Is the divine council biblical? (25 Divine Council Bible Passages)
Have you ever heard the phrase “The divine council” or “divine council worldview” and wondered why you haven’t heard of it or read about it in the Bible? In short, it means that God surrounds himself with heavenly beings who deliberate and govern the cosmos on God’s behalf. What if I told you this concept runs from Genesis to Revelation and is central to understanding the biblical story?
Have you ever heard the phrase "Divine Council" or "Divine Council worldview" and wondered why you haven’t come across it in the Bible? In short, it refers to God surrounding Himself with heavenly beings who deliberate and govern the cosmos on His behalf. What if I told you this concept runs from Genesis to Revelation and is central to understanding the biblical story?
In this video, we’re going to explore 25 key passages throughout the Bible that reveal the Divine Council, from God’s conversations in Genesis to the throne room scenes in Revelation and everywhere in between. Whether you’re new to this concept or diving deeper, my goal is to show you how the Divine Council shapes the Bible’s message.
Stick with me as we briefly review these passages, and by the end, I hope you’ll agree that this theme forms a thread connecting the whole Bible. If it’s your first time here, be sure to hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out on any of my biblical theology videos.
Let’s start with number one: Genesis 1:26 — “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” The phrase “in our image” is interpreted by many as God addressing the Divine Council.
Next is Genesis 3:22 — “Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.’” The phrase “one of us” suggests a plural deliberation, again indicating a Divine Council.
Genesis 11:7 says, “Come, let us go down and confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” The phrase “let us go down” implies a collective activity, reflecting a heavenly assembly.
Deuteronomy 32:8–9 reads, “When the Most High gave 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.” This is Moses’ reflection on the division of the nations according to the number of the sons of God, who are divine beings. These sons of God form at least part of the Divine Council throughout the Old Testament.
1 Kings 22:19–23 describes Micaiah’s vision: “Micaiah said, ‘Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside Him, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, “Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?” And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, “I will entice him.” And the LORD said to him, “By what means?” And he said, “I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.” And He said, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.”’”
“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets. The LORD has declared disaster for you.” The prophet Micaiah describes a vision of the LORD seated on His throne, surrounded by the host of heaven, where one of the spirits volunteers to go out to do the work of the LORD.
Number six, 2 Chronicles 18:18–22 — This is a parallel to 1 Kings 22, depicting again the host of heaven deliberating before the LORD.
Number seven, Job 1:6 (and really all of Job 1–2): “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.” The sons of God, the same term used in Deuteronomy 32, assemble before the LORD, and Satan is specifically mentioned as being among them.
Number eight, Psalm 82:1, 6 — “God has taken His place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods, He holds judgment… I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.’” Here, God is standing in the assembly of the divine council, addressing the sons of God, the Most High.
Number nine, Psalm 89:5–7 — “Let the heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD, Your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around Him?” The psalmist says that God is faithful in the assembly of the heavenly holy ones, or the divine council.
Number ten, Isaiah 6:1–2, 8 — “I saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two He covered His face, with two He covered His feet, and with two He flew… And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’” Isaiah sees the LORD on His throne, surrounded by a council of seraphim, with God asking the divine council, “Whom shall I send?”
Number eleven, Isaiah 14:13 — “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north.’” The phrase “I will sit on the mount of assembly” alludes to a gathering of divine beings on the mountain of God.
Number twelve, Jeremiah 23:18 — “For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear His word, or who has paid attention to His word and listened?” The phrase “stood in the council of the LORD” is a clear reference to the divine council.
Number thirteen, Jeremiah 23:22 — “But if they had stood in My council, then they would have proclaimed My words to My people, and they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.” God speaks of prophets standing in His council, indicating that true prophets have access to this divine assembly.
Number fourteen, Ezekiel 28:2 — “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Because your heart is proud, and you have said, “I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,” yet you are a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god.’” The “seat of the gods” is a common reference to a place of divine assembly.
Number fifteen, Amos 3:7 — “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.” This reflects the idea that God informs or consults His divine council before acting.
Number sixteen, Zechariah 1:10–11 — “So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’ And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’”
Here, angelic beings return to the divine council to report to the LORD about their patrol of the earth.
Number seventeen, Zechariah 3:1 — “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.”
This is a vision of Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the LORD while Satan accuses him. It depicts a divine courtroom scene, similar to the one in Psalm 82, where it is referred to as a divine council.
Number eighteen, Daniel 4:17 — “The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will and sets over it the lowliest of men.”
The sentence of Nebuchadnezzar is decreed by the watchers and the holy ones—members of the divine assembly allowed to enact justice, a divine council act.
Number nineteen, Daniel 7:9–10 — “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before Him; a thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”
This is another divine council courtroom scene, where the Ancient of Days is seated on His throne, with thousands upon thousands standing before Him in judgment.
Number twenty, Daniel 10:12–13 — “Then he said to me, ‘Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia.’”
An angelic messenger informs Daniel that he was delayed by the prince of the kingdom of Persia, highlighting spiritual beings with judicial authority over earthly realms, as seen in Deuteronomy 32.
Number twenty-one, Matthew 18:20 — “For where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am among them.”
This verse reflects the divine council by emphasizing the presence of Jesus in the gathering of His followers, paralleling the idea of God's active involvement in assemblies for decision-making and judgment.
Number twenty-two, 1 Corinthians 10:20–21 — “No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”
Here, Paul alludes to the cosmic rulers of the Old Testament divine council, paralleling Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 32.
Number twenty-three, Ephesians 6:12 — “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Paul highlights the spiritual battle against cosmic rulers, authorities, and powers, a clear reflection of divine council theology.
Number twenty-four, Revelation 4:1–4 — “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And He who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.”
This scene is a depiction of the Divine Council, with God seated on the throne and surrounded by the host of heaven.
Number twenty-five, Revelation 21:3 — “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.’”
This represents the ultimate fulfillment of Divine Council theology, where God’s direct reign with humanity—reflecting the Council’s purpose of aligning heaven’s rule with earthly realities—reaches its eternal culmination.
There are many other places you could explore for Divine Council ideas. Consider Genesis 6:1–4, Exodus 15:11, Judges 5:20, Psalm 29:1–2, Psalm 97:7, Isaiah 24:21, Ezekiel 1:26–28, Ezekiel 10:1, Hebrews 2:5, Jude 1:14–15, and practically half the book of Revelation.
In a way, this video might feel like a list of proof texts, and I’m largely against proof texting. However, my goal here is to show that—even if you don’t agree with every passage I referenced—the Divine Council is not an obscure part of the biblical storyline but is woven throughout the narrative of Scripture from beginning to end.
Thank you for watching! If you found this video helpful or interesting, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone interested in biblical theology or the Divine Council worldview. For more resources, including my books and articles, visit my website at anthonydelgado.net. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions about the Divine Council. Until next time, keep reading, keep studying, and I’ll see you in the next video.
