The Salutation
Vss. 1-2—Paul opens the epistle with his ordinary greetings, identifying himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus." It is not addressed to an assembly but to “the saints and faithful” who were "at Ephesus," therefore, other servants are not associated with him in the greeting. (As a rule, when he addressed assemblies, others were included in the greeting according to 2 Corinthians 13:1.) Apparently this was a circular letter that was to be passed among the saints in that general region (F. G. Patterson).
After the salutation in verses 1-2, chapter 1 divides in two parts. In the first part, the Apostle is seen blessing God (vss. 3-14). In the second, He is praying to God (vss. 15-23). We see from this that the epistle was written in a priestly tone, and that the first chapter is really an ascription of praise and prayer. It is fitting that such lofty truths, which are about to be disclosed in this epistle, should be communicated in a priestly, worshipful manner. It was written in that spirit and it should be read in that spirit.
The Apostle Blesses God
Vss. 3-14—The Apostle blesses the triune God for His incredibly wise plan to display the glory of His Son in heaven and earth in the world to come (the Millennium) through the Church, which is Christ's body. As he exults in the blessedness of God’s great purpose, we are privileged to listen in and thus learn how richly we are blessed in Christ, the Man who is the focus of God’s purpose and counsel.
Vs. 3—Paul addresses God in the double relationship that the Lord Jesus has with Him, as “God” and “Father.” (The two prayers recorded in the epistle in chapters 1 and 3, coincide with these two relationships.) Paul exults in the fact that we have been blessed with “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” These blessings are heavenly, spiritual, and eternal, in contrast to Israel’s blessings, which were earthly, material, and temporal. They are “in the heavenlies” (J. N. Darby Trans.) which is not a place as the KJV suggests, but the realm of spiritual activity. Every one of these Christian blessings is a present possession of the believer. We are not waiting to get them; they are ours now. This is indicated by the repeated use of the words “hath,” “have,” and “having” in the chapter.
Furthermore, Paul says that our Christian blessings are all “in Christ”—an expression used many times in the first three chapters. It refers to the Christian’s position of acceptance before God in Christ, the risen Man. To be “in Christ” means to be in Christ’s place before God. Hence, the measure of His acceptance before God is ours! The favour that rests on Him in the presence of God is also ours on account of us being in His place.
Our Christian Blessings
(Each one is inseparably connected with our acceptance “in Christ” – see J. N. Darby Translation.)
Redemption in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24).
Forgiveness of sins in Christ—a purged conscience (Rom. 4:7; Eph. 4:32; Heb. 9:14).
Justified in Christ Jesus (Rom. 4:25-5:1; Gal. 2:16-17).
The gift of the Spirit in Christ—anointed, sealed, and given the earnest of the Spirit (Rom. 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13).
Reconciliation in Christ Jesus—“made nigh” (Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:13; Col. 1:21).
Sanctified in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:19; 1 Cor. 1:2).
Eternal Life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:23; 2 Tim. 1:1).
Deliverance (Salvation) in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1-2).
Sonship in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:14-15; Gal. 3:26; 4:5-7).
Heirship of the inheritance in Christ (Rom. 8:17; Eph. 1:10-11; Gal. 3:29).
New creation in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:29; Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17).
Membership in the “one body” in Christ (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13).
These distinctive blessings “in Christ” belong only to the Church, Christ’s body and bride. Old Testament saints are blessed of God, but they do not possess these Christian blessings.
The "Good Pleasure" of God
Let us note that the passage before us focuses on the eternal purpose of God to glorify His Son. Our blessings are mentioned, but the emphasis is on God's side of things—what He has done for His own pleasure and for the satisfaction of the His heart. There are two things in particular that are said to be according to God's good pleasure:
It is His "good pleasure" to have a company sons before Him in the very place of His Son, and blessed with special blessings that no other blessed persons have (vs. 5).
It is His "good pleasure" to give this company of sons special insight into His great purpose to glorify His Son, which He has been kept secret in His heart from before the foundation of the world
Paul’s blessing of God in connection with His all-wise plan to glorify Christ is mentioned under three heads and is in relation to the three Persons of the Godhead (the Trinity) who have had this eternal purpose and have counseled to bring it to pass. Each section ends with a fitting note of “praise” (vss. 6, 12, 14).
Sonship With the Father
1) The Apostle exults over the place we have as sons in relation to “the Father” (vss. 4-7).
Vss. 4-6—God has chosen us for a place of sons in His family. The phrase, “the adoption of children” (KJV), should be translated “sonship” (vs. 5). The word in the Greek means, “son-place,” and refers to God’s act of setting us before Himself in the very place of His own Son. Sonship is the highest conferred blessing that we have in relation to the Father. We have this place now as a present blessing through the indwelling Spirit (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15).
God could have put us in the privileged place of the elect angels, or even lifted us to the lofty position of an archangel, but He chose to give us a place far higher and more blessed than that—He put us in His own Son’s place! Sonship is a position in the family of God that has been reserved for those who are saved during this present time by the gospel call, and thus compose the Church. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Old Testament saints are part of the family of God as His children, but they do not have this favoured place of sons (Gal. 4:1-7). As part of God’s family, Christians are children of God (Rom. 8:16) and they are also sons of God (Rom. 8:14).
We learn from Paul's exulting in regard to our blessings in Christ that sonship is something that God chose us for “before the foundation of the world.” Thus, we have been “chosen” and “predestinated” to the nearest possible place of relationship to God that a creature could have! Chosen (which is election) is to be selected (vs. 4), and predestinated refers to what we have been selected for (vs. 5). The first has to do with persons; the second has to do with the place God has for those persons. If God is to have a people before Him, they must be in a condition in which they are like Him. He is “holy” in His character and “blameless” in His ways. Therefore, He has purposed to have believers in that same condition in that place of blessing.
God has planned this great blessing for Christians “according to the good pleasure of His will.” It will bring satisfaction to His heart to have a company of sons before Him in glory with His own Son. The great blessing of “sonship” is to share:
The Son’s place of favour (Eph. 1:6).
The Son’s life—eternal life (John 17:2).
The Son’s liberty before the Father (Rom. 8:14-16).
The Son’s inheritance (Rom. 8:17).
The Son’s glory (Rom. 8:18; John 17:22).
This place in which we stand before God is a place of “favour in the Beloved” (vs. 6). We have it because of our connection with Christ, the Son of His love (Col. 1:13). This goes beyond being “accepted” (as the KJV translates verse 6) and denotes having the affection of the Father in a special way.
Vs. 7—Moreover, this great blessing is based on the work of Christ in “redemption.” The fact that redemption is mentioned in the eternal purpose of God shows that the entrance of sin and the fall of man (Gen. 3) were not a surprise to Him. Redemption, therefore, is not an afterthought with God.
The “riches of His grace” (vs. 7) emphasizes how far down He reached to save us. The “glory of His grace” (vs. 6) emphasizes how high He reached to set us in Christ’s place. It is of little wonder that the Apostle says, “To the praise of the glory of His grace!” These two things are illustrated in Luke 15 in the father’s reception of his son. Covering the prodigal with kisses illustrates “the riches of His grace,” clothing him with the best robe, with shoes on his feet, and a ring on his hand, and giving him a son’s place in his house illustrates “the glory of His grace.”
Hence, we have three great things in relation to the Father: He has “chosen” us (vs. 4), He has “predestinated” us (vs. 5), and He has “brought us into favour” in the very place of His own beloved Son (vss. 5-6).
Heirship With Christ
2) The Apostle turns to exult over the place we have as co-heirs of the inheritance with “Christ” in the administration of the world to come (vss. 8-12).
Vss. 8-9—It is God’s intention that this favoured company of sons (the Church) would be intelligent as to His eternal purpose, and what He is doing in this world now, and what He will do in the world to come—the Millennium. Wherefore, “He has caused to abound towards us in all wisdom and intelligence,” and has “made known to us the mystery of His will.” He has given to the Church special insight as to His plan to publicly display the glory of His Son in the coming millennial day. Thus, the Church has become the depository of God’s counsel regarding His purpose for that coming day. This, too, is something that is said to be “according to His good pleasure.”
It has pleased God to make known to us this secret (“the mystery”) concerning His Son. It is something that Old Testament saints knew nothing of because, until now (the Day of Grace), it had been “kept secret since the world began” (Eph. 3:5; Col. 1:26; Rom. 16:25). There are two sides to the Mystery. When it is called the “the mystery of His will” (Eph. 1:9), it refers to God’s purpose to put all things under Christ’s headship in the coming millennial day. When it is called “the mystery of the Christ” (Eph. 3:4; 5:32; Col. 4:3) it is referring to the Church being associated with Christ in that day of display.
Vs. 10—In “the dispensation [administration] of the fullness of times” (the Millennium) God has purposed to “head up” all things in heaven and on earth under “the Christ.” This expression refers to the mystical union of Christ and the members of His body by the indwelling Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13 – J. N. Darby Trans.).
The Old Testament speaks of a Jewish Messiah who will reign over Israel in a coming day with the Gentile nations rejoicing with them (Psa. 8, etc.). The revelation of “the mystery” in the New Testament goes far beyond that and unfolds God’s plan to have the entire universe (heaven and earth) under Christ’s reign. And also, in that coming millennial day, Christ would have a complement (His bride) at His side to enhance the display of His glory (John 17:22-23; 2 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 21:9-22:5). This can be seen here in the phrase “the Christ.” It is a technical expression used in Paul’s epistles that refers to the mystical union of Christ and the members of His body (1 Cor. 12:12-13). Furthermore, this tenth verse indicates that it is not God’s intention to have the heavens completely severed from the earth, as they are now. His will is to “head up” the administration of all things in heaven and earth under the Christ and the Church ("the Christ"), so that there would be a united system of heavenly and earthly glory under Him and His bride.
Vs. 11—The “inheritance,” over which we will reign with Christ, is the whole creation—every created thing. It is not numbered among our spiritual blessings, being that it is material things. Our blessing in connection with the inheritance is in heirship—the right and privilege to reign over all created things with Christ in His kingdom glory. Many Christians mistakenly think that we are the inheritance which has been given to Christ as a possession. It is true that we are the Father’s gift to the Son (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24), but we are not the inheritance. This verse states clearly that the inheritance is given to us. If it is given to us, then we are the heirs, not the inheritance. A wife—which we are destined to be (Rev. 19:7; 21:9)—is not numbered among a man’s possessions as chattel.
There are two aspects of the inheritance in the New Testament. Firstly, in 1 Peter 1:4 it is referring to our spiritual blessings, which are “reserved in heaven” for us. Mr. Darby spoke of this aspect of the inheritance as being over our heads (in the heavenlies), because 1 Peter is a wilderness epistle and the saints are seen as pilgrims on earth. This aspect of the inheritance has been translated elsewhere as our “portion” in Christ (Col. 1:12; Acts 26:18 – J. N. Darby Trans.). In Ephesians, however, the inheritance is the material creation. Mr. Darby spoke of this aspect as stretching out under our feet. In this epistle the saints are seen seated in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:6), and everything in the universe is under them—even the angelic beings (Eph. 1:20-21).
This great plan to publicly glorify Christ in the world to come with and through His eternal complement (the Church) is “according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His own will.” We have two things here: “purpose” and “counsel.” Purpose is the intention of God’s will and counsel is the wisdom the Godhead takes in carrying it out. Purpose is the objective that God has before Him, and divine Persons have taken counsel as to how it would be secured, and the “ways” of God (Rom. 11:33) are bringing it all into effect. Bible teachers and hymn writers will often use these terms in the plural (i.e. the "purposes" and the "counsels" of God), but Scripture never does—they are always mentioned in the singular. God has one singular "purpose" to glorify His Son, and His "counsel" is always one in bringing it to pass.
Vs. 12—The revelation of God’s great purpose to all in the coming millennial day will redound “to the praise of His glory.” When men look on what the grace of God has wrought in Christ, they will praise God for His all-wise plan (John 17:23). Believers from among the Jews (“we” – vs. 12), who have "pre-trusted" before a remnant of Israel receive the Lord as their Messiah in a coming day, and believers from among the Gentiles (“ye” – vs. 13) are made to share in the common blessing of being part of this new heavenly vessel of testimony—the Church.
Hence, we have three great things in relation to the Son: we have “redemption” in Him (vs. 7), we have been given the revelation of “the mystery” in Him (vss. 8-10), and in Him we have obtained “an inheritance” (vs. 11).
Sealed With the Spirit
The Quickened, Sealed and Given the Earnest of the Holy Spirit
3) The Apostle then exults in the work of the Holy Spirit who has enabled us to know and enjoy these things before God’s great plan to publicly glorify His Son comes to pass (vss. 13-14).
Vs. 13—The exalted Man at God’s right hand will not only bring the universe into suitability with God in a coming day, He is presently bringing believers into suitability with the Godhead through the operations of the Holy Spirit. Paul says, “After that ye have heard the Word of truth.” This is the beginning of the work of God in a person. Hearing, in this sense, refers to the Word of God penetrating the soul and creating a spiritual capacity in a person by the quickening power of the Spirit, whereby he is attuned to the voice of the Son of God and able to receive divine communications (John 5:25; 8:47; Prov. 20:12; Rom. 10:17). Paul goes on and says, “In whom also, having believed.” Further to hearing, there is a necessity on the part of the individual of believing the message—“the gospel of your salvation.” This refers to the person understanding and resting in faith on the finished work of Christ, whereupon he is “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” by that divine Person coming to dwell in him (John 14:17; 1 Thess. 4:8; James 4:5; 1 John 3:24; 4:13). The seal of the Spirit gives the believer the assurance in his soul that he is truly saved.
Note: a person is indwelt with the Spirit, not by being quickened, but by believing the gospel of his salvation. As mentioned, quickening is the beginning of the work of God in a soul; sealing is the completing of that work whereby the person is placed in the full Christian position before God (Rom. 8:9). There is an interval of time between the two, varying from seconds to years in believers—depending on the circumstances of their personal history.
Vs. 14—A wonderful prospect lies before us in the coming day of display (the Millennium). But God would not have us to wait until then to know and enjoy these things. Hence, the Holy Spirit who has taken up His abode in us works to this end as “the earnest.” The sealing of the Spirit gives us to know that we belong to Him; the earnest of the Spirit gives us to know that we have things that belong to us. The seal is for the assurance of our salvation; the earnest is for the enjoyment of our portion in Christ before we are there with Him in the glorified state.
The inheritance (the material creation) has been “purchased” at the cross and is presently awaiting “redemption.” Redemption goes beyond purchase and includes being “set free.” The creation is now under the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8:20-23) and is in the hands of Satan and evil men (1 John 5:19). When the Lord comes to redeem the creation at His Appearing, He will put down every adverse power and set it free for the purpose for which it was intended (Rev. 11:15). This too, is “to the praise of His glory.” But note: the phrase, “of His grace” (as in verse 6) is not found here because the subject is the release of the groaning creation. It has not sinned as we have, and therefore, it is not in need of His grace acting toward it in the way we need it. The groaning creation needs His power in redemption, not His grace in redemption.
Hence, we have three great things in and through the Holy Spirit: He has quickened us (“heard”), He has “sealed” us (vs. 13), and He is the “earnest” of our inheritance (vs. 14).
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In reviewing these things, we learn that those who compose this new vessel of God’s workmanship (the Church) have:
The place of sons before “the Father” which Old Testament and millennial saints do not have (vss. 4-7).
Union in the body of “Christ” and the prospect of reigning with Him over the inheritance, which those from other ages do not have (vss. 8-12).
The indwelling presence of the “Holy Spirit” which all other saints do not have (vss. 13-14).
Hence, it is a tremendous privilege to be part of this special company of believers.
The Apostle Prays to God
Vss. 15-23—The Apostle’s praise passes to petition. When he heard of their “faith in the Lord Jesus” and “love unto all the saints,” He gave thanks to God, for it was a true manifestation of divine life. These things proved that they were real and were growing in grace.
His prayer is addressed to the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This coincides with the first part of the Lord’s double relationship mentioned in verse 3. It is to “God” because it has to do with the saints’ apprehension and God’s power to bring to pass His great plan to glorify His Son in the world to come.
Note: Paul does not pray that the saints would be more blessed, because more blessed they cannot be! (vs. 3 – "every spiritual blessing") Our Christian blessings are a mountain peek to which God Himself cannot add. Therefore, instead of praying for more blessings, Paul prays that the saints would be in a right spiritual state to apprehend God’s great plan to glorify His Son, and to appreciate the blessings that are theirs in Him. He longs for the saints to grasp the magnitude of the great purpose of God and to understand how richly they have been blessed in Christ in whom everything centers. He prays that “the eyes” of our “heart” (not “understanding”—as in KJV) would be “enlightened” because he wants us to not only know these things, but to enjoy them in our souls.
There are three things in particular for which Paul prays that the saints would “know” in their hearts. This is indicated in the three-fold use of the word “what” in verses 18-19. These three things correlate with the three things in the Apostle’s blessing in verses 3-14. They are:
“What is the hope of His calling”
The Apostle has spoken of this in verses 4-6. He would have us to know and appreciate the position to which we have been called. Our calling is “high” (Phil. 3:14), “holy” (2 Tim. 1:9), and “heavenly” (Heb. 3:1). We could not have been called to a higher place, for it is indeed the nearest possible place of relationship that His love could provide! The “hope” of it is yet to be realized. This is not the hope of the Lord’s coming to take us home to heaven (the Rapture) for in Ephesians we are seen as being there already (chap. 2:6). It is, rather, the deferred certainty of being manifested with Christ in glory in our high calling in the day of display (the Millennium). The glorification of the sons of God is at the Rapture (Rom. 8:17), but the manifestation of the sons of God is at the Appearing of Christ (Rom. 8:19).
“What is the riches of the glory of His inheritance”
The Apostle has spoken of this in verses 8-12. He would have us to understand and appreciate the place we have as heirs in connection with the inheritance. The calling is above in relation to our place with divine Persons, but the “inheritance” is below involving created things. The “glory” of the inheritance will be seen when the vast creation will have at its head, its crowning jewel set in its place—Christ and the Church reigning over it. The saints are not the inheritance (as commonly thought); they are “heirs” of it (Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:29; 4:7).
The inheritance will be taken “in the saints.” This means that the Lord will not take possession of the inheritance until He has us with Himself, so that we can take it together at His Appearing (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; 2 Thess. 1:7). An Old Testament type of this is when Jehovah took the land of Canaan in and through the children of Israel. The Lord led them into their promised inheritance as the Captain of the host, and they took possession of the land with Him (Josh. 5:13-15).
“What is the exceeding greatness of His power”
The Apostle has spoken of this in verses 13-14. He would have us to know that there is no lack of power to redeem (set free) the inheritance. The Man of God’s counsels (Christ) has gone into death to secure it all for God. The resurrection of Christ demonstrates God’s great power and ability to bring to pass His great purpose. Paul says, “According to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.” All the forces of evil (Satan’s kingdom) were gathered at the tomb to prevent His rising from the dead (Psa. 18:7-19; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14), but the power of God broke through it all triumphantly, and “raised Him from the dead” and “set Him at His own right hand.”
The politicians of our day make promises to change and improve the conditions in society in an effort to make this world a better place, but things remain in the same corrupted state. This world has not improved morally because—well-meaning as the politicians are—they don’t have the power to implement their plans. In contrast to this, God has not only promised to set this world right—by bringing to pass His great purpose to glorify His Son in heaven and earth—He has the power to do it! He will arrange ("head up") everything under the universal headship of "the Christ" in the world to come (vs. 10). He has given proof of "the exceeding greatness of His power" that will bring it to pass, by raising Christ from the dead and setting Him at His own right hand. Christ is presently seated there "far above" all angelic beings and "every name that is named." This is true, "not only in this world [age], but also in that which is to come."
This “power” is said to be “to us-ward who believe” (vs. 19). This means that while we wait for God to bring to pass His great purpose at Christ's Appearing, He is using that same power to strengthen us now and enable us to walk worthy of our calling in a practical way (chaps. 3:16; 4:1). God has put “all things under His feet” (Christ's universal Lordship) and given Him to be “head over all things (Christ's universal Headship) to the Church.” Hence, Christ is not only "the head of the Church" (chap. 5:23), He is also "the head over all things to the Church" (chap. 1:22). Being Head over "all things" means that He is in control of everything that comes into the lives of the members of His body while they are on earth. Hence, there is nothing that happens to us that is by chance; The Lord has allowed, or ordered it, for some good reason (Rom. 8:28). Christ is never said to be Head over the Church, but “He is the Head of the body” (Col. 1:18), but He is Head "over" all things that touch our lives.
Verse 23 indicates that the Church is the Eve of the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)—“the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” We are His heavenly complement and will reign with Him at His side in the coming day of display. The Church is “the fullness of Him.” This is an incredible statement. In Ephesians, Christ is seen as incomplete without us (as far as the purpose of God is concerned). In Colossians, we are seen as being incomplete without Him (Col. 2:10).
"Ages" and "Dispensations"
Paul has used the words "dispensation" and "age" in this first chapter of Ephesians (vss. 10, 21). These are not the same thing, and can be distinguished as follows:
An age is an epoch or period of time that has run, or is running, or will run, its course on earth. Such periods are called "the ages of time" (Titus 1:2). The Lord spoke of two ages in His ministry: "this age" and of "the age to come" (Matt. 12:32). "This age" is the Mosaic age, which began at Sinai and was in progress at the time of the Lord's first coming. When He was rejected and cast out of this world, this age became "the present evil age," in that the "princes of this age" committed the greatest sin of crucifying the Lord of glory (Gal. 1:4; 1 Cor. 2:6, 8).
This Mosaic age is still in progress today. The coming of the Holy Spirit and the introduction of Christianity did not bring the Mosaic age to an end, nor did it begin a new age. Presently, God is calling believers out of the Jews and the Gentiles to be part of the Church (Acts 15:14; 26:17). Those who believe the gospel of His grace today are delivered "out of the present evil age," and are no longer part of it, as far as their position is concerned (Gal. 1:4). The Church has no connection with the earth and its periods of time, and therefore, to speak of this present time as "the Church age" (as some Christians do) is not doctrinally accurate.
The Church is on earth at this present time as a sojourner on its way to its heavenly home; its calling, character, and destiny are all heavenly. Since the Church is still on earth and passing through "this age" which is marked by evil, the exhortations of the Apostle are to keep ourselves separate from its character and ways. We are to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, is this present age" (Titus 2:12). Believers are to reject the wisdom of this age, because "God has made foolish the wisdom of this world" (1 Cor. 1:20). Also, Christians who are "rich in the present age" materially are warned to not allow themselves to be characterized by the age, and "trust in uncertain riches" (1 Tim. 6:17). They are to distribute their possessions and whereby the lay "up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come" (1 Tim. 6:18-19). Sad to report, some Christians today are turning from their steadfastness, and are loving "this present age" and they are settling down in the world as a result. Demas is an example of this (2 Tim. 4:10).
Some have thought that the present calling of God by the gospel has put the Mosaic age in abeyance, and it will not begin again until some future day. However, it is still running its course on earth, and the Law still has its "application" to men in the flesh in this age, in the sense of magnifying their sins and showing them their need of a Saviour (1 Tim. 1:8-10; Rom. 3:19). The Law, of course, has no application to Christians who are viewed as having died with Christ. The Law is not dead; it is the Christian who is dead to it. The Law, therefore, has nothing to say to them (Rom. 7:4, 6).
We know from the prophetic Scriptures that this present age has at least 7 more years remaining to it, after the Church is called to heaven. These years will be fulfilled in the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27). This age is presently under the control of Satan who is its god and prince (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2), and it is going on to judgment. It will close at the Appearing of Christ in what is called, "the completion of the age" (Matt. 13:39-40, 49; 24:3; 28:20). At that time, the Lord will bring in "the age to come," which is the Millennium (Matt. 12:32; Mark 10:30; Eph. 1:21; Heb. 2:5; 6:5). When the Millennium has run its course of 1000 years, the Eternal State will be ushered in. Scripture calls this, "the ages of ages" (Gal. 1:5; Eph. 3:21; 1 Tim.1:17; 1 Peter 5:11; Rev. 5:13; 22:5).
The word "dispensation" means "the administration of a house," or "an economy," or "a house-law." In the sense that it is used in Scripture, it is a publicly ordered dealing of God with men in the administration of His ways during various ages. There appears to be three main dispensations (See Concise Bible Dictionary — pp. 216-217).
The first of these is the Dispensation of the Law. This was an ordered dealing of God with men (the nation of Israel) whereby the legal requirements of the Law were to be fulfilled by the people in order for them to walk in fellowship with God. It has passed through three phases:
About 400 years under the Judges (from Israel's entrance into the land of Canaan to the end of the Judges — Acts 13:19-20).
About 500 years of kingship (from Saul to the Babylonian captivity).
About 600 years of prophetic testimony during the Times of the Gentiles (from the captivity to John the Baptist (Luke 16:16).
The second great dispensation is the present "dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph. 3:2). It can also be called, "the Dispensation of the Mystery" (Eph. 3:9 – W. Kelly Translation footnote). The manifestation of grace actually commenced with the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:17), but when His earthly people rejected him, God opened the present dispensation of grace in the heavenly call of the Church, which began with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; 11:15). This is an altogether different ordering of God for a heavenly people who are now being called out of the Jews and Gentiles to be part of a new heavenly thing—the Church of God (Acts 15:14; 26:17). The burden of true Christian ministry today is to "further God's dispensation" by helping the saints to understand their heavenly blessings in Christ and the great privileges that are theirs in Him (1 Tim. 1:4).
The third great dispensation is yet to come—"the dispensation of the fulness of times" (Eph. 1:10). This will be a special ordering of God for men during the Millennial reign of Christ.
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Paul uses the word "age" in this epistle to denote three different things:
"This age" (chap. 1:21)—the present day.
The age "which is to come" (chap. 1:21)—the Millennium.
"The age of ages" (chap. 3:21)—the Eternal State when there will be no time.
He also speaks of two dispensations in this epistle:
"The dispensation of the fulness of times" (chap. 1:10)—a special ordering of God during the millennial kingdom reign of Christ.
"The dispensation of the grace of God" (chap. 3:2)—a special heavenly ordering of God for those who believe the gospel of His grace and are thus part of the Church of God.
In summary, an "age" is a period of time, and a "dispensation" is a moral and spiritual economy of God in relation to men during a certain period of time.