Welcome back to Critical Thinking Aloud’s teaching series on Spiritual Beings.
This is yet another installment in our foundational What is the Bible Series. We will be building off all of the other teaching proceeding this one so if you would like to review the prior material do so now by clicking here.
This is the second part of our study on the disloyal spiritual members of Gods council and our eight installment on Spiritual Beings. You can review all of the material in our Spiritual Beings Series by clicking here.
How we are going to learn
In this teaching we will be looking at the topic of spiritual beings as one of the Bibles main characters through the worldview of the ancient Near Eastern biblical authors. As I have done in the past with other teachings I want to quote from scholarly sources to make my point. I do this in hope that you will see this isn’t just my interpretation of the Scriptures but that this view is steeped in acadeemia.
We will be using two amazing sources which we highly recommend.
- Faithlife Study Bible: This is an amazing resource that is free if you download the app or use it online. To download the app or use this resource online visit their website here. This resource is also available in print which you can purchase here.
- The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: This is my favorite resource for gaining a better understanding for the ancient Near Eastern worldview of the Biblical authors. This is available in a multitude of variations all of which you can find on our resource page here.
Let’s Critical Think Aloud together
God Wants ?
Yahweh wants a big blended family of loyal Spiritual and Human Beings who He shares His authority with to spread His Kingdom, and He accomplishes this in the spiritual realm through His Council.
The Divine Council
Throughout this Spiritual Being series we have been using the concept of how the ancient Near Eastern cultures viewed the gods residing in a council and learning more about how this idea was not abandoned by the Israelites but transformed. This notion has been the base for our teachings about spiritual beings as one of the Bibles main characters.
Here is a quote that we have been using to help ground us in the biblical authors worldview
“The idea that the gods operated in community, however, posed serious problems for the theology of Israel, in which only one being had divine authority. This theology did not eradicate the divine council from the Israelite thinking; instead the council was transformed. Rather than being comprised of various gods, the council featured the “sons of God” over whom Yahweh presided and whose activities he delegated… These council members were not gods who had autonomous divine authority on a par with Yahweh’s, but they were spirit beings given a role in Yahweh’s governance of the world.”
The NIV Culture Backgrounds Study Bible: Article on the Divine Council on Pg. 615
Other Spiritual Beings serving on Gods Council is not in conflict with the Biblical authors ancient Near Eastern worldview. Even though they believed that other spiritual beings exist, Yahweh alone is sovereign over everything including these other deities.
Here on Critical Thinking Aloud we defined Sovereignty not as meticulous control but that of the ability to rule as one pleases.
Yahweh has seen fit to rule by sharing His authority with His Council not by control. This is how Yahweh wants to rule over His creation!
Disloyal Spiritual Beings Part 2
In the last installment we mentioned that we will be covering how these Spiritual Beings rebelled in a separate mini series. During these teaching we will only be giving general info about these rebellious Spiritual Beings who are no longer granted access to Gods council due to their disloyalty.
Most of our audience will have been somewhat acquainted with the previous rebellious spirit because of his prominent statues as the adversary throughout the scriptures. Todays discussion on other seditious spirits however will be lesser known though the impact which their disloyalty caused on the world was just as catastrophic.
The Watchers
Not all Spiritual Being on Gods Council are the same. Remember the differ in rank and role. Among these are a class of Spiritual Beings who were known as the watchers.
Here is an excerpt from our third installment of this Spiritual Beings Series where we discussed the different roles of members on Gods council.
“‘The Hebrew Word עִיר (ir) ‘watcher’ is used for another class of Angels known as the Watchers. These Spiritual Beings are tasked with watching over Humanity. This word only occurs 3 times in the entire Biblical Text all of which are found in the Old Testament in the same chapter of Daniel.
The STEP Bible describes these beings this way
“1) waking, watchful, wakeful one, watcher, angel” STEP Bible From Tyndale House, Cambrid
“I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold a watcher a holy one, came down from heaven.” Dan 4:13
“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.” Dan 4:17
“And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ Dan 4:23“
Spiritual Beings Pt 3: – What is the Bibles Main Character: What is the Bible Series
These Council members are tasked by Yahweh to watch over humanity. They are entrusted with watching over the wellbeing of Gods physical family members. As we will see a number of these beings chose to revolt and do the exact opposite.
The Giants/ Demons
The origin of these descends of the Watchers will be discussed in greater detail the upcoming three dual rebellion motif of the Hebrew Bible series, but for now I wanted to touch on them since they are rogue spiritual beings.
Even though these are half Human and half Spiritual Beings they deserve a mention here because of what they become after their demise.
Evil Spirits
It may surprise you to hear that there is not very much said about demons in the Old Testament. In the New Testament we see many cases of Jesus healing those possessed with demons therefore most assume the Old Testament has a lot to say about these beings, but it does not. Because of this it may seem a bit odd once one realizes how scarce demons are in the Hebrew Bible.
Apart from the parallel passages in the sixth chapter of Genesis there is no mention of the origins of the demons in the Old Testament. It is only in the highly revered Second Temple Period literature of Judaism where we find a depiction of how these beings came to be.
“And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. [As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.] And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them.”
1 Enoch 15:8-12
From this source we learn that after the Flood of Noah killed all the Giants, these monster’s spirits were not permitted to enter into the spiritual world among the rest of Gods Family. They were therefore banished to remain on the earth always seeking another body to inhabit.
Super Natural Worldview Required
I know this sounds crazy at first but once you see the coherent message this narrative produces the strangeness wares off. As Christians We believe that God authored the scriptures which has lead us into faith in a virgin birth, a Man God who died and rose again, who is now in the heavens, and will return to judge the earth.
All of the above is supernatural, and it requires a supernatural worldview to believe in a Supernatural God! So let’s accept a supernatural outlook on life, and get on board with the Supernatural worldview of the Biblical authors.
Join us next week for our last teaching on the misfit Spiritual Beings.
Peace and Blessings
Biblical Doctrine Derives From the Biblical Text
Check out this short video series on Spiritual beings by our friends over at The Bible Project by clicking here. They are amazing and super helpful to better grasp what we will be covering in this series.
Let us know your thought about our series in the comment section. If you have any topics you would like to suggest please let us know and we will add them to the list of future subjects we will covered.
Citations:
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Grand Rapids, Michigan USA Zondervan 2016
Call for action: Help us out by learning more
Check out the book referenced above Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness by Michael Heiser for a more in-depth study on these Spiritual Beings who were on Gods council. Get it now by clicking here.
- Also Check out this companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader’s Commentary by Michael Heiser. Vol. 1, and Vol. 2
Our Favorite Bible
U.S. Link: NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible- Hardcover Bible, Bonded Leather Bible, Bonded Leather: Thumb Index, Imitation Leather Women’s, Imitation Leather Men’s, Kindle Edition
Our Favorite Book
U.S. Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World And Why It Matters- Paperback book, Kindle Edition, Audiobook
**** HEY EVERYONE, WE WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE WE EARN A SMALL COMMISSION FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES YOU MAKE FROM OUR LINKS AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU! HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT AFFECT OUR SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT WE RECOMMEND FOR YOU TO USE. WE FEEL THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR YOU TO BOTH ENJOY QUALITY RESOURCES WHICH WE USE IN HOPES IT WILL LIKEWISE ENRICH YOUR BIBLICAL STUDIES, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SUPPORTING OUR MINISTRY TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND. IF YOU DO DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE, OUR FAMILY HERE AT CRITICAL THINKING ALOUD WANTS YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE VALUE YOUR SUPPORT.****