Monotheism and the Divine Council
In conservative theological circles, the term divine primarily refers to God (the Trinity or the Godhead) as the ultimate, supernatural reality. But in historical usage, the term can be used to describe that which proceeds from God (like Jesus’s nature or the Holy Spirit’s work) or, in biblical contexts, figures in God's heavenly council (angels, etc.) as “divine” or “sons of God,” though these beings are clearly not God Himself. Divinity, broadly speaking, then, denotes something of God’s nature, essence, or involvement in his nature or essence, distinguishing it from mere human goodness or the gods of other faiths, while still acknowledging divine attributes in created beings, such as angels and divinized humans.
What Happened to the Divine Council?
The Biblical authors portray God as ruling from his throne in heaven, surrounded by a council of heavenly beings. This ‘divine council’ appears in multiple Old Testament passages, functioning as God’s heavenly court intended to mediate his governance to all the nations. But by the time of the New Testament, this council was removed from power due to rebellion against God and was replaced by the sole authority of Christ. To ask what happened to the divine council is to trace the story from creation to the consummation of God’s kingdom in the end.
“Do You Not Know That We Will Judge Angels?” What Paul Assumes about a Common Eschatology
In 1 Corinthians 6:3, Paul asks, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” When read from the Divine Council worldview (DCW) perspective, the question tugs at several biblical-theological threads that influence the view of Christ’s people in the eschaton and their participation in divine governance. As Paul’s rhetorical question indicates, followers of Christ will, in some way, participate in the final judgment of angels, understood under the DCW as fallen spiritual beings (the consummation of the Psalm 82 judgment as revisited in Revelation 20:11-15). Scripture presents the saints as co-rulers with Christ, as seen in Revelation 2:26-27, where Jesus declares, “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.” Likewise, Revelation 5:10 affirms that those belonging to Christ will be made “a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Paul assumes a seemingly general knowledge of the day, that “believers, having been exalted with Christ who rules over all powers, will play a role in the final judgment of those powers.”