Tuesday, July 2, 2024

M. Jeff Brannon, "Non-Biblical Examples of Evil Powers in Heaven"

  

Non-Biblical Examples of Evil Powers in Heaven

 

The majority of the non-biblical examples of evil powers in the heavens are dependent in some way upon the examples in Scripture. In Jub. 17.16, which is reminiscent of the story of Job, Satan (the Prince Mastema) comes before God and urges God to test Abraham by sacrificing his son Isaac. The implication here is that, like the Old Testament account of Job, Satan has access to the presence of God in heaven and utilizes his access to accuse or encourage temptation of God’s people. In 2 En. 29.3-5 Satan and his angels are cast ‘from the height’ with the result that they are now ‘flying around the air’. Similarly, in the Latin text of Life of Adam and Eve (Vita), Satan and his angels are cast out of the heavens and onto the earth (12.1-2; 16.1). We have already encountered two New Testament examples (Lk. 10.17-19 and Rev. 12.7-13) which also speak of Satan’s casting out of heaven. First Enoch 40.7 speaks of impious angels who are prohibited from entering the presence of the Lord so that they cannot accuse those on the earth. This verse seems to draw upon the Old Testament notion of Satan’s accusing role and yet also demonstrates an affinity with the New Testament notion of Satan and his angels being cast out of heaven. Finally, in Apoc. Zeph. 3.5-9 we read of the angels of the accuser who sit at the gate of heaven and write down the sins of men. In this passage, we find evil angelic powers who seemingly have access to heaven and who also assist Satan in his accusing role as depicted in the Old Testament.

 

In addition to the passages above which exhibit close affinities with the Old and New Testaments, we also find examples in apocalyptic literature which associate the lower heavens with evil or darkness. Though they are not explicitly described as evil, the lower heavens in Testament of Levi are associated with darkness and God’s judgement (chapters 2–3). In his notes on Testament of Levi 2–3, H. C. Kee writes that ‘the pervasion of the lower heaven by darkness is a common feature in apocalyptic literature’. We have already noted above that the

location of hell in Questions of Ezra is in the third heaven. In addition, we also find that the four lower heavens in this book are associated with evil, sin, terror, quarrels, and wars (Ques. Ezra 1.19-21). For our purposes, the primary significance of these passages from Testament of Levi and Questions of Ezra is that the association of the lower heavens with evil, sin, or darkness was common within some strands of Jewish thought.

 

Perhaps the most extensive treatment of evil angelic powers is found in Testament of Solomon. When we consider the significance of the Testament of Solomon for our investigation of Ephesians, we must be cautious in any conclusions we draw since scholars generally date Testament of Solomon late and argue that the book is dependent upon the New Testament. Indeed, there are passages where the testament is almost certainly dependent upon Ephesians. In his introduction to Testament of Solomon, D. C. Duling assigns a date somewhere between the first and third century ad. However, Duling does note that whether we date the testament early or late, ‘there is general agreement that much of the testament reflects first-century Judaism in Palestine’. There is also disagreement over the authorship of this work and it is possible that it was either Jewish with Christian editing or the product of a Greek-speaking Christian. Although the date of Testament of Solomon is late, it is nevertheless of some value for New Testament studies since the work reflects both Jewish and Christian thought from around the turn of the century.

 

There are two major contributions from Testament of Solomon for our examination of evil powers in heaven and the cosmology of Ephesians. First, in reference to cosmology, it is clear that Testament of Solomon is clearly tripartite with the heavens above, the earth in the middle, and hell below the earth. Within the testament, there are numerous references to the spirits of the air, of the earth, and under the earth (Greek title; 18.3; 22.1). The significance of these cosmological divisions is not in number since the cosmology of Ephesians is clearly bipartite, but rather in the titles given to the divisions. In Eph. 2.2 there is a reference to Satan as to.n a;rconta th/j evxousi,aj tou/ ave,roj. The fact that Testament of Solomon utilizes ‘air’ to refer to the heavenly regions possibly sheds light on its use in Ephesians. As a result, Eph. 3.10 and Eph. 6.12 might not be the only references to evil powers in the heavenly regions in Ephesians. Therefore, our understanding of evil powers in heaven and the cosmology of Ephesians must also take into account the activity of Satan as to.n a;rconta th/j evxousi,aj tou/ ave,roj (Eph. 2.2).

 

Second, Testament of Solomon clearly portrays demons as having access to both heaven and earth. In chapter 1, we read of the demon Ornias’s perverse activities on the earth. In 2.3 Ornias says to Solomon, ‘Sometimes I become a creature with wings (flying) up to the heavenly regions’ (Duling). Similarly, in 20.12-15 demons who cause destruction on earth can also fly up to the firmament, fly among the stars, and even hear decisions from God. Within the New Testament, it is not uncommon to read of the activities of Satan and demons on the earth. What has been so problematic for scholars of Ephesians is that these evil powers are active in the heavenlies. In Testament of Solomon, we find that evil spiritual powers have access both to earth and the heavenly regions. In addition to these examples from Testament of Solomon, the composite work Ascension of Isaiah, which is widely believed to have both Jewish and Christian origins, locates the home of Satan and his hosts in the firmament which is below the seven heavens (4.1-3; 7.9-12).

 

Our examination of evil powers in the heavens in various Jewish and Christian texts outside the Old and New Testaments leads to a similar conclusion as our examination of the heavens as the place of punishment. We once again observe that in several strands of Jewish and Christian thought it was not uncommon to speak of evil powers in heaven (Jub. 17.16; Apoc. Zeph. 3.5-9; T. Sol. 2.3; 20.12-15). In Testament of Solomon, there are examples of demons which have access both to earth and to the heavenly regions. There are texts which draw upon the Old Testament notion of evil powers as accusing agents in heaven (Apoc. Zeph. 3.5-9) and there are also passages which demonstrate affinities with the New Testament theme of Satan and his angels having been cast out of heaven (2 En. 29.3-5; LAE 12.1-2; 16.1). Interestingly, 1 En. 40.7 exhibits both of these characteristics as the impious angels are prohibited from entering the presence of the Lord so they cannot accuse those on the earth. Jubilees 17.16 alludes to the Old Testament theme of Satan as tempter or deceiver. In Jewish thought, it was also common to associate the lower heavens with sin, evil, darkness, and God’s judgement (Testament of Levi 2–3; Ques. Ezra 1.19-21). In Ascension of Isaiah, the firmament, or the region below the seven heavens, is the abode of Satan and the evil powers. In Ephesians the location of the evil spiritual powers is also in the heavens; however, Christ’s reign over the spiritual powers and believers’ union with Christ assure believers that these powers can no longer accuse and can no longer ultimately lead the nations astray from God. Additionally, the location of the evil powers in the lower heavens in several apocalyptic texts allows for the possibility that the evil powers in Ephesians might also be located in the lower heavens. (M. Jeff Brannon, The Heavenlies in Ephesians: A Lexical, Exegetical, and Conceptual Analysis [Library of New Testament Studies 447; London: T&T Clark, 2011], 194-97)