His will for the benefit of each and every one of us according to His pleasure, which He planned beforehand because of our faith in and resultant union and identification with Himself. 10 This was for the dispensation which brings to completion the various periods of history. Namely, to unite for the benefit of Himself each and every animate and inanimate object in the sphere of the sovereign authority of the person of the one and only Christ. Specifically, to unite for the benefit of Himself those things in the heavens as well as those things on the earth in the sphere of the sovereign authority of Himself. (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 1:10 begins with a prepositional phrase eis oikonomian tou plērōmatos tōn kairōn (εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν), “This was for the dispensation which brings to completion the various periods of history.” (Author’s translation).

The prepositional phrase presents the purpose of the Father being pleased to plan in eternity past to elect church age believers by predestinating them for the purpose of adoption as sons for Himself alone because of His love through their faith in and union and identification with Jesus Christ.

It asserts that He did this for the dispensation, which brings to completion the various periods of history or dispensations.

This prepositional phrase is modified by the infinitival clause anakephalaiōsasthai ta panta en tō Christō(ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ), “Namely, to unite for the benefit of Himself each and every animate and inanimate object in the sphere of the sovereign authority of the person of the one and only Christ.” (Author’s translation).

This infinitival clause is epexegetical clause because it describes this dispensation as when the Father will unite for the benefit of Himself each and every animate and inanimate object in the heavens and on earth in the sphere of the sovereign authority of the person of the one and only Christ.

This will take place during His millennial reign, which is being referred to by the phrase “the administration of the fullness of the times.” (NET)

Church age believers who are in union with Christ and identified with Him (Rom. 6; Col. 3:1-4; Eph. 2:6-8) and are members of His body (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12, 18, 20; Eph. 3:6; 5:30) and His bride (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:28-33; Rev. 19:7; 21:9; 22:17) will reign with Christ over the earth during the latter’s millennial reign.

This infinitival clause is modified by an elliptical infinitival clause ta epi tois ouranois kai ta epi tēs gēs en autō (τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν αὐτῷ), “Specifically, to unite for the benefit of Himself those things in the heavens as well as those things on the earth in the sphere of the sovereign authority of Himself.” (Author’s translation)

It too is epexegetical clause because it identifies who are and where are these animate and inanimate objects.

It asserts that they will be every inanimate and animate object that is contained in the first, second and third heavens and the earth or in other words, which would include all marine life, bird life, terrestrial life, human beings and angels.

This interpretation is indicated by the fact that it identifies specifically where these animate and inanimate objects are located in creation in the previous epexegetical infinitival clause, namely, they are located in the heavens and on the earth.

It asserts that the Father will unite each and every animate and inanimate object in the sphere of the sovereign authority of the person of the one and only Christ during the latter’s millennial reign.

The noun ouranos(οὐρανός), “the heavens” is referring to all three levels of heaven.

The original language of Scripture teach that there are three levels of heaven.

This multiplicity of heavens is indicated in Ephesians 4:10 and Hebrews 4:14 where our Lord at His ascension is said to have “passed through the heavens” (accusative masculine plural noun ouranos).

The first and second heaven are not specifically mentioned but the third heaven is discussed in 2 Corinthians 12:2.

Logically speaking, it is evident that there cannot be a third heaven without also a first and second heaven.

The first heaven is the earth’s atmosphere which surrounds the earth (Mt. 6:26; 8:20; 16:2-3; 24:30; Mk. 4:32; 13:27; Lk. 8:5; 9:58; 12:56; 13:19; 17:24; Acts 1:10-11; 4:24; 10:11, 12; 11:6).

The second heaven is the stellar universe or space which consists of a vast array of stars, moons, suns, galaxies and solar systems (Mt. 24:29; Mk. 1:10; 13:25; Lk. 11:16; 17:29; 21:26, 33; He. 11:12; R. 6:13-14).

The third heaven was also created by the Lord Jesus Christ (Psa. 102:25; 115:15; 124:8; 134:3; Isa. 45:12; 51:13; Jer. 32:17; Zech. 12:1; John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:10).

The Scriptures teach that the third heaven is the abode of the Trinity (Gen. 14:19, 22; 23:3, 7; 1 Kings 8:30, 49; 2 Chron. 6:21, 30; Neh. 1:4-5; 2:4, 20; Psa. 11:4; 20:6; 33:14; 103:19; Isa. 63:.5; 66:1; Matt. 5:34; Luke 16:9; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 7:56; 2 Cor. 12:2; Heb. 2:10; Rev. 19:14).

The inhabitants of the third heaven: (1) The Trinity (2) Elect Angels (3) Old Testament saints (4) Dead church age believers (5) Fallen Angels.

The noun gē (γῆ) means “the earth” and is used in a cosmological sense.

This word also contains the figure of metonymy where planet earth is put for the animate and inanimate objects located in them.

This would indicate that every animate and inanimate object that resides upon planet earth will be under the headship or rulership of Jesus Christ during His millennial reign.

These animate objects would include human beings, the animal, insect and bird kingdom on earth.

The inanimate objects would include such things as the seven continents and every type of body of water such as oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams.

Ephesians 1:10 comes to an end with the prepositional phrase en autō (ἐν αὐτῷ), “in the sphere of the sovereign authority of Himself.” (Lecturer’s translation)

It too contains the figure of metonymy which means that the person of the one and only Christ is put here for His sovereign authority.

Now, the basis upon which the Father will unite each and every person and thing in creation in the sphere of the sovereign authority of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ during the latter’s millennial reign is the reconciliation His Son accomplished through His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross of Calvary.

Paul speaks of this reconciliation of creation to the Father by the Son in Colossians 1:20.

Colossians 1:18 Furthermore, He Himself, as an eternal spiritual truth exists in the state of being the head over His body, namely His church who, as an eternal spiritual truth exists in the state of being the founder that is the firstborn from the dead ones. The divine purpose was accomplished so that He alone became the Preeminent One among each and every person with no exceptions 19 because He was very pleased to have all His fullness dwell permanently in Him 20 so as to reconcile through Him alone each and every thing for Himself. Specifically, by making peace by means of His blood, namely His cross-through Him alone, whether each and every thing on the earth or each and every thing located in the heavens. (Lecturer’s translation)

The Father reconciled each and every inanimate and animate object on earth and in the first, second and third heavens through His Son Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.

The cross of Jesus Christ restored the broken relationship between creation and the Father who is holy.

His cross restored this broken relationship between a holy God and His creation to its former peaceful state.

This broken relationship between God and His creation was the result of Satan’s rebellion as well as Adam’s rebellion and both were the heads of their respective races.

The former was the head of the angelic race in eternity past and the latter the head of the human race.

The sin of both disrupted the former peaceful relations that existed between God and their races before their sins (Gen. 3:17-19; cf. Rom. 8:19-23).

So Paul is teaching in Colossians 1:20 that Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were the means by which the Father affected a reconciliation with Himself and His sinful creatures, both men and angels.