Heiser put special emphasis on Psalm 32 as fundamental to his thinking. Others on this subject also note it. It's Yahweh in council w/ other elohiym, not human rulers. Two points of interest: 1) These elohiym are being criticised by Yahweh in his presence.
However we understand the "mythological" analogy, it's interesting these bad elohiym ("angels"?) are in his presence ("heaven"?). But in Job 1-2, the elohiym, including the Satan, appear before Yahweh. Not unlike the Green Knight appearing before Arthur or Loki before Odin.
2) Even more interesting (and significant), Yahweh holds the elohiym responsible for the social injustices carried out by the gentile states. With this psalm, experts frequently note Deut 32:8, in which the original document read "sons of God" instead "sons of Israel" (LXX, DSS).
Wink, Caird, Berkhof, etc. have given explanations to this connection between the elohiym & social injustice. The Hebrews conceptualized "heaven" like a Canaanite throne room. Just think of the concept as a foreign word that must be translated into contemporary English.
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Ukraine as nation is a recent concept, being part of Russia since the 18th c. Ukraine is a divided country, w/ sizeable population of Russian speakers & pro-Russia citizens. Some citizens want closer ties w/ Europe, others with Russia.
The eastern side of the country would like to be a part of Russia as they had for over two centuries, up until 30 yrs ago. When the USSR began to break apart, the US gave Gorbachev assurances that NATO wouldn't advance into the Eastern Bloc if he didn't call out the troops.
Within 10 yrs, the US went back on those assurances and NATO moved into the east. NATO was originally designed to be a military counter to Soviet Russia, yet it has continued for three decades, inching closer Russia w/ new treaties & assurances. Russia has noticed.
I've begun Johannes Pedersen's book Israel: Its Life and Culture. I purchased a used copy over the Internet, and I just discovered receipt from the previous owner who bought the book in Cambridge in 1967. Apparently, he was a professor at BYU.
Apparently, the name Benjamin means "son of my right hand" or "son of the south," b/c when facing east, the right hand is toward the south ... which is where the tribe eventually settled w/ relation to the northern kingdom of Israel.
"For the Israelite it is a matter of course that common flesh makes common character. Therefore family, mishpacha, is the designation of those who are of the same kind, have the same essential features, and it is the essential factor of the community."
"The Old Testament Background for Paul's Use of 'Principalities and Powers," by Ronn A. Johnson (Dissertation [DTS 2005]).
[All quotes unless otherwise noted.]
The specific titles archē and exousia are used in the LXX passage which functioned as the climax to the Son of Man vision.
[That is true. LXX Dan 7:27. Why didn’t I know/remember that?]
This dissertation will argue that Paul’s specific use of the archē and exousia phrase recalls the created gods of the first commandment and their role under Yahweh. In doing so it will further recommend that Paul interpreted the death, resurrection ...
“Pagan and Christian Demonology of the Ante-Nicene Period,” by Diana Lynn Walzel (Master of Art’s Thesis, Rice University, 1972).
All are exact quotes unless otherwise indicated.
The Alexandrian Jew Philo was the first to make the identification between Greek demonology and Jewish angelology. He clearly recognized the state of Platonic demonology when he stated that demon, angel, and soul were all different words for the same thing.
In earlier Greek thought, demons played an important role, but this role changed frequently. The demons did not really gain individuality or personality until after Plato.
I'm reading a book (2019) in which this quote from an Amos Young (Fuller Seminary) appears:
I'll find out from whence it came later. This is very close to Croasmun's view of Sin (2016) and uses the exact same language as that of emergent entities. This is also my hypothetical view of the Powers.
In just a year, I've discovered two reputable, mainstream, conservative scholars who've reached a theological "conclusion" I reached in 2015. It appears more than one person is independently reading the biblical material & arriving at the same basic conclusions. That's positive.