HEAVEN AS THE DIVINE COUNCIL

 

The Law: Exodus 24:9-10... Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.

 

Job 1:6-12...Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.

 

The Writings: 1 Kings 22:19-23...Then he said, Hear thou, therefore, the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne and all the host of the heavens standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?

 

Job 15:7-8...Wast thou born before Adam? Or wast thou formed before the hills? Hast thou heard the secret of God, that thou dost detain wisdom in thee alone?

 

Psalm 89:5-7...And the heavens shall praise thy wonder, O LORD, thy truth also in the congregation of the saints (Hebrew =heavenly beings). For who in the heavens 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 those that are about him.

 

Psalm 103:19-22...The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, valiant and strong, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

 

From Creation to the MK: Genesis 1:26...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 beasts and over all the earth and over every serpent that moves upon the earth.

 

Job 38:7...when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

 

Daniel 7:9-14...I beheld until thrones were placed, and an Elder of great age did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool: his throne a flame of fire, his wheels burning fire…. thousands of thousands served him, and ten thousands of ten thousands stood before him; the Judge sat down, and the books were opened.

 

They had also taken from the other beasts their rule because their lives had been prolonged until a certain time. I saw in the vision of the night, and, behold, in the clouds of heaven like a Son of man that came and drew near unto the Elder of great age, and they brought him near before him. And he gave him dominion and glory and kingdom; and all the peoples, nations, and tongues served him: his dominion is an eternal dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom such that it shall never be corrupted.

 

Heaven Full of Divine Beings:

Ps 82:1, 6...God has taken his place in the divine council; In the midst of the gods he holds judgment--I say, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.”

 

Ps 89:5-8...Your wonders, O LORD, are praised by the heavens, Your faithfulness, too, in the assembly of holy beings. For who in the skies can equal the LORD, Can compare with the LORD among the divine beings, A God greatly dreaded in the council of holy beings, held in awe by all around Him?

 

Ps 103:19-21...The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word. Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.

 

Ps 29:1 (“Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength”).

 

Names of the Council:

The gatherings of God’s servants have several titles: “mount of assembly” — Isa 14:13, “camp of God” — Gen 32:2 “company” [of destroying angels] — Ps 78:49 “Council of God” — Job 15:8, 29:4 “council of YHVH” — Jer 23:18, 22 “congregation of God”— Ps 82:1 “assembly of holy ones” — Ps 89:5-7

 

Names of Council Members:

The heavenly beings and servants of YHVH have several descriptive titles. This variety of terminology suggests that the constituency of the council held considerable interest for the Israelites. In other words, as the beings serve different functions they are titled accordingly. For example, a “messenger” could also be a “soldier” in YHVH’s army or a “minister” in the temple.Following is a representative list of various names for members of YHVH’s council.

 

“gods/divine beings” — Ps 8:6 (Eng 5), 82:1, 86:8, 97:7; 138:1 “sons of (the true) God” — Gen 6:2 108; Deut 32:8;109 Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7; cf. Dan 3:25 “mighty ones” — Ps 78:25, 103:20 “sons of God/gods” — Ps 29:1, 89:6 “sons of the Most High” — Ps 82:6

 “warriors” — Deut 33:2b-3; Zech 14:5; Joel 4:11; Ps 68:17; 103:19-20 “mighty ones” — Isa 13:3; “troops” — Job 19:12, 25:3 “guardians (of the people)” — Deut 33:3 111 “living creatures” — Ezek 1:5, 13-22“host” — Dan 4:32 (Eng 35) “cherubim” — Gen 3:24; Exod 25:18-22; Ezek 10:1-20 “umpire/arbiter” — Job 9:33 “messenger/angel” — numerous: Gen 19:1; 28:12;32:2-7; 2 Sam 24:16; Zech 1-5; Pss 8:5, 91:11, 103:20,148:2  “messenger of God” — numerous: Gen 21:17, 31:11, 48:16; Exod 14:19; Jud 13:9; 2 Sam 24:16

 “messenger of YHVH” — numerous: Gen 16:7-11,22:11, 24:7, Exod 3:2, 23:20; Num 22:22-35; Jud 2:1,5:23, 6:11-22, 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3; 19:35;Zech 1:9, 3:1-6; Ps 34:8; 1 Chr 21:12-30.

 “intercessor, angel mediator” — Job 33:23 112 “ravager” — Isa 54:16 113

“minister” — Ps 103:21; 104:4 “servants” — Job 4:18 “witness” — Ps 89:38 114; Job 16:19 (or is this God himself?)

“watcher(s)” — Dan 4: 10, 14, 20 (Eng 13, 17, 23) “pillars of heaven” — Job 26:11 “host/army” — Jos 5:14-15; 1 Kgs 22:19;    Isa 24:21;Jer 19:13; Zeph 1:5 ; Pss 103:21, 148:2; Neh 9:6 “host of heaven” — 1 Kg 22:19; Isa 24:21, 34:4;Dan 8:10; Neh 9:6                                                                                                                                                                                                                “holy ones” — Deut 33:2-3 117; Hos 12:1; Zech 14:5;Pss 16:3, 89:5, 7, 8; Prov 9:10?, 30:3?; Job 5:1, 15:15;Dan 8:13

 “spirit” — (rare) 1 Kgs 22:21-23; Ps 104:4 “those on high” — Job 21:22 “prince(s)” — Jos 5:14, 15; Dan 10:13, 20, 21; 12:1 “serafim” — Isa 6:2, 6

 

Other Indications of the Divine Council:

 

Plural verbs and pronouns.  Other evidence for a heavenly assembly includes the use of plural pronouns and verbs in statements attributed to God. Three of these occur in Genesis 1-11.

Gen 1:26 Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness

Gen 3:22 The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil

Gen 11:7 Come, let us go down

 

·     Jewish commentators generally held that these plurals were used because God was addressing his heavenly court.

·     The early post-Apostolic Fathers (e.g., Barnabas, Justin Martyr) saw the plurals as a

reference to the pre-incarnate Jesus and a foreshadow of the Trinity.

·     Recent scholars, however, tend to agree with ancient Jewish opinion, believing that the interpretation of the Fathers was anachronistic (meaning: One that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time) and that the HB writers “had no such conception in mind.”  (i.e. the pre-incarnate Jesus or the Trinity concept).

 

Courtroom Settings:  Plurals, such as these in Genesis, commonly occur in the book of Isaiah. For example, the statement in Isaiah 6:8 (“Whom shall I send, and will go for us?”) likely, this reflects the idea that God was surrounded by the court which is made up of his heavenly judicial councillors. Similarly, the court room scene in Isaiah 41 contains several plural pronouns:

 

Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, so that we may consider them, and that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods [elohim] do good, or do harm, that we may be afraid and terrified. (vv. 21-23)

 

In Isaiah 40:1-8, the second person plural imperatives and the reference to various “voices” indicate a heavenly council session, which apparently included the prophet himself:

1 Comfort O comfort my people

2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem . . . and cry to her

3 A voice cries out

6 A voice says

6 And I [the prophet?] said

 

When the council gathers for legal purposes, it is typically called into session with an “Address to the Divine Council.”

For the LORD has spoken. (Isa 1:2)

A little later, following detailed specification of the charges brought against the defendant, the Judge then enters the courtroom:

The LORD rises to argue his case he stands to judge the peoples. The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his people. (Isa 3:13-14a) Similar imagery appears in Psalm 82, where the defendants are members of the divine council itself: God has taken his place in the divine council in the midst of the gods he holds judgment]. (v. 1)

 

Summary of Council Activities

A survey of passages mentioning the council members provides a general list of activities in which they engage. These include:

(1) praising and worshiping God (Deut 32:43; Isa 6:3; Pss 103:20-22, 148:1-6; Job 38:7; Neh 9:6);

(2) serving as ministers (Isa 6: 6-7; Ps 103:21);

(3) serving as witnesses, fellow judges, and bailiffs in YHVH’s court (Isa 1:2; Ps 82:1-4; Zech 3:3-5);

(4) acting as God’s throne or chariot (Pss 18:10, 99:1);

(5) carrying God’s throne (Ezek 1, 10);

(6) serving as captains and soldiers in the supernatural army (Jos 5:14-15; 2 Kgs 6:17);

(7) interpreting visions (Zech 1:9, 19, 21; Dan 7:15-17, 8:15-19); and

(8) serving as shepherds of men or as patron angels of nations (Gen 48:15-16; Deut 32:8; Dan 10:21, 12:1).

The council operates

·     on a cosmic level, governing God’s universe;

·     on an earthly plane, governing Israel and nations; and

·     on an individual level, guiding and protecting the righteous believer (Jud 13:8; 2 Kgs 6:17; Ps 91:11)

 

These activities or functions are all relational—to YHVH. The council members do not act as autonomous divinities. There is no question who is Head of the assembly: YHVH makes decisions

 

Three “primary theological images” attributed to God in the Hebrew Bible. They include: King, Judge, and Warrior. Each reflects aspects of his position as head of the cosmic government. Corresponding to these positions, members of his council perform appropriate duties.

 

The picture of God as King points to his power and rule: power to control nature and history, and rule in the processes of ordering and governing. Thus, as entourage of the great king, the assembly pays homage to the monarch and carries out his rule by communicating the divine decrees.

 

God’s role as Judge affirms that there is ethical grounding to his reality and that the universe and human history are morally accountable. There will be, in the end, a vindication of the right.

Accordingly, YHVH’s judicial members investigate the human situation, record the crimes, and lift the human outcry to God. They also carry out his verdicts of judgment.

 

The third image of God as Warrior points to his power to bring about a righteous rule and perform the plans of his heart. His assembly then marches with their Lord as a heavenly army, engaging the enemies of YHVH in holy war. Additionally, it is worth noting that all three flow out of YHVH’s character as Sovereign Lord. He is Lord first, then King, Judge, and Warrior. Similarly, his servants function in four spheres—religious, monarchical, legal, military.

 

One of the main responsibilities of the council, is to maintain justice and righteousness in the universe. “Righteousness” can be understood as an “all-encompassing cosmic order,” a “principle of moral orderliness of holiness as YHVH is Holy.” Sin is the disobedience to YHVH’s moral orderliness or injustice in the social sphere injects discord and shatters the peace. The council then exercises decisive acts of justice, thereby restoring peace on earth. 

     

This gives us a general idea of the divine council concept in the Hebrew Scriptures.