We’re just at the beginning of our journey. But we’ve learned some key concepts already—concepts that will emerge elsewhere in the Bible to form patterns. Other ideas will accrue to these concepts, and the mosaic will start to take form.
There are several takeaways from this first section of the book that will take on more shape and definition as we proceed.
First, God has a divine family—a heavenly assembly, or council, of elohim . These elohim are not a replacement for the Trinity, nor do they add to it. Yahweh is among the elohim , but he is superior to all other elohim . He is their creator and sovereign master. He is unique. Since Jesus is Yahweh in flesh, he too is distinct from, and superior to, all elohim . While God has no need of a council, Scripture makes it clear that he uses one. His divine family is his divine administration. The elohim serve him to carry out his decrees.
God also has a human family and administration. Their status and function mirror the divine family-administration. Just as with the members of the divine council who represent God in what they are tasked to do, so humans are God’s imaging representatives. Just as God doesn’t need a divine council, he doesn’t need humans, either—but he has chosen to use them to further his intentions for Earth.
Heaven and Earth are separate but connected realms. God’s households operate in tandem toward a mutual destiny. Their points of intersection along the way inform many other threads of biblical theology.
With Eden the divine had come to earth, and earth would be brought into conformity. Humans were created to enjoy everlasting access to God’s presence, working side by side with God’s loyal elohim . But this yearning of God’s came with risk, a risk that was fully known by him and accepted. Free will in the hearts and hands of imperfect beings, whether human or divine, means imagers can opt for their own authority in place of God’s.
Sadly, that will also become a pattern. Both of God’s households will experience rebellion. The result will be the commencement of a long war against God’s original intention. The good news is that there will be an equally committed effort on God’s part to preserve what he began.