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Heavenly

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia · 1915

hev'-'n-li (ouranios, epouranios):

Pertaining to heaven or the heavens. See HEAVENS. The phrase ta epourania, translated "heavenly things" in John 3:12; Hebrews 8:5; 9:23, but in Ephesians "heavenly places" (John 1:3,10; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12), has shades of meaning defined by the context. In John 3:12, in contrast with "earthly things" (i.e. such as can be brought to the test of experience), it denotes truths known only through revelation (God's love in salvation). In Hebrews the sense is local. In Ephesians it denotes the sphere of spiritual privilege in Christ, except in 6:12, where it stands for the unseen spiritual world, in which both good and evil forces operate. It is always the sphere of the super-earthly.

James Orr

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, general editor (Chicago: Howard-Severance, 1915). Public domain. Text as published by biblestudytools.com. From the Encyclosphere, the open network of encyclopedias run by the Knowledge Standards Foundation. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: links to 1, 2, and 3 John that our source pointed at the Gospel of John corrected; our source’s section marks set as headings.