Section 7
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.
According to verse 21, Christ has been seated far above all rule, authority, power, lordship, and every name. Rule refers to the highest office, authority to every kind of official power (Matt. 8:9), power to the might of authority, and lord ship to the preeminence which power establishes. The ascended Christ has been seated by the great power of God above all rules, authorities, pow ers, and lordships in the entire universe.
Furthermore, Christ is seated above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is coming. Here "every name" refers not only to titles of honor but also to everything that has a name. Christ has been seated far above everything, not only the things in this age, but also those in the coming age.
Ephesians 1:22 continues, "And He subjected all things under His feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church." Third, God's great power that operated in Christ has sub jected all things under His feet. To be far above all is one thing; to have all things subjected under Christ's feet is another. The former is a matter of