Students query


My questions:

I'm afraid that I must disagree with some of your points from this lesson. I cannot agree with the idea that we were made in the image of angels as well as in the image of God. I don't see that idea scripturally supported.

Also, I can't agree with your theology regarding Elohim. The only time
Elohim is translated to "angels" is in Psalm 8. Not in Exodus, and not in Acts. And the fact that Elohim is translated to angelos in the Greek is not a strong enough argument to support the idea that the angels had anything to do with creating man. Elohim has a very broad meaning. Now what I see as being consistent with scripture is that "Let us make man in Our image," is simply God referring to himself in plural to denote His majesty. The majestic plural was not uncommon in the hebrew language. God is referring to Himself as "We" because of His majesty. That is a rule of language that has carried over into our culture as well. The Queen of England is a "We." Does that make sense? I hope that this doesn't throw anything off, and that if nothing else, we can agree to disagree.



Answer that was sent

Letıs look at angels first, What do they look like? We are told that "no man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18); yet Jacob wrestled with an angel and said, "I have seen God face to face" (cf Gen 32:30 and Hosea 12:3, 4). The angels of the Bible are as real as ourselves, though of a much more exalted order of being. They appear to be mature, dignified and intelligent. Three appeared to Abraham and he mistook them for men (Gen 18:1­5) and two of these went to Sodom and Lot and the people saw them as men (Gen 19:1, 15). So in appearance we have a physical shape not unlike the angels. They eat and drink (cf Judges 13:15, 16) and walk and talk, but are incorruptible and invested with Godıs power. An angel came to Peter on two occasions in prison (Acts 5:19; 12:7f) and set him free.

In encouraging a right attitude to hospitality, the apostle Paul says: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Heb 13:1).

You are quite right in saying that Psalm 8 is the only time the word angel is a translation in the KJV as elohim. A look at a concordance shows that. But look at it from the other way. The word "elohim" does not always refer to the Deity Himself. In Exodus 21:6; 22:8-9 Oelohimı is translated "judges", plainly being men appointed to act on Godıs behalf in the camp of Israel. In Ex 22:28 the translators have put "gods" (margin, "judges"). The NASB has realised a similar dilemma exists. 
The words "Ye are gods" in Psalm 82:6 are words Jesus quoted to the Jews: "She called them gods, unto whom the word of God came". They were accusing him of blasphemy because he said, "I am the Son of God" (John 10:34­35). He was in fact sent by God and spoke, not his own words at all, but the words of God (John 12:49). This is Scriptural exegesis.
When we come to see that God permits those who are His bona fide representatives to bear His name, not only is the apparent dilemma resolved, but a wonderful aspect of Scripture is opened to us, viz that we can become name-bearers of God (Acts 9:15; 15:14)!

The angels were "the sons of elohim" who "shouted for joy" at creation (Job 38:7). The link made in ETB notes is that what is attributed to God (elohim) in Ex 3 and Ex 20, Stephen attributes to His angel. Elohim is therefore used of those who are representatives of the Deity, who come in His name, as Moses before Pharaoh< "See, I have made thee a god (elohim­God) to Pharaoh" (Ex 7:1).

One further point In Gen 1:1 "elohim" is plural, but the verb is singular in number. This is not consistent with a royal plural. El, God, the source of all power, manifests Himself in "elohim", mighty ones "his angels that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word" (Psa 103:20). The peculiarity of the Hebrew is doctrinal, not accidental, nor an arbitrary custom of language but designed. It teaches that the creation was produced from one power and that this one power operated through a plurality of agents. God manifests Himself in others, in angels as we have seen, and most perfectly in His "only begotten son". This is perhaps the most exciting of all Bible subjects and will be dealt with more fully in ch 12.