Jesus’s resurrection and ascension teach us something about the difference between the heavenly places and heaven. While there is a lot more to be discussed about the afterlife, hopefully this series gave you the tools you need to continue a deep study of this subject.
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Being “seated with him in heavenly places” and other similar terminology about seating has the connotation of a wedding banquet seat, which must be at the heart of Covenant eschatology, no? So, the kind of presence of the believer to God-in-Christ, in this world, and after each lifetime, is not just generically “spiritual”, but of a Passover Covenant Meal and Sacrifice type, leading to the faithfuls’ (notice the PLURAL place of the possessive case apostrophe; the faithful collectively ) union with the Bridegroom. The Communion Supper of the Christian faithful seems to be the place where heaven touches earth, replacing Temple and Ark, Holies and Tabernacle, altar and blood, fire and smoke. Did the believers who were left behind, after the failed Jerusalem was “raptured” into flames, emerge from the crisis with a new Temple as Ezekiel prophesied, one whereby men everywhere worshiped God in Spirit and Truth?