The
“so great a cloud of witnesses” who watch, with great interest, the Great Controversy, from above, and have given
“good report” [Hebrews 11:2,39 KJB] of the elders gone before, and who have
“obtained witness” [Hebrews 11:4 KJB] from those unfallen beings above. Consider well the words of Paul, when he uses the words
“also” and
“we” in connection with those elders gone previously, even all the way back to Abel:
Hebrews 12:1 KJB - Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
“
[A]ll that are in” Heaven, in general, who are the
“servants” God:
Ephesians 1:10 KJB - That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Ephesians 3:15 KJB - Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Revelation 5:3 KJB - And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Revelation 5:4 KJB - And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Revelation 5:13 KJB - 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, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:5 KJB - And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Revelation 19:6 KJB - And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
The very
“armies” and
“hosts” of Heaven:
Revelation 19:4 KJB - And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:19 KJB - And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Romans 9:29 KJB - And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
James 5:4 KJB - Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
The Lord of
“Hosts” [sabaoth] [texts will generally be dualistic, for godly men [whose names written in heaven] and angelic beings [who physically are in/from heaven]]:
Exodus 12:41; 1 Samuel 1:3,11, 4:4, 15:2, 17:45; 2 Samuel 5:10, 6:2,18, 7:8,26,27; 1 Kings 18:15, 19:10,14; 2 Kings 3:14, 19:31; 1 Chronicles 11:9, 17:7,24; Psalms 24:10, 46:7,11, 48:8, 59:5, 69:6, 80:4,7,14,19, 84:1,3,8,12, 89:8, 103:21; Isaiah 1:9,24, 2:12, 3:1,15, 5:7,9,16,24, 6:3,5, 8:13,18, 9:7,13,19, 10:16,23,24,26,33, 13:4,13, 14:12,23,24,27, 17:3, 18:7, 19:4,12,16,17,18,20,25, 21:10, 22:5,12,14,15,25, 23:9, 24:23, 25:6, 28:5,22,29, 29:6, 31:4,5, 37:16,32, 39:5, 44:6, 45:13, 47:4, 48:2, 51:15, 54:5; Jeremiah 2:19, 5:14, 6:6,9, 7:3,21, 8:3, 9:7,15,17, 10:16, 11:17,20,22, 15:16, 16:9, 19:3,11,15, 20:12, 23:15,16,36, 25:8,27,28,29,32, 26:18, 27:4,18,19,21, 28:2,14, 29:4,8,17,21,25, 30:8, 31:23,35, 32:14,15,18, 33:11,12, 35:13,17,18,19, 38:17, 39:16, 42:15,18, 43:10, 44:2,7,11,25, 46:10,18,25, 48:1,15, 49:5,7,26,35, 50:18,25,31,33,34, 51:5,14,19,33,57,58; Hosea 12:5; Amos 3:13, 4:13, 5:14,15,16,27, 6:8,14, 9:5; Micah 4:4; Nahum 2:13, 3:5; Habakkuk 2:13; Zephaniah 2:9,10; Haggai 1:2,5,7,9,14, 2:4,6,7,8,9,11,23; Zechariah 1:3,4,6,12,14,16,17, 2:8,9,11, 3:7,9,10, 4:6,9, 5:4, 6:12,15, 7:3,4,9,12,13, 8:1,2,3,4,6,7,9,11,14,18,19,20,21,22,23, 9:15, 10:3, 12:5, 13:2,7, 14:16,17,21; Malachi 1:4,6,8,9,10,11,13,14, 2:2,4,7,8,12,16, 3:1,5,7,10,11,12,14,17, 4:1,3
The King of
“heaven” [which means there are beings in Heaven that God is King over]:
Daniel 4:37
The Lord of
“Heaven” [which means there are beings in Heaven that God is Lord over]:
Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21; Acts 17:24
The
“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” [there are Kings and Lords in Heaven, beneath God's rulership]:
1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14, 19:16
The
“Throne of God”, by which God rules all, those in the heavens, and in earth:
1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Job 26:9; Psalms 9:4,7, 11:4, 45:6, 47:8. 89:14, 93:2, 97:2, 103:19; Isaiah 6:1, 66:1; Jeremiah 3:17, 17:12; Lamentations 5:19; Ezekiel 1:26, 10:1, 43:7; Daniel 7:9; Zechariah 6:13; Matthew 5:34, 23:22; Acts 7:49; Hebrews 1:8, 4:16, 8:1, 12:2; Revelation 1:4, 3:21, 4:2,3,4,5,6,9,10, 5:1,6,7,11,13, 6:16, 7:9,10,11,15,17, 8:3, 12:5, 14:3,5, 16:17, 19:4,5, 20:11, 21:5, 22:1,3
The
“kingdom of Heaven” [thus there are beings in Heaven which make up an heavenly kingdom, to be ruled by the King of Heaven, for instance: “... Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.” [Matthew 6:10 KJB] and “... Thy will be done,
as in heaven, so in earth.” [Luke 11:2 KJB]]:
1 Chronicles 29:11; Daniel 2:44, 4:34, 7:27; Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 5:3,10,19,20, 6:10, 7:21, 8:11, 10:7, 11:11,12, 13:11,24,31,33,44,45,47,52, 16:19, 18:1,3,4,23, 19:12,14,23, 20:1, 22:2, 23:13, 25:1,14; Luke 11:2
The
“Kingdom of God” [beings and places in heaven which make up God's kingdom of Heaven, and of which the Christians from this earth, are to become connected to once more, no longer to be separated from the continent of heaven]:
Matthew 6:33, 12:28, 19:29, 21:31,43; Mark 1:14,15, 4:11,26,30, 9:1,47, 10:14,15,23,24,25, 12:34, 14:25, 15:43; Luke 4:43, 6:20, 7:28, 8:1,10, 9:2,11,27,60,62, 10:9,11, 11:20, 12:31, 13:18,20,28,29, 14:15, 16:16, 17:20,21, 18:16,17,24,25,29, 19:11, 21:31, 22:16,18, 23:51; John 3:3,5; Acts 1:3, 8:12, 14:22, 19:8, 20:25, 28:23,31; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 4:20, 6:9,10, 15:24,50; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:5, 4:1; Hebrews 1:8, 12:28; James 2:5; Revelation 1:9, 12:10
Heavenly
“thrones”:
Daniel 7:9 KJB - I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Matthew 19:28 KJB - And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Colossians 1:16 KJB - For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Revelation 4:4 KJB - And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Revelation 11:16 KJB - And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Revelation 20:4 KJB - And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Heavenly
“dominions”, though God ruleth over all of the created:
Job 25:2 KJB -
Dominion and fear
are with him, he maketh peace
in his high places.
Psalms 103:22 KJB - Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his
dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Psalms 114:2 KJB - Judah was his sanctuary,
and Israel his
dominion.
Psalms 145:13 KJB - Thy kingdom
is an everlasting kingdom, and thy
dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Daniel 4:3 KJB - How great
are his signs! and how mighty
are his wonders! his kingdom
is an everlasting kingdom, and his
dominion is from generation to generation.
Daniel 4:34 KJB - And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose
dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom
is from generation to generation:
Daniel 6:26 KJB - I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he
is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom
that which shall not be destroyed, and his
dominion shall be even unto the end.
Micah 4:8 KJB - And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even
the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
Compare, to this world, before sin, a dominion was given to Adam the first, to rule, like as unto the other beings and the other unfallen worlds:
Genesis 1:26 KJB - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:28 KJB - And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Psalms 8:6 KJB - Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
Compare to the Dominion of Jesus, the second and last Adam [1 Corinthians 15:45,47 KJB] and His everlasting Dominion:
Psalms 72:8 KJB - He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
Daniel 7:27 KJB - And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Zechariah 9:10 KJB - And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
1 Peter 4:11 KJB - If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:11 KJB - To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:25 KJB - To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Revelation 1:6 KJB - And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 1:20 KJB - Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:21 KJB - Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Colossians 1:16 KJB - For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Jude 1:8 KJB - Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.