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Deuteronomy 32:17-They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.
Terry (not his real name) worshipped the Norse gods.
As a young man, his father (a local leader in a prominent Christian denomination) had abused him and his mother for years. While incarcerated, someone had told him how to summon Oden. Desperate for answers, Terry called upon the Norse god one night after being released from jail. To his shock, Oden appeared to him and promised him power over all of his enemies. Since that time, Terry had devoted himself to serving Oden and the Norse gods.
When we started studying, my new friend made his disdain for the God of the Bible clear. I remember one conversation in particular as he and I studied at a local Chinese restaurant.
Terry: You and I both know that Christians don’t believe in my gods, brother Mark.
Mark: What Christians do or do not believe is not the deciding factor on any issue, my friend.
Terry: What do you mean?
Mark: What matters is not what any Christian, any denomination, or any church teaches: what matters is what the Bible teaches. It is, after all, the Word of God.
Terry: I don’t believe that the Bible is from God, but even if I did, everyone knows that the Bible says there are no other gods but your God!
Mark: Two things. First, I can show you undeniable evidence that the Bible is the Word of God. Second, I can show you undeniable evidence that the Bible teaches in numerous places that there are other gods besides the God of the Bible. But they aren’t who you think they are.
(End Of Relevant Discussion)
This was the first in a series of Bible studies that I was blessed to enter into with Terry and (later) some other members of his family. We looked carefully at many evidences that show the Bible is the Word of God, and my friends were unable to deny those evidences. At the same time, they could not provide any evidences that the Eddas (the Norse holy writings) were truly Divine.
However, what really interested Terry and opened the door for us to continue our Bible studies was my assertion that the Bible teaches that there are multiple gods.
Is that true?
Doesn’t the Bible teach that there is only one God?
Let’s study.
Many times in the Bible, we are told that there is no God besides Yahweh/Jehovah (Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 43:11; 44:6, 8; 45:5, 6, 21, etc.). But then, we are told numerous times (in both the Old and New Testaments) that there are many gods besides Yahweh/Jehovah (Exodus 12:12; 15:11; 18:11; 20:3; Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 82:1, 6; 86:8; 1 Corinthians 8:5-6)!
Heiser explains this apparent inconsistency:
“Another misguided strategy is to argue that statements in the Old Testament that have God saying “there is none besides me” mean that no other elohim exist. This isn’t the case. These phrases do not contradict Psalm 82 or others that, for example, say Yahweh is above all elohim or is the “God of gods [elohim].” I’ve written a lot on this subject—it was a focus of my doctoral dissertation. 26 These “denial statements,” as they are called by scholars, do not assert that there are no other elohim. In fact, some of them are found in chapters where the reality of other elohim is affirmed. We’ve already seen that Deuteronomy 32: 17 refers to elohim that Paul believed existed. Deuteronomy 32: 8–9 also refers to the sons of God. Deuteronomy 4: 19–20 is a parallel to that passage, and yet Deuteronomy 4: 35 says there is no god besides Yahweh. Is Scripture filled with contradictions? No. These “denial statements” do not deny that other elohim exist. Rather, they deny that any elohim compares to Yahweh. They are statements of incomparability. This point is easily illustrated by noticing where else the same denial language shows up in the Bible. Isaiah 47: 8 and Zephaniah 2: 15 have, respectively, Babylon and Nineveh saying “there is none besides me.” Are we to believe that the point of the phrase is to declare that no other cities exist except Babylon or Nineveh? That would be absurd. The point of the statement is that Babylon and Nineveh considered themselves incomparable, as though no other city could measure up to them. This is precisely the point when these same phrases are used of other gods—they cannot measure up to Yahweh. The Bible does not contradict itself on this point. Those who want to argue that the other elohim do not exist are at odds with the supernatural worldview of the biblical writers.” (Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Discovering The Supernatural World Of The Bible (Expanded Edition), 55-56 (Kindle Edition): Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press)
There are many “gods,” but only one TRUE ETERNAL GOD.
So, who are these gods?
The answer is found in the Book of Psalms.
Psalm 97:7-Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, Who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods.
This Psalm is located in a section of Scripture that deals specifically with the Christian Age and the Day of Judgment. Indeed, the New Testament makes this clear in referencing this passage in numerous passages and applying them especially to events between the Resurrection of Christ and the Second Coming (compare Psalm 97:2 with Revelation 1:7; Psalm 97:3 with 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Psalm 97:4 with Revelation 11:19; Psalm 97:5 with Revelation 16:2). We also see here that the “gods” of the passage are connected with “idols.” Throughout the Old Testament, “idols” are seen as dwelling places of the gods of the pagans (cf. Psalm 96:4-5; 106:36-38). Indeed, notice that throughout this section of Psalms, the “gods” are seen as the enemies of the Lord (Psalm 82:1, 6; 86:8; 95:3; 6:4, 5; 97:7-9).
Yet what is truly fascinating about this passage is when we look at how it is translated in the Greek Old Testament.
Psalm 97:7 (Brenton’s LXX)-Let all that worship graven images be ashamed, who boast of their idols; worship him, all ye his angels.
Do you see it?
The “gods” (Hebrew text) of the pagan nations are clearly identified as “angels” (Greek text).
The Pagan Gods = Angels
More to the point, the writer of Hebrews makes this connection certain when he quotes this passage of Scripture:
Hebrews 1:6-But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
That, my friends, is one reason that I believe that the pagan “gods” are real, and that they are fallen angels. If the Bible is the Word of God (and it is), and if the Bible teaches that the pagan “gods” exist and are fallen angels (it does), then they exist and are fallen angels (and so they do and are). The fallen angels want to do everything in their power to deceive mankind into turning away from God (Revelation 12:7-12).
There is one final note I want to share with you about this passage. The Hebrew language is remarkably detailed, and Rabbis throughout the ages have noted that this passage implies that the “gods” are here commanded to worship the Lord…“as they once had.”
John Gill clarifies:
“So Aben Ezra on the place observes, that there are some (meaning their doctors) who say, that ‘all the gods are the angels’; and Kimchi says, that the words are not imperative, but are in the past tense, instead of the future, all the angels have worshipped him; that is, they shall worship him; as they have done, so they will do.” (John Gill, Gill’s Commentary, 338983-338985 (Kindle Edition): Washington, DC: OSNOVA)
One translation of the Bible clarifies this tremendously:
Psalm 97:7 (TPT)-Shame covers all who boast in other gods, for they worship idols. For all the supernatural powers once worshiped the true and living God.
As the fallen angels themselves are commanded to repent and serve the Lord (as they once had), so we are exhorted to turn to Him also. At Calvary, all the powers of darkness were defeated (Colossians 2:15-16). However, the spiritual war rages on (Ephesians 6:10-18), and God’s church will be victorious (Revelation 2:10).
Are you on the winning team?
Lord, grant us wisdom to serve You. Open our eyes to the spiritual war waging around us. In Your Name we pray, Amen.