Understanding the Divine Council: A Biblical and Latter-day Saint Perspective on Joseph Smith’s Teachings

 

We Shall Go Down by Jorge Cocco

Introduction

Michelle Grim’s post titled “The Corruption of God” raises important questions regarding the nature of God and the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), particularly Joseph Smith’s discourse on April 6, 1844, where he taught about a “council of the Gods.” This response addresses her concerns respectfully and provides a thoughtful exploration of scriptural and historical contexts to clarify Latter-day Saint beliefs. It also highlights logical fallacies, exegetical inaccuracies, and the robust biblical foundation of Joseph Smith’s teachings.

Logical Fallacies and Eisegesis in Grim's Post

Grim’s post employs several logical fallacies:

1. Straw Man Argument: She misrepresents Latter-day Saint theology by suggesting that the doctrine of the divine council undermines the holiness of God or promotes polytheism. Latter-day Saints believe in one supreme God, aligning with monarchical monotheism, a belief in one God presiding over subordinate divine beings.

2. Eisegesis (Reading into Scripture): Grim assumes that passages like Exodus 15:11 and Luke 1:35 contradict the concept of a divine council. However, these scriptures do not exclude the existence of other divine beings but emphasize God’s incomparable sovereignty among them.

3. False Dichotomy: Grim implies that belief in a divine council is incompatible with biblical monotheism. In reality, many biblical scholars and theologians, such as Dr. Michael Heiser and Margaret Barker have demonstrated that the divine council is a well-attested biblical concept.

Exegetical Analysis of Joseph Smith’s Teaching 

Joseph Smith’s statement, “In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods,” aligns with ancient Israelite religious concepts. The idea of a divine council is not foreign to the Bible:

1. Psalm 82:1: “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods.” This verse portrays God presiding over a council of divine beings, consistent with Joseph Smith’s teaching.

2. Job 1:6: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord.” This passage describes a heavenly council, with divine beings reporting to God.

3. Genesis 1:26: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” The plural pronouns suggest a divine deliberation, which many scholars interpret as evidence of a heavenly council.

Joseph Smith’s teaching illuminates these passages by emphasizing that God operates within a council of divine beings, a concept rooted in ancient Near Eastern theology. This perspective enhances understanding of God’s majesty and divine order without diminishing His sovereignty.

The Divine Council in the Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Context

Biblical Evidence

The Old Testament frequently references a divine council:

• Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (Dead Sea Scrolls version): “When the Most High apportioned the nations, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.” This verse describes God delegating authority to divine beings over nations, emphasizing His role as supreme ruler.
• 1 Kings 22:19-22: The prophet Micaiah describes a heavenly council where God consults divine beings regarding King Ahab’s fate.

Ancient Near Eastern Context

The concept of a divine council is well-documented in the cultures surrounding ancient Israel, such as Ugarit, where texts describe El, the chief deity, presiding over a council of gods. These parallels provide important context for understanding biblical references to the “sons of God” (bene Elohim).

Monarchial Monotheism: The Latter-day Saint View

Latter-day Saints adhere to monarchical monotheism, recognizing one supreme God, the Eternal Father, while acknowledging the existence of other divine beings, such as angels and exalted individuals. This belief is consistent with biblical teachings that portray Jesus Christ as “King of kings” and “Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16), ruling over all creation.

Insights from Dr. Michael Heiser and Margaret Barker

Dr. Michael Heiser, in The Unseen Realm, emphasizes that the divine council is a critical framework for understanding the Old Testament. Heiser demonstrates that ancient Israelites viewed God as presiding over a council of divine beings without compromising His unique sovereignty.

Margaret Barker, a scholar of ancient temple theology, explores how early Israelite beliefs included a divine council and a plurality of heavenly beings. She also highlights how later redactions, particularly during the Deuteronomist reform, sought to suppress earlier traditions of divine plurality.

The Deuteronomist Reform and Redaction

The Deuteronomist reform, which centralized worship in Jerusalem, may have redacted texts to downplay the divine council and emphasize strict monotheism. For example:

• Messianic prophecies, such as those in Isaiah, often use divine council imagery, but later interpretations shifted focus away from this context.
• The bene Elohim (sons of God) were reinterpreted as human judges or angels to align with a monotheistic framework, obscuring the original divine council context.

Conclusion

Michelle Grim’s concerns about the divine council reflect a misunderstanding of both Latter-day Saint beliefs and biblical theology. Joseph Smith’s teachings on the divine council enrich our understanding of God’s majesty and align with ancient scriptural traditions. Far from undermining God’s holiness, the concept of a divine council testifies to His unparalleled sovereignty and divine order.

By considering insights from biblical scholarship, archaeology, and the Ancient Near Eastern context, we can appreciate the depth of Joseph Smith’s teachings and their harmony with the Bible.