In this message we shall continue to see God’s work in His new administrative arrangement, particularly in Christ’s ascension.
Ephesians 1:20-22 says, “Raising Him [Christ] from among the dead, and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is coming.” God has not only raised Christ from among the dead but also has seated Christ “at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is coming” (Eph. 1:20b-21). God’s right hand, where Christ has been seated by the great power of God, is the most honorable place, the place with supreme authority. The “heavenlies” refers not only to the third heaven, the highest place in the universe, where God dwells, but also to the state and atmosphere of the heavens in which Christ was seated by God’s power. “Rule” refers to the highest office; “authority,” to every kind of official power; “power,” to the might of authority; and “lordship,” to the preeminence which power establishes. The authorities include not only the angelic, heavenly authorities, good or evil, but also the human, earthly ones.
Ephesians 1:22 goes on to say that God has subjected all things under Christ’s feet. To seat Christ far above all is one thing; to subject all things under Christ’s feet is another. The former is a matter of transcendency; the latter is a matter of the subjection of all things to Christ.
The last part of Ephesians 1:22 says, “And gave Him to be Head over all things to the church.” The headship of Christ over all things is a gift from God to Him. Through God’s great power Christ has received the headship in the universe. It does not mean that God gave Christ to the church as a gift; it means that God gave Christ a gift-the headship over all things. A great gift was given to Christ by God, and this gift is the headship over all things.
God’s giving Christ to be the Head over all things is to the church. The phrase “to the church” implies a transmission. What God gave Christ to be is to the church; it is transmitted to the church. The church shares it. Through the transmission that is to the church, the church shares with Christ in all His attainments and obtainments.
The word “to” in Ephesians 1:22 indicates God’s dispensing. In His work in the new dispensation God passed through death in the Son, condemned sin in the flesh, tore the veil, wiped out the handwriting in ordinances, stripped off the principalities and powers, raised up Christ from the dead, seated Christ in the heavens, subjected all things under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church. Because the church is the issue of the ascended Christ, the church is free from sin, from the ordinances of the law, and from the rulers and authorities in the air. The church is organically united to the Head over all things. The church is now the place where God can dispense Himself into His people. The church is the organ that receives directly all of God’s dispensing.
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