The Divine Council, According to Michael Heiser: Cosmic Geography and Salvation’s Plan
According to the Bible, the Divine Council worldview describes God’s rule through his heavenly host and its intersection with human life and history. In Michael Heiser’s framing, sometimes called the Divine Council worldview or “cosmic geography,” Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 82, and related passages explain why the nations turned to other gods, why Israel was Yahweh’s portion, and how the Gospel in Jesus Christ begins the great reversal. The Bible presents God’s intent to restore his rule on earth through his imagers—human and non-human—so that Eden’s fellowship expands to the ends of the earth (Genesis 1–2), fulfilled through the Messiah’s authority (Matthew 28:18) and the spread of the Gospel to the nations (Acts 2; Acts 17:26–27). This article summarizes that storyline and shows how the Divine Council frames biblical theology from Babel to Pentecost to the hope of the “last days.”
1) The Pattern Set at Babel (Deuteronomy 32:8–9)
Heiser’s “start here” passage is Deuteronomy 32:8–9. When the Most High divided humanity at Babel (Genesis 11; compare the “table of nations” in Genesis 10), he apportioned the nations “according to the number of the sons of God,” but “the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.” This explains:
Why other pantheons appear in Scripture: the nations were allotted to lesser elohim (Deuteronomy 4:19–20; 17:2–3).
Why Israel is unique: Israel belongs to Yahweh by covenant; Israel is not “one nation among many” but the conduit of blessing for all nations (Genesis 12:1–3; Deuteronomy 32:9).
Why the Old Testament warns against idolatry: worshiping the “host of heaven” is to align with powers not allotted to Israel (Deuteronomy 17:2–3; 29:24–26; 32:17; Psalm 106:36–38).
In this cosmic geography, Israel is “holy ground,” while the surrounding territories are under hostile spiritual rulers. Stories like David’s exile (1 Samuel 26:19) and Naaman’s request for Israelite soil (2 Kings 5:17) only make full sense against this map: worship is territorial, and Yahweh’s land is distinct.
2) God’s Lawsuit Against the Powers (Psalm 82)
Psalm 82 pictures God presiding in the divine council, rebuking corrupt spiritual rulers who failed to uphold justice among the nations. The psalm ends with a prayer: “Arise, O God… you shall inherit all the nations!” This frames the Bible’s mission theme:
Indictment: the elohim did not govern righteously (Psalm 82:1–7).
Petition and promise: God will reclaim the nations (Psalm 82:8).
Anticipation: the prophets foresee the nations streaming to Zion in the latter days (e.g., Isaiah 2:2–4; 66:18–23), when true worship displaces the powers.
This is not mythology for its own sake; it’s theology of mission. If nations were disinherited at Babel, the Bible’s storyline must show how God takes them back.
3) From Babel to Pentecost: The Reversal Begins (Acts 2; Acts 17)
Luke crafts Acts 2 with deliberate echoes of Babel. At Pentecost, languages are not confused but understood; the Spirit empowers witness to “every nation under heaven.” The vocabulary and geography signal the reversal:
Verbal callbacks: Luke’s wording (“divided,” “bewildered”) evokes Deuteronomy 32 and Genesis 11, signaling that what Babel scattered, the Spirit is beginning to gather (Acts 2:5–11).
Geographic sweep: the list of peoples in Acts 2 traces east-to-west across the known world, telegraphing that the Gospel is invading the very map laid down in Genesis 10.
Paul’s sermon at Athens: God “determined allotted periods and boundaries” for nations “that they should seek God” (Acts 17:26–27). The allotment that once judged the nations now becomes the stage for mercy as Christ is proclaimed.
The New Testament consistently interprets Jesus’ cross and resurrection as a dethroning of hostile powers (Colossians 2:15) and an enthronement of the Messiah above all authorities (Ephesians 1:20–23).
4) Paul’s Mission and the Edges of the Map
Read Acts like a map. The Gospel radiates from Jerusalem (Acts 1–7) to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8), to the nations through Paul (Acts 9–28). Why Paul’s drive to Rome—and even beyond to Spain? Because the aim is not random travel but reclaiming the nations named in Genesis 10. The pattern is missional and theological:
Strategic centers: synagogues in diaspora cities function as seedbeds for the message into Gentile territory (Acts 13–20).
Rome, then “Tarshish/Spain” logic: pressing to the western edges mirrors the table of nations, as though Scripture is being “colored in” by the Gospel (Romans 15:18–24).
Language of the powers: Paul’s terms—rulers, authorities, principalities, dominions (Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 1:16)—fit the Deuteronomy 32 framework: territorial powers displaced by Christ.
In other words, apostolic mission is the council-worldview in action: Jesus has all authority; therefore, make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18–20).
5) The Gospel and the Restoration of Eden’s Mandate
According to the Bible, God commissioned humanity to image him and extend Eden’s order across the earth (Genesis 1:26–28; 2:15). The Divine Council worldview doesn’t distract from the Gospel; it clarifies it:
What went wrong: Humanity rebelled; nations were disinherited; spiritual rulers became corrupt (Genesis 3; Deuteronomy 32; Psalm 82).
What God did: He chose Israel to be his portion, promised a Messiah-king from David, and foretold the nations’ return (2 Samuel 7; Isaiah 11; 49:6).
What Jesus achieved: By his death and resurrection, he disarmed the powers (Colossians 2:15), received all authority (Matthew 28:18), poured out the Spirit (Acts 2), and began reclaiming the nations through the Church’s witness.
What this means now: Christians live under Christ’s present reign, praying “your kingdom come,” announcing forgiveness of sins and allegiance to the risen Lord, and embodying justice and mercy—the very justice the corrupt powers refused to practice (Micah 4:1–5; Romans 1:1–5; Ephesians 2:11–22).
This is why the “unseen realm” belongs at the center of biblical theology: it frames the mission of the Church as the visible family of God working in step with his unseen host under the authority of the Messiah.
6) Hope for the “Last Days”: Reign with the Messiah
Without naming systems, the Bible’s hope is that Christ’s kingdom advances through the Gospel to all nations, culminating in judgment of the rebellious powers and inheritance of the world by the saints:
Participation in the reign: “The one who conquers… I will give authority over the nations… and I will give him the morning star” (Revelation 2:26–28).
Seated with Christ: Believers share Christ’s throne because he shares his victory (Revelation 3:21).
A global Eden: The end is not clouds and harps, but a renewed creation where God dwells with his people (Revelation 21–22). The mandate finally fulfilled: God’s family—human and angelic—under the king, stewarding creation in God’s presence.
According to the Bible, the Divine Council is not peripheral; it is the architecture behind the Bible’s mission, kingdom, and hope. The unseen realm explains the nations’ past, the Church’s present, and the world’s future under Christ’s rule.
Key Takeaways (Bullet Recap for Readers and SEO)
Divine Council describes God’s rule through his heavenly host and intersects with human history.
Deuteronomy 32:8–9 explains Babel’s disinheritance: nations allotted to other gods; Israel to Yahweh.
Psalm 82 frames God’s lawsuit against unjust powers and the promise to inherit the nations.
Acts 2 begins Babel’s reversal; Acts maps Gospel advance across the nations list of Genesis 10.
Jesus’ death and resurrection dethrone the powers and establish his kingdom’s spread to the ends of the earth.
The hope of the “last days” is Christ’s public reign, the nations reclaimed, and creation renewed.
Bible Verses about the Divine Council
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.” (Deuteronomy 32:8–9)
“Beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven… and be drawn away and bow down to them… things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples… But the Lord has taken you… to be a people of his own inheritance.” (Deuteronomy 4:19–20)
“God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment.” (Psalm 82:1)
“Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!” (Psalm 82:8)
“The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael… came to help me.” (Daniel 10:13)
“And he made from one man every nation of mankind… having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God.” (Acts 17:26–27)
“Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews… from every nation under heaven… each one was hearing them speak in his own language.” (Acts 2:5–6)
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18)
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15)
“[God] seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion…” (Ephesians 1:20–21)
