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Glossary

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Divine Council

A group of high ranking spirits. Also known as the Sons of God.

The Divine Council refers to a theological concept found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and other ancient Near Eastern texts. It involves the idea that Yahweh, the God of Israel, presides over a heavenly assembly or council composed of divine beings, often referred to as “elohim” (a Hebrew word translated as “gods” or “divine beings”).

The Divine Council is depicted as a gathering of divine beings, including angels, heavenly beings, and supernatural entities. They are distinct from Yahweh but operate under His authority. While the Divine Council consists of multiple divine beings, Yahweh holds the highest position as the supreme God. He is portrayed as the one who created and governs the council. Within the Divine Council, there is a hierarchical structure, with Yahweh as the ultimate authority. Other members of the council have different ranks and roles, and some are assigned to oversee specific nations or territories.

The Divine Council is involved in the decision-making process regarding earthly matters. They participate in discussions and deliberations, providing counsel and advice to Yahweh. However, it is ultimately Yahweh who makes the final decisions. Members of the Divine Council are assigned as patrons over different nations. These divine beings influence the destiny, governance, and spiritual conditions of their respective territories.

Some members of the Divine Council, such as the figure of the biblical “Satan,” rebelled against Yahweh’s authority. This rebellion resulted in divine judgment and expulsion from the council.

Examples: Psalm 82; 2 Chronicles 18:18-22

Elohim

A member of the disembodied spiritual world.

The hebrew word Elohim as used in the hebrew text simply means a spirit. The word does not indicate a specific status or role, but only what kind of being someone is. Elohim is used to describe

The word Elohim is plural (ending in -im) and in hebrew grammar plural nouns are paired with plural verbs. However when the word Elohim is paired with singular verbs, it signifies Yahweh, the only true Elohim worthy of worship.

Jehovah

Alternative rendering of the divine name יהוה (yhvh)

In hebrew, words were spelled using only the consonants. The divine name was spelled with the hebrew letters corresponding to YHVH. Somewhere in the second temple period the Jews became afraid of missusing God’s name so they stopped using it altogether, aubstitutibg it for other words such as Adonai (Lord). Later when hebrew started using vowel pointing (little points to indicate what vowels to use), to prevent people from accidentally pronouncing the divine name when reading the scriptures, they added the vowel points for “Adonai”, A-O-AI to the consonants YHVH. The idea was that the reader should see these and say “Adonai” instead of the divine name.

In the Middle Ages scholars who did not understand this practice saw the divine name with these vowel points and attempted to represent the divine name using the consonants YHWH mixed with the vowels from the word “Adonai” (Æ-O-A), resulting in the hybrid form “Yæ-ho-va-h” or “Jehovah”.

See also: Yahweh

Trinity

The doctrine of the trinity is a summary of what the Bible teaches about God’s nature, harmonizing everything the Bible says without adding, subtracting or changing anything.

The Bible reveals that the creator deity Yahweh is one divine being existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct persons (hypostases) sharing one essence/substance/nature (homoousion).

Yahweh

Most commonly accepted rendering of the divine name יהוה (yhvh)

Many scholars of ancient languages and biblical studies, based on linguistic analysis and historical research, have reached a consensus that “Yahweh” is the most probable pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. This consensus is reflected in various academic publications and translations of ancient Hebrew texts. The exact pronunciation of the divine name remains uncertain, and different scholars may have varying opinions. The rendering “Yahweh” is the most commonly accepted based on the available evidence and scholarly consensus, but it is not definitive.