Ephesians 6:12 – Cosmocrates of darkness

…for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials.

Earlier in this letter, Paul wrote about “the chief of the jurisdiction of the air” (2:2). That is the adversary, which is at the top of a hierarchy and dominates the spiritual atmosphere in the world. Behind the authorities on earth are powers “among the celestials”. They are the world-mights (lit. cosmocrates) who do everything in their power to keep the light, that is the truth, down. That is what makes this world dark and therefore evil.

The fact that these world rulers are “among the celestials” explains their conflict with us. For when “the male son” (=Christ including the ecclesia) will be snatched away to God and his throne just before the onset of Israel’s tribulation, they be thrown out of heaven (Rev 12: 5-9). We are going to take their place. For them we are rivals and their days are counted. They still control the world in darkness. But in the eons that are to come, the dominion belongs to “the Christ”: head and body!

Delen: