Are There Other Gods in the Bible?

I want to start this article by thanking God for Dr. Michael S. Heiser. I started a study on demons a few weeks ago; that was my focus. In that process my wife bought me a few books written by Dr. Heiser. Neither my wife nor I knew about him, but as she did her research, she found him. At first, I was not too interested because my focus was on demons. However, as I started casually reading his books, watching his videos and listen to his podcast, I realized that there is a lot more than demons in Scripture as it refers to the dark world. That is how my journey started!

I knew that demons were real, but I wanted to know how they operate according to Scripture. In the process, I discover that there are bigger fishes to fry. I discovered that there are other gods; none of them like my God. As a matter fact, Jehovah created all of them, but they were, nevertheless, gods. Some of these gods betrayed God and turned evil… those are the bigger fishes to fry.

Now, before I continue; let me make it very clear that there is no other god with the attributes of Jehovah; only He is the Creator; He is the most powerful, the All-knowing and Omniscience God. Well, it is time to let the Scripture speak to us; let’s start with Psalm 82

God has taken his place in the divine council;
    in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
² “How long will you judge unjustly
    and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
³ Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
    maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
⁴ Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

⁵ They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
    they walk about in darkness;
    all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

⁶ I said, “You are gods,
    sons of the Most High, all of you;
⁷ nevertheless, like men you shall die,
    and fall like any prince.”

⁸ Arise, O God, judge the earth;
    for you shall inherit all the nations! (ESV)

This is a Psalm written by Asaph; this is obviously a prayer. Judging by the way this psalm is written Asaph is very familiar with the concept of other gods.  Psalm 82 is describing a gigantic meeting. Let’s take a look at some of these words in the original language.  In verse one the word divine is the Hebrew word ʾēl: “A masculine noun meaning god, mighty one, hero.”^[1] In that same verse we see the word gods, that is the word ʾ^elōhiym: “A masculine plural noun meaning God, gods, judges, angels.”^[2]

In verse 6 God speaks to these other gods. The word gods there is the same word lōhiym. Then he states, “…you are the children of the most high.” Most high comes from the Hebrew word, ʿelyôn: “A masculine noun meaning Most High, the Highest.”^[3] This is the reason I am not offended by this view of other gods because 1) Jehovah created them and 2) Jehovah is most high. Our God is still in control. He still has authority over all those other gods, he tells them, because of their wicket ways “…like men you shall die …” In the New Testament in Second Corinthians 4:3-4 Paul tells us,

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

⁴ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (KJV)

The word god in verse four is the Greek word, “Theós; meaning, God.”^[4] Also, in First Corinthians 8:5-6 Paul states, “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,). ⁶ But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.” (NASB 1995) These verses are important because they pointed out the powerful attributes of our God. Our God is the Creator, and He is the only Father. 

Together with Satan, these gods have been causing a lot of trouble on earth, starting with the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 and then Genesis 6 with the fallen angels having sex with women; this was the iniquity of all iniquities.  But these dark interventions did not stop there, they manifest one more time and, this time; God had enough!

To be continued…

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^[1] Warren Baker and Eugene E. Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament(Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 50.

^[2] Warren Baker and Eugene E. Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament(Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 54.

^[3] Warren Baker and Eugene E. Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament(Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 837.

^[4] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).