In this episode of Wise Counsel, Robert Smith reflects on Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” The writer of Hebrews invites us to run the race of faith with endurance, supported by those who have gone before. Drawing on Michael S. Heiser’s The Unseen Realm and Craig S. Keener’s commentary on Hebrews, Robert explores how the “cloud of witnesses” reminds us that faith is never lived in isolation. From the perseverance of early martyrs to modern heroes of faith, this passage calls us to courage. Connections are made to American history’s “great cloud” of witnesses in the civil rights movement and even the heroic sagas of Western literature.