And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
The order is, 'And through Him (Christ) God (implied in "the fullness") was pleased to reconcile again completely х apokatallaxai (G604)]; to their original unity (note, Ephesians 2:16) the whole universe of things х ta (G3588) panta (G3956)] unto Himself (God the Father) х eis (G1519) auton (G846)], so as to have reconciled access to Himself (Ephesians 2:16-18), "having made peace through the blood of His (Christ's) cross" -
i.e., shed by Christ on the cross-the mean of our reconciliation with God. 'God reconciling man to Himself' implies that He takes away by the blood of Jesus the barrier which God's justice interposes against man's being in union with God (cf. note, Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). So the Septuagint, 1 Samuel 29:4 [en tini diallageesetai houtos too kurioo], "Wherewith should He reconcile himself unto his master?" - i:e., reconcile his master unto him by appeasing his wrath [Hebrew, yitratseh (H7521): 'be reconciled to his master']. So Matthew 5:23-24.
By him - through Him (the mediating cause): emphatically repeated, to bring the person of Christ, as Head of both the first and the new creations alike, into prominence.
Things in earth, or things in heaven. Good angels do not need reconciliation to God; fallen angels are excluded from it (Jude 1:6). But redemption has effects on the world of spirits unknown to us. His reconciling us, and His reconciling them, must be of a different kind, as He took not on Him the nature of angels (Hebrews 2:16), to offer a propitiation for them. He being their Head as well as ours, they are perhaps thereby brought nearer God, and put beyond the possibility of sinning, and gain larger views of God's love and wisdom (Ephesians 3:10). All creation subsists in Christ, and is therefore affected by His propitiation: sinful creation is strictly "reconciled" from its enmity; sinless creation, comparatively distant from His unapproachable purity (Job 4:18; Job 15:15; Job 25:5), is lifted into nearer communion with Him, and in this wider sense is reconciled. Man's fall, following on Satan's, is part of a larger circle of evil; so that the remedy of the former affects the standing of angels, from among whom Satan's host fell.
Angels having seen the magnitude of sin the infinite cost of redemption the exclusion of the fallen angels Angels having seen the magnitude of sin, the infinite cost of redemption, the exclusion of the fallen angels from it, and the inability of any creature to stand in his own strength, are now put beyond the reach of falling. 'Christ is the Head of redemption to man; the Head of preservation to angels' (Bacon). Satan, when unfallen, may have ruled this earth and the pre-Adamite animal kingdom; hence, his malice against man, who succeeded to the lordship of this earth and its animals: hence, too, his assumption of the serpent's form, the subtlest of animals. Luke 19:38 states "peace in heaven" as the result of finished redemption, as "peace on earth" was the result of its beginning at Jesus' birth (Luke 2:14; Ephesians 1:10, accords). An actual reconciliation, or restoration of peace in heaven, as well as on earth, is expressed. As long as that blood of reconciliation was not shed, which is opposed (Zechariah 3:8-9) to Satan's accusations, but was only in promise, Satan could plead his right against men before God day and night (Job 1:6; Revelation 12:10); hence, he was in heaven until the ban on man was broken (cf. Luke 10:18).
So here, the world of earth and heaven owe to Christ alone the restoration of harmony after the conflict, and the subjugation of all things under one Head (cf. Hebrews 12:23-24). Sin introduced discord, not only on earth, but also in heaven, by the fall of demons; it brought into the abodes of holy angels, not positive, yet privative loss, a retardation of their highest development, harmonious gradation, and perfect consummation. Angels were no more able than men, by themselves, to overcome the peace-disturbers, and cast out the devils: it is only "by," or 'through HIM,' and "the blood of HIS cross," that peace was restored even in heaven: it is only after Christ has obtained the victory legally that Michael (Revelation 12:7-10) and his angels can cast out of heaven Satan and his demons (cf. Colossians 2:15). Thus, Paul's argument against angel-worship is, that angels themselves wholly depend on Christ, the sole object of worship (Auberlen).