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Heavenly Hierarchy and Faith in the Letter of Hebrews
The Hebrews used twofold dualism: dualism of above and below; and eschatological dualism. Dualism of above and below indicates the reality of the heavenly world and the earthly world, and eschatological dualism indicates the present age and the age to come. The language of the Hebrews distinguishes this world and the heavenly world of spiritual realities. This paper is an attempt to understand the heavenly hierarchy and its relation to the faith.
1. An Overview of Greco-Roman-Jewish Understanding of the Heavenly Hierarchy
The word heaven is used in the Old Testament to denote the air above the earth (Gen 1:8; Ps 104:2) and the place of habitation of God (1 Kings 8:30; Ps 14:2; Is 63:15) [1]. Further, God and angels are in heaven (Gen 28:12; 1 Kings 22:19; cf. Is 6:2–3). Angels were the messengers of God, but they were given other tasks and different ranks or groups in the intertestamental period [2]. The angels are considered mediators between humans and God [3]. Satan is categorized as a human adversary [4] and a fallen angel [5]. Apocalyptic literature understands that the cosmos is a place where angels, divine beings, human beings, Satan, and anti-God forces are active [6]. 1 Enoch elaborately speaks about angelology: angelic hierarchy, names, their duties, and so on [7]. They also direct their eschatological hope to another world: heaven is a place where the righteous will be rewarded, and it speaks about the transformation of the existing universe (1 Enoch 72:1; 91:16; Sib. Or. 3:75–90; b. >Abod. Zar. 17a), and the creation of the new heaven and earth [8]. The DSS talks about the conflict of the “Sons of Light” versus the “Sons of Darkness.” The Qumran community believed that everyone was ruled by either the Prince of Light or the Angel of Darkness from God [9].The Greco-Roman understanding tended to refer to heaven as the dwelling place of gods and the righteous dead ones [10]. For Plato, the term heavenly (ouranios) denoted what “really is and what is truly coming to be” [11]. Aristotelian cosmology also talks about heaven and movement from earth to heaven. Further, in Greco-Roman sources, the gods are frequently portrayed as ascending into heaven. Humans becoming apotheosized in heaven was a common motif. There was a hierarchical order among the gods in the Greco-Roman world. In Greek thought, the word daimonion was used to denote a deity, a lesser deity, a divine power or unknown supernatural force, the human element in touch with the divine, and an intermediary between humans and the gods [12]. Hellenistic and Roman mystery religions perceive that the cosmos has its divine order, but humans are not allowed to participate fully in this divine order because they are caught up in the realm of sense perception and matter, disorder and mortality, and are subject to fate. Salvation can be achieved only through faith in invisible powers. Therefore, the mastery of life depends on the help of otherworldly powers and the guarantees that extend to life beyond death. This idea of overcoming death and fate and participating in the divine order gained superiority over philosophical doctrines [13].
2. The Heavenly Hierarchy in Letter to the Hebrews
The Hebrews speak about the heavenly beings such as God, the Son, angels, and so on. The author perceives such beings in a hierarchical order, which is found especially in chapter 1 where the writer talks about God, the Son, and angels. The following discussion deals with the heavenly beings and their hierarchical relationship.2.1 God and Christ
a) Hebrews 1 talks about the unique relationship between God the Father and Christ the Son. It is a relationship of sonship. Jesus is only recognized as the Son; not the angels. The sonship is a divine decree and favor (1.5) [14]. Further, the sonship is portrayed with the messianic concept of the Old Testament [15] and in the eschatological framework [16].b) The Son is the revelation of the Father God. Hebrews starts with God’s self-revelation through the spoken word via the prophets and the Son. God’s continuing disclosure finds its ultimate expression in the revelation through the Son. The revelation through the Son is eschatological and superior to the revelation in the Old Testament, yet it continues the past revelation.
c) Jesus is depicted as the pre-existent Son, incarnated Son, and exalted Son. 1.2b–3a talks about the Son being the agent of creation (1.2) and maintaining all things in the world by His powerful word (1.3; cf. 2.10); God appointed the Son as the legal heir of creation [17]. The word avpau,gasma (1.3) appears in the LXX in connection with wisdom, and the word carakth.r (1.3) indicates an exact representation. Seemingly influenced by the Judean wisdom tradition, the writer of Hebrews perceives that the Son is the pre-creational Wisdom of God who not only embodies God’s glory and very nature but also reveals God to the universe—the divine government of the world—as He sustains all things by His omnipotent word [18]. Further, the incarnated Christ was in total submission and obedience to the Father God. Hebrews basically sees Christ as a heavenly being, and His earthly life is an interlude in a larger heavenly life or only an episode of the higher existence [19].
2.2 Christ, Angels, and Cosmic Powers
a) Christ’s incarnation entailed the humiliation of being made “lower than the angels” (2:7, 9).
b) The exalted and enthroned Son is superior to the angels. To establish this point, Rhee opines that the writer uses three rounds of Old Testament quotations [20]. i) vv. 5-6 indicates the superiority of the position of the Son: the Son is the begotten of God, and the angels are commanded to worship Him. prwto,tokon (firstborn) indicates the idea of priority and, in turn, superiority in the context of the text [21]. In fact, angels receive their rank, task, and form from God (1.7). They are part of the creation order and are subjected to the creative activity of God [22]. However, the Son does not belong to the creation order (1.8-9). ii) vv. 8-12 talk about the Son’s characteristics: The Son’s throne is eternal, He loves justice, He is the Creator, and He is eternal. But angels are subjected to mutability. Through the metaphor of the throne of the Son in v. 8, the Son is identified with God [23]. In vv. 8-9, the author places Jesus superior to angels in nature and function, but subordinate to God in function, yet on par with God in nature [24]. iii) vv. 13-14 indicate the role of the Son—sitting at the right hand of God—which is superior to that of angels: the ministering spirits for those who will inherit salvation (v. 14). vv. 7 and 14 imply that angels are ministering servants of Jesus [25]. Thus, the Son is superior to the angels in His position, His attributes, and His role [26].
c) The author of Hebrews talks about the exalted Son in 1.3. God’s appointment of the Son as heir of the world is equated with Jesus sitting down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This indicates the supreme exaltation of the Son without compromising the rank and rule of God the Father [27]. Here, the enthroned Christ is not an angelophormic figure mixed with other angels [28]. But angels are subordinated to the Son. However, Christ is seated at the right hand of God, already crowned with glory and honor, but not yet made Lord over all things (2.8), which will happen on the day of the Lord. This might be an apocalyptic victory [29]. Further, Christ already took victory over death and, in turn, over the devil (2.14-15).
2.3 Heavenly Assembly and Angels
The "cloud of witnesses" in Heb 12:1 refers to the OT saints discussed in the previous chapter. The word μάρτυς refers to a person who attests or bears witness in some sense to what they have seen. They are witnesses who testify to the heavenly realities that God has promised to them and to us. The faith of saints in Heb 11:4-40 eventually led them into perfection in a heavenly Mount Zion (Heb 12:23), and they now stand as witnesses to us of the realities of the world to come and the benefits of entrusting ourselves to faith’s "Pioneer and Perfector," Jesus (Heb 12:2) [30]. Further, Hebrews 12.22 ff talks about the heavenly Jerusalem and the assembly of angels and righteous spirits. Heaven is the place of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. It is a place of direct access to God, but now it is available to Christians. There are innumerable angels around the throne of God. There is the assembly of the firstborn, which means the company of the believers who are enrolled in heaven [31]. The heavenly company also includes heroes of the past whose perfection—that is, participation in the finished work of salvation—had to wait for the Christ event (11.40) [32]. Further, Hebrews 1.14 says the role of angels is as ministers to those awaiting salvation. Nevertheless, their role will come to an end when salvation arrives for people. This means that God’s people will no longer need their service [33]. In fact, humanity's status will then also exceed that of the angels. Thus, the status of the heavenly assembly will be above that of the angels.2.4 Holy Spirit
There are few references to the Holy Spirit in Hebrews. Believers are partakers of the Holy Spirit (6.4), and it seems that the enlightenment and experience of the heavenly gifts are the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the revealer and interpreter of the word of God (3.7; 9.8). Further, the Spirit is part of the atoning work of Christ (9.14) [34].
3. The Heavenly Hierarchy and Faith
3.1 Jesus and Faith
Heb 2:13, "I will put my trust in him," applies LXX Isa 8:17 to Jesus. Jesus appears here to acknowledge His belief and confidence in God. This confession motif of faith indicates the fidelity of Jesus as the Son to God within the broader epistolary frame. The adjective pistos applied to Jesus in 2:17 and 3:2,6 implies both active and passive meanings—faithful and trustworthy. These verses indicate the shared faith of Jesus with His brothers and sisters in God [35], portraying Christ as both "a trustworthy or reliable high priest" and "one who is faithful to God" [36]. Jesus is not only "faithful over God's house as a son" (3:5), but He was also faithful to God who appointed and sent Him (3:1-2; cf. 5:8; 10:7, 9). He is the one who trusts in God fully (2:13a; cf. 5:7) and faithfully reflects God to humanity, representing and interceding for sinful people before God (1:3; 7:25; 9:24). Correlatively, Christ is portrayed as the mediator of a new and better covenant (8:6; 9:15; 12:24) and the source of salvation for those who obey Him (5:9), being the pioneer and perfecter of the faith (12:2). The chiastic structure of 12:1-2 focuses on Jesus as the pioneer and perfecter of pistis and parallels the faith-life of Christians with that of Jesus, using the metaphor of a footrace. Archēgos and teleiōtēs indicate that Jesus is both the model and object of faith [37]. Jesus victoriously completed the worldly race and inherited the eternal prize. In other words, Jesus is the climax of the examples of faith because He inaugurated the fulfillment of God's eschatological plan of salvation and carried it through in His own person. This portrayal strongly connects with the author’s exhortation to the audience for fidelity toward Jesus through faith.The relationship between faith and the heavenly hierarchy can be summarized in two key aspects:
i. Jesus maintains fidelity to God as both incarnated and exalted Son, which means He depends on God and is trustworthy before Him. This implies that faith plays a positive role in the hierarchical relationship between God and Jesus (functional).
ii. Jesus exemplifies the achievement of eschatological salvation, which He inaugurated, by showing the ultimate and supreme example of faith. Salvation is available to all who believe and obey Jesus. This eschatological salvation involves participation in the heavenly hierarchy through faith in Christ, both now and in its eschatological culmination.
3.2 Faith and Unseen Realities
In moral categories, faith in Hebrews is seen as the proper response to God’s act of salvation, embodied in the moral qualities of firmness, fidelity, and reliability that are consistently expressed in Christian living [38]. Additionally, Dennis Hamm summarizes the concept of faith outside Hebrews 11: "Faith is obedience to divine initiative. It involves trust in God, who will keep His promises. It is the opposite of apistia (infidelity), apeitheia (disobedience), and hypostole (apostasy). It expresses itself in patience, perseverance, and bold confidence in the face of trials. Faith is boldness to 'approach' God" [39].In Hebrews 11, faith takes on both transcendent and eschatological dimensions. Faith in Hebrews 11 is the capacity to perceive the unseen realities of the unseen world and to make these realities the goal of one’s life [40]. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (11:1). Faith enables one to perceive the unseen world of God and to have an apocalyptic hope. It is the means by which one gains access to the invisible world of divine realities. Faith serves as the foundation for a positive attitude toward the future, rooted in hope. It involves living in the present in light of the future, because the completion of God’s salvation plan has already been achieved in the person of Jesus [41]. Thus, faith in Hebrews is not only eschatological but also the realization and proof of metaphysically superior, transcendental, and stable realities [42]. These realities are depicted as the unshaken kingdom (12:28), the heavenly city (12:22), and other aspects of the heavenly assembly to which believers are enrolled. The goal of the Christian community is to reach this invisible eschatological kingdom, which already exists in heaven. This is a soteriological reality. Hebrews presents Christian existence as a pilgrimage to heaven through faith in Jesus (9:15; 11:8; cf. 6:17; 11:7; 1:14; 6:12). The eschatological salvation described in Hebrews involves reaching the heavenly assembly of believers in the heavenly city by having faith in Jesus, the author of salvation and faith, who is already exalted and enthroned in heaven. Thus, faith in Jesus allows believers to enter the heavenly hierarchy from this earthly existence.
Evaluation and Conclusion
From the above discussion, the following heavenly hierarchies can be identified and illustrated as follows:a) Jewish understanding:
God → Angels → Satan
b) Christian understanding:
God → Son → Holy Spirit → Heavenly Assembly → Angels → Satan
The incarnated Son was made lower than the angels, at least in form, but it seems difficult to conclude that the incarnated Son was lower than the angels in the hierarchical relationship described in (b). This is because the incarnated Son likely maintained the hierarchical relationship with the Father through faith—trustworthiness and faithfulness in the Father. Further, the hierarchical relationship exists only in the functional area among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Christian concept of the heavenly hierarchy differs from the Jewish understanding in several key aspects. In Jewish thought, angels were intermediaries, but in Christianity, Jesus serves as the mediator between God and humans, through whom one can participate in the heavenly hierarchy by being enrolled in heaven. Moreover, believers in Christ have victory over demonic powers. The Son plays a central role in defining the heavenly hierarchical relationship.
Hebrews perceives eschatological salvation as entering the unshaken invisible heavenly Jerusalem through Jesus, the mediator and author of salvation, through faith in Him. This salvation is a pilgrimage to heaven, an entry into the heavenly hierarchy from the earthly existence through faith. Thus, faith is seen not only in moral terms but also as the means of perceiving transcendental heavenly realities. In short, faith in Jesus enables believers to overcome the earthly world and enter the heavenly hierarchy, which is the assembly of believers in heaven. Faith plays a positive role in defining the hierarchical relationship between Jesus and the Father, and between believers and the members of the heavenly hierarchy. The cosmology in Hebrews seems to intertwine eschatology and the heavenly hierarchy, placing the origin (pre-existence) and existence of the Son at its center.
There is a notable similarity between Platonic and Aristotelian cosmology, as well as Greco-Roman mystery religions, and Hebrews' understanding of eschatological salvation as participation in the heavenly hierarchy through faith in the heavenly being, Jesus.