The Spiritual Hierarchy 2

Powers, Mights and Dominions
The next three members of the spiritual hierarchy are the least known but they appear many times in the Bible. We could refer to these nine groups of beings that comprise the spiritual hierarchy as grades in the angelic orders. As part of a hierarchy we could also say that they do what is required of them according to the beings above them, who receive their direction from the Trinity. I sometimes imagine them as a pyramid of champagne glasses and the champagne cascades from the top to the bottom filling all the glasses. In the case of the angelic orders, each glass would have different properties because each of the orders has their own particular realm of operation. They would also relay the prevailing conditions below them up through the hierarchy to those above them so that everyone is informed. This would be a necessary condition of human free will and there is much to be said about this topic.

This middle trio works more in creation as a whole using wisdom (dominions), to set things in motion (mights), and create form (exousia). We find a fine example of their place in the scheme of things in Colossians.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones thronos – (part of the top trio) or dominions kyriotetes or principalities arche – (part of the bottom trio) or authorities exousia –all things were created through him and for him. Col 1:15-16

N.B. It will not be accidental that in this text thronos are placed next to kyriotetes and archai are placed next to exousia, for that is how they are connected in the angelic orders.

The first of these three, the ones closest to the Archai, are the Powers or Exousia. Exousia denotes freedom of action, the right to act, and they are what I call the creator gods who work with the element of fire or heat. They are the ones mentioned in Genesis 1. The Hebrew term for the Greek exousia is elohim translated as God in Gen 1:1. This term is also plural which supports the notion of members of an angelic order. They are the Spirits of Form working through heat to create the physical substance of this earth.

Mights, dunamis – can be found to be translated as power in Bible which confuses their role with the exousia, the creator gods. They are associated with the element of air and have their domain in motion and therefore work in the wind and movement of the clouds among other things. The clue to the way they work in motion is found in the way their name relates to dynamite. There are many translations for the Greek word dunamis; ability, abundance, deed, meaning, might, miracle, strength, violence, virtue and work.

Dominions, kuriotetes essentially means lordships (kurios, Lord) and indicates authority. They are associated with the element of water. Here is an example of how they are mentioned in the Bible in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

 …according to the working of his great might which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule arche and authority exousia and power dunamis  and dominion kuriotetos. Excerpt from Eph 1:15-23

We could say that the Mights give motion to the form created by the Powers under the lordship or wisdom of the Dominions. In this way our universe is regulated – but with orders from above according to prevailing conditions below in human beings, nations and the needs of evolution.