Angels and the Divine Council: Part 1

ANGELS AND THE DIVINE COUNCIL

PART 1

How many types of created beings are there?  Some will answer there are angels, arch angels, seraphim, cherubim, and someone called Satan, whatever he happens to be.  How many created beings can be named?  Some will recall Satan, Lucifer (he may be the same as Satan), Michael, and Gabriel.  How many created being are there?  Perhaps there are thousands or millions, who knows.  There are a few more heavenly, throne room of God, types listed in Ezekiel 1 and the Revelation, but of course, they do not interact with humans so they are really of little importance for this discussion.  How many interact with humanity?  Some will mention Satan (if they believe he exists), and Daniel lists Michael and Gabriel:  there are a few appearances of Gabriel in the New Testament as well.

As an aside, it would seem that more people will tell you there are aliens flying around in saucers than believe that angels or Satan may have some influence on planet earth.

THE DIVINE COUNCIL

I have been following Michael Heiser, off and on, for several years.  Some of his material was used in a recent post entitled, The Garden of Eden, Nachash.  Mr. Heiser is a Hebrew, Ugaritic, and Aramaic language expert and believes the Bible is the Word of God.  Regardless of your opinion, it can be said that he is extremely knowledgeable concerning Biblical created beings and their actions and appearance in scripture.  I am not certain if he or someone else coined the phrase, “The Divine Council”, but for this particular article I will claim that it belongs to him.

It should be apparent to most, that humans were not the first beings created by God.  When God was talking to Job, He asked him if he was around when the earth was created and the morning stars sang and the sons of God shouted.

"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding! Who set its measurements -- if you know -- or who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its bases set, or who laid its cornerstone --when the morning stars sang in chorus, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?   (Job 38:4-7 NET)

Now since the earth was just created, it would appear that morning stars and sons of God are heavenly created entities:  perhaps angels as we think of them or some other entity.  Whatever the answer, morning stars are not balls of burning gas called a sun.  They are created beings.  The sons of God are also created beings and may be synonymous with the morning stars.

The prophet Micaiah was asked to speak to the king of Israel:

And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.  (1 Kings 22:19 KJV)

Surrounding God, is found the “host of Heaven” or the “heavenly assembly” in the NET.

Micaiah said, "That being the case, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left.  (1 Kings 22:19 NET)

Psalm 82 states that God is standing among the “sons of God” or the assembly of god as the Green’s Literal translation states it.  God will judge the “gods”, who are sons or children of the most High God. 

A Psalm of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of the mighty; he judges among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, You are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.  (Psalms 82:1-8 KJV)

A Psalm of Asaph God stands in the assembly of God; He judges in the midst of the gods. Until when will you judge unjustly, and lift up the faces of the wicked? Selah. Judge the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; save out of the hand of the wicked. They neither know nor will understand; they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I have said, You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High. But you shall die as men, and fall like one of the rulers. Rise, O God, judge the earth; for You shall inherit in all the nations.

(Psalms 82:1-8 Greens Literal Translation)

What entities does the “assembly of God consist?  Surely, it isn’t attended by every angelic being created by God.  A script of evidence may be found in a comment made by Moses.  He was giving a semi-historical account of latter flood events and commented that after the language alterations associated with the tower of Babel that God divided the bounds of the people and set a “son of God” as their overseer. 

When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.   (Deuteronomy 32:8 KJV)

When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.  (Deuteronomy 32:8 Brenton LXX)

The KJV, which is based on the Masoretic text developed around 200 AD, has seemingly changed the original Hebrew text to “the children of Israel”.  Please note there were no “children of Israel” at the tower of Babylon language change.  The children only existed after the Exodus event.

The LXX has the translation as “the angels of God”.  There are always a few individuals claiming the LXX was translated by a group of evil Greeks, but it was actually the work of a group of Jews who happened to speak Greek, living in Egypt at the time of the translation and probably had never been to Greece.  There are a few Old Testament quotes in the New Testament that cannot be found in the OT in their entirety.  This is because the NT writers were quoting from the LXX, before the Masoretic editors were able to remove or alter as many “Messiah Jesus” scriptures they were aware of.

The nations of the different languages were handed over to the “sons of God” of the Divine Council.  This evidence can be seen in Psalm 82.  God is sovereign and he judges the actions, of lack of action, of the 70 (some say 72) “gods”.  There is only one Lord God, who answers to no higher authority than Himself.  The other heavenly, immortal entities are referred to as “gods” but they answer to a higher authority, who is the Lord God.

Psalm 89:5-7 KJV

And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.  (Psalms 89:5-7 KJV)

NET version of Psalm 89:5-7

O LORD, the heavens praise your amazing deeds, as well as your faithfulness in the angelic assembly. For who in the skies can compare to the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings, a God who is honored in the great angelic assembly, and more awesome than all who surround him?

(Psalms 89:5-7 NET)

LXX version of Psalm 89:5-7

(88:5) The heavens shall declare thy wonders, O Lord; and thy truth in the assembly of the saints. (88:6) For who in the heavens shall be compared to the Lord? and who shall be likened to the Lord among the sons of God? (88:7) God is glorified in the council of the saints; great and terrible toward all that are round about him.  (Psalms 89:5-7 Brenton LXX)