Did you know that God has a spiritual council He converses with and even, sometimes, allows to make decisions? Jack and Spencer discuss Psalm 82 and God’s Divine Council in this episode.

Music:
“Kid Kodi”
Blue Dot Sessions
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Episode 66 -The Divine Council of God

Introduction

In our last episode, we discussed the importance of studying the spiritual realm:

       The Bible discusses it extensively throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Extrabiblical literature reveals that the spiritual realm comprised a large part of the Jewish way of thinking.

It gives background to our sinful behavior (more than just the fall of Genesis 3).

The study reminds us of our true enemy, that of sin and sinful forces, NOT one another.

Ultimately, it provides us greater appreciation for what Jesus has done for us in not only providing us relationship with God, but bringing about the ultimate defeat of evil, and ushering the creation back to the Creator.

In this episode, we will discuss what Dr. Michael Heiser said was the passage that “changed everything” for him. The passage in view is Psalm 82, and we believe it will change everything about how you view the Bible as well.

Psalm 82

At the end of Ephesians 6, Paul refers to the “rulers,” “authorities,” “cosmic powers,” and “spiritual forces” in the heavenly places. Notice here that Paul:

Places our enemies in the heavenly places, in contrast with the earlier phrase of “flesh and blood” (6:12)

States these enemies in the plural, not as a singular entity (compare with places like Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4 “angels”)

For the writers of the New Testament, the existence and proliferation of evil was laid at the feet of multiple beings, NOT a singular entity. This is not merely a New Testament idea either, but one that is established within the Old Testament in discussions about what is called the “divine council” of God. We’ll turn our attention to a few passages today, with most of our attention turned towards Psalm 82.

We see the phrase “divine council” show up in Psalm 82. For Dr. Michael Heiser, foremost scholar of this study, this chapter was the lifting of the veil moment, that opened up a lot of passages that otherwise go ignored or unexplained. We’ll read through it together here:

“God has taken his place in the divine council;
    in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
 “How long will you judge unjustly
    and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
    maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
 Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
    they walk about in darkness;
    all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I said, “You are gods,
    sons of the Most High, all of you;
 nevertheless, like men you shall die,
    and fall like any prince.”

Arise, O God, judge the earth;
    for you shall inherit all the nations!”

(Psalm 82:1-8)

In the text, we are presented twice with “God” and twice with “gods” with both occurring in the very first verse of the text. In Hebrew, all four of these occurrences are the Hebrew Elohim. The question then comes up, why are these being translated differently with one as singular (“God”) and one plural (“gods”)?

Elohim is a word that works both ways, like our English word “fish”. Heiser uses the example of “a fish is swimming” and “the fish are swimming”. The word “fish” can be either singular or plural, the verb is what helps us to know how the term is being used.

In this case, the first Elohim is paired with the singular verb “has taken” and “He holds judgment”. By contrast, the second Elohim (translated “gods”) is paired with the words “will you (plural) judge unjustly and show partiality…” in 82:2.

In addition to this, we have the phrases “council” and “midst of” in 82:1, both of which indicate a group.

Before we go too much further, we should take a moment to discuss Elohim. This is the word generically used for spiritual beings of all kinds, including Yahweh.

Elohim is not descriptive, but rather stating generally that a spiritual being or beings are being discussed (for example, the gods of the Egyptians and Amorites are referred to as Elohim in Joshua 24:15).

The Creator, Yahweh, is a descriptive term (see Exodus 34:6-7) as are phrases like “God Most High”, “Lord of hosts”, etc.

Yahweh is an Elohim, but no other Elohim is like Yahweh, a fact that is shown in, and I would argue is the point of, many Old Testament passages (like the plagues of Exodus, and the dreaming of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon).

To summarize, Elohim indicates to us exactly what Paul and Peter and Jude do, that there are many spiritual beings, some of whom are in rebellion to God. This is the message of Psalm 82.

What Psalm 82 is Not Talking About

Scholars and Bible students have attempted to reconcile what is presented to us in Psalm 82 in a number of different ways. We’ll spend some time here briefly, examining who these gods are not before we set up for the next lesson.

Is this the Trinity?

Psalm 82 is, like many of the Psalms, negative with a positive ending (82:6-8). This Psalm finds God executing judgment against rulers who have not exercised their authority properly. So…

If the “gods” that “God” (presumably the Father) is speaking to are the Son and the Spirit, we have a serious theological problem because the Son and Spirit would be guilty of judging unjustly, showing partiality to the wicked, failing to uphold the needs of the weak, fatherless, and needy AND will ultimately be punished by the Father for this behavior.

Are these idols?

It should be noted that the Elohim is sometimes used for idols (Genesis 35:4; Exodus 32:4), but other language shows us that idols are not the intended takeaway of this passage.

God would have to have idols in his “council” actively involved in ruling and passing judgment.

Additionally, later in the chapter, these beings are called “sons of the Most High”, a phrase connected to the phrase “sons of God” throughout the Old Testament. Every time, the phrase “sons of God” or “Most High” is used to refer to beings within the heavenly host (see also Genesis 6:2; Job 1:6, 2:1; 38). Psalm 89 adds to this discussion in this way:

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
    and awesome above all who are around him?

(Psalm 89:5-7)

Notice the return of “council” in this passage as well as the phrases used to describe the beings that make up the council: “holy ones” and “heavenly beings”. The council, and things within it, are in “the skies”, or as Paul says much later, “the heavenlies”.

These beings are not complacent carvings (though idol worship is connected to these beings), but rather spiritual beings in the sky actively involved in bringing justice and guidance to the nations, and failing to do so properly.

Are these judges/leaders of Israel?

The best argument for this question hinges on the final phrase, the great anticipation of Psalm 82, that God will “inherit the nations.” This is language that takes us back to Deuteronomy 32:8, a passage that recalls the events of the Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel:

“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.”

Deuteronomy 32:8

God does not abandon the nations when he selects Abram, but rather places “sons of God” over these other nations while He works within Abram and Israel to one day bless all the nations of the earth.

Sidenote: we will encounter this particular discussion a lot (i.e. opting for a more humanistic explanation of these events). As we unpack places where divine council language is used, it will become harder and harder to explain away the text as talking about human leadership.

Conclusion

Where exactly does this leave us? God has a council that He works with and, up to this point, we’ve seen fail Him, but later we’ll observe the council actually work towards bringing about His good order to the creation, carrying out His plans and purposes.

In the next lesson, we’ll jump back to the beginning with this in mind and lay out specifically the first moments of the rebellion, specifically the Fall, Flood, and Tower of Genesis 3, 6, and 11.

Information adapted by material from Dr. Michael Heiser