The Heavenlies
What are the heavenly places? The heavenly places are the unseen spiritual realm that exists beyond what we can see with our natural eyes. But that definition alone doesn’t tell us very much. What we really need to discover is what and who is there, what happens there, and why it matters to us.
Scripture reveals that there is far more happening in the heavenly places than we often realize.
Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” There are things available to us in the spirit that we cannot obtain naturally. Salvation itself is a spiritual blessing. We receive it by faith, and faith is supernatural. It doesn’t come from our natural senses or human reasoning.
This is why spiritual things can be difficult to understand with a natural mind. We are learning to recognize a reality that cannot be seen with our physical eyes.
So, what are in the heavenly places?
First, spiritual blessings are there. God has provided everything we need to live the life He has called us to live. These blessings are found in Christ and are received by faith.
But Scripture also tells us something even more significant: Jesus is in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 1:19–21 describes Christ as raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly places. And Ephesians 2:4–6 tells us that we have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places. Jesus is there, and because we are in Christ, we have been given access to that reality.
There is also spiritual warfare in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11–12 tells us that our struggle is not merely against what we can see physically, but against principalities, powers, and spiritual forces of darkness.
The conflict is real. But there is something important we must understand: spiritual warfare is not the center of the heavenly places.
When we start talking about the spiritual realm, it can be easy to immediately focus on Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare. But look at what happened when John was given a glimpse into the heavenly realm in Revelation 4.
The first thing John saw was not a demon.
He saw a throne.
And Someone sitting on the throne.
Around the throne were elders and living creatures, and their attention was completely fixed on the One seated there. Their declaration was, “Holy, holy, holy.” The center of the heavenly places is the throne of God.
This changes the way we should think about the unseen realm. Our spiritual focus should not be centered around Satan. It should be centered around Jesus and His authority.
Hebrews 8 gives us another fascinating picture of the heavenly places. When Moses built the tabernacle, he was instructed to make it according to the pattern God had shown him. The earthly tabernacle was a representation of something greater, a heavenly reality.
This helps us understand Jesus’ words when He taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” There is a pattern of God’s kingdom in the heavenly places that we are asking to be manifested here on earth.
Perhaps one of the most powerful truths about the heavenly places is that we have access to them through Jesus.
Hebrews 4:14–16 tells us that we can come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace in our time of need. We don’t have to stand outside wondering if God will allow us near. We can come boldly.
Hebrews 12:22–24 says something remarkable. It doesn’t describe this as something that will happen someday. It says, “You have come.” You have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the living God.
You have come to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to an innumerable company of angels. You have come to God.
We often live as though we are trying to get somewhere we have already been given access to. We become so conscious of our failures and shortcomings that we forget that our access isn’t based on our perfection. It is based on Jesus.
The heavenly places are real. There are spiritual blessings there. Jesus is there. Spiritual warfare is there. There are heavenly realities and patterns that God desires to bring into our earthly experience.
But above everything else, the throne is there. And the One seated on the throne is the One we should be looking toward.
When John was caught up and his eyes were opened, he didn’t become obsessed with everything happening around the throne. His attention was drawn to the One sitting on it.
That should be our focus too.
There is a spiritual realm that we cannot see with our natural eyes, but we don’t have to live controlled by what we can see. We can live by faith. We can approach the throne. We can receive grace. We can walk in the spiritual blessings God has provided. And we can remember that Jesus Christ is not distant or inactive. He is seated in the heavenly places, and we are seated with Him.
Look to the throne.
