How the Divine Council Worldview Impact Eschatology

In Joel, chapter two, we read

And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

It’s a day of reckoning and redemption.

It’s a time of judgment and justice.

This day, which Scripture refers to as the Day of the Lord, is when God’s Kingdom breaks in and fully invades the kingdoms of this world. It’s the point in history when God steps in to restore what’s been broken and destroyed by sin and darkness. It’s the moment when God resurrects what was lost in the Garden of Eden as He establishes a new heaven and earth.

In episode 252 of The Naked Podcast, Dr. Heiser states

…when the Day of the Lord happens, there’s going to be a house cleaning in the heavenly realms and in the earthly realms…hitting the reset button on the heavens and the earth. Why? Because we’re transitioning to the new heaven and the new earth. And the old is judged and passed away and refashioned and the new heaven and earth come.

On this day, God will restore all creation to an Eden-like state of righteousness, peace, and joy.

Everything lost due to sin and rebellion will be redeemed, restored, and renewed.

To quote Dr. Heiser, this day is the “hinge point” in which everything will transition from this present age to the age to come.

The Reversal of Rebellion

When discussing the Day of the Lord, it’s essential to understand what will be restored and why.

On the Day of the Lord, Jesus will return as King to reverse everything initiated by the three supernatural rebellions detailed throughout the narrative of Scripture.

Let’s take a brief look at each of the rebellions found in Genesis.

The Three Supernatural Rebellions

1. The Fall of Satan (Genesis 3)

Satan, who decided to rebel against God, attempts to lift himself higher than Yahweh God.

As a result, he is cast out of heaven, where we find him lurking in the Garden of Eden, focused on deceiving Adam and Eve, derailing God’s original design for His family on earth.

Steven Wedgeworth writes

Satan’s successful temptation of Adam and Eve brought humanity into a state of sin and misery, and it initiated cosmic warfare between Satan’s powers and God’s.

But, on the Day of the Lord, Jesus will reverse this rebellion and restore humanity completely back to their created roles as God’s image bearers on the earth. No longer bound by sin and shame, but free to walk as children of the Highest.

2. The Sons of God (Genesis 6)

The “sons of God” are part of the Divine Council who left their post to cohabitate with human women.

Their decision to enter relations with humanity created what is known as the Nephilim. The Nephilim were a race of giants whose spirits lived on in what is referred to in the New Testament as demons.

For more on the “sons of God,” check out Dr. Heiser’s book: Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness.

On the Day of the Lord, Jesus will rid the earth of the Nephilim spirit, reversing the curse of their lust and desire and restoring purity to the family of God.

3. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11, Psalm 82)

After this pivotal story in Genesis 11, God assigns members of His Divine Council to watch over various regions and nations.

However, these members of the Divine Council chose to rebel against God, instead seeking glory and worship for themselves.
It’s this rebellion that creates the expansive chasm between God and the nations of the earth.

Yet, on the Day of the Lord, Jesus will return as King, and every tribe, tongue, and nation will bow before Him.

On the Day of the Lord, these three rebellions will be reversed, restored, and brought back under God’s governance and design.

How Does this Impact Our Eschatology?

Considering what has been discussed, we must understand that the Day of the Lord is not a day of escape.

It’s not a concession of victory to darkness and sin.
The Day of the Lord is a day of restoration. It’s a time when what once was lost in the Garden of Eden will be reconciled and redeemed.

On this day, Jesus will return as King to establish His Kingdom fully on the earth, reversing the curse of rebellion. And not only will Jesus’ return, but those hidden in Christ will return with Him.

Our future as God’s image bearers on the earth is not passive but active. On this day, we will co-labor with Christ, participating in the restoration of all things.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If you’d like to dive deeper into the topic of the Divine Council and its impact on eschatology, check out our online course: Unseen Realm 102.

In this course, Dr. Heiser explains:

• The cryptic nature of the ultimate mission of the Messiah in the first advent. ? How Christ’s ministry targeted the three supernatural-human rebellions described in Genesis 1-11.
• How the Church, the Body of Christ, and its ordinances repurpose Old Testament concepts of sacred space, a holy priesthood, and cosmic geography.
• How the divine council worldview impacts eschatology, the 

Day of the Lord, and the restoration of Eden on a new earth.
With over 14 hours of video content, this course will help you grow exegetically, as well as help you to recover a supernatural worldview of the Bible.

If you would like more information about the course or if you’re ready to sign up, click here.