Let’s consider the history of “the heavens and the earth,” its corruption and God’s soon recovery of the entire kosmos. The recovery of “the heavens and the earth,” was the key part of God’s eternal purpose in Christ and His cross. The “Great Mystery [secret]” of Eph. 5:32 that concerns Christ and “the church, which is His body” required the recovery of the government of the heavens first. This required the ‘secret” that Satan Never Knew [cf. 1Cor. 2:7-8] until it was revealed to Paul and written down for believers in Paul’s Post-Acts truth that is for us today.

⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery [Grk. musterion, secret], even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world [Grk. aion, this age] unto our glory: ⁸ Which none of the [Satanic] princes of this world [this age] knew: for had they known it, they would NOT have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (KJV)

We read “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). But that was not the beginning of everything. The Lord told Job; “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? ...When the morning stars [angels] sang together, and all the [angelic] sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:4-7)? Thus, before the earth was created, there were created beings [the angels] who then witnessed the original ‘heaven and earth’ creation. In Genesis 2:7-8, where we are told of the creation of Adam, the garden had already planted and prepared for Adam by the Lord, then Adam was placed in it.

When you read Ezekiel 28:13-15, you find that there was a created angelic being named “Lucifer” (as seen in the KJV but not in most modern corrupted Bibles). Lucifer had been created most beautiful and wise, and he had drums and pipes in his being. It is quite likely that Lucifer was the leader of that great choir that sang when the earth was first created (Job 38:4-7).

We know both “the heaven and the earth” were created for creatures to INHABIT. “… thus saith Jehovah Who created the heavens; God Himself Who formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain [empty], He Formed It To Be Inhabited…” (Isa. 45:18). The heavens and the earth had inhabitants long BEFORE Adam. The Bible verse that does refer to the very “beginning” is … “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). This verse refers to the original beginning, but ‘time’ as a Biblical reference point didn’t begin until “the overthrow (Gk. katabole) of the world (Gk. kosmos, the heavens and earth)” as seen in Gen. 1:2.

“² And the earth was [became] without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved [brooded] upon the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2 (KJV)

Lucifer had ruled the earth until God Cast lucifer from the highest heaven to the lower heavens and judged the earth. At that time the earth had come to be in darkness and had become ‘chaos’ under the frozen deep waters of the very first world flood. Only then did God’s spirit brood over the ‘chaos’ to restore and recreate the earth.

Recall that “a third part” of the angelic creatures of the heavens had gone along with Lucifer, their god, As responsive beings, they had the power of choice and they exercised it. Many followed their leader, Lucifer, in rebellion, revolting against God even while 2/3 of the angels remained faithful. God had a reason to give this free will ‘choice,’ for to be morally upright, one must have free will choice.

We read of the angelic “powers, … the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12) in Paul’s first Post-Acts epistle to the Ephesians. These are the current fallen angelic ‘powers’ who serve their “the prince of the power of the air,” Satan. The fallen angelic hoard rule from the lower heavens, reigning over strategic parts of the world as seen by the account of “the Prince of Persia” who withstood Gabriel delaying him (Daniel 10:13). Paul also wrote of the men on earth who served “the prince of the power of the air” by the crucifying Jesus Christ (cf. 1Cor 2:7-8).

“Wherein in time past ye [Gentiles] walked according to the course of this world [Grk. kosmos], according to the Prince Of The ‘Power’ Of The Air, The Spirit that Now Worketh In The Children Of Disobedience:” (Eph. 2:2).

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ⁸ Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (KJV)

We know God had said to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply, and REPLENISH the earth, and Subdue it: and Have Dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Adam and Eve were to fill the earth with the humans … because the earth had earlier become void, and in chaos under the darkened frozen empty waste, as seen in Genesis 1:2. This instruction was similarly given to Noah and his family after the 2^nd flood when again the earth had become similarly void (cf. Gen. 9:1). But recovering the earth is the second purpose of God because First the Lord had to repair the HEAVENLY fracture caused by Lucifer’s rebellion and fall from his place in “the highest heaven.”

A Breach in the ‘government of heaven’ came by Lucifer’s rebellion. In Matt. 9:16 the Greek Word “pleroma,” is used for “fulness,” concerning “a patch” to ‘fill a breach,’ or a fix a tear. The very same word, pleroma, is used of “the church, which is His Body” as the “fullness” … “Which is his body, the FULNESS [pleroma] Of Him That Filleth All In All.” (Eph. 1:23). Soon today’s Gentile “church, which is His body” is destined to “appear with Him in [heaven’s] glory” (Col. 3:4). This is to be witnessed by the remaining faithful angelic ‘principalities and powers.’ Today’s “church, which is His body” is the ultimate ‘pleroma’ or ‘patch’ that will Fill The Breach in The Heavenly Places, to Fill The Seats of Rank and Authority In Heaven’s Government, which Satan and His Followers Had Usurped. Ultimately Lucifer… will by then have lost all, being “cast down” (Rev. 12:9) to the earth and ultimately “into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:10).

In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays that “the saints” might “know the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the holiest (highest heaven itself).” Paul in Eph. 2:6 says that Members of “The Church, Which Is His Body” Are Already Spiritually Enthroned With Christ “In HEAVENLY Places.” In Eph. 2:19, we find that His body members are citizens of the ‘holiest’ (cf. Phili. 3:20), of “the household of God.” “His body” will have resurrected “To Appear With Him” (Col. 3:4) in the heavens “far above.”

Col. 1:12 says His body members are made “meet [suited] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints IN LIGHT.” In what light? The Glory Light of ‘The Holiest of All’ Where God In Christ Dwells “Far Above.” Today Christ is yet hidden from ‘the powers’ in the heavens. He will be manifested (Grk. phaneroo), in heaven with the church which is “in Christ” (cf. Eph. 1:3). We will simultaneously “appear With Him in [heaven’s] Glory,”

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall YE ALSO appear with him in [heavens] glory.” Col. 3:4

Someday soon Israel’s church “on earth” and His Gentile church of the “One body” in heaven. will both be in union with Christ as God “purposed” it… Having recovered of both “the heaven and the earth.”

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: ¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the Fulness of Times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, BOTH which are In Heaven, and which are On Earth; even in him [in union with Christ]: Eph. 1:9-10 (KJV)

His faithful of the church, while remaining on earth even now, is making “known the manifold wisdom of God” to the angelic ‘principalities and powers’ (cf. Eph. 3:10-11). Today’s Gentile “church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) is part of the ‘restored heavenly creation’ mentioned in Col. 1:16-20, being associated with the God ordained ‘thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers.’ Peace and reconciliation are mentioned in this connection.

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. ¹⁸ And he is The Head Of The Body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. ¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should All Fulness Dwell; ²⁰ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Col. 1:16-20 (KJV)

There is this promise to “the faithful” members of “His body” that “if we suffer,” enduring by Christ’s indwelling life, we will “Reign with Him” (2Tim. 2:12) “in the heavenly places.” It was in His great wisdom that He planned the ages and made provision for filling “the heavenly places” with His righteousness in His own body.”

(Portions Adapted from www.believer.com by Arthur J Licursi)