An Alphabetical Analysis
Volume 7 - Doctrinal Truth - Page 107 of 297
INDEX
(2)
Angels that carry the decisions to the angels of the Divine
Presence to the sixth heaven;
(3)
Angels of the Divine Presence in the fifth heaven;
(4)
Saints or Holy ones in the fourth heaven;
(5)
Powers of the camp, or army in the third heaven;
(6)
Spirits of visitations or retributions in the second heaven.
There are other classifications; Origen gives five classes in ascending
scale: angels, princedoms, powers, thrones, dominions.  It will be seen that
in Colossians 1:16 Paul departs from his usual order, and commences, as do
the Gnostics, with 'thrones'.  The Essenes made the safeguarding of the names
of angels an important item in their scrupulous ritual.  The totality of
Divine powers, was called by the Gnostics, The Pleroma 'The Fulness' (see the
article Pleroma3), and where Gnosticism put the ever descending scale of
principalities and powers, Paul places at the Head, Christ, as the Firstborn
of all creation, the Image of the invisible God, and at the close the
Plenitude or Pleroma.  As the Image He exhausts the wonder of the Godhead
manifested, and in Him all fulness dwells.  He alone is the Mediator between
God and men; all else is incipient idolatry, for 'image worship' usurps the
prerogative of Christ.  The apostle does not dwell upon, or explain what
constituted the Gnosticism of his day; he has a simpler and more satisfactory
method of dealing with it and all like it.  He says:
'Be on your guard; do not suffer yourselves to fall a prey to certain
persons who would lead you captive by a hollow and dreadful system,
which they call philosophy.  They substitute the traditions of men for
the truth of God.  They enforce an elementary discipline ("a specious
make-believe, on the lines of human tradition, corresponding to the
elemental spirits of the world", Moffatt) ... and so in Him -- not in
any inferior mediators -- ye have your life, your being, for ye are
filled from His fulness.  He, I say, is the Head over all spiritual
beings -- call them principalities or powers or what you will' (Bishop
Lightfoot).
lt will be seen from the Gnostic teaching exposed by the apostle that
these principalities and powers were usurpers, and were holding believers and
mankind in thrall.  These angelic rulers are the captivity which the ascended
Lord led captive (Eph. 4:8), and this phrase, 'He led captivity captive and
gave gifts unto men' is quoted from Psalm 68:17,18.  The reference here is to
the giving of the law at mount Sinai:
'The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the
Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.  Thou hast ascended
on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for
men'.
The transition from Sinai with its overwhelming host of angels (the
literal translation of verse 17 is, 'The chariots of God are myriads twice-
told, thousands of repetition'), to leading captivity captive seems to
suggest some conflict among the heavenly hosts, arising out of the
application of the law, somewhat similar to the spoiling of principalities
and powers at the cross, in relation to the imposition of the handwriting of
ordinances, as revealed in Colossians 2:14-17.  Whether under the law of