QUESTION
You have mentioned that there are at least 5 named governmental positions in the Heavenly places. And also that you believe or understand that there are 12 territorial governing structures that surround the earth. If what you say is correct could you enlighten me with respect that this means there are only 60 governmental positions in the Heavenly places to be occupied by the members of the body of Christ, which is where our Heavenly hope and vocation are. It seems to me that since the Apostle Paul and up to the last person who makes up the body of Christ when the Lord raptures us into the Heavenly places, how then can a multitude of members of the body of Christ all occupy positions of governmental authority since there seems to be only 60 of those positions available?
RESPONSE
There are a number of things to take into account when it comes to dealing with the issue of the governmental authorities, either in the heavenly places or on earth, or both. One of these issues is that though there are only 5 specifically named governmental positions, (principalities, powers, mights, dominions, thrones); from what Paul teaches us we are to understand that there are more than just these five. This, for example, is stated by Paul when after mentioning four of the five named positions in Ephesians 1:19-23 he says, “and every name that is named.” Hence there are more than the four/five mentioned. In fact, there may be many, many more. For we know and are familiar with the fact that this is the way it is here on the earth.
Even in this earthly realm with its governmental authorities occupied by men, the five mentioned positions do not cover all of the governmental positions that men occupy. In fact in some nations or kingdoms or principalities, (both today, but especially so in the past), the five positions that are mentioned would only cover the major or highest upper echelon branches of the government. The middle and lower echelon branches of the government, especially those that bring things down to the district, county, colony, city, and the like, levels of government, have numerous names or position titles to them.
So there are clearly more than five named governmental positions, with the indication being that there are many more than that. But the five are the major, or highest upper echelon, positions. Besides this, within any of the individual heavenly places that would be designated as a principality, and so headed up by a prince, each of the subordinate governmental positions underneath would look somewhat like a corporate structure; with each subordinate level of government being composed of a number of similarly named positions. that is to say, for example, under the prince of the principality the next level of government would be composed of a number of “powers,” not just one. Then the next level under these several “powers” would be composed of an even greater number of “mights”; and so on. Hence even if we just use the five mentioned names, one principality would not have just 5 governmental positions to it. Rather under its one prince it could have dozens of “powers,” followed by hundreds of “mights,” etc., etc., etc. And when we know, (as we do), that there are more than just the five mentioned names; then it becomes obvious that each designated principality could be composed of a vast number of subordinate ‘names that are named.’ Each principality could be composed of hundreds, or thousands, of ‘names that are named.’
So then just as even large nations on this earth have governments composed of thousands of governmental positions, (in the upper, middle, and lower echelons), so also is it undoubtedly so in the heavenly places.
A further matter to take into account has to do with what I have stated regarding the possibility that the heavenly governmental structure surrounding the earth may be composed of 12 sections. I do not recall to what detail I spoke about this possibility on those tapes, but probably not in much detail. Because it is only something that seems possible to me based upon some things God says. However even if it is correct, my understanding is that these 12 sections are unique and special in their relationship to the earth, and that they do not constitute the entire heavenly places. Rather they constitute a limited realm surrounding the earth, beyond which is the vastness of the rest of heaven, or the heavenly places. Wherefore, if this is correct, then the number 12 only applies to this special structure immediately surrounding the earth, while the rest of the vastness of the heavenly places could be composed of myriads of “places” with their own governmental structures and positions.
So in view of these things, my understanding is that there is a vast number of governmental positions in the heavenly realm. How many, I do not know. But it must be a sizable number.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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