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Scripture Reading: 10, Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:23; 3:19b; Heb. 4:14; 22, 7:26; 8:6; 9:15-16; Rev. 1:13; 2:1
In this message we come to the subjective aspect of the Man-Savior’s ascension. It is not as easy to speak of the subjective aspect of the Man-Savior’s ascension as it is to speak of the objective aspect. Concerning the Lord’s ascension being subjective to us, I feel that I lack the utterance to express what the Lord has shown us.
We have seen that in His ascension Christ was crowned with glory and honor and enthroned for God’s administration. This means that He shares God’s throne to be the unique Administrator in the universe. Through His ascension Christ was also inaugurated to be the Lord to possess all and to be the Christ to carry out God’s commission. Since all these matters are objective, how can we prove that Christ’s ascension is related to us in a subjective way? Proof is in the fact that there is a transmission from the ascended Christ to us. I first used the word “transmission” in relation to Christ’s ascension twenty-two years ago, during a message in which I was trying to speak on Ephesians 1:19-23. Verse 22 says that God gave Christ “to be Head over all things to the church.” The phrase “to the church” indicates a transmission from the ascended Christ to the church, His Body.
The second part of Ephesians 1:22 — “and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church” — has been a problem for translators of the Bible. Mainly there are three ways to translate this clause. The first way is that followed by the King James Version and the New Translation of J. N. Darby; it is also the translation in the Recovery Version. The King James Version says, “gave him to be the head over all things to the church,” and Darby’s version says, “gave Him [to be] head over all things to the assembly.” The Recovery Version, quoted above, says, “gave Him to be Head over all things to the church.”
According to this translation, God gave Christ to be something to the church. It does not mean that God gave Christ to the church as a gift; it means that God gave Christ a gift — the headship over all things. According to this understanding, a great gift was given to Christ by God, and this great gift was the headship over all things.
God’s giving Christ to be the Head over all things is to the church. “To the church,” as we have pointed out, implies a transmission. What God gave Christ to be is to the church; it is transmitted to the church. The church shares it. This corresponds to the word “His power toward us” in verse 19. The phrase “toward us” is a key, for it also indicates a transmission. God’s power in the heavens is toward us; that is, His power is transmitted to us.
The transmission of electricity from the power plant to our homes is an illustration of the transmission of God’s power from the heavens to the church. The current of electricity flows from the power plant through wires into our homes. This current of electricity is its transmission. When the lights are on, we know that this transmission is taking place. If we go to the meter, we shall see a clear indication that the current of electricity is flowing, that there is transmission of electricity from the power plant into our homes.
In a similar way, there is a transmission of the heavenly current of the divine electricity from the “power plant” in the third heaven to the church. As the church, we are the “building” into which the divine electricity is being transmitted. Therefore, God’s power is toward us. This means that the divine electricity is being transmitted from the heavens to us.
Ephesians 1:19 says that the transmission of God’s power toward us is “according to the operation of the might of His strength.” The phrase “according to” indicates that a track is needed for the transmission of the divine electricity. This track may be compared to the tracks on which a locomotive runs. Without a railroad track a locomotive has no way to move properly. Likewise, the heavenly, divine electricity is being transmitted into us according to a “track.”
As used in verse 19, the phrase “according to” also indicates a model or pattern, showing us how this great power is transmitted to us. God’s power is transmitted according to the operation of the might of His strength. Here Paul, seemingly exhausting the vocabulary of the Greek language, speaks of power, operation, might, and strength. Paul uses all these words to convey something of the vastness of God’s power to us. God’s power is transmitted to us according to an operation, and this operation is of the might of His strength.
In Ephesians 1:20 Paul continues, “Which He wrought in Christ in raising Him from among the dead, and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies.” To what does “which” refer? It refers to “power” in verse 19. In verse 20 Paul speaks of the power which God wrought in Christ.
From this verse through verse 22 we see that God wrought this power in Christ by four steps: first, raising Him from among the dead; second, seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies; third, subjecting all things under His feet; and fourth, giving Him to be Head over all things to the church. The final step of God’s working in Christ with His great power was to give Him to be the Head over all things, and what God gave Christ to be was to the church.
A second way of translating Ephesians 1:22 does not use the words “to be.” According to this way of rendering the verse, it would read, “gave Him, head over all things, to the church.” The verse would then mean that God has given something to the church. What has God given to the church? God has given Christ to the church as the Head over all things. One version that follows this way of translating this verse is the Concordant Literal New Testament: “gives Him, as Head over all, to the ecclesia.” Wuest in his expanded translation says the same thing: “Him He gave as Head over all things to the Church.” Dean Alford also interprets this verse to mean that God gave Christ to the church as the Head, and this Head is over all things. This second way of translating this verse would indicate after God raised Christ from among the dead, seated Him in the heavens, and subjected all things under His feet, He then gave Him to the church as the Head over all things. This would not be logical according to the sequence. The three steps of raising Christ, seating Him in the heavens, and subjecting all things under His feet are great steps. According to the second way of translating the verse, these great steps are followed by a lesser step — giving Christ to the church.
The third way of translating Ephesians 1:22 says that God gave, appointed, or made Christ the Head over all things for the church. This is the translation in the Chinese version and also in the Berkeley Version. According to this translation, God raised Christ from among the dead, seated Him in the heavens, subjected everything under His feet, and then appointed Him to be the Head of all things for the church.
The significance of the third way of translating this verse is higher than the second and lower than the first. Of the three ways of translating Ephesians 1:22, the second way is the poorest.
After considering this matter carefully, I still prefer to follow the first way. God raised Christ from among the dead, seated Him in the heavens, subjected all things under His feet, and, eventually, gave Him a great gift. Vincent says that the word “gave” in verse 22 does not mean appointed or made; instead, it means to give something as a gift. Therefore, this verse is saying that God gave something to Christ. What did God give Him? God gave Him the headship over all things. After raising Christ from the dead, seating Him in the heavens, and subjecting all things under His feet, God gave Him the great gift of the headship over all things.
This way of translating Ephesians 1:22 is logical, significant, and correct. Man condemned Christ and sentenced Him to death. But God came in to raise Him up, to seat Him in the heavens, to subject all things under His feet, and to give Him to be the Head over all things. The headship over all things was the gift given to Christ by God.
The best translation of the second part of Ephesians 1:22 is: “gave Him to be Head over all things to the church.” If Paul had concluded Ephesians 1 by saying that God gave Christ to be Head over all things, Christ’s ascension would not have anything to do with the church. Paul, however, added the important phrase “to the church.” As we have pointed out, this phrase implies a transmission. Whatever Christ, the Head, has attained and obtained is transmitted to the church, His Body.
We need to see that the phrase “to the church” indicates that all that Christ is in His ascension is being transmitted to the church. Because the divine transmission is not once for all, the church should continually receive this transmission. Electricity may be installed in a building once for all, but the transmission of electricity takes place continually. Likewise, God raised up Christ, seated Him in the heavens, put everything under His feet, and gave Him the great gift of being the Head over all things. Now whatever Christ is in His ascension is being transmitted into the church. This is the continual transmission into the church of the ascended Christ with the full significance of His ascension.
If there is a problem with the transmission of electricity from the power plant into a building, the problem is usually not with the power plant. The problem is with the building, that is, with the receiver. In like manner, there is never a problem with the heavenly power plant; however, often with the church there is a problem concerning the receiving of the divine transmission. Often we may have problems that frustrate the transmission of the divine electricity into us. This transmission is not able to get through to many of today’s Christians. Actually, not many Christians are willing to be fully open to receive this transmission continually.
Through the divine transmission from the ascended Christ to the church, the Man-Savior’s ascension is definitely related to us. There can be no doubt that we are connected to Him in His ascension. For this reason, Ephesians 2:6 tells us that we are seated together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. For years I could not understand how, in the words of Ephesians 2:6, we can be seated in the heavens. I have found electricity an excellent illustration in helping us to understand this. The electricity that operates in our homes is also in the power plant. This means that at the same time electricity is both in the power plant and in our homes. Likewise, through the divine transmission we are joined to Christ in the heavens. This is not something superstitious; it is a marvelous fact. The power that is in the heavenly power plant is also in us.
Even though we cannot see this power, it is a reality. We cannot see the power that keeps the planets in position in the solar system, but it is nevertheless a fact. We should not say, “Christ’s ascension is something far away from me. I can’t understand it, and I can’t see the divine transmission.” Neither can you see the power that keeps the planets revolving around the sun, but you still believe it. We need to believe that in the divine, spiritual realm there is a power that transmits to us all that Christ has attained and obtained in His ascension. What Christ has attained and obtained in His ascension is beyond measure. But whatever He has attained and obtained is now being transmitted into the church. As long as we are clean receptacles and are willing to open ourselves, this transmission will take place continually.
By now we should be able to see the connection, or the relationship, between us and Christ’s ascension. There is a power, a divine current, flowing from the ascended Christ to the church, just as electricity flows from the power plant into a building. We should not only believe in the divine transmission; we need to experience it day by day. I can testify that because I experience this transmission, nothing can defeat me, frustrate me, or hold me down. Light, life supply, and sustaining power come to me continually because of this divine transmission.
Do you know where the church should be today? The church should be in the transmission of the exalted and ascended Christ. Christ has been raised from among the dead and seated at God’s right hand in the heavens. All things have been subjected under His feet, and He has been given the headship over the entire universe. Now whatever He has attained and obtained in these four steps taken by God concerning Him is being transmitted into the church. This transmission is indicated by the phrase “toward us who believe” in Ephesians 1:19 and the phrase “to the church” in verse 22. In this transmission the church shares with Christ in all His attainments: the resurrection from among the dead, being seated in His transcendency, the subjection of all things under His feet, and the headship over all things. Praise the Lord for the transmission into our being of the Christ who is both in resurrection and in ascension!
Not only is Christ in us; His resurrection and ascension are also in us. As the processed, all-inclusive, indwelling Spirit, Christ dwells in us today with His humanity, divinity, human living, death, resurrection, and ascension. All this is being transmitted into us.
Concerning the experience of the divine transmission, we have all been hindered by the distorted teachings of traditional theology. Many Christians have never heard of the things concerning Christ’s ascension. In particular, they have no concept regarding divine transmission. The traditional teachings have given many of us an improper education, and this kind of education has held us back from experiencing Christ in His resurrection and ascension. I urge you to empty yourselves in order to receive something newer and deeper from the divine revelation in the Scriptures.
The New Testament reveals that our Christ is in resurrection and ascension. Whatever He has obtained and attained in His resurrection and ascension is now being transmitted into us by the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit. We simply need to open ourselves and say, “Lord, I am here. I love You, and I give myself to You. Lord, I empty my whole being for You.” If you pray like this, you will experience and enjoy this divine transmission.
The divine transmission revealed in Ephesians 1 has a great goal — the heading up of all things in Christ. Concerning this, Ephesians 1:10 says, “Unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him.” The Greek word translated “dispensation” may also be rendered “economy.” The economy, or dispensation, which God purposed in Himself is to head up all things in Christ at the fullness of the times. The times here refer to the ages. The fullness of the times will be when the new heaven and new earth come after all the dispensations of God in all the ages have been completed.
We have strongly emphasized the fact that God has made Christ the Head over all things. Through all the dispensations of God in all the ages, all things will be headed up in Christ in the new heaven and new earth. This will be God’s eternal administration and economy.
At present the whole universe is being corrupted and is deteriorating. Consider the condition of the human race. No one is able to head up the nations. Nevertheless, God is heading up all things in Christ, the unique Head. However, we need to know that for God’s heading up of all things, this unique Head needs a Body, and this Body is the church. The church is the Body through whom God is heading up all things in Christ.
Ephesians 1:10 speaks of a dispensation of the fullness of the times. This indicates that at the fullness of God’s dispensations the heading up of all things will be complete. This heading up is done by God through a universal man. The Head of this man is Christ, and the Body of this man is the church. This universal man, comprising the Head and the Body, is the means by which and the sphere in which God is heading up all things in the entire universe.
Because God is heading up all things through a universal man constituted of Christ, the Head, and the church, the Body, we as members of the Body need to keep the oneness under the headship. The subtlety of the enemy is to divide the members of the Body of Christ. However, we are standing for a testimony of the oneness of the believers. In the Lord’s recovery we stand as one. Praise Him that here there is a testimony of oneness! This oneness is the instrument, channel, and sphere that God is using to head up all things in Christ.
Concerning the heading up of all things in Christ and through the church, I would ask you to consider Romans 8:19-22: “For the anxious watching of the creation eagerly expects the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now.” Here we see that all creation is groaning, sighing, because of its corruption. Creation is expecting, eagerly awaiting, the manifestation of the sons of God. At that time all divisions and separations will be removed, and all things, not only mankind, will be headed up in Christ.
First, Christ is heading up the believers. Then through His Body He will head up all things. This is marvelous. Although the heading up of all things in Christ and through the church is far beyond our understanding, it is nonetheless a fact. Therefore, we need to believe that sooner or later God will accomplish this.
When some hear about the eventual heading up of all things in Christ through the church, His Body, they may ask when this will take place. We, of course, do not know; the Bible only tells us “unto a dispensation of the fullness of the times” (Eph. 1:10).
According to man’s view, the heading up of the entire universe seems to be an impossibility. Someone may say, “You talk about the heading up of all things in one unique head? This is impossible.” To man, this is impossible, but it is not impossible with God. With Him, nothing is impossible (Mark 10:27).
Although we do not know how long it will be until the dispensation of the fullness of times, when all things have been headed up in Christ, we have the assurance that God will accomplish this. Whatever God speaks will take place. He has told us that He is heading up all things in Christ, the Head of the church, and He will do it.
