Episode

Throwback Thursday: Dr. Michael Heiser - The Divine Council (Part 1)

Podcast: PID Radio
Published: Apr 16, 2026
Duration seconds: 2538
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Summary

Dr. Michael Heiser explores the biblical concept of the Divine Council, arguing that ancient texts describe a cosmic court of divine beings. The discussion uses Hebrew grammar to demonstrate that God presides over a plurality of other deities, setting the stage for a larger theological conflict.

Topics

Divine Council
Biblical Hebrew
Ancient Semitic Languages
Psalm 82
Theology
Elohim
Genesis
Cosmic Warfare

Highlights

Main idea: The 'Divine Council' refers to a group of divine beings, including seraphim and cherubim, who comprise God's court
Linguistic insight: Hebrew grammar in Psalm 82 uses singular and plural forms to distinguish between the singular God and the plurality of the council
Failure mode: Attempting to explain the Divine Council solely through the lens of the Trinity fails to account for the condemnation of the other gods
Historical context: The rebellion of the 'sons of God' at the Tower of Babel led to the assignment of divine beings over the various nations
Practical takeaway: Understanding the cosmic war provides a broader context for the spiritual struggle between the forces of evil and the seed of humanity

Chapters

1:00 Introduction to Dr. Michael Heiser: The hosts introduce Dr. Heiser's academic approach to studying the connection between fallen angels and modern phenomena.
16:00 The Language of the Old Testament: An exploration of the complex terminology regarding angels and divine beings found in Hebrew and other ancient languages.
19:00 Grammar and the Divine Assembly: A technical breakdown of Psalm 82, using Hebrew verb agreement to prove the existence of a plurality of 'Elohim'.
23:00 Ancient Near Eastern Context: Dr. Heiser discusses how Ugaritic and other ancient Syrian texts provide context for the biblical portrayal of the gods.
26:00 Theological Reinterpretation: How the biblical authors adapted existing myths to credit Yahweh with the authority previously attributed to other deities like Baal.
32:00 Roots of Trinitarian Thought: A discussion on whether the concept of divine plurality in the Old Testament contains the early seeds of Trinitarianism.
35:00 The Tower of Babel and the Nations: The division of the nations at Babel and the subsequent assignment of divine beings to oversee the earth's territories.