Bible Discussion Thread

Finally, Apostle Paul warned Christians against their enemies of whom he described as "spiritual wickedness in high places" ( Eph. 6:12). This expression describes, and includes, generally all the myriads of demonic personalities without the distinction of hierarchic ranks.

This "wickedness" occurs in "high places". Since the word "places" is not in the Greek manuscripts, the King James Translators appropriately added it in italics for translative clarity.

The word "high" is an adjective translated from the Greek compound adjective root "" (transliterated "epouranios"; pronounced "ep-oo-RAN-ee-os") which combines two words:

1st, the Greek preposition "" (transliterated "epi"; pronounced "ep-EE"), meaning "over" or "upon";

2nd, the Greek noun "" (transliterated "ouranos"; pronounced "oo-ran-OS") translated "heaven" in the New Testament.

The Bible speaks of multiple heavens generally (e.g. Eph. 4:10; "all heavens"), and three heavens specifically (e.g. 2Cor. 12:2):

1st, The earth's atmosphere;

2nd, Outer space occupied by the sun, moon, planets, and stars;

3rd, The abode of JEHOVAH GOD.

Here, this "high places" wherein this "spiritual wickedness" exists identifies first, the earth's atmosphere, and second, the earth's celestial heavens, both described by Paul as "the whole creation [which] groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" ( Rom. 8:22).

The same Greek adjective, here translated "high places", also translates into the very positive expression, "heavenly places", four other times, and only in Ephesians (1:3 & 20; 2:6; 3:10).