HEAVENLY, HEAVENLY THINGS (οὐράνιος, ἐπουράνιον). These terms refer to heaven, to man’s relation to spiritual truths, and to the divine and eternal realm. The meaning is best understood in context.

Jesus contrasted “the earthly things” (τὰ̀ ἐπίγεια) concerning the rebirth of men on earth, with “the heavenly things” (τὰ̀ ἐπουράνια) concerning the revelation of His divine person from heaven (John 3:12). The idea is somewhat abstract but not divorced from the idea of heaven as a locality.

Paul used the phrase in three distinguishable senses. The sphere of thought is futurist eschatology in 1 Corinthians 15 where the glorious nature of the resurrection bodies of believers is seen in analogy to the heavenly bodies of the stars (vv. 40, 48). As Christians have an earthly body, they shall have a “heavenly” (ἐπουράνιος, G2230) body (v. 49); i.e. like the glorified body of the risen Lord (cf. v. 22, 2 Cor 3:18). The sphere of thought is “realized” eschatology in Ephesians. By virtue of a present or “realized” faith-union with Christ (ἐν Χριστῷ), the believer is the recipient of “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”—ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις (Eph 1:3, 20); believers are raised with Christ and made to “sit with him in the heavenly places” (2:6). Thus united to Christ believers participate in the conquest against the principalities and powers, “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (6:12; 3:10). Finally, the simple locale idea is present in Paul’s reference to heaven (Phil 2:10) and Christ’s heavenly kingdom (2 Tim 4:18).

In the Book of Hebrews, the Tabernacle is a copy and shadow of the “heavenly” sanctuary (8:5). It contains “heavenly things,” which are purified by the high priestly offering of Christ (9:23). “Heavenly” here should be associated directly with “heaven itself” and “the presence of God” (9:24).

Bibliography Kittel, TWNT, V, 538-542.