[Christ] has died to “destroy the one holding the power of death, that
is, the devil.” Since Hebrews makes no further mention of the devil (ho diabolos), of Satan, or of any other
demonic powers, it is safe to suppose that this formulation emerges from the
apocalyptic framework widely shared by ancient Jews and Christians, in which
the devil stands for the cosmic forces opposed to the righteous (see Matt 4:1;
25:41; Luke 8:12; John 6:70; 13:2; Acts 10:38; Eph 4:27; 6:11; 1 Tim 3:6; 2 Tim
2:26; Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8; 1 John 3:8; Rev 12:9; 20:2), and over whom the
Messiah will triumph (see T. Levi
18.2; As. Mos. 10.1; 1 En. 10.13; 4 Ezra 13:1; Matt 12:25–30; Luke 10:18; John 12:31; 14:30; Rev
12:7–10). Because the devil, in turn, can be associated intimately with death
(see above all Wis 2:24), victory over him can be expressed in terms of a
victory over death (see Hos 13:14; 1 Cor 15:26, 55; 2 Tim 1:10; Rev 20:14;
21:4). Indeed, Paul uses the same verb, katargein
(“to destroy”), in the same connection: “Then comes the end, when he hands over
the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last
enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:24–26). What is remarkable about
Hebrews’ statement is the instrumental phrase “through death,” which matches
the phrase “through sufferings” in 2:10: Jesus does not conquer death by
avoiding it or commanding its disappearance, but by experiencing it in the manner of other human beings. (Luke Timothy
Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary [The New Testament Library; Louisville,
Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012], 100)
Further Reading:
Listing of Articles on Christadelphian Issues
Thomas J. Farrar, The Devil in the General Epistles, Part 1: Hebrews
