1. existing in heaven: ὁ πατήρ ἐπουράνιος, i. e. God, Matthew 18:35 Rec. (Θεοί, Θεός, Homer, Odyssey 17, 484; Iliad 6, 131, etc.; 3Macc. 6:28 3Macc. 7:6); οἱ ἐπουράνιοι the heavenly beings, the inhabitants of heaven, (Lucian, dial. deor. 4, 3; of the gods, in Theocritus, 25, 5): of angels, in opposition to ἐπιγειοι and καταχθονιοι, Philippians 2:10; Ignat. ad Trall. 9 [ET], (cf. Polycarp, ad Philipp. 2 [ET]); σώματα, the bodies of the stars (which the apostle, according to the universal ancient conception, seems to have regarded as animate (cf. Lightfoot on Colossians, p. 376; Gfrorer, Philo etc. 2te Aufl., p. 349f; Siegfried, Philo von Alex., p. 306; yet cf. Meyer ed. Heinrici, at the passage), cf. Job 38:7; Enoch 18:14ff) and of the angels, 1 Corinthians 15:40; ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐπουράνιος (on which see p. 97), 2 Timothy 4:18; substantially the same as ἡ πατρίς ἡ ἐπουράνιος Hebrews 11:16 and Ἱερουσαλήμ ἐπουρανίῳ, Hebrews 12:22; κλῆσις, a calling made (by God) in heaven, Hebrews 3:1 (others would include a reference to its end as well as to its origin; cf. Lunem. at the passage), cf. Philippians 3:14 (Lightfoot cites Philo, plant. Noe § 6). The neut. τά ἐπουράνια denotes (cf. Winers Grammar, § 34, 2)

a. the things that take place in heaven, i. e. the purposes of God to grant salvation to men through the death of Christ: John 3:12 (see ἐπίγειος).

b. the heavenly regions, i. e. heaven itself, the abode of God and angels: Ephesians 1:3, 20 (where Lachmann text οὐρανοῖς); Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 3:10; the lower heavens, or the heaven of the clouds, Ephesians 6:12 (cf. B. D. American edition, under the word ).

c. the heavenly temple or sanctuary: Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 9:23.

2. of heavenly origin and nature: 1 Corinthians 15:48f (opposite to χοϊκός); ἡ δωρεά ἡ ἐπουράνιος. Hebrews 6:4.