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What is the Transubstantiation of the Eucharist?

Is it a form of cannibalism?

There’s been a lot of debate surrounding the transubstantiation of the eucharist, and if Catholics really believe that they’re eating the flesh of Jesus Christ, and literally drinking his blood.

The whole point (at least in some Catholic circles) of transubstantiation is to magically alter the regular piece of bread into Jesus Christ’s flesh, and the drink into His blood. To partake in and consume in order to have the life and spirit of Jesus Christ within us.

Hm… it sounds an awful lot like cannibalism to me. But to be fair, let’s take an in depth look into what actual Catholics and scholars believe is the meaning of this verse:

53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

John 6:53-58

“So, what did Jesus mean when he spoke about eating his flesh and drinking his blood? He certainly wasn’t talking about cannibalism!

He was talking about true religion. What Jesus meant is that it’s got to be personal. Jesus was saying that you don’t receive eternal life by understand concepts or by believing the right things, but instead by a personal and intimate relationship with him. Jesus must be to us more important than our very food and drink, and closer to us than the nourishment that courses through our body that helps us to live.”
– What Does It Mean to Eat Christ’s Flesh and To Drink His Blood?

So according to the site above, they believe that the eucharist is meant to be taken symbolically, and ‘of course it’s not literal!’

Another insight into the belief that the transubstantiation is symbolic can be found here, as well as many other researched sites.

But further study and insight into this mysterious tradition does indeed show that many Catholics and practitioners of this ritual truly do believe that they are literally eating the body of Christ and drinking His blood.

A couple of examples:

– Holy Communion – The Catholic Church has the Answer
– Is the Eucharist Truly Jesus’ Body and Blood?

And on average, according to several consensus studies, about 1 in 3 Catholics fully believe in the eucharist doctrine that the host transforms into the actual body/flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, while the other 2/3 believe that it is a symbolic, spiritual essence.

Results from the Pew Research Center: Understanding US Catholics’ belief in the Eucharist

There are even scientific studies declaring some rather unusual characteristics of these consecrated hosts that have undergone a transubstantiation process:

Source: youtube | Inspired By Carlo Acutis – Scientific Evidence of Eucharistic Miracles

The video above shows several scientists/doctors/researchers who have studied the host’s transformation, and even hypothesizes the tools that would be necessary to replicate such a miracle:

– Odoardo Linoli
– Fredrick Zugibe
– Franco Serafini
– Jason DeGregorio
– Eduardo Sanchez Lazo

And as you can see, the full belief and trust in this miracle is alive and well by not only the creator of the video, but also many of the viewers who have left their own comments. And again, I am not bashing anyone for their beliefs. This is an attempt for me to truly understand these miracles and what may be happening. While I am a believer of Christ, I am also somewhat of a skeptic, especially when it comes to a process that involves the literal consumption of someone’s flesh and blood.

Some of the interesting similarities between the wafers discussed in the video are:

– They were revealed to be AB blood type
– The material derived seemed to have come from the left ventricle of the heart – while it was still alive
– The heart suffered massive trauma

(I don’t know about you… but this literally makes my own heart hurt and I can’t even imagine the circumstances that were involved in order to duplicate this kind of organic tissue result…)

Science reveals Jesus’ blood type, but is it a hoax, a coincidence, or something truly miraculous?

While it may seem that these miracles are indeed mysterious and of a divine nature (or a terribly horrific one), I have to bring up a theory that some of the “host” wafers are not merely flour and water, like most people believe. I won’t get into the gritty details, but I will mention the possibilities that can arise between a religion that may be inclined to convince the public that miracles exist, with the combination of science and the capabilities of the technological age that are quite advanced at creating fabulous “signs and wonders” that the layman may not have even dreamed possible.

(And the insane amount of effort and length that these deceivers would go to, to convince the public in order to maintain their status as the religious world leader…)

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:24

This is a very cautious warning for us believers, to be very discerning when it comes to anything deemed “miraculous”. I have to remind everyone that a favorite practice of satan (who is called a liar, the father of lies, and the deceiver – and who also disguises himself as an angel of light) is to invert everything good and holy into one of corruption and wickedness.

What does the Bible say about demonic/satanic miracles?

What better way to do this than to lead the followers astray by taking Jesus Christ’s spiritual/metaphorical words, and twisting them into the belief that one must literally consume His flesh and drink His blood? Which by today’s measure, could be deemed as a cannibalistic, ritualistic custom. After all, if we read outside of the Bible and take a peek into the Book of Enoch, it states that one of the reasons why the great flood happened at all is because the nephilim (offspring of the fallen angels) gave in to the consumption of human flesh and all sorts of wicked tendencies.

(referring to the giants/nephilim) 3. Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them,
4. the giants turned against them and devoured mankind.
5. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood.
6. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.

Book of Enoch 7:3-6

On August 18, 1996, a woman parishioner allegedly found a consecrated host on a candle holder and brought it to Fr. Alejandro Pezet. After a few days of leaving the host in the tabernacle to dissolve, found that it had been transformed into a bloody tissue that was much larger than the original host. It was then photographed and sent for scientific study by none other than our current Pope Francis (Jorge Bergoglio).

– The Eucharistic Miracle Overseen by Archbishop Bergoglio (Now Pope Francis)

Just as an added bonus, here are some questionable quotes from Pope Francis himself:

“Pope John Paul II was a saint, I am the devil.”
“having a personal relationship with Jesus is dangerous and very harmful.”

– Pope Francis Says: “I Am The Devil”

“Joking” or not, these are pretty serious statements coming from the head of the Roman Catholic Church…

Here’s another extremely controversial quote, from Pope Francis:

“‘Yes, I carry the cross to show that I am a Christian.’ ” And “It’s fine,” but “not just as a badge, as if it were a team, the badge of a team’; but [rather], said Francis, “as the memory of the man who made himself sin, who made himself the devil, the serpent, for us; he debased himself up to the point of totally annihilating himself.”

– Pope Francis: Christ “Made Himself the Devil”

There are also some extremely disturbing and, quite frankly, terrifying, implications of the Vatican installing satan as the new head of the church and the shady practices they engage in… so take that for what it’s worth…

Satanic Black Masses at the Vatican

Follow that up with this additional perspective from Pope Francis, and it starts to paint an incredibly sordid and depraved picture…

Pope Francis compares abuse by priests to ‘satanic mass’

I have to admit, one of the reasons why it’s so hard for me to accept the Catholic teachings that the bread and wine literally become Jesus Christ in the flesh and blood, is because it sets a dangerous precedent on consuming the body and blood of the innocent, to maintain a “saving grace” to wipe away one’s own sins. While Jesus Christ Himself should be the ONLY one to turn to, there are certain religious sects that take His word to heart, even further, by following the same verse of John 6:53, but with a slightly different meaning that changes everything:

53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you

John 6:53

We see that “Son of Man” is capitalized, which presumes that it is a title given to Jesus Christ. However, if one were to take this verse literally and dissect its meaning, well, most of us would not consider Jesus Christ to be the “Son of Man”. Don’t we all consider Him the Son of God? So who is the Son of Man? Why would Jesus Christ be referring to Himself in this way? After all, if the biblical story of Jesus’s birth is any indication, He was not even born from a man but from a virgin woman and the holy spirit in the “Immaculate conception.” Of course, “man” is usually the term used to include all of humanity (mankind), so this could easily be explained away. And since Jesus is not one to boast about His heritage coming from God, He states also that He came from man.

But, as many confused or simply immoral groups will pursue, one can misconstrue any verse and twist its meaning to suit their own agenda. So now this “Son of Man” title can literally refer to ANYONE. “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man (any human being) and drink His (in some translations, “His” is not capitalized) blood, you have no life in you.”

And while people may laugh and scoff at the idea, the history of vampirism is a very real ideology, and there are some that truly believe that in order to have a long and healthy life, one must consume another being’s flesh and drink their blood.

History of Vampires

Even if ‘vampires’ in the traditional sense don’t really exist, there are still many people that believe that consuming other human being’s flesh/blood will give them a longer lifespan and/or give them mystical powers. There are also pagans/witches/warlocks… even misguided souls that have reverted to using ‘blood magic’ to help them with their woes or any other number of transgressions or desires:

Practicing Witchcraft: What You Should Know About Blood Magic

While the author of the above article tries to present this practice in a benign way, even setting “rules” as to how one should use blood in their magic, they cannot speak for everyone that they will adhere to this. If we know anything about the human nature and the addictive quality that power (even an allusion of power) gives to anyone, once they get a taste for it, the measures taken goes to extremes and therefore steps outside of the boundaries that was once set upon them.

Although imho, this occultic practice should not even be attempted since it is quite possibly opening doors that should never be opened. It invites spirits/demons in and may be one of the reasons why people claim to be cursed/haunted/possessed, etc.

In closing, while I do agree that the wordings of the verses lean heavily into a physical consumption of the body and blood of Christ, I am also of the belief that translations and interpretations get confused, especially when trying to ascribe meaning and words to an ancient language. (And that’s if the translations are not skewed on purpose…)

After doing all of this research and myself being a believer of Christ, I have come to this understanding:

The ingestion of the bread/wafer that indicates Jesus’s flesh is a symbolic gesture for that person saying, “I come to you, Jesus Christ.” while the drinking of the “wine” is akin to saying, “I believe in you, Jesus Christ.” Not that Jesus was literally referring to Himself as a physical manifestation that people must eat and drink.

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

It is my belief that Jesus was indeed speaking in metaphorical terms and talking from a spiritual standpoint. He knew that the hard-hearted, the unbelievers, the stubborn materialistic inclinations of some people would not understand His sayings no matter how He worded it. And that some people may be misled by this teaching. So He spoke with this type of parable to the people that could glean meaning and understanding that Jesus Christ is asking His followers to pursue a spiritual path – instead of the physical.

Of course, I have to admit, for Jesus to describe people’s manner of following Him in this way, does leave it open to different perceptions/interpretations. After all, if one were to read His verses in the literal sense, there is no other way to differentiate His meaning other than an actual consuming of His flesh and drinking of His blood. And it’s fascinating that even other Catholics cannot come to a resounding definitive answer as to the purpose of the eucharist/transubstantiation.

But perhaps to clarify, and put this whole situation to rest, Jesus also says this to his disciples after his very controversial, parabolic teaching:

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

John 6:63

Again, why Jesus Christ decided to tell His allegory in such a perplexing way, is perhaps the bigger mystery.

Was He testing His followers and other believers/non-believers alike? To see who would still follow Him and understand this spiritual/conscious teachings?

(And on the flip-side, to see who would take His words literal and continue seeking the physical fulfillment of a worldly life with material sustenance – instead of The Word and Life of the Spirit…)

Bottom line, God knows the motives of our heart. If we come to Him with a sincere and genuine faith and pure intentions, God knows this; and whether we believe in the literal transubstantiation of the eucharist or not, it should not be the key determinant in what kind of person you are or what kind of life you’re living.

After all, one can participate in the mass, yet not be a believer at all…

Personal disclaimer: These are my understandings and beliefs only. In no way am I claiming to know the absolute Truth. This is just what resonates with me and what I have come to realize during my quest to seek Jesus Christ and information I have gathered from the Bible and other sources.

Fact checking is extremely important. I want to reiterate not to take everything at face value; no matter what you read, where you read it from, or who you hear it from. And to be clear, do not rely on “fact checking” websites to give you accurate information either. These are just as likely, (if not even more likely…), to feed false information and false debunking accounts to manipulate the reader. Please take everything into consideration before adhering to a certain narrative – and always keep your mind open to other possibilities.

Fair use disclaimer: Some of the links from this article are provided from different sources/sites to give the reader extra information and cite the sources, but does not necessarily mean that I endorse the contents of the site itself. Additionally, I have tried to provide links to the contents that I used from other sites as an educational and/or entertainment means only; if you feel that any information deserves further citation or request to be clarified, please let me know through the contact page.

Featured image by idenir from Pixabay

Research on Demand

What is the Transubstantiation of the Eucharist? - Is it a form of cannibalism?

Is the Dome/Firmament Over Earth Real? - Is there a barrier between us, and "space" as we know it?

Did You Know? | Monsters May Just Be Hiding Under Your Bed - And everywhere else.

Are We In The Matrix? - And are NPCs real?

The Fascinating Case of Mandela Effects - Have you ever experienced this?

The Mysterious Comte de Saint Germain - Ascended master? Or master deceiver?

Why are Discoveries of Giants (And Possible Nephilim) Being Covered Up? - What are they trying to hide from us?

What is the Divine Council? - Angels? Spirits? Men? All (none) of the above?

Fake vs. reality. How do we tell the difference?

Are You Sure You Saw, What You Think You Saw? - Tearing Apart "Reality"

Jesus Christ: Do the Channeled Material Add Up? - Do they have a lot in common? Or do misconceptions abound?

Is God calling out to you? | If not, are you SURE?

And if so, are you heeding His call?

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:14

For those of you who aren’t aware of The Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14), it gives the readers a tale of a king inviting people to a huge wedding banquet (meant to depict the Lord inviting people to the kingdom of Heaven) and while the people who were invited were called upon to attend, none of them responded. Some were even indignant at the servants who were trying to give them the message to attend; so much so that these incensed people even killed the messenger. Literally.

After finding none of the people who were invited worthy to attend the banquet, the king then had his servants call to anybody and everybody who was willing to attend, both the bad and the good, and see who graciously came.

So the hall was filled with guests, yet there was one man who did not have the proper attire (a metaphor for not attending the kingdom with a pure intention), and so he was cast out.

Now throughout my life, and I would surmise yours too, there have been random encounters with “messengers” who have tried to steer me in the direction of the Lord. Yes, it included several different religions, including but definitely not limited to: Jehovah’s Witness, Catholic Church, other different non-denominational and denominational factions, etc. There have even been individuals who have asked if they could pray over me, not under any certain religious motivation, just from an honest perspective of wanting to pray for someone in the name of the Lord.

And again, I wonder if the same applies to everyone at least once in their life. (Of course, implying when one grows up into teen/adulthood and can understand this concept – not indicating babies and young children that won’t quite understand this subject matter.)

My point is, I think we’re ALL called, whether some people realize it or not. Perhaps some will be called by others doing their brotherly/sisterly duties as a fellow human being, wanting to give people the “good news” that the Lord saves. Perhaps the call will be more personal, like a “divine” encounter of some sort, or even a strange “coincidental” incident that would be too hard to explain logically. Maybe the call will be more prominent, like a near death experience that jolts people into realizing the true purpose of life.

Has any of the below “callings” happened to you?

Fellow Messengers:

There are many testimonies of people who have been called to Jesus Christ through other people. And this heartfelt ministering (even if caught completely off-guard in a twisted turn of events) can have a life-altering effect.

Take the events surrounding Denzil Moses, an ex-gang leader who, after attempting to hijack a car, ended up being ministered to by the driver of the car.

The driver of the car, even in the face of a dangerous criminal, was able to look past that and see him as a fellow human being. It was this compassionate view, instead of showing fear, and his trust and faith in Jesus Christ, that startled Denzil so much that he wanted to know who this person was and why he wasn’t afraid of a tough gang leader. The driver stated that he was a child of Christ, and that God loves Denzil – no matter who he is, and this compelled Denzil to pray with the driver to be forgiven and to turn to Christ; even while he was pointing a gun at the driver’s head.

After this moment, Denzil states that he was a changed man, and he now works to bring light and truth to the drug dealers and gang leaders/members in his community, to try and help them find God and walk away from the dark corruption they were living in.

Saved by the young messenger in the car, Denzil is now a messenger himself; calling out to more fellow people to follow the ways of Jesus Christ.

Divine Encounter

In Elaine’s testimony, she describes her spiritual beliefs and how hard it was for her to overcome the New Age teachings in order to fully embrace the teachings of Christ.

Throughout all of her doubts and questions, and even living with a Christian husband and children, it wasn’t until the Holy Spirit came upon her that she was able to finally put her alternative beliefs aside.

“And remember that New Agers think that the world is evolving to perfection? Well, I also started to realize that the world was not getting better. That it is, in fact, really broken for some reason. In contrast to the brokenness of this world and the people in it, I started to see that God’s nature is holy and I started to realize that no one else is like him except Jesus.
At this time, the Holy Spirit was also getting through to me that I am not perfect and my concepts of perfection are not God’s concepts. Nice and good are not the same thing.
In the winter of 2008, my husband had to do extensive business travel, coming home only on weekends. It was during this time that the Holy Spirit led me through some good Christian books, one specifically on forgiveness. I was finally recognizing my own sin and I felt incredibly convicted.
…
It was at the Holy Spirit’s urging, a pressing not from me, that I was able to let go of the last “stronghold” of my New Age belief system, which was my belief in reincarnation.

New Age Escape — Elaine’s Christian Testimony

I think it’s very interesting how she mentions “at the Holy Spirit’s urging, a pressing not from me” – I definitely understand how this feels as a similar occurrence happened to me when I was younger. Without wanting to sound “insane”, it is a very jarring experience when you have a sudden thought that you know is not your own. The only thing I could conclude is that it was a different entity trying to get my attention.

Needless to say, it worked. And I’m glad it worked for Elaine and cemented her belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ.

Quiet Reflection

Who said a calling to God has to be a huge affair or with extraordinary pomp and circumstance?

It could be something from within; a small, still voice or urge from your conscience that leads you to the right path.

So from 22 onward, I had begun searching for answers.
…
At first, I tried man-made solutions. I investigated various ideologies and pursued numerous ideas but nothing seemed perfect. There always seemed to be at least one aspect of each one that I didn’t agree with.
I became hazily aware that I was leaving religion on the table until other options had been exhausted. I eventually became suspicious as to why my brain seemed to be avoiding the topic. So, one day I took a walk down to the Fulham Road to browse through a bookshop. There, I found a King James Bible. I flicked through it for maybe 20 minutes or half an hour, then put it back. I remembered this book from my childhood, when I had received a portion of it at school. I then put it back on the shelf and left.
THAT WAS IT. That was the biggest defining moment of my life. It doesn’t sound like much, does it? However, Jesus has had a profound influence on my life since then.
A few weeks later, I went back to purchase that Bible. I took it home and attempted to read it but it was hard-going. I decided to focus on keeping the Ten Commandments. So, began my walk with the Lord.

– The Day I Turned to God: How my faith changed my life.

This is incredible because it came from an unknown prompt – something compelled him to look towards the Bible as the possible solution, even after deliberately putting the idea on the back-burner as a last resort. And after that seed was planted, it grew and blossomed into the good fruit that’s pleasing to the Lord. And what ultimately led him to his path with Christ.

A Call From God

Not sure if this is an actual story or just a parable, but a very amusing tale none-the-less:

One Saturday night, a pastor was working late and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn’t answer the phone. The pastor let it ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn’t answer but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again, she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn’t answered before, and she said that it hadn’t rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.

The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he’d used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he’d called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn’t figure out what the man was talking about.

Then the man said, “It rang and rang, but I didn’t answer.”

The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he’d intended to call his wife.

The man said, “That’s okay. Let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, ‘God if you’re there, and you don’t want me to do this, give me a sign now.’ At that point, my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, ‘Almighty God’. I was afraid to answer!”

The church that the pastor attends is called Almighty God Tabernacle.

– A Call From God

Multiple Callings

Sometimes (often?) God calls multiple times, in different ways.

David Sorenson writes in this post: My encounter with God… Amazing testimony! about his adoration, and then breakaway, from the Lord.

As a young child, he would often be found on his knees, praying to God, all by himself. He even ministered to his own mother, “You need to pray more.” At nine, he wanted to be a missionary and tell people all about God.

However, as he got older, hardships and turmoil began to take its toll on his love for God, and out of rebellion and a desire to be tougher than the environment around him, he turned to dark habits to fill the void in his life.

He relays how after one especially brutal encounter with a drug overdose, the panic reached him and, with his mother’s help, he was brought back to God.

This started a personal relationship with God, with actual audible callings from Him to lead David in how to serve the Lord. David was able to open himself to reject the harsh lifestyle he found himself in, and humble himself to accepting the Love and Forgiveness that Jesus Christ offers.

Glimpse of the Other Side

I have mentioned Howard Storm multiple times on this site, mostly because his near death experience is detailed and thorough, covering a lot of bases, and is also very enlightening and touching. His is a testimony worth repeating, with a lot of important insights into the human condition and spirit.

What starts out as an out of body experience after passing out from stomach perforation pain, Howard Storm soon finds himself following unfamiliar beings down a long, gray tunnel; which slowly turns into a harrowing, tortuous ordeal as Howard Storm realizes that he has been misled by terrible demonic creatures.

With nowhere left to turn, Howard hears a tiny voice within him telling him to “Pray to God”. Thus begins Howard Storm’s journey into really knowing and having a relationship with God. You can read about his incredible testimony here:

– Howard Storm’s Near-Death Experience

or check out this video (I started the video at around 35 minutes in for a real pertinent part, but the whole video is relevant and emotionally stirring):

There are many more ways that the Lord calls out to us. In dreams/visions, a specific song or book – playing/displaying seemingly just for you, an answer to a prayer, random epiphany out of nowhere, etc.

Regardless of the method(s), my theory is that we’re ALL called at some point(s) in our life, and the question is, are we going to HEED this call, or ignore it?

Are we going to reply to God’s calling with, “Not now. Ask me later.” so that we can resume our life without guilt or shame and only respond when we’re “good and ready”? (If it’s not too late by then…) Are we going to reply at all?

Are we going to let “pride” win and harden our hearts to the belief that ‘there is no God’ and that whatever this “calling” is, is simply a coincidence and nothing significant behind it?

Lastly, if none of the above has ever applied to you: if you did not hear the voice of God calling out to you, if you have never had a near death experience or similar pointing you in the direction of Jesus Christ or God and Heaven, if you have never had a strange encounter or coincidence leading you to seek the kingdom of God, if you have never had someone individually ask to pray over you and ask you to respond with an open-heart to the possibility of Jesus Christ being the Way, the Truth, and the Life, then consider this post, me, calling out to you now and inviting you to be a part of Love and Compassion that Jesus Christ was trying to teach the world.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

God does indeed love you and each and every one of us, and it is not His desire to see any of us perish. Which is why He has given us many chances to repent and turn away from sin. All we need to do is accept Him in our life and sincerely love Him and others – as was Jesus Christ’s last commandments:
“30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

This is the most important commandment because if we just followed these simple life rules, then we would not want to sin in our deeds or against our fellow people. And we would be able to raise our spiritual inclination and our vibration to reach that of Heaven; and hopefully bring others with us.

I have now, as a servant of God, officially called out to you to invite you to the kingdom of Heaven. Will you attend with a pure and humble heart? Or will you cast this message aside and resume your worldly life?

Love to you all, and I hope and pray that more and more people will heed His call.

Fair use disclaimer: Some of the links from this article are provided from different sources/sites to give the reader extra information and cite the sources, but does not necessarily mean that I endorse the contents of the site itself. Additionally, I have tried to provide links to the contents that I used from other sites as an educational and/or entertainment means only; if you feel that any information deserves further citation or request to be clarified, please let me know through the contact page.

Featured image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay

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What is the Divine Council?

Angels? Spirits? Men? All (none) of the above?

Throughout my earnest search and study to learn more about the Bible and God, and the origins of where it all began, the concept of the “divine council” caught my attention and is an interesting subject that I wanted to delve into a little bit more.

When I first began my search, it was almost overwhelming because of so many different views by so many different people, about what the Bible could have meant by all the different terminologies used. “Elohim”, holy, divine, angel, heavenly, host, council, god, gods, God, sons of God, etc., etc., etc… What I was left with, was a whole plethora of multiple interpretations without a clear answer and instead simply led me back into a circle to the beginning again. It’s honestly unlikely that I will find a satisfactory answer to the question, “What is the Divine Council?” Although it’s not for a lack of trying.

Taking an Objective Look at the Bible

Now, with that being said, and which I’m sure might offend some readers, I have to state the most obvious reason that some people might stick fast to the thought that the Bible and God, as it is written, is infallible. It is their belief structure and their headstrong desire that they have something fool-proof to cling to so that their life and their thoughts have a stable dependency. Which is why I think some people will hold fast to a certain belief or religion without looking at all the information or the wide-picture to make sense of it. Again, I don’t mean to offend or blaspheme, because I do love God and Jesus and the Holy host with my whole heart, and it is because I love Them that I am on this quest for Truth.

Knowing how “man” (and perhaps these “supernatural rulers”) will oftentimes corrupt and twist a particular event to suit their needs, or even if there was simply an honest mistake, one has to wonder if the Bible itself is not compromised. What was I’m sure a legitimate piece of writing from God could have been misinterpreted/mistranslated throughout the ages or simply purposefully edited/altered. Anyone who knows even just a little bit of the history of Jesus (that we read and/or were told) will have some kind of understanding about the opposition and trials he endured by others who were intimidated by His being. What better way to throw His followers off the trail than by infiltrating His church and/or the Bible?

I say the above only to give awareness that what we’re currently reading in the Bible may not be the whole Truth/account of what really happened. As we’ve seen in current times, our news and media stations, indeed, some of our churches and other corporations we’ve been conditioned to trust, have been corrupted and infiltrated to lead us on the wrong path. The awareness or possibility that this is even feasible must run through people’s minds to give them a certain careful discernment about the life-long pursuit of some of these corrupted individuals to erase spirituality from people’s minds. It sounds far-fetched, but throughout my experiences and research into some strange phenomena and the facts surrounding them, the conclusion it boils down to is this: “We are indeed in the middle of a spiritual warfare.”

Back to the Divine Council

Now, instead of giving my (or anyone else’s) interpretation of what the Divine Council is, I want to select a few of these occurrences from the Bible (assuming that it has not been corrupted or altered/mistranslated in anyway) to provide some background that this term and the concept is written about and lends credence to the possibility of other “supernatural” beings.

Speaking about false prophets:

“18 But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word?
Who has listened and heard his word?”
…
21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”
– Jeremiah 23:18 & 23:21-22

19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.
20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that.
21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.
“‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
23 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
– 1 Kings 22:18-23

Speaking of other “gods” / evil entities:

3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’
4 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.
– 2 Kings 1:3-4

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
– Ephesians 6:12

(fourth beast/kingdom)
25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.
26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever.
– Daniel 7:25-26

Speaking about the elders/divine hosts:

2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
…
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever.
– Revelation 4:2-5 & 4:9-10

9 “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
– Daniel 7:9-10

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.
– Psalm 89:5-7

These are just a few references about other “gods” and the concept of a “divine” council/counsel – if you will.

There are countless debates about the term “elohim” and “god”/”gods” in relation to this council. Some will say that the term “god” is not to infer an actual “divine” or angelic/heavenly being, rather that what was meant by the author was a ruler, king, or leader. Fully human, of course. But when we look at the actual context of these verses, this reasoning does not stand. There are clear indications that these other entities being referred to are indeed of a spiritual/supernatural (as we define it) nature. Whether it be divine/heavenly/angelic, or a lying spirit, to a wicked spiritual force of evil in the heavenly realms.

If one were to take the Bible at heart, they would have to come to terms with the likelihood that there are a multitude of different spiritual beings, both of the good/holy kind, and those of the wicked/evil type. The many references that the Bible itself lends to other “gods” cannot be lost on us. That is not to say that they are “real” gods in the sense that they are an all-powerful being overseeing the universe like the one true God, but it could be saying that they are a deity of sorts in that they were created as a supernatural, or a “divine” force.

(DIVINE – according to etymonline.com: “pertaining to, of the nature of, or proceeding from God or a god; addressed to God,” from Old French divin, devin (12c.), from Latin divinus “of a god,” from divus “of or belonging to a god, inspired, prophetic,” related to deus “god, deity” (from PIE root *dyeu- “to shine,” in derivatives “sky, heaven, god”)

There is another interesting chapter that I wanted to address here when looking at the “divine council” theology. And as we can see depending on which version we use, the implications of these verses can be vastly different.

Psalm 82
A Psalm of Asaph

1 God presides in the great assembly;
he renders judgment among the “gods”:

2 “How long will you[plural] defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?

3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

5 “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”;
you are all sons of the Most High.’

7 But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.”

8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

– Psalm 82:1-8 (NIV)

A Plea for Justice
A Psalm of Asaph

1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
He judges among the gods.

2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah

3 Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.

4 Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.

5 They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

6 I said, “You are gods,
And all of you are children of the Most High.

7 But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For You shall inherit all nations.

– Psalm 82:1-8 (NKJV)

Depending on how one interprets the following chapters, and which version they are using, we can see how the context can be extremely different from each other. While the version on the left (NIV) surrounds the term “gods” in quotation marks, the NKJV does not. Also, the NKJV seems to follow in line with the other psalms of Asaph, in that Asaph is the one crying out to God as to why He seems to be showing partiality to the wicked. The NKJV seems to imply that it is Asaph wondering why God is judging unjustly, and is pleading to Him to do what is right and show mercy to those who are good and righteous.

The NIV, on the other hand, is indicating that it is God addressing the other “lesser gods” to do their duty right. To stop showing favor with the wicked and instead rule and judge amongst the people in the way that He has decreed them to.

There are so many examples like the one above that differ depending on how one reads it or interprets it. How do we know, for sure, which is the correct one version? (Out of many.) Or if both interpretations are incorrect? Would it be hubris to declare that one is more correct than the other? Or is there a level of discernment one must take in order to find the Truth? If something comes to light eventually that proves to be fact and is undeniable that we might not agree with, would we be willing to set aside our false belief? Or is our belief system so ingrained and conditioned within us that we will fight tooth and nail to hold on to what may possibly be heretical ideas?

Conclusion: Is the Divine Council biblical?

If we are to take the Bible at heart, even if there are supposed errors/mistranslations in its midst, the conclusion from all of these verses and other contextual evidence is that a divine council does exist. Even if we bypass all of the quotes above, we have from the very beginning (literally) in the first chapter of Genesis where God declares, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

This is unmistakably expressing that there are other beings like God before He created mankind.

There are also other allusions to the possibility that the “divine council” may even be a general term to include even the wicked spirits.

Take Job 1:6-12, into account:

“6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”

Now while these verses don’t specify if this was a formal hearing or meeting of sorts with these angels, and it also doesn’t indicate that Satan was invited as a normal member of this “council”, it does show, in this instance, that God at least humors Satan, whether it was part of His sovereign will or not. Whether or not Satan or other less savory beings regularly attend these divine/heavenly meetings is still up for debate. (Along with the terminology of “gods” actually referring to human rulers/leaders in a mocking way – perhaps in some situations it is the case.)

During this research, one name that kept popping up in regards to the divine council and its meaning is Michael Heiser. I provide the following links for more information should you wish to delve into this further:

Michael Heiser: The Divine Council and gods of the bible

What Is The Divine Council And Is It Biblical?

The Divine Council of Yahweh

And I don’t believe I can mention “divine council” without at least mentioning “aliens”, in some way shape or form. Some people attribute heavenly beings to possibly being aliens. The Pleiadians/Arcturians come to mind, since there have allegedly been messages channeled from these beings to help us on this planet. Or even from the Ra/Law of One material. Others might be familiar with the term Galactic Federation. Then there’s the theory that these beings are vibrational/energy frequencies, perhaps of the Christ consciousness. Too many different terminologies and speculations abound without a solid (no pun intended), clear answer.

As always, if you have further insights or questions/comments about this material, I would love to hear them. God bless.

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