This document is an examination of the doctrine of communion of saints/intercession of saints through the lens of the Scriptures primarily with some sources from ancient Judaism and Church history. There seems to be a few main questions that need to be researched and answered to see if this doctrine is Biblical and Christian or if this is idolatrous and pagan. Therefore, the outline of this document will follow the questions posed below.
1. Are dead Saints alive in Heaven?
2. Can Christian’s alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven?
3. Are those who dwell in Heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth?
4. If the answers to the first three questions are all “yes”, should a Christian practice this?
With these four very important questions posed, let us dive into the study of this heavily debated doctrine. I find it fitting to first and foremost to define terms from a Christian perspective, such as: worship, prayer, idol, idolatry, mediation, intercession, death, saint, necromancy, communion, and veneration. These will be found on the last page of this document. All definitions will come from the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary[1] which is a Protestant dictionary, unless otherwise noted. All quotes from the Holy Bible will come from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted. Though it would be beneficial to read all of the definitions immediately, it may be fruitful to glance over them and reference them as the document goes along, as some of the definitions are lengthy. To avoid lengthy repetition, Communion of Saints will be identified as COMoS and Intercession of Saints INToS.
1. Are dead Saints alive in Heaven?
A dead saint is a saint who has passed from earthly life unto death. As the definition states below, the New Testament teaches that when a person dies they enter into their judgement, the verdict of this judgment will send the person on their way to Heaven or on their way to Hell. So do people, who die in God’s grace (saints) go to Heaven after they die? Revelation 6 and 7 teach that Saints who died, are in Heaven with the Lord. “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” (Rev 6:10-11) and Rev 7:13-15 “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them’” These two texts could not be any clearer that Saints who have died (by martyrdom) are in Heaven with the Lord. Another set of passages in Revelation to look at are Revelation 4:4 and 5:8 which reads “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads “(4:4) and “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb…”(5:8) The “twenty-four elders” are never explicitly identified but they seem to be distinct from beasts (the 4 living beasts) and from angels as well. Two possibilities of their identities can be elders from Israel(1 Chronicles 24:1-19) or elders from the New testament church(Acts 14:23, 1 Tim 5:17 etc.) Either way, it is safe to assume that these “elders” are humans.
The answer to the first question can be answered “yes” with confidence. There are in fact saints who have died physically, who are now in Heaven with the Lord.
2. Can Christian’s alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven?
The insertion of “angelic beings” into the equation is due to the fact that, in the faiths that practice the doctrine of INToS, angels are also asked to intercede and protect. There is usually no objection to the presence of angels in Heaven, so it was not addressed in the first question. If one is curious about that matter see: Genesis 28:12, Isaiah 6:1-6, Rev 7:2-3, 8:2.
The first objection to be posed will be the objection of necromancy. This term is defined above, does communication with dead saints and angels fit the bill for necromancy or summoning the dead? The groups that practice intercession of saints would say that this practice is far from necromancy. When a Christian asks the saint for intercession, the Christian is not trying to summon their spirit on earth, nor is the Christian trying to get information about the future from the saint/angel in Heaven. The Christian is giving information to the saint and asking them to pray to God on their behalf. Catholic apologist Tim Staples writes in his article Praying to Dead Folks “Actually, what is being condemned in these texts from Deuteronomy and Isaiah is conjuring up the dead through wizards and mediums, not praying to saints. The Church has always condemned this. Mediums attempt to conjure up spirits and manipulate the spiritual realm at will. This is categorically different from Christians asking for the intercession of their brothers and sisters in Christ. We do not “conjure up” or manipulate anything or anyone. True prayer—whether to God or the angels and saints—changes the pray-er, not the pray-ee.”[2]
The Catholic Catechism itself says in number 2116 ““All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.”[3]
Now that the objection of necromancy has been addressed, the next objection to search out is the impossibility of saints and angels in Heaven being able to hear our prayers. According to objectors, the only way that saints and angels could hear prayers from Heaven is if they are omniscient, that is- all knowing. Thus, ascribing omniscience to these beings is therefore deifying them, making them gods and making the Christians who practice COMoS idolators. Interestingly enough, the Scriptures give us examples of creatures in Heaven being given a type of omniscience by God. There are many passages that point to Angels and Saints knowing what is happening on Earth, by God allowing them to see it of course. The most obvious gift of omniscience to a creature is found in Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in Heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” The disciple John, by the power of God was able to hear the voices of every creature under the earth, on the earth, in the sea and in Heaven. Not only was he able to hear them but in their diverse languages, he could understand them with clarity saying in unison ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ and if it wasn’t enough that he could hear all humans, Revelation says that John was hearing every creature, “such as are in the sea”. This means John was able to hear and understand every animal! This alone is enough evidence to show that God can give omniscience to His creatures if He so chooses. Other examples of creatures in Heaven, being aware of things that happen on Earth can be found in the following passages.
Angels:
“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:7, 10 . Here it is shown that the angels in God’s presence(in Heaven) rejoice over repentant sinners)
and
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” Matthew 18:10. This passage gives evidence to guardian angels and says that these children’s angels always behold the face of Jesus’ father.
Saints:
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” Revelation 6:9-11. The Lord tells His martyred saints about the future on Earth. This also gives evidence to the saints interceding that Christ would avenge them sooner rather than later on the Earth.
“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.’ Again they said, ‘Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! Alleluia!’” Revelation 19:1-4. The Saints in Heaven were made aware of the destruction of Babylon that took place on Earth.
This concept can also be found in the Gospels.
In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, an interesting dialogue occurs between the Rich man and Abraham. After Lazarus begs “father Abraham” to “have mercy on him” (Luke 16:24) the scripture reads “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.” Luke 16:25. Though this is a parable, Jesus seems to suggest that Abraham had knowledge of the lives of both Lazarus and the rich man. Not only did Abraham have knowledge of that, but, as the passage continues “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”Luke 16:27-31. Wow! Abraham knew about Moses and the prophets! Not only does Abraham know this, but, in this parable, Jesus gives Christians a foreshadowing of INToS. Lazarus begs Abraham to intercede for him and to “have mercy on him” (the dipping of Lazarus finger to his tongue) and for his family(send Lazarus to my brothers), but Abraham refuses, since, of course, Lazarus was already in Hades. The believers of INToS do not believe that souls can be brought from Hell to Heaven by praying to Saints., when you are dead, your life is judged by how you lived.
Another example can be found In 2 Samuel 1. David laments and mourns over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. It is written in verse 17 “Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,”
Immediately following this in verse 18, it is written that David teaches the people a hymn and commands that it be taught to their children “and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher:”
In this hymn, there is something very shocking. David speaks to Jonathan as if he were still alive, yet, Jonathan was dead at this point. He says in the hymn, in verses 23 and 26
““Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions...I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women.
In this passage, King David seems to speak to Jonathan as if he could hear him, though Jonathan was already dead. I do admit that this language is common near the deaths of loved ones, yet, David speaks with intention here and pours out his heart to Jonathan.
The final example of this can be found when Christ is on the cross and He cries out “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matt 27:46. What’s interesting about this passage is how the Jews responded in verses 47 and 49 “Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, ‘This Man is calling for Elijah!... The rest said, ‘Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.’” The Jews say, “let us see if Elijah will come”. Why would they think that Elijah could hear Jesus and why would they think that Elijah would come save Him? Are they ascribing omniscience and omnipotence to Elijah? Of course not. (Interestingly enough, Elijah and Moses did come to talk with Jesus in Matthew 17:1-13).
With the previous passage in Matthew 27, if it is accurate, there must have some tradition from Jewish sources that date prior to Christ. Interestingly, there are a few ancient Jewish sources that seem to point to this practice.
The first piece of evidence we will examine of the Jewish origins of this practice is in Job 5. Job’s friend says to Job in the midst of Job’s suffering “Call out now; Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn?” (Job 5:1).
This seems to show good evidence that the practice of “turning to holy ones” was common in Job’s day. Other translations render “holy ones” in this passage as “Angels”(NLT, AMP, CEV Brenton Septuagint, GNT, etc). Other translations render “holy ones” as “Saints”(KJV, Douay-Rheims, AKJV, AFV, Geneva 1587). Regardless of whether “holy ones” means “angels” or “saints” or both, this is strong evidence that ancient Judaism practiced the invocation of saints.
The second instance is known as the Prayer of Azariah. This is an insertion to the third chapter of Daniel in the Septuagint version of the Old testament. This prayer is only found in certain translations, mostly those of Catholic bibles, though it is in the Septuagint text. This prayer appears in between Daniel 3:23 and 3:24, almost as a Daniel 3:23.5 in the Septuagint. In the Catholic translations Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) and the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) this prayer will be found in Daniel 3, verses 25-90. Two verses from this prayer stand out, they will be quoted DRA first and NRSVCE second. DRA: “O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.”(v.65) “O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.”(v.86). NRSVCE: “Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.”(v.86). Though these passages are not agreed upon, canonically speaking, by scholars, these are not that different then some of the prayers that can be found in the Psalms. An example of this can be found in Psalm 103:20-22 “Bless the Lord, you His angels,Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
Whether the Prayer of Azariah is meant to be in the scriptures or not, it gives evidence of ancient origins to intercession of those who dwell in Heaven. It is even more compelling when compared to agreed upon, canonically speaking, passages like Psalm 103:20-22.
Another ancient evidence of this practice can be found in the book of Enoch. Again, this book is not agreed upon by scholars, but different sects of Judaism and Christianity have accepted this book as canon. The book of Enoch is quoted by Jude in his epistle in Jude 1:14-15, the dating of this book is estimated to be around the 2nd century BC[4] according to more liberal leaning scholars. In Enoch chapter 9, verses 1-3 the author says “And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: 'The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their cryingst up to the gates of heaven. And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, ‘Bring our cause before the Most High.’”[5]
In this text, the 4 archangels are telling the “holy ones of Heaven” and the “souls of men” in Heaven, to intercede to God on behalf of the humans on Earth.
Finally, this is practiced still today by some of Jews, in the Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 34b(which dates to between 350-500AD) it is read “It is also stated with regard to the spies: “And they went up into the south, and he came to Hebron” (Numbers 13:22). Why is the phrase ‘and he came’ written in the singular form? The verse should have said: And they came. Rava says: This teaches that Caleb separated himself from the counsel of the other spies and went and prostrated himself on the graves of the forefathers in Hebron. He said to them: My forefathers, pray for mercy for me so that I will be saved from the counsel of the spies.”[6]
After looking at evidence from Holy Scripture, ancient non-canonical/apocryphal writings and Jewish tradition, the answer to the question “Can humans alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven?” With confidence, again, the answer is “yes”. Again, not much attention was given to the interaction between humans and angels on earth as I doubt no one would object to this. For more studies on that subject see: Genesis 19:1-3, Zech 1:12-21, Luke 1:11-13, Matthew 1:20-21, Mark 16:5-7 and Hebrews 13:2.
3. Are those who dwell in Heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth?
In this question, by “those who dwell in Heaven”, I am considering any being in Heaven whether human, angel or unknown creatures. Now would be a good time to refresh your memory on the definitions of “intercessors” and “mediators” provided in the definitions below. There are many examples of intercession and mediation(or a command to do so) between fellow believers on Earth in both the Old and New Testament. A few of those examples are:
- Abraham when he intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah “’Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ So the LORD said, ‘If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.’”
(Genesis 18:24-26 )
- Job intercedes for his sons to God in the beginning of Job “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly.”(Job 1:5). Then the Lord commands Job to intercede for his friends at the end of the book. “’Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:8-10)
- Paul himself commands believers in two places to intercede for eachother and for him. The first being in Ephesians 6:18-19 “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,”. The second example is in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,”.
Clearly, on Earth, Christians should have no problem interceding for one another as it is a common theme in scripture from beginning unto the end. Where this becomes difficult for most people is asking this of those who dwell in Heaven. This is the reason that this document was laid out the way that it is. If one is new to the doctrine of INToS or skeptical of it, they probably have been able to affirm everything previously written, but when it all culminates into asking a saint, it gets scary. It is fitting to do a quick review at this point before moving forward. In the two previous sections it has already been proved that 1. Dead saints ARE alive in heaven and 2. Humans on Earth CAN communicate with those who dwell in Heaven, mainly dead saints, and angelic beings.
There are two aspects to which saints and angels intercede for us in Heaven and it is seen clearly in the scriptures. Though it may be fruitful to first address a common objection. This objection being 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus”. If there is only one mediator between God and man, this is, Christ, how can anyone dare suggest that a saint or angel can intercede on your behalf? The whole passage reads.
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;” 1 Timothy 2:1-8
In this passage, Paul commands that “supplications”, “prayers”, “intercessions”, and “giving thanks being made for all men”, then he pauses to say “There is one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus”, then Paul returns to his beginning message and says “I desire that men pray everywhere”. How can Paul command believers to make supplications, intercessions, and prayers for all men while at the same time say Jesus is the one and only mediator? The answer is, there is no contradiction. Jesus can be the only person who bridges the infinite gap between God and men while simultaneously, believers can intercede for each other. In fact, it is only because Jesu bridged the infinite gap that believers can come directly to God( for themselves or on behalf of others). This can be seen more clearly in Hebrews chapter 4, which reads “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (v.14-16). This is how Jesus is mediator, Paul almost in sync with the writer of Hebrews says Jesus “gave Himself a ransom for all”(1 Tim 2:6) which corresponds to Hebrews 5 immediately addressing this “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,“(v. 7-9) “
Jesus is the only way that man can come to God because Jesus as both man and God, is the eternal mediator of the new covenant. This truth is in no way threatened by the ability of others, whether on Earth or in Heaven, to offer up prayers, supplications, and intercessions on our behalf. There is no contention, if there was, St. Paul blatantly contradicted himself in the span of eight verses.
When a person decides to follow Christ, they actually participate in Christ, in His very body and in His very identity. The Christian enter into communion with God the Father through the Sonship of Christ and become part of God’s family. Jesus is the head of the church and through our communion with Christ, we are looked at as children of God, this is the new covenant. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Romans 8:1-17 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” And finally, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren… Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” In the covenant of Jesus Christ, Christians are all united in Christ and are partakers of Christ. This is an important truth that can not be forgotten, believers are brothers and sisters of Christ and in Christ. Therefore, because of this shared identity with Christ, Christians also participate in His ministries, this is not of course, out of His necessity or lacking but rather, out of His desire to involve His brethern. Paul says it this way in 1 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” and in Philippians 1:5 “always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,” The Christian literally participates in the Gospel and God’s plan of redemption, and, thus are all united in one Spirit (2 Cor 13:14, 1 Cor 6:17 and Eph 4:4).
This extremely intimate communion in the Holy Spirit and participation in Christ and the furtherance of His gospel does not stop when Christian pass from this world into the next. Neither is the union and fellowship broken between the church on Earth and the church in Glory. Those in Christ are are all in one body and in one Spirit under one Head. (Eph 4:4). This concept is clearly evident
in the letter Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 12, written to believers on Earth, the author says “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God…But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, 22-24 ). In this present moment Christians are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (read Hebrews 11 to learn about them) and have come to, presently, in this very moment, the city of God, an innumerable company of angels, the spirits of just men made perfect and much more. This is a reality in this very moment in history, this is not a future event.
With all the groundwork laid, where is there found examples of saints and/or angles in Heaven, interceding on behalf of the Christians on Earth? These can be found in the book Revelation.
- In Revelation 6:10-11 it is written “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” In this passage, it can be demonstrated that martyred saints in Heaven intercede for the completion and fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan on Earth.
- Revelation 5:8 reads “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” The four living creatures in heaven and the twenty-four elders all have their own harp and golden bowl of incense, the incense that is being offered to God are the prayers of the saints. This description gives a priestly image, elder with bowls of incense is what a priest would use on earth in the Old Covenant and in the New Covenant church. Interestingly, the passage in Revelation goes on to say in verse 10 “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” The four living creatures and elders claim that they are priests to God through Jesus. What is the job of a priest besides offering up spiritual gifts/sacrifices and interceding to God on the behalf of others? In this picture it seems that the beasts and elders are offering up the gift of spiritual sacrifice which are the prayers of the church on Earth(Psalm 141:2). Of course, Jesus is still the high priest and sole mediator of the New Covenant, yet He allows priestly participation in the Heavenly sanctuary by the beats and elders.
- Not too far later into the book of Revelation is a similar image given of Heavenly worship, yet, it is the angel’s who are the ones acting in priestly roles. Revelation 8:2-5 says “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” This shocking image shows the priestly role that the angel’s fulfill in heaven. The Angels was given incense to mix with the prayers of the saints to offer it up to God.
Both of these texts are extremely telling, though it is not said in these texts that these prayers were addressed to the beasts, elders, or angels, that is irrelevant at the moment. The point of these passages are to give Christians a glimpse into Heavenly worship where beats, elders and angels all take on priestly roles of offering up prayers from the church on Earth to God, therefore interceding between the two. Whether these prayers were directed to creatures, or they were prayers directed to God, these three types of creatures participated in intercession and mediation between Christians on earth and God in heaven.
These two passages effectively demonstrate that beasts, elders and angels participate in Heavenly worship and intercession by offering up incense and prayers of the church on Earth to God. The answer to the question “Are those who dwell in heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth?” is again, “yes”.
To recap:
1. Are dead Saints alive in Heaven? Yes
2. Can Christian’s alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven? Yes
3. Are those who dwell in Heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth? Yes
Putting these three together, the reader can affirm that “dead saints are alive in Heaven, Christian’s on Earth can communicate with dead saints and angelic beings who dwell in Heaven and, those who dwell in Heaven do act in intercessory ways between believers on earth and God.” If the reader can affirm this, then the reader has just effectively acknowledged that the Scripture teaches the doctrine of Intercession/Communion of Saints. One final question now remains.
4. If the answers to the first three questions are all “yes”, should a Christian practice this?
To address this question, the focus will now be shifted to the practice of the first Christians and Christians all the way up and into the reformation. It is first worth stating that if this doctrine is to be practiced, it should be done erred to the side of caution. Though it can be demonstrated that this doctrine is biblical, Christians must be careful to not fall into idolatry, which is to say, worship of creatures as if they were divine beings. There is a sense to which Christians to partake of the divine nature and glory of God (2 Peter 1:4 and John 17:22-23) yet the essence of a creature never become that of the essence of God. Understanding these nuances will be very important. None of the faiths that practice INToS, whether they be Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, and some Lutherans and Anglicans force their members to pray to saints. While in some of these traditions, INToS plays a very big role, if someone is uncomfortable with the practice and/or it violates their conscience, they are not forced to participate in it(though they cannot deny that the practice is biblical and orthodox). An example of this falling into Idolatry can be seen with a group called the Collyridians. The Collyridians, were a fourth century heretical sect that worshipped Mary by offering up cakes and wines to her. This group was led by mostly women priests.[7] This group was condemned and excommunicated by the catholic orthodox church.[8]
Examples of Christians practicing this doctrine can be found in all eras of the church and the doctrine itself is testified to throughout church history.
One of the earliest evidences of this practice comes from a writing known as the Shepherd of Hermas. This writing was not accepted as canon by the early church but was a popular writing which circulated around. In book 3, chapter 4, it reads “But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask Him. But you, having been strengthened by the holy Angel, and having obtained from Him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from Him?”[9] This passage gives evidence to intercession of angels to aid Christians on Earth.
The first example of Marian devotion in practice can be found in a hymn that dates to the 250AD era. In this hymn, Mary the Mother of Jesus is identified as “Theotokos” or “God-bearer”. The hymn reads ”Beneath your compassion, We take refuge, O Theotokos: do not despise our petitions in time of trouble; but rescue us from dangers, only pure, only blessed one.”[10] This hymn is still popular within the Eastern Orthodox liturgies.
Another evidence of early Christians practicing INToS can be found in St. Augustine’s Confessions, Book 6. In this book Augustine gives some shocking insight to the common practice of this doctrine. Augustine, writing about his devout mother says, “When, therefore, my mother had at one time — as was her custom in Africa — brought to the oratories built in the memory of the saints certain cakes, and bread, and wine, and was forbidden by the doorkeeper, so soon as she learned that it was the bishop who had forbidden it, she so piously and obediently acceded to it”[11] The bishop actually forbade this practice of bringing offerings to the oratories(or shrines) of the saints because he believed it to be pagan, but, the bishop did not forbid prayer to the saints at these oratories. Augustine continues by saying “And in lieu of a basket filled with fruits of the earth, she had learned to bring to the oratories of the martyrs a heart full of more purified petitions, and to give all that she could to the poor; that so the communion of the Lord's body might be rightly celebrated there, where, after the example of His passion, the martyrs had been sacrificed and crowned.”[12] After Augustine’s mother learned that her custom was forbidden, she still brought to shrines of martyrs, a heart full of purified petitions.
St. Cyrpian of Carthage mentions this practice in his writing Epistle 56. He writes “Let us on both sidesalways pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if any one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father's mercy. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartly farewell.”[13] St. Cyrpian who lived in the third century believed that Christians should and do continue in prayers for eachother even after they have died.
Having seen four examples that can be dated to the earliest centuries of the church, it can be demonstrated that this practice was not an invented doctrine in the middle ages or a pagan adoption into Christianity. This practice is and always has been purely Christian. This practice only becomes more evident as history gets closer to modern times. In fact, most Christians don’t know that even the reformers still maintained parts of this doctrine and the prayer “Hail Mary” is still offered in some high church Anglican services to this day[14]. Two of the most prominent protestant reformers was Martin Luther little do most know, that this ex-priest still practiced devotion to Mary. In fact, there are still Lutheran rosaries in use today, now, depending on the Lutheran tradition the prayers will vary. But some of the Lutheran’s still pray the pre- Council of Trent “Hail Mary” which says “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus Christ. Amen.”[15] Luther even says in one of his earlier works "May this same sweet mother of God obtain for me the spirit to explain usefully and profoundly this, her canticle,”[16], "May Christ grant me this through the intercession of His beloved mother."[17] And "Mary should be invoked so that God will give us and do to us, according to her will, that which we request."[18]
Likewise, Phillip Melanchton, a Lutheran Theologian who was the principal author of the Augsburg Confession conceded to the doctrine of INToS in Art. XXI (IX): Of the Invocation of Saints writes “Granting that the blessed Mary prays for the Church, does she receive souls in death, does she conquer death [the great power of Satan], does she quicken? What does Christ do if the blessed Mary does these things?”[19] While there are some key distinctions between the catholic/orthodox practice and the reformation thought, protestants can still affirm that saints in Heaven pray on behalf of Christians of Earth.
The answer to the question “If the answers to the first three questions are all “yes”, should a Christian practice this?” will ultimately come down to a matter of conscience. While all three premises of the Biblical basis for this doctrine can be proven to be true, this final premise will come down to the individuals discernment. It has been demonstrated that, from the earliest Christians and even into the reformation, the doctrine of Intercession/Communion of Saints has been accepted in some forms, so, whether the individual decides to participate in this practice or not, the individual can not condemn Christians who do participate in this practice. This does not mean that Christian’s should not challenge some of the prayers and devotions to saints and/or angels because it can fall into idolatry if one is not prudent, but, condemnation for the biblical practice of INToS should be refrained from. If a prayer or devotion to a saint or angel seems to cross the line, research the theology of the prayer first as sometimes there are language barriers between Latin, Greek, Egyptian, Assyrian and the reader’s language which in this case is English. Then as the Bishop did in St. Augustine’s time, stand firm to worship of only the true God, even if the devotion is a custom in other Christian traditions or lands.
Definitions:
Worship- “Term used to refer to the act or action associated with attributing honor, reverence, or worth to that which is considered to be divine by religious adherents.” “Worship may be understood in either a broad or narrow context. In a broad sense, worship is seen as a way of life (Rom. 12:1). In this context all of life is viewed as an act of worship or service before God (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17). Worship is also pictured as an act of the assembled people of God, as seen in the worship prescribed by God in the tabernacle (Exod. 25–40; Lev. 1–7) and temple (1 Chron. 22–29; 2 Chron. 3–7; 29–31), as well as in the worship of the NT church (Acts 13:2; 1 Cor. 11–14). In addition to the various congregational descriptions, worship sometimes involves individual encounters with God (Gen. 29:35; 35:11–15; Exod. 3:1–22; Josh. 5:13–15; Isa. 6), family worship (Gen. 4:2–5; 8:16–9:17; 35:2–7), and includes a few descriptions of worship in heaven (Isa. 6; Rev. 4; 5; 7; 15; 19).” “One of the striking features of worship in the Bible is that, following the instructions given for the liturgy of the tabernacle and temple, there is relative silence regarding formal structure in worship. Instead, various models of worship emerge. The individual and family models have already been noted. Descriptions of worship in the congregation vary. The tabernacle worship involves various offerings (Lev. 1–7) that allow for the worshipers to express gratitude, reverence, and confession to the Lord in the setting of dramatic ritual offerings. Temple worship maintains these elements and employs music on a rather grand scale (1 Chron. 25). There is a general pattern in the worship of the tabernacle and the temple, proceeding from the outer courts to the inner court and then to the holy of holies, which is entered once a year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement. Similar patterns of entrance and progressive movement are also evident in certain psalms (Pss. 95; 100).”
Veneration- The term Veneration does not appear in Holman, so this definition will come from two unbiased sources. From Merriam Webster’s Dictionary- “1. to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference. 2. to honor (an icon, a relic, etc.) with a ritual act of devotion.”[20] From definitions.net “Veneration, or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Philologically, "to venerate" derives from the Latin verb, venerare, meaning to regard with reverence and respect.”[21]
Idol- “Physical or material image or form representing a reality or being considered divine and thus an object of worship.” Isaiah 44:9-20
Idolatry- The act of giving worship to an idol.
Prayer- Due to the short answer of Holman a second definition of prayer will be offered from a differing theological standpoint. Holman first, Catholic Answer’s second. Both will be useful for this discussion. “Dialogue between God and people, especially His covenant partners.”(Holman) and “to plead, to beg, to ask earnestly, an act of the virtue of religion which consists in asking proper gifts or graces from God. In a more general sense it is the application of the mind to Divine things, not merely to acquire a knowledge of them but to make use of such knowledge as a means of union with God. This may be done by acts of praise and thanksgiving, but petition is the principal act of prayer. The words used to express it in Scripture are: to call upon (Gen., iv, 26); to intercede (Job, xxii, 10); to meditate (Is., liii, 10); to consult (I Kings, xxviii, 6); to beseech (Ex., xxxii, 11); and, very commonly, to cry out to.”[22]
Mediation- Holman does not give a definition of Mediation, the definition will come from the direct interlinear found on biblehub.com in the passage of 1 Timothy 2:5. Usage: “(a) a mediator, intermediary, (b) a go-between, arbiter, agent of something good.” Definition: “3316 (‘in the middle’) – properly, an arbitrator (‘mediator’), guaranteeing the performance of all the terms stipulated in a covenant (agreement). 3316 (a ‘mediator’) intervenes to restore peace between two parties, especially as it fulfills a compact or ratifies a covenant.”[23]
Intercession- “Act of intervening or mediating between differing parties, particularly the act of praying to God on behalf of another person.”
Death- “Biblical scholars group the Bible’s teachings on death into three distinct but interrelated categories—physical, spiritual, and eternal.” Physical Death is the only relevant death for this document. “The Bible nowhere presents physical death as a painless transition from material existence to the spiritual plane. Facing the death of His friend Lazarus, for instance, Jesus did not react with a detached resignation but was moved to tears of compassion by the pain death had left in its wake (John 11:35, 38). The Apostle Paul seems ambivalent about his own foreseen death at the hands of the state. The goodness he finds in death is not an escape from life. Rather, Paul rejoices in the knowledge that in death he both would glorify and be in the presence of His Messiah, the Lord Jesus” and “Although physical death is sometimes compared to sleep (Deut. 31:16; John 11:11; 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Thess. 4:15), Scripture does not teach that one’s consciousness lapses after death to reawaken at the day of resurrection and judgment. Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross that He would see paradise the very day of his death (Luke 23:43). Paul teaches that, for believers, being absent from the body means being present with Christ (2 Cor. 5:8).”
Saints- “Holy people, a title for all God’s people but applied in some contexts to a small group seen as the most dedicated ones.”
Necromancy- “Conjuring the spirits of the dead to predict or influence future events. See Medium”
Medium- “One possessed by (Lev. 20:6) or consulting (Deut. 18:11) a ghost or spirit of the dead, especially for information about the future.” And “The Hebrew word translated medium (ʾov) may refer to the spirit of a dead person, to the medium possessed by the spirit, or to images used to conjure up spirits.”
Communion- “a sharing in the life and death of Christ which radically creates a relationship of Christ and the believer and of the believers with one another in a partnership or unity”
Sources:
Brand, C., Draper, C., & England, A. (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers.
Staples, T. (2020, September 22). Praying to Dead Folks. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Praying to Dead Folks.
Catechism of the Catholic Church - Part 3 section 2 chapter 1 Article 1. Retrieved from Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 3 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 1 ARTICLE 1.
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). The book of Enoch. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from biblical literature - The Book of Enoch.
1 Enoch (Ethiopic Enoch). 1 enoch. (n.d.). Retrieved from 1 Enoch.
Taking responsibility for our mistakes. Jewish Theological Seminary. Taking Responsibility for Our Mistakes - Jewish Theological Seminary.
Sotah 34B. Sefaria. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sotah 34b.
Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., Coxe, C., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The shepherd of Hermas (book III). CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III. Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III.
Freeman, F. S. (2016, November 19). Beneath Her Compassion. Glory to God for All Things. Retrieved from Beneath Her Compassion - Glory to God for All Things.
Schaff, P., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The confessions (book VI). CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine).
Roberts, A., Coxe, A. C., Donaldson, J., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). Epistle 56. CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage).
How to Pray the Rosary as a Lutheran . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pivotpointministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Praying-The-Lutheran-Rosary.pdf.
New King James Bible. Online bible. Retrieved from Online Bible.
Cardinal Bea, A. (n.d.). Mary and the Protestants. University of Dayton eCommons. Retrieved from https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=marian_reprint.
Mahler, C. (2019, November 12). Article XXI. of the worship of the saints. Book of Concord. Retrieved from Article XXI. Of the Worship of the Saints | Book of Concord.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Venerating. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from Definition of VENERATING.
Definitions for Veneration. What does veneration mean? (n.d.). Retrieved from What does veneration mean?.
Catholic Answers. (2019, August 6). Prayer. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Prayer.
Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator. (n.d.). Retrieved from Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator.
[1] Brand, C., Draper, C., & England, A. (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Staples, T. (2020, September 22). Praying to Dead Folks. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Praying to Dead Folks.
[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church - Part 3 section 2 chapter 1 Article 1. Retrieved from Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 3 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 1 ARTICLE 1.
[4] Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). The book of Enoch. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from biblical literature - The Book of Enoch.
[5] 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Enoch). 1 enoch. (n.d.). Retrieved from 1 Enoch.
[6] Taking responsibility for our mistakes. Jewish Theological Seminary. Taking Responsibility for Our Mistakes - Jewish Theological Seminary.
and
Sotah 34B. Sefaria. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sotah 34b.
[7] All about Mary. Collyridians : University of Dayton, Ohio. Collyridians : University of Dayton, Ohio.
[8] Madrid, Patrick. (2019, February 19). Collyridianism. Catholic Answers. Collyridianism.
[9] Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., Coxe, C., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The shepherd of Hermas (book III). CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III. Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III.
[10] Freeman, F. S. (2016, November 19). Beneath Her Compassion. Glory to God for All Things. Retrieved from Beneath Her Compassion - Glory to God for All Things.
[11] Schaff, P., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The confessions (book VI). CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine).
[12] Ibid.
[13] Roberts, A., Coxe, A. C., Donaldson, J., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). Epistle 56. CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage).
[14] Balancing our reformed and Catholic heritage ... - youtube.com. YouTube. Barely Protestant.
. Timestamp 4:05-4:20
[15] How to Pray the Rosary as a Lutheran . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pivotpointministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Praying-The-Lutheran-Rosary.pdf.
[16] Cardinal Bea, A. (n.d.). Mary and the Protestants. University of Dayton eCommons. Retrieved from https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=marian_reprint.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Mahler, C. (2019, November 12). Article XXI. of the worship of the saints. Book of Concord. Retrieved from Article XXI. Of the Worship of the Saints | Book of Concord.
[20] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Venerating. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from Definition of VENERATING.
[21] Definitions for Veneration. What does veneration mean? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.definitions.net/definition/veneration#:~:text=Veneration, or veneration of saints,regard with reverence and respect.
[22] Catholic Answers. (2019, August 6). Prayer. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Prayer.
[23] Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator. (n.d.). Retrieved from Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator.
1. Are dead Saints alive in Heaven?
2. Can Christian’s alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven?
3. Are those who dwell in Heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth?
4. If the answers to the first three questions are all “yes”, should a Christian practice this?
With these four very important questions posed, let us dive into the study of this heavily debated doctrine. I find it fitting to first and foremost to define terms from a Christian perspective, such as: worship, prayer, idol, idolatry, mediation, intercession, death, saint, necromancy, communion, and veneration. These will be found on the last page of this document. All definitions will come from the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary[1] which is a Protestant dictionary, unless otherwise noted. All quotes from the Holy Bible will come from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted. Though it would be beneficial to read all of the definitions immediately, it may be fruitful to glance over them and reference them as the document goes along, as some of the definitions are lengthy. To avoid lengthy repetition, Communion of Saints will be identified as COMoS and Intercession of Saints INToS.
1. Are dead Saints alive in Heaven?
A dead saint is a saint who has passed from earthly life unto death. As the definition states below, the New Testament teaches that when a person dies they enter into their judgement, the verdict of this judgment will send the person on their way to Heaven or on their way to Hell. So do people, who die in God’s grace (saints) go to Heaven after they die? Revelation 6 and 7 teach that Saints who died, are in Heaven with the Lord. “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” (Rev 6:10-11) and Rev 7:13-15 “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them’” These two texts could not be any clearer that Saints who have died (by martyrdom) are in Heaven with the Lord. Another set of passages in Revelation to look at are Revelation 4:4 and 5:8 which reads “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads “(4:4) and “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb…”(5:8) The “twenty-four elders” are never explicitly identified but they seem to be distinct from beasts (the 4 living beasts) and from angels as well. Two possibilities of their identities can be elders from Israel(1 Chronicles 24:1-19) or elders from the New testament church(Acts 14:23, 1 Tim 5:17 etc.) Either way, it is safe to assume that these “elders” are humans.
The answer to the first question can be answered “yes” with confidence. There are in fact saints who have died physically, who are now in Heaven with the Lord.
2. Can Christian’s alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven?
The insertion of “angelic beings” into the equation is due to the fact that, in the faiths that practice the doctrine of INToS, angels are also asked to intercede and protect. There is usually no objection to the presence of angels in Heaven, so it was not addressed in the first question. If one is curious about that matter see: Genesis 28:12, Isaiah 6:1-6, Rev 7:2-3, 8:2.
The first objection to be posed will be the objection of necromancy. This term is defined above, does communication with dead saints and angels fit the bill for necromancy or summoning the dead? The groups that practice intercession of saints would say that this practice is far from necromancy. When a Christian asks the saint for intercession, the Christian is not trying to summon their spirit on earth, nor is the Christian trying to get information about the future from the saint/angel in Heaven. The Christian is giving information to the saint and asking them to pray to God on their behalf. Catholic apologist Tim Staples writes in his article Praying to Dead Folks “Actually, what is being condemned in these texts from Deuteronomy and Isaiah is conjuring up the dead through wizards and mediums, not praying to saints. The Church has always condemned this. Mediums attempt to conjure up spirits and manipulate the spiritual realm at will. This is categorically different from Christians asking for the intercession of their brothers and sisters in Christ. We do not “conjure up” or manipulate anything or anyone. True prayer—whether to God or the angels and saints—changes the pray-er, not the pray-ee.”[2]
The Catholic Catechism itself says in number 2116 ““All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.”[3]
Now that the objection of necromancy has been addressed, the next objection to search out is the impossibility of saints and angels in Heaven being able to hear our prayers. According to objectors, the only way that saints and angels could hear prayers from Heaven is if they are omniscient, that is- all knowing. Thus, ascribing omniscience to these beings is therefore deifying them, making them gods and making the Christians who practice COMoS idolators. Interestingly enough, the Scriptures give us examples of creatures in Heaven being given a type of omniscience by God. There are many passages that point to Angels and Saints knowing what is happening on Earth, by God allowing them to see it of course. The most obvious gift of omniscience to a creature is found in Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in Heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” The disciple John, by the power of God was able to hear the voices of every creature under the earth, on the earth, in the sea and in Heaven. Not only was he able to hear them but in their diverse languages, he could understand them with clarity saying in unison ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’ and if it wasn’t enough that he could hear all humans, Revelation says that John was hearing every creature, “such as are in the sea”. This means John was able to hear and understand every animal! This alone is enough evidence to show that God can give omniscience to His creatures if He so chooses. Other examples of creatures in Heaven, being aware of things that happen on Earth can be found in the following passages.
Angels:
“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:7, 10 . Here it is shown that the angels in God’s presence(in Heaven) rejoice over repentant sinners)
and
“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” Matthew 18:10. This passage gives evidence to guardian angels and says that these children’s angels always behold the face of Jesus’ father.
Saints:
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” Revelation 6:9-11. The Lord tells His martyred saints about the future on Earth. This also gives evidence to the saints interceding that Christ would avenge them sooner rather than later on the Earth.
“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.’ Again they said, ‘Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! Alleluia!’” Revelation 19:1-4. The Saints in Heaven were made aware of the destruction of Babylon that took place on Earth.
This concept can also be found in the Gospels.
In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, an interesting dialogue occurs between the Rich man and Abraham. After Lazarus begs “father Abraham” to “have mercy on him” (Luke 16:24) the scripture reads “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.” Luke 16:25. Though this is a parable, Jesus seems to suggest that Abraham had knowledge of the lives of both Lazarus and the rich man. Not only did Abraham have knowledge of that, but, as the passage continues “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”Luke 16:27-31. Wow! Abraham knew about Moses and the prophets! Not only does Abraham know this, but, in this parable, Jesus gives Christians a foreshadowing of INToS. Lazarus begs Abraham to intercede for him and to “have mercy on him” (the dipping of Lazarus finger to his tongue) and for his family(send Lazarus to my brothers), but Abraham refuses, since, of course, Lazarus was already in Hades. The believers of INToS do not believe that souls can be brought from Hell to Heaven by praying to Saints., when you are dead, your life is judged by how you lived.
Another example can be found In 2 Samuel 1. David laments and mourns over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. It is written in verse 17 “Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son,”
Immediately following this in verse 18, it is written that David teaches the people a hymn and commands that it be taught to their children “and he told them to teach the children of Judah the Song of the Bow; indeed it is written in the Book of Jasher:”
In this hymn, there is something very shocking. David speaks to Jonathan as if he were still alive, yet, Jonathan was dead at this point. He says in the hymn, in verses 23 and 26
““Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions...I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women.
In this passage, King David seems to speak to Jonathan as if he could hear him, though Jonathan was already dead. I do admit that this language is common near the deaths of loved ones, yet, David speaks with intention here and pours out his heart to Jonathan.
The final example of this can be found when Christ is on the cross and He cries out “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matt 27:46. What’s interesting about this passage is how the Jews responded in verses 47 and 49 “Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, ‘This Man is calling for Elijah!... The rest said, ‘Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.’” The Jews say, “let us see if Elijah will come”. Why would they think that Elijah could hear Jesus and why would they think that Elijah would come save Him? Are they ascribing omniscience and omnipotence to Elijah? Of course not. (Interestingly enough, Elijah and Moses did come to talk with Jesus in Matthew 17:1-13).
With the previous passage in Matthew 27, if it is accurate, there must have some tradition from Jewish sources that date prior to Christ. Interestingly, there are a few ancient Jewish sources that seem to point to this practice.
The first piece of evidence we will examine of the Jewish origins of this practice is in Job 5. Job’s friend says to Job in the midst of Job’s suffering “Call out now; Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn?” (Job 5:1).
This seems to show good evidence that the practice of “turning to holy ones” was common in Job’s day. Other translations render “holy ones” in this passage as “Angels”(NLT, AMP, CEV Brenton Septuagint, GNT, etc). Other translations render “holy ones” as “Saints”(KJV, Douay-Rheims, AKJV, AFV, Geneva 1587). Regardless of whether “holy ones” means “angels” or “saints” or both, this is strong evidence that ancient Judaism practiced the invocation of saints.
The second instance is known as the Prayer of Azariah. This is an insertion to the third chapter of Daniel in the Septuagint version of the Old testament. This prayer is only found in certain translations, mostly those of Catholic bibles, though it is in the Septuagint text. This prayer appears in between Daniel 3:23 and 3:24, almost as a Daniel 3:23.5 in the Septuagint. In the Catholic translations Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA) and the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) this prayer will be found in Daniel 3, verses 25-90. Two verses from this prayer stand out, they will be quoted DRA first and NRSVCE second. DRA: “O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.”(v.65) “O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.”(v.86). NRSVCE: “Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.”(v.86). Though these passages are not agreed upon, canonically speaking, by scholars, these are not that different then some of the prayers that can be found in the Psalms. An example of this can be found in Psalm 103:20-22 “Bless the Lord, you His angels,Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!”
Whether the Prayer of Azariah is meant to be in the scriptures or not, it gives evidence of ancient origins to intercession of those who dwell in Heaven. It is even more compelling when compared to agreed upon, canonically speaking, passages like Psalm 103:20-22.
Another ancient evidence of this practice can be found in the book of Enoch. Again, this book is not agreed upon by scholars, but different sects of Judaism and Christianity have accepted this book as canon. The book of Enoch is quoted by Jude in his epistle in Jude 1:14-15, the dating of this book is estimated to be around the 2nd century BC[4] according to more liberal leaning scholars. In Enoch chapter 9, verses 1-3 the author says “And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: 'The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their cryingst up to the gates of heaven. And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, ‘Bring our cause before the Most High.’”[5]
In this text, the 4 archangels are telling the “holy ones of Heaven” and the “souls of men” in Heaven, to intercede to God on behalf of the humans on Earth.
Finally, this is practiced still today by some of Jews, in the Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 34b(which dates to between 350-500AD) it is read “It is also stated with regard to the spies: “And they went up into the south, and he came to Hebron” (Numbers 13:22). Why is the phrase ‘and he came’ written in the singular form? The verse should have said: And they came. Rava says: This teaches that Caleb separated himself from the counsel of the other spies and went and prostrated himself on the graves of the forefathers in Hebron. He said to them: My forefathers, pray for mercy for me so that I will be saved from the counsel of the spies.”[6]
After looking at evidence from Holy Scripture, ancient non-canonical/apocryphal writings and Jewish tradition, the answer to the question “Can humans alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven?” With confidence, again, the answer is “yes”. Again, not much attention was given to the interaction between humans and angels on earth as I doubt no one would object to this. For more studies on that subject see: Genesis 19:1-3, Zech 1:12-21, Luke 1:11-13, Matthew 1:20-21, Mark 16:5-7 and Hebrews 13:2.
3. Are those who dwell in Heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth?
In this question, by “those who dwell in Heaven”, I am considering any being in Heaven whether human, angel or unknown creatures. Now would be a good time to refresh your memory on the definitions of “intercessors” and “mediators” provided in the definitions below. There are many examples of intercession and mediation(or a command to do so) between fellow believers on Earth in both the Old and New Testament. A few of those examples are:
- Abraham when he intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah “’Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ So the LORD said, ‘If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.’”
(Genesis 18:24-26 )
- Job intercedes for his sons to God in the beginning of Job “So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly.”(Job 1:5). Then the Lord commands Job to intercede for his friends at the end of the book. “’Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:8-10)
- Paul himself commands believers in two places to intercede for eachother and for him. The first being in Ephesians 6:18-19 “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,”. The second example is in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,”.
Clearly, on Earth, Christians should have no problem interceding for one another as it is a common theme in scripture from beginning unto the end. Where this becomes difficult for most people is asking this of those who dwell in Heaven. This is the reason that this document was laid out the way that it is. If one is new to the doctrine of INToS or skeptical of it, they probably have been able to affirm everything previously written, but when it all culminates into asking a saint, it gets scary. It is fitting to do a quick review at this point before moving forward. In the two previous sections it has already been proved that 1. Dead saints ARE alive in heaven and 2. Humans on Earth CAN communicate with those who dwell in Heaven, mainly dead saints, and angelic beings.
There are two aspects to which saints and angels intercede for us in Heaven and it is seen clearly in the scriptures. Though it may be fruitful to first address a common objection. This objection being 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus”. If there is only one mediator between God and man, this is, Christ, how can anyone dare suggest that a saint or angel can intercede on your behalf? The whole passage reads.
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;” 1 Timothy 2:1-8
In this passage, Paul commands that “supplications”, “prayers”, “intercessions”, and “giving thanks being made for all men”, then he pauses to say “There is one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus”, then Paul returns to his beginning message and says “I desire that men pray everywhere”. How can Paul command believers to make supplications, intercessions, and prayers for all men while at the same time say Jesus is the one and only mediator? The answer is, there is no contradiction. Jesus can be the only person who bridges the infinite gap between God and men while simultaneously, believers can intercede for each other. In fact, it is only because Jesu bridged the infinite gap that believers can come directly to God( for themselves or on behalf of others). This can be seen more clearly in Hebrews chapter 4, which reads “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (v.14-16). This is how Jesus is mediator, Paul almost in sync with the writer of Hebrews says Jesus “gave Himself a ransom for all”(1 Tim 2:6) which corresponds to Hebrews 5 immediately addressing this “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,“(v. 7-9) “
Jesus is the only way that man can come to God because Jesus as both man and God, is the eternal mediator of the new covenant. This truth is in no way threatened by the ability of others, whether on Earth or in Heaven, to offer up prayers, supplications, and intercessions on our behalf. There is no contention, if there was, St. Paul blatantly contradicted himself in the span of eight verses.
When a person decides to follow Christ, they actually participate in Christ, in His very body and in His very identity. The Christian enter into communion with God the Father through the Sonship of Christ and become part of God’s family. Jesus is the head of the church and through our communion with Christ, we are looked at as children of God, this is the new covenant. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Romans 8:1-17 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” And finally, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren… Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” In the covenant of Jesus Christ, Christians are all united in Christ and are partakers of Christ. This is an important truth that can not be forgotten, believers are brothers and sisters of Christ and in Christ. Therefore, because of this shared identity with Christ, Christians also participate in His ministries, this is not of course, out of His necessity or lacking but rather, out of His desire to involve His brethern. Paul says it this way in 1 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” and in Philippians 1:5 “always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,” The Christian literally participates in the Gospel and God’s plan of redemption, and, thus are all united in one Spirit (2 Cor 13:14, 1 Cor 6:17 and Eph 4:4).
This extremely intimate communion in the Holy Spirit and participation in Christ and the furtherance of His gospel does not stop when Christian pass from this world into the next. Neither is the union and fellowship broken between the church on Earth and the church in Glory. Those in Christ are are all in one body and in one Spirit under one Head. (Eph 4:4). This concept is clearly evident
in the letter Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 12, written to believers on Earth, the author says “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God…But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, 22-24 ). In this present moment Christians are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (read Hebrews 11 to learn about them) and have come to, presently, in this very moment, the city of God, an innumerable company of angels, the spirits of just men made perfect and much more. This is a reality in this very moment in history, this is not a future event.
With all the groundwork laid, where is there found examples of saints and/or angles in Heaven, interceding on behalf of the Christians on Earth? These can be found in the book Revelation.
- In Revelation 6:10-11 it is written “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” In this passage, it can be demonstrated that martyred saints in Heaven intercede for the completion and fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan on Earth.
- Revelation 5:8 reads “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” The four living creatures in heaven and the twenty-four elders all have their own harp and golden bowl of incense, the incense that is being offered to God are the prayers of the saints. This description gives a priestly image, elder with bowls of incense is what a priest would use on earth in the Old Covenant and in the New Covenant church. Interestingly, the passage in Revelation goes on to say in verse 10 “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” The four living creatures and elders claim that they are priests to God through Jesus. What is the job of a priest besides offering up spiritual gifts/sacrifices and interceding to God on the behalf of others? In this picture it seems that the beasts and elders are offering up the gift of spiritual sacrifice which are the prayers of the church on Earth(Psalm 141:2). Of course, Jesus is still the high priest and sole mediator of the New Covenant, yet He allows priestly participation in the Heavenly sanctuary by the beats and elders.
- Not too far later into the book of Revelation is a similar image given of Heavenly worship, yet, it is the angel’s who are the ones acting in priestly roles. Revelation 8:2-5 says “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” This shocking image shows the priestly role that the angel’s fulfill in heaven. The Angels was given incense to mix with the prayers of the saints to offer it up to God.
Both of these texts are extremely telling, though it is not said in these texts that these prayers were addressed to the beasts, elders, or angels, that is irrelevant at the moment. The point of these passages are to give Christians a glimpse into Heavenly worship where beats, elders and angels all take on priestly roles of offering up prayers from the church on Earth to God, therefore interceding between the two. Whether these prayers were directed to creatures, or they were prayers directed to God, these three types of creatures participated in intercession and mediation between Christians on earth and God in heaven.
These two passages effectively demonstrate that beasts, elders and angels participate in Heavenly worship and intercession by offering up incense and prayers of the church on Earth to God. The answer to the question “Are those who dwell in heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth?” is again, “yes”.
To recap:
1. Are dead Saints alive in Heaven? Yes
2. Can Christian’s alive on Earth communicate with dead saints and angelic beings that are in Heaven? Yes
3. Are those who dwell in Heaven intercessors/mediators on the behalf of Christians on Earth? Yes
Putting these three together, the reader can affirm that “dead saints are alive in Heaven, Christian’s on Earth can communicate with dead saints and angelic beings who dwell in Heaven and, those who dwell in Heaven do act in intercessory ways between believers on earth and God.” If the reader can affirm this, then the reader has just effectively acknowledged that the Scripture teaches the doctrine of Intercession/Communion of Saints. One final question now remains.
4. If the answers to the first three questions are all “yes”, should a Christian practice this?
To address this question, the focus will now be shifted to the practice of the first Christians and Christians all the way up and into the reformation. It is first worth stating that if this doctrine is to be practiced, it should be done erred to the side of caution. Though it can be demonstrated that this doctrine is biblical, Christians must be careful to not fall into idolatry, which is to say, worship of creatures as if they were divine beings. There is a sense to which Christians to partake of the divine nature and glory of God (2 Peter 1:4 and John 17:22-23) yet the essence of a creature never become that of the essence of God. Understanding these nuances will be very important. None of the faiths that practice INToS, whether they be Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, and some Lutherans and Anglicans force their members to pray to saints. While in some of these traditions, INToS plays a very big role, if someone is uncomfortable with the practice and/or it violates their conscience, they are not forced to participate in it(though they cannot deny that the practice is biblical and orthodox). An example of this falling into Idolatry can be seen with a group called the Collyridians. The Collyridians, were a fourth century heretical sect that worshipped Mary by offering up cakes and wines to her. This group was led by mostly women priests.[7] This group was condemned and excommunicated by the catholic orthodox church.[8]
Examples of Christians practicing this doctrine can be found in all eras of the church and the doctrine itself is testified to throughout church history.
One of the earliest evidences of this practice comes from a writing known as the Shepherd of Hermas. This writing was not accepted as canon by the early church but was a popular writing which circulated around. In book 3, chapter 4, it reads “But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask Him. But you, having been strengthened by the holy Angel, and having obtained from Him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from Him?”[9] This passage gives evidence to intercession of angels to aid Christians on Earth.
The first example of Marian devotion in practice can be found in a hymn that dates to the 250AD era. In this hymn, Mary the Mother of Jesus is identified as “Theotokos” or “God-bearer”. The hymn reads ”Beneath your compassion, We take refuge, O Theotokos: do not despise our petitions in time of trouble; but rescue us from dangers, only pure, only blessed one.”[10] This hymn is still popular within the Eastern Orthodox liturgies.
Another evidence of early Christians practicing INToS can be found in St. Augustine’s Confessions, Book 6. In this book Augustine gives some shocking insight to the common practice of this doctrine. Augustine, writing about his devout mother says, “When, therefore, my mother had at one time — as was her custom in Africa — brought to the oratories built in the memory of the saints certain cakes, and bread, and wine, and was forbidden by the doorkeeper, so soon as she learned that it was the bishop who had forbidden it, she so piously and obediently acceded to it”[11] The bishop actually forbade this practice of bringing offerings to the oratories(or shrines) of the saints because he believed it to be pagan, but, the bishop did not forbid prayer to the saints at these oratories. Augustine continues by saying “And in lieu of a basket filled with fruits of the earth, she had learned to bring to the oratories of the martyrs a heart full of more purified petitions, and to give all that she could to the poor; that so the communion of the Lord's body might be rightly celebrated there, where, after the example of His passion, the martyrs had been sacrificed and crowned.”[12] After Augustine’s mother learned that her custom was forbidden, she still brought to shrines of martyrs, a heart full of purified petitions.
St. Cyrpian of Carthage mentions this practice in his writing Epistle 56. He writes “Let us on both sidesalways pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if any one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence the first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father's mercy. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartly farewell.”[13] St. Cyrpian who lived in the third century believed that Christians should and do continue in prayers for eachother even after they have died.
Having seen four examples that can be dated to the earliest centuries of the church, it can be demonstrated that this practice was not an invented doctrine in the middle ages or a pagan adoption into Christianity. This practice is and always has been purely Christian. This practice only becomes more evident as history gets closer to modern times. In fact, most Christians don’t know that even the reformers still maintained parts of this doctrine and the prayer “Hail Mary” is still offered in some high church Anglican services to this day[14]. Two of the most prominent protestant reformers was Martin Luther little do most know, that this ex-priest still practiced devotion to Mary. In fact, there are still Lutheran rosaries in use today, now, depending on the Lutheran tradition the prayers will vary. But some of the Lutheran’s still pray the pre- Council of Trent “Hail Mary” which says “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus Christ. Amen.”[15] Luther even says in one of his earlier works "May this same sweet mother of God obtain for me the spirit to explain usefully and profoundly this, her canticle,”[16], "May Christ grant me this through the intercession of His beloved mother."[17] And "Mary should be invoked so that God will give us and do to us, according to her will, that which we request."[18]
Likewise, Phillip Melanchton, a Lutheran Theologian who was the principal author of the Augsburg Confession conceded to the doctrine of INToS in Art. XXI (IX): Of the Invocation of Saints writes “Granting that the blessed Mary prays for the Church, does she receive souls in death, does she conquer death [the great power of Satan], does she quicken? What does Christ do if the blessed Mary does these things?”[19] While there are some key distinctions between the catholic/orthodox practice and the reformation thought, protestants can still affirm that saints in Heaven pray on behalf of Christians of Earth.
The answer to the question “If the answers to the first three questions are all “yes”, should a Christian practice this?” will ultimately come down to a matter of conscience. While all three premises of the Biblical basis for this doctrine can be proven to be true, this final premise will come down to the individuals discernment. It has been demonstrated that, from the earliest Christians and even into the reformation, the doctrine of Intercession/Communion of Saints has been accepted in some forms, so, whether the individual decides to participate in this practice or not, the individual can not condemn Christians who do participate in this practice. This does not mean that Christian’s should not challenge some of the prayers and devotions to saints and/or angels because it can fall into idolatry if one is not prudent, but, condemnation for the biblical practice of INToS should be refrained from. If a prayer or devotion to a saint or angel seems to cross the line, research the theology of the prayer first as sometimes there are language barriers between Latin, Greek, Egyptian, Assyrian and the reader’s language which in this case is English. Then as the Bishop did in St. Augustine’s time, stand firm to worship of only the true God, even if the devotion is a custom in other Christian traditions or lands.
Definitions:
Worship- “Term used to refer to the act or action associated with attributing honor, reverence, or worth to that which is considered to be divine by religious adherents.” “Worship may be understood in either a broad or narrow context. In a broad sense, worship is seen as a way of life (Rom. 12:1). In this context all of life is viewed as an act of worship or service before God (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17). Worship is also pictured as an act of the assembled people of God, as seen in the worship prescribed by God in the tabernacle (Exod. 25–40; Lev. 1–7) and temple (1 Chron. 22–29; 2 Chron. 3–7; 29–31), as well as in the worship of the NT church (Acts 13:2; 1 Cor. 11–14). In addition to the various congregational descriptions, worship sometimes involves individual encounters with God (Gen. 29:35; 35:11–15; Exod. 3:1–22; Josh. 5:13–15; Isa. 6), family worship (Gen. 4:2–5; 8:16–9:17; 35:2–7), and includes a few descriptions of worship in heaven (Isa. 6; Rev. 4; 5; 7; 15; 19).” “One of the striking features of worship in the Bible is that, following the instructions given for the liturgy of the tabernacle and temple, there is relative silence regarding formal structure in worship. Instead, various models of worship emerge. The individual and family models have already been noted. Descriptions of worship in the congregation vary. The tabernacle worship involves various offerings (Lev. 1–7) that allow for the worshipers to express gratitude, reverence, and confession to the Lord in the setting of dramatic ritual offerings. Temple worship maintains these elements and employs music on a rather grand scale (1 Chron. 25). There is a general pattern in the worship of the tabernacle and the temple, proceeding from the outer courts to the inner court and then to the holy of holies, which is entered once a year by the high priest on the Day of Atonement. Similar patterns of entrance and progressive movement are also evident in certain psalms (Pss. 95; 100).”
Veneration- The term Veneration does not appear in Holman, so this definition will come from two unbiased sources. From Merriam Webster’s Dictionary- “1. to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference. 2. to honor (an icon, a relic, etc.) with a ritual act of devotion.”[20] From definitions.net “Veneration, or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Philologically, "to venerate" derives from the Latin verb, venerare, meaning to regard with reverence and respect.”[21]
Idol- “Physical or material image or form representing a reality or being considered divine and thus an object of worship.” Isaiah 44:9-20
Idolatry- The act of giving worship to an idol.
Prayer- Due to the short answer of Holman a second definition of prayer will be offered from a differing theological standpoint. Holman first, Catholic Answer’s second. Both will be useful for this discussion. “Dialogue between God and people, especially His covenant partners.”(Holman) and “to plead, to beg, to ask earnestly, an act of the virtue of religion which consists in asking proper gifts or graces from God. In a more general sense it is the application of the mind to Divine things, not merely to acquire a knowledge of them but to make use of such knowledge as a means of union with God. This may be done by acts of praise and thanksgiving, but petition is the principal act of prayer. The words used to express it in Scripture are: to call upon (Gen., iv, 26); to intercede (Job, xxii, 10); to meditate (Is., liii, 10); to consult (I Kings, xxviii, 6); to beseech (Ex., xxxii, 11); and, very commonly, to cry out to.”[22]
Mediation- Holman does not give a definition of Mediation, the definition will come from the direct interlinear found on biblehub.com in the passage of 1 Timothy 2:5. Usage: “(a) a mediator, intermediary, (b) a go-between, arbiter, agent of something good.” Definition: “3316 (‘in the middle’) – properly, an arbitrator (‘mediator’), guaranteeing the performance of all the terms stipulated in a covenant (agreement). 3316 (a ‘mediator’) intervenes to restore peace between two parties, especially as it fulfills a compact or ratifies a covenant.”[23]
Intercession- “Act of intervening or mediating between differing parties, particularly the act of praying to God on behalf of another person.”
Death- “Biblical scholars group the Bible’s teachings on death into three distinct but interrelated categories—physical, spiritual, and eternal.” Physical Death is the only relevant death for this document. “The Bible nowhere presents physical death as a painless transition from material existence to the spiritual plane. Facing the death of His friend Lazarus, for instance, Jesus did not react with a detached resignation but was moved to tears of compassion by the pain death had left in its wake (John 11:35, 38). The Apostle Paul seems ambivalent about his own foreseen death at the hands of the state. The goodness he finds in death is not an escape from life. Rather, Paul rejoices in the knowledge that in death he both would glorify and be in the presence of His Messiah, the Lord Jesus” and “Although physical death is sometimes compared to sleep (Deut. 31:16; John 11:11; 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Thess. 4:15), Scripture does not teach that one’s consciousness lapses after death to reawaken at the day of resurrection and judgment. Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross that He would see paradise the very day of his death (Luke 23:43). Paul teaches that, for believers, being absent from the body means being present with Christ (2 Cor. 5:8).”
Saints- “Holy people, a title for all God’s people but applied in some contexts to a small group seen as the most dedicated ones.”
Necromancy- “Conjuring the spirits of the dead to predict or influence future events. See Medium”
Medium- “One possessed by (Lev. 20:6) or consulting (Deut. 18:11) a ghost or spirit of the dead, especially for information about the future.” And “The Hebrew word translated medium (ʾov) may refer to the spirit of a dead person, to the medium possessed by the spirit, or to images used to conjure up spirits.”
Communion- “a sharing in the life and death of Christ which radically creates a relationship of Christ and the believer and of the believers with one another in a partnership or unity”
Sources:
Brand, C., Draper, C., & England, A. (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers.
Staples, T. (2020, September 22). Praying to Dead Folks. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Praying to Dead Folks.
Catechism of the Catholic Church - Part 3 section 2 chapter 1 Article 1. Retrieved from Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 3 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 1 ARTICLE 1.
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). The book of Enoch. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from biblical literature - The Book of Enoch.
1 Enoch (Ethiopic Enoch). 1 enoch. (n.d.). Retrieved from 1 Enoch.
Taking responsibility for our mistakes. Jewish Theological Seminary. Taking Responsibility for Our Mistakes - Jewish Theological Seminary.
Sotah 34B. Sefaria. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sotah 34b.
Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., Coxe, C., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The shepherd of Hermas (book III). CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III. Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III.
Freeman, F. S. (2016, November 19). Beneath Her Compassion. Glory to God for All Things. Retrieved from Beneath Her Compassion - Glory to God for All Things.
Schaff, P., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The confessions (book VI). CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine).
Roberts, A., Coxe, A. C., Donaldson, J., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). Epistle 56. CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage).
How to Pray the Rosary as a Lutheran . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pivotpointministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Praying-The-Lutheran-Rosary.pdf.
New King James Bible. Online bible. Retrieved from Online Bible.
Cardinal Bea, A. (n.d.). Mary and the Protestants. University of Dayton eCommons. Retrieved from https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=marian_reprint.
Mahler, C. (2019, November 12). Article XXI. of the worship of the saints. Book of Concord. Retrieved from Article XXI. Of the Worship of the Saints | Book of Concord.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Venerating. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from Definition of VENERATING.
Definitions for Veneration. What does veneration mean? (n.d.). Retrieved from What does veneration mean?.
Catholic Answers. (2019, August 6). Prayer. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Prayer.
Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator. (n.d.). Retrieved from Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator.
[1] Brand, C., Draper, C., & England, A. (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Staples, T. (2020, September 22). Praying to Dead Folks. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Praying to Dead Folks.
[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church - Part 3 section 2 chapter 1 Article 1. Retrieved from Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 3 SECTION 2 CHAPTER 1 ARTICLE 1.
[4] Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). The book of Enoch. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from biblical literature - The Book of Enoch.
[5] 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Enoch). 1 enoch. (n.d.). Retrieved from 1 Enoch.
[6] Taking responsibility for our mistakes. Jewish Theological Seminary. Taking Responsibility for Our Mistakes - Jewish Theological Seminary.
and
Sotah 34B. Sefaria. (n.d.). Retrieved from Sotah 34b.
[7] All about Mary. Collyridians : University of Dayton, Ohio. Collyridians : University of Dayton, Ohio.
[8] Madrid, Patrick. (2019, February 19). Collyridianism. Catholic Answers. Collyridianism.
[9] Roberts, A., Donaldson, J., Coxe, C., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The shepherd of Hermas (book III). CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III. Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: The Shepherd of Hermas, Book III.
[10] Freeman, F. S. (2016, November 19). Beneath Her Compassion. Glory to God for All Things. Retrieved from Beneath Her Compassion - Glory to God for All Things.
[11] Schaff, P., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). The confessions (book VI). CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Confessions, Book VI (St. Augustine).
[12] Ibid.
[13] Roberts, A., Coxe, A. C., Donaldson, J., & Knight, K. (Eds.). (n.d.). Epistle 56. CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage). Retrieved from CHURCH FATHERS: Epistle 56 (Cyprian of Carthage).
[14] Balancing our reformed and Catholic heritage ... - youtube.com. YouTube. Barely Protestant.
[15] How to Pray the Rosary as a Lutheran . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pivotpointministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Praying-The-Lutheran-Rosary.pdf.
[16] Cardinal Bea, A. (n.d.). Mary and the Protestants. University of Dayton eCommons. Retrieved from https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1082&context=marian_reprint.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Mahler, C. (2019, November 12). Article XXI. of the worship of the saints. Book of Concord. Retrieved from Article XXI. Of the Worship of the Saints | Book of Concord.
[20] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Venerating. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from Definition of VENERATING.
[21] Definitions for Veneration. What does veneration mean? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.definitions.net/definition/veneration#:~:text=Veneration, or veneration of saints,regard with reverence and respect.
[22] Catholic Answers. (2019, August 6). Prayer. Catholic Answers. Retrieved from Prayer.
[23] Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator. (n.d.). Retrieved from Strong's Greek: 3316. μεσίτης (mesités) -- an arbitrator, a mediator.
