As knowledgeable and confident heaven-bound members of His “One body” we should have a different view of things than most Christians do today, while we still remain on this earth.

¹ If [since] ye then be risen with Christ, Seek Those Things Which Are ABOVE, Where Christ Sitteth On The Right Hand Of God. Set your affection on Things Above, NOT on things on the earth. Col 3:1-2

¹³ Looking for that blessed hope [expectation], and the glorious [heavenly] appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13 (KJV)

The scope of this message of ‘Things Far Above’ is unrecognized to the bulk of Christendom, though it ought to be the “blessed hope” of all faithful believers today. Few have any idea of where Christ is seated today, or better where He is enthroned. There needs to be deeper study among believers of “the Word of truth” and the total abandonment of the teachings of religious tradition that only serve to negate or diminish the truth for today. Recall how Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their evil work of; ¹³Making the word of God of none effect through your TRADITION, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mark 7:13 (KJV)

About all that is generally known of the future eternal state among most Christians today is largely error. Most today falsely believe that someday there will be a great general judgment where it is thought that good folks will go to heaven, and the bad folks go to torment in hell. Then of course, there is little idea of what heaven and eternal loss really are. How pathetic. So, we have a problem throughout Christendom today that is rooted in the false teaching of organized man-controlled religion.

Many might do well to read my wide-ranging Study Series explaining “Life, Death, and Eternal Life” at  https://artlicursi.com/series/life-death-and-eternal-life.

Where is Christ seated today? Is it in the New Jerusalem? On the clouds? On some planet in our universe? A Psalm of David tells us of Jesus’ current state; “The LORD [Father God] said unto my Lord [Jesus], Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). The Biblical fact is that the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand “in the heavenly places.” This is “Far Above” every rule and power one can mention. Note these words in Paul’s Eph 1:19-23.

¹⁹ And what is the exceeding greatness of his [Christ’s^s] power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ²⁰  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the HEAVENLY PLACES, ²¹  FAR ABOVE all [angelic and human] principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world [age], but also in that [age] which is to come: ²²  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the Head Over All Things To THE CHURCH, ²³ WHICH IS HIS BODY, [which is] the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:19-23 (KJV)

The members of today’s “church, which is His body” have been “quickened [enlivened]” with Christ’s own resurrected “Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2); we ARE ‘spiritually’ raised up with Him, and Seated (enthroned with Him) “in the Heavenly Places.” Note the words of Eph 2:4-6.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [enlivened] us Together With Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us Sit Together In Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:4-6 (KJV)

Note that there is not one word about the earth as being the residence or the hope of today’s grace-age believer, who has become adopted as a member of the spiritual “body of Christ,” “the church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a). Paul says “our citizenship is in heaven,” not on the earth (cf. Phili. 3:20).

There is a “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) today, that has no part in the things on the earth. That is why we are to set our “affection on things Far Above,” where we are spiritually “Sitting Together In Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus.”

So, what about the earth?

All the “children of Abraham” by faith, who cling to Jesus’ gospel of “the kingdom come on earth” have an inheritance with him on the earth, in the “promised land.” But today this earthly kingdom hope remains suspended while Israel was temporarily fallen, cut off at Acts 28:26-28, when the Nation Israel was cut off from their hope, being divorced of God, then with their city burned in AD 70. About 5 years later, Post-Acts, when millions of them were killed and their children were taken to the slave markets of the world, which were so glutted that no buyers could be found for them.

In connection with the dispensation of “promise” to the Abrahamic children of Israel, there were the ritual washings (baptisms), feasts (Passover, of unleavened bread, tabernacles) and the like. Also, they had to be circumcised, along with a few Gentiles who were “grafted in” (Rom. 11) during the last 18 years of Acts to “provoke Isarel to jealousy” (Rom. 11:11). All related aspects were symbolically and literally earthly. Israel and its Gentile proselytes had No Hope of Heaven, such as we of His spiritual “body of Christ” do today.

Now why would one who is of “the church,” “the body of Christ,” want to take part in John’s baptism in water that was for Israel’s repentance, or keep Israel’s feasts or even the heathen feast, or the Lord’s supper that is for ‘Israel’s remembrance’? Today Paul our “Apostle to the Gentiles” says;

¹⁶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat [foods], or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days Colossians 2:16 (KJV)

Why would we of His heaven-bound body today look for the coming of Christ To The EARTH when our “citizenship is in the heavenly places” (Philippians 3:20)? Why should we even look for the tribulation wrath, which the Bible tells us is to come upon Israel and the fallen corrupt world?

In other words, one today who is heaven-bound cannot set his affection on the earthly millennium or on “the New Jerusalem,” for they are things pertaining to the Remnant of Believing Israel On The Earth.

We as His intelligized faithful know to “Seek those things which are above… to Set our affections on things above.”.

¹ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ² Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:1-2

What are these ‘things’? At the very start of ‘the revelation’ of ‘the dispensation of the mystery,’ we are told that it is “in the heavenly places” that we have “Every blessing that is SPIRITUAL” (Eph. 1:3).

These are found by our union “together with Christ,” who currently is seated in the Far Above “Heavenly Places.” These are the things we are to study, look for and think upon continually. There are also the tings of “His [Christ’s] inheritance” in “the holy of holies” that we should seek to know about (cf. Eph. 1:18). Being “In Christ,” there is a throne for each of us… in Him.

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us Sit Together In Heavenly Places IN CHRIST JESUS: Eph. 2:6

There is a ‘citizenship’ to cherish (Philip. 3:20) and above all, there is a “crown of righteousness,” a prize, a reward that we are to seek, as Paul did, saying; ¹⁴ I [Paul] press toward the mark for the prize of the High [above] calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 (KJV)

Where? These things are “in the heavenly places,” “far above all,” IN CHRIST JESUS where “Christ sitteth, the right hand of God,” in glory (Col. 3:4). This is “the holiest of all.” This is “Far Above” the whole of creation, including “the heaven and the earth,” known by the Greek Bible word ‘kosmos.’ This is beyond the stars, and Far Above the open space and “the sides of the north.” (Psa. 48:2) which is first mentioned in Deut. 10:14 where it is called “THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS.”

Who is above, upon Whom should we set our affection and Whom should we diligently seek?

Who is the only ‘Son of Man’ that has ascended to enter “the heavenly places”? (See Jn. 3:13). Who in that position is “The Head” of “the church, which is His BODY”? Who is in that place ready to be manifested (to shine forth in all His glory), and His CHURCH WITH HIM? Who is now sitting with His Father in His throne awaiting the day when He will have a throne of His own? You can guess.

Why? What was the promise made before the ages began? See Titus 1:2 below. Who were the chosen in Him before the overthrow [Gk. katabole] of the Kosmos and the Recreation of the earth? (Eph 1:4).

² In Hope Of Eternal Life, Which God, That Cannot Lie, Promised Before The World Began; Titus 1:2,

⁴ According as He Hath Chosen Us In Him BEFORE the foundation [Gk. katabole, overthrow] of the world, that we should be [stand] holy and without blame before him in [His] love: Eph. 1:4 (KJV)

We can see that even before Satan initiated his rebellion, a plan was in the mind of God. Something was eternally planned that would heal this breech in God’s perfect creation. Some of us will take the seats of rank and authority in God’s heavenly Government, seats  that were left empty when Lucifer and the fallen angels that followed him in revolt were cast down. Those who rebelled and failed to be numbered among the principalities and powers in the heavenlies Will Be Replaced By This Great “BODY,” called “the church, which is His Body” of which Christ is “the HEAD.”

This is the great eternal plan and purpose of God that predates any plans for the nations and Israel. So that is why Israel and ‘the kingdom’ are spoken of as being ‘in mind of God,’ planned for AFTER or SINCE the Genesis 1:2 overthrow [Greek, katabole] of the kosmos [i.e., the heavens and the earth].

Do you personally have a place in the heavenly outcome of this grand purpose of the ages?

When? This is the question that many ask.

We have prophetic dating for Israel’s activities and earthly “hope.” We find a period of 490 years mentioned in Dan 9:24 which will end with the 2^nd coming of Christ to Earth to rule over Israel and the nations ON EARTH.

But the manifestation of the Gentile “church” which is the Spiritual “body Christ” in glory is still largely a “Mystery [secret]” to most believers today. We who have been studying and have become intelligized through the words of Paul’s Post-Acts epistles know this, that we will appear with Him in when He is manifested to “appear in [heavens} glory”

⁴ When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in [heaven’s] glory. Colossians 3:4 (KJV)

<> By Arthur J Licursi with portions adapted from Oscar M. Baker