Who Are the Other Gods?

In my last post, Questions, Questions, Questions, I raised the issue of what happened to all the nations dispersed at the Tower of Babel. We know that immediately after Babel, God began to build His chosen nation, Israel, and we learn about the surrounding nations that have parts to play in the biblical narrative. But what of all the others? What about the large populations of India and China which have recorded histories that predate the formation of Israel? I wonder if the Bible doesn’t have something to say about them.

In my first novel, Wings of Mentridar, through fantasy with Bible roots I depicted what I believe is the proper worldview of ancient peoples, including the people of the Bible. In their minds, all things physical and spiritual were connected. They believed gods were everywhere intimately involved in their daily lives. I was excited to discover Michael S. Heiser after finishing my book because in The Unseen Realm: Recovering the supernatural worldview of the Bible, Heiser confirmed by scholarly study what I had imagined.

In The Unseen Realm, Heiser gives indisputable proof through painstaking linguistic research into ancient Mesopotamian languages that the people we read about in the pages of Scripture had an understanding of the unseen realm, the spirit world, that we have gradually lost over the centuries. The belief that the Jews were fiercely monotheistic has led modern thinkers to assume that meant they did not believe that other gods existed. As we became “enlightened” through science, we lost touch with the unseen realm. Heiser believes these factors have created a veil over the true supernatural character of the biblical record. (For more details see “The Heiser Effect.”)

Rereading various passages with Heiser’s point of view reveals many instances where the other gods of the unseen realm are depicted. As the subtitle of his book suggests, we can recover a proper biblical worldview – one that recognizes the importance of “other gods.” Psalm 82 provides an open window into the unseen realm. When read properly, we see God speaking to a group, a council if you will, made up of other supernatural beings. In the psalm, God is chiding the beings for not managing their assigned nations properly.

That simple shift in viewpoint makes numerous other passages become clear. Throughout the major prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, God promises to execute judgment on the nations surrounding Israel. Some were literal enemies who fought against them; some such as Moab and Edom were branches of the Abrahamic line, but they refused to help Israel when she needed it. All alike come under the judgment of God. The prophets almost always use metaphors when addressing the errant nations. The actual language they use is interesting.

In Ezekiel 31 there is a curious allegory. The prophet is told by God to share a story about the cedar of Lebanon with Pharoah as a word of warning. In the story, Assyria is called a cedar tree, but the language belies a much deeper truth. The tree is assigned human characteristics, the worst being pride. Because of that, God condemned the “tree” to destruction. Surely this can only be interpreted as God’s judgment against a sentient being. Trees don’t have pride (As far as I know.) Further, the tree is said to have been admired by the other trees in the Garden of Eden. Because of its wickedness, God, “gave it into the hand of the leader of nations; he dealt thoroughly with it according to its wickedness.” I believe the leader of nations is another of God’s ruling council who was given the task of punishing a fellow member for his transgression, fulfilling God’s promise of judgment.

The same kind of mysterious reference is made to the prince of Tyre in Ezekiel 28. One moment the prophet is being told about an earthly ruler, then suddenly God is referring to his existence in the beginning of time. I am suggesting that the human ruler was under the sway of a supernatural being under God’s command. When an angel came to Daniel to answer his prayer, the angel said he had been delayed because of a battle with “the prince of Persia.” Surely, he was not referring to an earthly prince. The only logical meaning is that the country was controlled by another supernatural being with whom the messenger had to fight.

Ezekiel’s warning to Pharoah continues with a second allegory in chapter 32. Pharoah likes to think of himself as a lion among nations, but God calls him a monster from the river. The imagery is of God taking the creature from its vaunted home in the river and dealing harshly with by consigning to the underworld just like Assyria. The same fate is assigned to Meshech, Tubal, Edom, and “the princes of the north.” All are called “the uncircumcised.” This draws a clear contrast between God’s nation and all others. Importantly, though, only those nations who troubled Israel, God’s people, were sentenced this way.

There are numerous other metaphorical references throughout the prophets. Sometimes they become mixed as in Ezekiel 36 when mountains (another reference to supernatural beings) are said to grow branches and bear fruit. In Ezekiel 35, Mount Seir is judged for failing to support Israel when she was in need. Mount Seir is how the prophets regularly refer to Edom, the descendants of Esau. One theme is repeated throughout all the prophets’ warnings. God says that His judgment will make it clear to all that, “I am the Lord.”

Some of God’s ways are less mysterious. In Ezekiel 33, The prophet is called a watchman who is responsible to warn people and nations of their sin. If they are warned, and they turn back from their sin, they will be saved. If they do not repent, they will be judged accordingly. This is where the well-known verse comes from: “Surely, I have no delight in the death of the wicked.” In chapter 37, following the various metaphors of God’s judgment, Ezekiel records the prediction that David’s throne will be reinstated by God, and One of His own would be seated on it. There is no doubt this refers to the coming of Messiah, so we have a clear timeline of when the judgment of the nations and the giving of Israel’s new heart will be completed.

Generally speaking, we assume that the physical destruction of the nations mentioned in the prophecies and the return of Israel from exile fulfilled the word to Ezekiel. However, the final culmination of the prophecy was to come centuries later. Specifically, it happened at the Cross of Calvary. Paul explained that when Christ died, he took captives as He triumphed over the “rulers and authorities” by nailing our certificate of indebtedness to the Cross. Our indebtedness, our slavery was to the “god of this age,” aka Satan. This message of the prophets makes it abundantly clear that throughout human history, humans have been players in God’s plan to defeat Satan and the “other gods.”

You may not like the insinuation, but we humans are mere pawns in a cosmic battle that has been raging since before the creation of our world. (See It’s Not All About You.) Paul says in Ephesians 3 that the great mystery of His will is being revealed by the church, “to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." Yahweh God, the One True God is making a point to the “other gods.” I said we are pawns, but when properly played, even pawns can dramatically affect the game. My question is whether you are willing to get in the game. Believe me; it’s supernatural!

 Related posts: Why Witness?; What Happens to People Who Never Hear About Jesus?; Election: God’s Choice