Council

By Connie Pinkham

Several times in scripture a council is spoken of. The Sanhedrin in our New Testament was the Jewish council made up of chief priests, scribes, and elders. This council handled the religious governance of the Jewish population. That council was involved in the trials of Jesus. (Matthew 26:57 ff)

Acts 15 tells about a council meeting in Jerusalem. The apostles met with leaders of the Christian community to resolve some disputes about Gentile believers expected to adhere to Jewish traditions and requirements of the Jewish ceremonial law.

Today, there are councils that are instrumental in governing our cities and hearing the wishes of citizens. Our schools have student councils that serve to give students a voice. To be sure, neither of them are always effective. Councils can easily get sidetracked and caught up in power plays. The Sanhedrin sure did. They didn’t want to lose their political power and position to a so-called Messiah who was not a conqueror. Jesus didn’t play by their rules so they wanted to get rid of Him. Imagine that.

I have been churched my entire life. I seldom remember when I was not in the building if the church was assembled for any reason. I have read the Bible from cover to cover, more than once. I have done dozens of Bible studies independent of church. Yet, I continue to find out how little I know.

Recently, I came face to face with a divine council spoken of in scripture. In all my reading and studying, I had not noticed what I now plainly see.

Now, do not misunderstand. I am not a scholar. I do not pretend to have answers and explanations for all things scripture. On the other hand, I am fascinated when something in the pages of my Bible seem to just jump off the page, and I am not intimidated nor hesitant to search it out and inquire of The Writer of those scriptures for His illumination.

You would easily agree that there are, in fact, angelic beings. Right? God’s angels announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, we see that depicted every Christmas with one little angel. But scripture tells us, “… a large group of angels from heaven also appeared.” (Luke 2:13 NIrV)

The spiritual realm is not sparely populated.

2 Kings 6:15 and following teaches us that the hills around the prophet Elisha were full of “…horses and chariots…”, the hidden angel army of God, obviously involved in the battle that was being fought.

In Joshua 5:13-15 we see Joshua encountering the “commander of the Amy of the Lord…”. The original Hebrew word is tsaba meaning a mass of persons organized for war.

Matthew 26:53 records Jesus speaking about how His Father could “… provide Me with more than twelve legions [more than 80,000] of angels?” (Amplified Bible)

And of course Revelation speaks at length about the armies of heaven.

Yep. God’s heavenly realm is full of His angelic servants. I knew that in my head. Yet I never thought about how involved they are in God’s activities.

“When Your holy angels gather together…

Who among the angels is like the LORD?

God is highly respected among His holy angels.

He’s more wonderful than all those who are around Him.” (Psalm 89:5-7 NIrV)

Gather together, around Him? What a meeting!

“God (capital G) standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods (little g)” (Psalm 82:1 KJV capitalization added by me)

That word translated God/gods is the Hebrew word elohiym and is a word that carries the idea of authority and strength. It indicates a divine being. Who are these little-g gods?

“Now there was a day when the sons of God (elohiym) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” (Job 1:6-7 NASB)

Present themselves? Elohiym? And Satan (accuser) also came? Looks like it is assembly day in heaven, and what a scene!! These sons of God and the adversary is in the presence of the Creator Elohiym God, discussing humans. Wow.

Let me be clear. Godoes not need opinions and advice from angels. Nor does he need it from me, or from you. But we know He desires a connection and bond with us…a relationship. He went to great length to make that possible in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

It is obvious that He has often chosen to use His angelic beings in His activities, just as He might choose to use humans like you and me. Some are tasked with small things, some greater. Some even involving nations. Time and again scripture tells of them appearing in human form, (always male by the way).

In the book of Daniel we even read of conflict between angelic forces. Daniel needed help but the coming help came against resistance. “…your words were heard, and I have come in response…the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days, then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13 NASB)

Prince? Who are these princes? The prince of Persia standing in the way, Michael the archangel coming to assist? What’s going on in the unseen realm of Daniel 10? The Hebrew word sar is translated as prince, it has the idea of someone in charge. It seems there are princes in the angelic realm on both sides!

Galatians 3:19 tells us that because of wrong-doing, law was given to address and define what wrong-doing actually was/is, and it was added and…ordained thru angels! Acts 7:53 and Hebrews 2:2 both speak of angels being involved in human affairs.

There IS a spiritual realm.

There ARE angelic divine creatures.

They are NOT at my disposal.

I have more questions than answers, but my Creator God just gets bigger and my reality gets smaller each time I study and realize how infinite is His realm, and what a minute place I occupy.

Yet, “He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 2:13-14 NASB)

Hallelujah