It is very helpful to us and interesting and challenging to note the order in which the apostle is inspired to present these themes. Remember that he pastored the church at Ephesus which was greatly enlarged through his preaching.
We know how we are in Christ, he has come and died for our sins, he has offered up his perfect righteousness on our behalf. We are under his wing, under his blood. In his righteousness. In what way are the angels in him? Well, they are sealed in him. They have surrendered to him their free will. They cannot fall like the devil and his angels. They are sealed for the everlasting ages in Christ, all the elect under Christ’s love, through transformation of course. We shall be glorified. We shall receive resurrection bodies for the eternal hereafter. The world indeed will be judged and destroyed, and then amazingly reconstituted, particle by particle and so adapted that it becomes fit for heaven, earth and heaven to be combined. There will be a physical earth and yet spiritual like heaven, angels and men dwelling together, men and women in resurrection bodies, bearing recognition, and stamped with the likeness of Christ for eternal glory. It will be so overwhelmingly different from what we know now. A vast, vast concourse of saved men and women, and sealed angels. Here on earth, saved people are a minority. But there will be only saved people, only glorified and embodied, saved people. And we shall see the staggering magnitude of grace. What Christ has accomplished, what he has done for dying for the redemption of such a mighty host. We shall grasp as never before the purchase price.
And what a change for us. Here we are in a rebel society and we have to struggle and strive and we know much disdain and mockery and opposition. All around us, wherever we go and wherever we work, we see things that are offensive to us and sin encroaching; we hear the profanity and the coarseness everywhere. But in that day when we too are purified there will be nothing but wonder and holiness and perfection. What a great difference there will be for us in the eternal glory. Now we swim against the tide, but then it will be all glory and love and adoration.