Council in Heaven

by Robert Rosskopf

A council can be a body of men, who are joined in a common cause, or it can be a gathering of men who are called together to discuss some issue. Before Adam first walked on earth, there was a heavenly council, a place where gods gathered, plans were shared, and people voted. The apostle John opens the Book of John with a short introduction to Jesus Christ. It is rendered in the King James Version as:

"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
(John 1)

The original Greek word that is here translated as WORD is the Greek LOGOS. LOGOS can be translated as word, speech or spokesman. The King James Version is primarily taken from the Latin Vulgate, which was translated from the Greek by Jerome. Jerome had several different options when he translated this verse into Latin, but in the end he went with the most basic definition, WORD. We know from verse 14 that it refers to Jesus Christ. I suggest that the best and only definition that fits the context is SPOKESMAN. This is the only definition that makes any sense. A man cannot be a word by any common definition. It is possible that WORD is a type of title, but it is not a title that has heretofore been used with the Messiah or the Son of God. As a title, SPOKESMAN makes far greater sense.

ARCHE is the Greek word that is here translated as BEGINNING. Here again, BEGINNING wasn't Jerome's only choice. ARCHE also connotes the first in order, or a gathering of those who are first in order or rank. In Greek writings, it is often used to indicate a ruling council. This makes perfect sense - "In the ruling council, there was a spokesman, and the spokesman was with God, and the spokesman was a God."

The idea of a ruling council is very old. It often takes the form of a heavenly court. In chapter three of Zechariah, we have Jeremiah's vision of a heavenly court. Jeremiah sees himself standing before God, with Lucifer also there to testify against him, like a prosecuting attorney. God defends him, pointing out that Jeremiah has survived the furnace of affliction, i.e. "a brand pulled from the fire." God orders that a Mitre be placed on his head, to honor him before the court, and promises Jeremiah that if he is faithful, he too will one day judge in the royal court, and move freely among those present there.

In Job, one of the oldest books of the Bible, we are told of another heavenly council, when the "sons of God" gathered before God. Lucifer was there too, and he accused Job of only being righteous because of the gifts that God had given him. God proceeded to prove Job, by taking away everything that belonged to him.

"6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?"
(Job 1)

The following passage from the Dead Sea Scrolls clearly talks about this heavenly court. (4Q491)

"[EI Elyon gave me a seat among] those perfect forever, a mighty throne in the congregation of the gods. None of the kings of the east shall sit in it and their nobles shall not [come near it]. No Edomite shall be like me in glory, and none shall be exalted save me, nor shall come against me. For I have taken my seat in the [congregation] in the heavens And none [find fault with me]. I shall be reckoned with gods <'elim> and established in the holy congregation... In my legal judgment [none will stand against] me. I shall be reckoned with gods. And my glory, with [that of] the king's sons. Neither refined gold, nor gold of Ophir [can match my wisdom]."

The premortal Jesus was there with his father, the Almighty God, or God of Gods.

"And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. "
(John 17:5)

This court was presided over by the Almighty God and by his sons, who were also called gods, as portrayed in this ancient psalm.

" I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High."
(Psalms 82:6)
"God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods."
(Psalms 82:1)

These gods presided over nations, as revealed in this verse:

"7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance."
(Deuteronomy 32)

This premortal council in heaven ended in great disagreement; some of the people rejected the plan of salvation, and followed Lucifer.

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."
(Jude 1:6)

Lucifer sought to be greater than God.

"12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."
(Isaiah 14)

"1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; "
(Moses 4)

Satan was cast out to the Earth.

"7 And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. "
(Revelations 12)