Links, Apologetics/Defense, References, & News & Opinions concerning my faith journey as a Catholic.
"In the process of salvation by co-operating with
grace through faith
in Jesus Christ, as
sustained by the sacraments
and by works of love, because faith without works is dead."
"In the process of salvation by co-operating with grace through faith in Jesus Christ, as sustained
"In the process of salvation by co-operating with grace through faith in Jesus Christ, as sustained by the sacraments and by works of love, because faith without works is dead."
Christ the World’s True King: How the Bible Reveals His Mission to Reclaim the Nations and Restore Humanity
Many people know the Christian message only in a narrow form: Jesus forgives sins and opens the way to heaven. This is true, but it is only a small part of a much larger story. The Bible, ancient Judaism, the earliest Christians, and many modern scholars all affirm a deeper and more surprising worldview — one that explains the world’s religions, humanity’s spiritual struggles, and the true meaning of Christ’s mission.
This worldview begins with an ancient biblical idea: God placed the nations under the care of heavenly beings, those beings fell into corruption, and Christ came to reclaim the nations and restore humanity to its original glory. My article "THE DIVINE COUNCIL, THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, & the Gospel" affirms this clearly: “God placed other heavenly beings over the nations… these ‘sons of God’ became corrupt, leading to idolatry.”
The story is profound, but also simple. And for people curious about the Christian faith — seekers, skeptics, or believers from other traditions — this fuller vision of the Gospel opens doors that the reduced modern version often leaves shut.
The Bible’s Story of the Nations: God’s Plan, Angelic Guardians, Human Confusion
According to Deuteronomy 32:8–9 (in its oldest textual form), God “fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.” This means that each nation was placed under a guardian from God’s heavenly council. Ancient Jewish texts like Sirach, Jubilees, and the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm this. So do modern scholars such as Mark S. Smith, John J. Collins, and Alan Segal, who show that early Judaism saw the world as spiritually structured, not spiritually empty.
Yet something went wrong.
Psalm 82 shows God standing in judgment over these heavenly rulers, accusing them of ruling unjustly and leading peoples astray. The article I provided in the above link summarizes this well: “These ‘sons of God’ became corrupt — leading to idolatry, injustice, and divine judgment.”
In other words, the “gods of the nations” were not imaginary. They were real beings who failed God, demanded worship, and became the spiritual forces behind the world’s polytheistic religions.
This is why the world’s spiritual map is so diverse — and so confused.
Jesus and the Kingdom of God: The Great Reversal
When Jesus appears in history saying, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” He is not speaking in vague metaphors. He is announcing a change in cosmic government. He is declaring that the time has come for the true God to reclaim the nations from their corrupt spiritual rulers.
This explains many otherwise puzzling details in the Gospels:
Why demons panic in Jesus’ presence
Why Jesus links His miracles to the arrival of God’s kingdom
Why Satan offers Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world”
Why Jesus’ resurrection and ascension are described in royal terms
Daniel 7 provides the key: the “Son of Man” is enthroned among the heavenly beings and given authority over all nations. Scholars such as N. T. Wright and Larry Hurtado argue that the early Christians saw Jesus’ ascension as exactly this moment — His enthronement over every spiritual power in heaven and earth.
According to this biblical worldview, the Gospel is not just forgiveness. It is a rescue mission for the whole world.
Humanity’s Restoration: Our Destiny Is Higher Than We Imagine
The Bible teaches that humans were created not merely to survive, but to rule creation with God. That destiny was derailed — but in Christ, it is restored.
The New Testament says:
Believers are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6).
They will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3).
They will reign with Christ (2 Tim 2:12).
The early Church Fathers — Irenaeus, Athanasius, and Augustine — all taught that redeemed humanity will replace the fallen angels in God’s heavenly government. My article affirms this explicitly: “Humanity is saved not merely from damnation but into participation in God’s heavenly governance.”
This is not metaphor. It is humanity’s destiny.
To enter this destiny, Christians participate in the New Covenant through:
Baptism (the entrance into God’s family, analogous to circumcision),
Faith and loyalty to Christ,
Sanctification, the lifelong process of becoming more like God,
Perseverance, remaining faithful to the King who redeemed us.
This is the ancient Gospel — a transformative journey, not a legal transaction. As my article says: “Salvation is not only forgiveness; it is transformation — divinization.”
Counterarguments and Gentle Responses
This worldview is rich and ancient, but it raises honest questions. Here are simple responses that work well in interfaith dialogue, apologetics, or evangelization.
Objection 1: “This sounds like polytheism.”
Response:
The Bible teaches one Creator and many created heavenly beings. This is the worldview of:
the Psalms,
the prophets,
Jesus,
Paul, and
ancient Judaism.
It is not polytheism — it is biblical monotheism.
Objection 2: “Why would God put angels over nations?”
Response:
Because God shares His work, as any good king does. This structure explains:
different religious traditions,
different spiritual experiences,
and the sense that nations have “gods” or destinies.
Christ’s mission is the healing of this fractured system.
Objection 3: “Protestants say salvation is only legal. Isn’t this adding too much?”
Response:
A purely legal model cannot explain:
judging angels,
reigning with Christ,
sharing divine nature,
or sitting with Christ in heaven.
These are New Testament teachings. A full Gospel includes both forgiveness and transformation.
Objection 4: “Isn’t this mythology?”
Response:
This worldview is:
the Bible’s own worldview,
the worldview of Jesus and His apostles,
the worldview of early Christian theology,
and supported by modern biblical scholarship across traditions.
It is not mythology. It is the scriptural story.
Conclusion: The Gospel in One Line
Jesus came to defeat the fallen spiritual powers, win back the nations, restore humanity to God’s family, and raise us into His heavenly council.
This is the Gospel that shaped ancient Israel, the early Church, and the New Testament.
This is the Gospel that explains the world’s spiritual history.
This is the Gospel that invites every person — of any culture or faith — to join God’s kingdom.
Footnotes
The Divine Council, the Communion of Saints, & the Gospel, ch. 3.
Mark S. Smith, The Origins of Biblical Monotheism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), https://global.oup.com.
John J. Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), https://eerdmans.com.
Alan F. Segal, Two Powers in Heaven (Leiden: Brill, 1977), https://brill.com.
Divine Council, ch. 3.
N. T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996), https://fortresspress.com.
Larry Hurtado, Lord Jesus Christ (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), https://eerdmans.com.
Divine Council, ch. 2.
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 5.36; Athanasius, On the Incarnation; Augustine, City of God, Book X–XI.
THE DIVINE COUNCIL, THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, AND HUMAN DESTINY IN CHRIST A Scholarly Monograph
By Chris M. Forte
DEDICATION
To all seekers of truth.
To those told that the ancient Christian faith is “pagan,” corrupt, or unbiblical.
To those who hunger for the supernatural worldview of Scripture,
and to those who wrestle with accusations against the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
And to the God who made humanity for glory,
who destined us to reign with Christ,
and who calls us into His heavenly council.
This monograph argues that Catholic and Orthodox teachings about the Communion of Saints, heavenly intercession, theosis, purgatory, and humanity’s future reign with Christ come directly from the Bible’s Divine Council worldview rather than from pagan influence. It claims that Scripture consistently depicts God ruling with a heavenly assembly of divine beings, that Jesus enters and reorganizes this council at His ascension, and that redeemed humanity is destined to join it by sharing in Christ’s glory. Drawing on the Old Testament, Second Temple Judaism, the New Testament, and early Christian writers, the author maintains that salvation is not just forgiveness but transformation into God’s life, and that saints and angels participate in God’s governance as part of the restored council inaugurated by Christ.
ABSTRACT
This monograph argues that the Catholic and Orthodox doctrines of the Communion of Saints, heavenly intercession, theosis, and human participation in the reign of Christ are deeply rooted in the biblical Divine Council worldview—a cosmology present throughout ancient Israel, Second Temple Judaism, and the earliest Christian communities.
Contrary to modern claims that saints, angels, and heavenly mediators reflect “pagan influence,” this study demonstrates that Scripture itself depicts a populated heavenly court in which God delegates tasks to spiritual beings, receives intercession from the righteous dead, and elevates glorified believers to share in His governance. This same biblical structure undergirds Christian teachings about the saints, the liturgy, purgatory, and salvation as a process of transformation culminating in union with God.
Drawing on Scripture, early Jewish texts, Church Fathers, ecumenical councils, and contemporary scholarship, this work maintains that Christianity did not adopt pagan ideas—rather, pagans distorted fragments of the supernatural reality revealed to Israel. Christianity completes and fulfills that reality in Christ, who enthrones the saints, restores humanity’s lost vocation, and opens the divine council to redeemed creation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Front Matter
Title Page
Dedication
Abstract
Table of Contents
Chapters
Introduction & Thesis
The Divine Council in Early Christianity
The Divine Council in Ancient Israel and Second Temple Judaism
The Divine Council in the New Testament
Theosis and Human Participation in the Divine Nature
Angels, Saints, and Heavenly Intercession
Christ the King and the Reconstituted Council
Purgatory and the Necessity of Purification
The Fall of Angels and the Rise of Humanity
Answering the Pagan Accusations
Back Matter
Conclusion
Annotated Bibliography
Index (optional for print edition)
CHAPTER 1 — FULL THESIS STATEMENT (Expanded Academic Version)
1.1 Introduction
For centuries, critics have accused Catholic and Orthodox Christianity of importing pagan beliefs—especially regarding saints, angels, heavenly mediators, sacred liturgy, and the concept of deification (theosis). These accusations intensified during the Protestant Reformation and return today in fundamentalist media, YouTube apologetics, and anti-Catholic online communities.
Yet the deeper irony is this: Every one of these doctrines flows directly from the supernatural worldview of Scripture itself.
The Bible presents a cosmos populated by divine beings: angels, cherubim, seraphim, the “sons of God,” the qedoshim, the host of heaven. God presides over them in a heavenly assembly—the Divine Council. In this council, spiritual beings deliberate, intercede, judge, and serve at God’s command. Humanity, in creation, was destined for this same vocation: to join God’s family, to rule creation with Him, and to bear His image in glory.
The Fall disfigured this destiny.
Christ restored it.
The early Church taught that redeemed humanity would:
sit on thrones (Luke 22:30)
judge angels (1 Cor 6:3)
reign with Christ (Rev 20:4)
partake of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4)
This is the heart of theosis, sanctification, and the Communion of Saints—not as optional beliefs, but as the very structure of salvation.
Thesis Statement
Christian soteriology is inseparable from divine council theology.
Human beings are saved not merely from damnation but into participation in God's heavenly governance.
Thus:
Saints are not “replacement gods.”
Angels are not “pagan intermediaries.”
Intercession is not “idolatry.”
Liturgy is not “ritualistic paganism.”
Rather:
All are expressions of the biblical truth that redeemed humanity is destined to reign with Christ as part of God’s heavenly council.
This monograph demonstrates that:
The Divine Council is the biblical and Jewish foundation for Christian belief in heavenly intercessors.
The New Testament explicitly extends council membership to the saints.
Theosis is the original Christian doctrine of salvation.
The heavenly liturgy of Revelation is the blueprint for the Mass.
Purgatory is the biblical process of purification required for council participation.
Early accusations of “paganism” profoundly misunderstand the continuity between Israel’s revealed cosmology and Christian theology.
Pagan religions represent distorted glimpses of the heavenly reality later revealed fully in Christ.
1.2 The Real Gospel: Restoration to the Divine Council
Modern Christianity often reduces the Gospel to:
“Jesus paid the price for your sins,”
“Pray the sinner’s prayer,”
“You get to go to heaven when you die.”
This is incomplete.
The historic, apostolic, orthodox Gospel is something far greater:
Humanity is saved to reign with Christ in the divine council.
To share in His authority.
To be transformed into His likeness.
To partake of His divine nature.
This is why:
we must be sanctified
we must be healed of sin
we must repent
we must be purified (even after death)
We must become fit for divine council membership.
This is the meaning of theosis.
This is the meaning of salvation.
1.3 Why the Divine Council Matters Today
Understanding this worldview:
demolishes the “Catholicism is pagan” accusation
explains the Communion of Saints
explains heavenly intercession
clarifies the role of angels
reveals why liturgy looks the way it does
reframes salvation as transformation, not legal fiction
shows the continuity between Israel, Judaism, and Christianity
makes sense of purgatory
explains why fallen angels rebelled (jealousy of humanity’s destiny)
Most importantly:
It shows that Catholic and Orthodox Christianity preserve the original biblical worldview, while modern fundamentalism often inherits a flattened, post-Enlightenment cosmology.
CHAPTER 2
THE DIVINE COUNCIL IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY:
THE ORIGINS OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS**
2.1 Introduction
The claim that the Catholic and Orthodox doctrines of heavenly intercession, the Communion of Saints, and participation in Christ’s reign arose from “pagan” influence is historically indefensible. Early Christianity inherited the supernatural cosmology of Israel—a worldview grounded in the Divine Council, the biblical depiction of God presiding over an assembly of heavenly beings. The New Testament depicts Christ entering, presiding over, and reorganizing this council; the early Church Fathers then interpreted Christian salvation as the believer’s entry into this heavenly assembly.
This chapter demonstrates that the Divine Council is the foundation for early Christian belief in:
The communion and intercession of saints
Heavenly liturgy
Theosis (deification)
The destiny of believers to reign with Christ
The present life of the dead
The active role of angels
None of these doctrines emerged in a vacuum. They formed naturally from Christianity’s continuity with Israel’s revealed cosmology.
2.2 Christ’s Ascension as Enthronement in the Divine Council
2.2.1 Daniel 7 as the Primary Framework
Early Christians universally interpreted Jesus’ resurrection and ascension through the lens of Daniel 7. Daniel describes a throne room scene:
“The Ancient of Days took His seat…
Thousands upon thousands served Him…
The court sat in judgment…
And one like a Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven.”
— Daniel 7:9–14
This is explicitly Divine Council imagery: God enthroned, surrounded by celestial beings, holding court.
Jesus identifies Himself with this figure:
“You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
— Mark 14:62
This is not a metaphor. Jesus is claiming enthronement in the Divine Council.
Modern biblical scholars—even Protestant ones—affirm this:
N.T. Wright: The ascension “is the moment Jesus enters the heavenly court as Israel’s Messiah.”¹
Larry Hurtado: Early Christians “reverence Jesus as enthroned in the divine council alongside God.”²
Michael Heiser: “Daniel 7 provides the template for Jesus' identity within the divine council.”³
Thus, from the very beginning, Christianity understood that Jesus becomes head of the heavenly council.
2.2.2 Early Christian Witness
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century) describes the ascension as Christ’s enthronement:
“He ascended to the heavenly throne,
attended by angels, that He might restore to us
the fellowship of the heavenly powers.”⁴
St. Athanasius likewise teaches:
“The Word ascended, not to leave us,
but that He might raise us to the heavenly places
and seat us with Him.”⁵
Early Christianity saw Jesus’ enthronement not as absence but as the inauguration of a new cosmic order—one in which redeemed humanity is exalted.
2.3 The Saints as Co-Regents in the Council
2.3.1 Paul’s Radical Claim: Already Enthroned
Paul writes:
“God… raised us up with Him
and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
— Ephesians 2:6
This is not future tense. It is present reality.
The early Church understood this as literal participation in the heavenly council.
St. John Chrysostom comments:
“He has made us citizens of heaven,
and already He has seated us above,
giving us a place among the heavenly powers.”⁶
This forms the basis of Catholic and Orthodox teaching that the saints reign with Christ now, not only after the Second Coming.
2.3.2 Revelation’s Throne Scenes
Revelation depicts the heavenly assembly as including:
angels (Rev 5:11)
the 24 elders (Rev 4:4)
martyrs (Rev 6:9–11)
“those who were seated on thrones” (Rev 20:4)
These “elders” are widely interpreted by patristic writers as representing glorified saints.
St. Victorinus of Pettau (3rd century) calls them:
“The assembly of elders, the Church of the patriarchs and apostles,
who sit with Christ in judgment.”⁷
Augustine states:
“The righteous who judge are not judges by their own authority
but because they have been made partakers of God’s.”⁸
Thus, early Christianity understood believers as council participants.
2.4 The Heavenly Liturgy as the Christian Liturgy
2.4.1 Revelation as a Liturgy
Revelation is essentially a depiction of Divine Council worship:
incense (Rev 8:3–4)
hymns (Rev 4:8–11; 5:9–14)
altars (Rev 6:9; 8:3)
elders vested in white robes (Rev 4:4)
prostration and blessing (Rev 5:14)
The early Church explicitly imitated this heavenly liturgy.
Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD) writes:
“Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the heavenly assembly.”⁹
Justin Martyr (2nd century) describes the Christian liturgy as participation in the worship of heaven.¹⁰
2.4.2 Patristic Understanding
St. John Chrysostom says in his Homilies on Hebrews:
“When the Eucharist is celebrated,
the whole sanctuary is filled with angels,
who join us in adoration.”¹¹
St. Germanus of Constantinople (8th century) writes:
“The church building is an image of heaven…
the sanctuary is the throne of God,
and the altar is His heavenly table.”¹²
This is not symbolic language—
it is Divine Council theology expressed through liturgy.
2.5 The Dead as Living Participants
2.5.1 The Early Church’s View of the Dead
Catholic and Orthodox Christians have always taught that the dead are alive in Christ:
“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
— Matthew 22:32
The early Fathers confirm:
St. Irenaeus:
“Those who have died in Christ intercede for us.”¹³
Tertullian:
“We make offerings for the dead…
and for their birthdays (anniversaries) we intercede.”¹⁴
The prayers for and of the dead were universal Christian practice.
2.5.2 Early Christian Martyrdom Texts
The Martyrdom of Polycarp (c. 160 AD) describes a martyr’s soul as:
“with the angels and the saints…
glorifying Christ and interceding for us.”¹⁵
This is second-century testimony.
2.6 Angels as Heavenly Mediators
2.6.1 In Scripture
Angels deliver messages (Luke 1–2)
Angels offer prayers (Rev 8:3–4)
Angels guard churches (Rev 2–3)
Angels oversee nations (Dan 10; Deut 32:8–9)
Thus, angelic mediation is thoroughly biblical.
2.6.2 In Early Christianity
Origen writes:
“The angels carry the prayers of the saints
and bring them before God.”¹⁶
St. Basil:
“Beside each believer stands an angel
as protector and shepherd.”¹⁷
These teachings arise directly from Israel’s cosmology.
2.7 The Communion of Saints as The Divine Council Fulfilled
Everything in early Christianity—martyrs, angels, saints, liturgy, intercession, relics—flows from the belief that heaven is an active community of divine council members.
Christianity did not create this worldview; it is the completion of the biblical Divine Council through Christ.
2.8 Refuting the Pagan Thesis
Protestant anti-Catholic critics often claim that saints resemble pagan gods.
But historical and theological evidence shows:
Pagans had distorted fragments of the heavenly council.
Israel received the true council structure.
Christianity fulfills it in Christ.
As Tertullian argued against pagans:
“The devil mimics the sacraments of God
so that he might pervert the truth by imitating it.”¹⁸
Christian saints are not pagan deities—
pagan deities are fallen echoes of God’s council.
2.9 Conclusion
The early Christian Church did not depart from biblical monotheism by affirming saints, angels, or heavenly intercession. Instead, it remained faithful to Israel’s supernatural worldview. The Divine Council becomes, in Christ:
the Communion of Saints
the heavenly liturgy
the eschatological destiny of believers
the structure of Christian worship
This chapter has demonstrated that early Christianity preached a council-centered Gospel, in which Christ enthrones the saints as co-rulers and intercessors.
CHAPTER 3
THE DIVINE COUNCIL IN ANCIENT ISRAEL:
THE SUPERNATURAL WORLDVIEW BEHIND CHRISTIANITY**
3.1 Introduction
Before Christianity ever existed, the people of Israel already understood God as presiding over a heavenly assembly of supernatural beings—angels, “sons of God,” watchers, and holy ones—who served Him in governance, judgment, and mediation. Far from being a pagan borrowing, this worldview is woven into the Hebrew Scriptures and the Jewish interpretive tradition of the Second Temple period (500 BC–70 AD).
In this chapter, we will examine:
The biblical foundations of the Divine Council
The role of angels and “sons of God” as God’s representatives
The Deuteronomy 32 worldview and the cosmic geography of nations
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Second Temple texts
Rabbinic and early Jewish belief in heavenly intercession
The transition from Israel’s council to Christ’s council
This lays the groundwork for understanding Christian saints and angels not as pagan imports, but as the continuation of Israel’s supernatural cosmology fulfilled in Christ.
3.2 The Biblical Divine Council: A Survey of Key Texts
3.2.1 Psalm 82 — Yahweh Among the “gods”
Psalm 82 is the cornerstone of the biblical Divine Council:
“God (Elohim) stands in the divine assembly;
He judges among the gods (elohim).”
— Psalm 82:1
Here, “elohim” does not mean idols, nor human judges—
but divine beings in God’s heavenly court. Most modern Hebrew scholars agree.¹
Yahweh condemns these lesser beings for corrupt rule:
“You are gods, sons of the Most High…
but you shall die like men.”
— Psalm 82:6–7
This psalm is not polytheistic; it affirms that Israel’s God is supreme over all other divine beings.
Jesus Himself cites this passage in John 10:34–36, acknowledging its validity.
3.2.2 Job 1–2 — The Divine Council in Session
In Job, the “sons of God” come before the Lord:
“The sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD,
and the Satan came among them.”
— Job 1:6; 2:1
This is an unmistakable heavenly court scene, with Yahweh presiding over subordinate beings.
3.2.3 1 Kings 22 — The Heavenly Court Deliberates
The prophet Micaiah describes a council scene:
“I saw the LORD sitting on His throne,
and all the host of heaven standing beside Him.”
— 1 Kings 22:19
A spirit volunteers to be a lying spirit in the mouth of false prophets.
This is deliberation—God’s heavenly advisors participate in governance, though God alone has final authority.
3.2.4 Daniel 7 — The Ancient of Days and the Court of Heaven
Daniel’s throne room vision is the most important for later Christian theology:
“The court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.”
— Daniel 7:10
The “one like a Son of Man” is brought before God and given dominion.
This passage becomes foundational not only for Jesus’ messianic identity, but for the early Church’s understanding of the saints sharing His authority (see Chapter 2).
3.3 Angels and “Sons of God” as Heavenly Mediators
3.3.1 Angelic Mediation in the Old Testament
Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, angels speak on behalf of God:
To Moses (Exod 3:2–6)
To Joshua (Josh 5:13–15)
To Daniel (Dan 9–10)
To Zechariah (Zech 1–6)
Angels deliver God’s messages, protect nations, and even intercede (Zech 1:12).
3.3.2 “Two Powers in Heaven” — An Early Jewish Concept
Scholars such as Alan Segal identify in ancient Judaism the concept of the “Two Powers in Heaven”—a divine figure beside God.²
Texts include:
Melchizedek in 11QMelchizedek (Dead Sea Scrolls)
The Angel of the LORD
The “Son of Man” in 1 Enoch
The Logos in Philo
This prepared Jewish minds for Christ’s divine identity within the council.
3.4 The Deuteronomy 32 Worldview: God Assigned Angels to the Nations
One of the most important—yet least known—biblical ideas is found in Deuteronomy 32:8–9.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint preserve the original reading:
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
He divided mankind,
He fixed the borders of the peoples
according to the number of the sons of God.
But the LORD’s portion is His people,
Jacob His inheritance.”
— Deut 32:8–9 (LXX; DSS)
This means:
God placed other heavenly beings over the nations
But Israel He governed directly
Later Jewish writings affirmed this:
Sirach 17:17
Jubilees 15:31–32
The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 6–11)
These “sons of God” became corrupt—leading to idolatry, injustice, and divine judgment (Psalm 82).
Christ’s mission—according to both Paul and the Church Fathers—is to reclaim these nations and bind their corrupt heavenly rulers.³
This becomes crucial for understanding why saints later become intercessors: humanity is restored to the status once held by angels.
3.5 The Dead Sea Scrolls and Second Temple Literature
3.5.1 The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Supernatural World
The Qumran community believed in:
A council of holy ones (1QM, 4Q400–407)
Angels who join human worship
Angels who deliver messages, intercede, and do battle
A Melchizedek figure who rules with divine authority
Their worldview is essentially the same as early Christianity.
3.5.2 1 Enoch and the Heavenly Court
1 Enoch, widely read by Jews and early Christians, describes:
The “Watchers”
The “Holy Ones” around God
Intercessory angels
The Son of Man enthroned over the heavenly host
Early Christians—especially the Ethiopian Church—considered Enoch authoritative.
3.6 Rabbinic Judaism and Heavenly Intercession
Even rabbinic Judaism acknowledges:
angels intercede
angels carry prayers
angels praise God as members of His court
The Talmud states:
“Every day the ministering angels stand in heaven
and offer prayers for Israel.”
— Talmud, Chagigah 13b
Some rabbis objected to praying to angels—
but not to angels praying for humans.
This distinction is identical to the Catholic doctrine of asking saints to intercede.
3.7 Israel’s Council Becomes Christ’s Council
3.7.1 Jesus as Head of the Council
When Jesus ascends, He fulfills Daniel 7—
He is enthroned in the Divine Council.
3.7.2 Believers Become Council Members
The New Testament repeatedly states:
Christians will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3)
They will sit on thrones (Rev 20:4)
They reign with Christ (2 Tim 2:12)
They share in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4)
They are “fellow citizens with the saints” (Eph 2:19)
This is precisely the role previously occupied by angels in the Old Testament Divine Council.
3.7.3 The Saints Replace the Fallen Powers
According to the Fathers, redeemed humanity replaces the corrupt “sons of God” who fell (Psalm 82):
St. Augustine:
“The saints will judge the gods who fell—
those whom Scripture calls the ‘gods of the nations.’”⁴
St. Irenaeus:
“He has made us heirs of God and judges of the angels.”⁵
Human beings are elevated above angels (Heb 2:5–8) because they are united to Christ.
This is the heart of theosis.
3.8 Why This Is Not Paganism
Anti-Catholic critics claim saintly intercession resembles paganism.
But the real history is the reverse:
Pagans inherited distorted fragments of the Divine Council
Israel preserved the authentic version
Christianity fulfilled it through Christ
As Tertullian argued:
“The devil imitates the things of God
to pervert the truth by resemblance.”⁶
Thus, similarities between saints and ancient pagan gods do not imply borrowing—
they reflect natural religious intuition corrupted by idolatry, as I emphasize in my personal reflections.
Pagan religion is the distortion.
Israel and the Church are the restoration.
3.9 Conclusion
The Divine Council is not an obscure curiosity—it is the backbone of biblical cosmology. Ancient Israel believed:
Yahweh ruled a real heavenly council
Angels mediated His governance
The nations were assigned angelic rulers
God’s people would one day join His heavenly host
Christianity proclaims that this promise is fulfilled in Christ.
The saints, angels, heavenly liturgy, and intercessory life of the Church are not later pagan corruptions—they are the logical and theological continuation of ancient Israel’s supernatural worldview, now made complete through the ascension and reign of Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 4
THE “SONS OF GOD,” NATIONAL GUARDIANS, AND COSMIC GEOGRAPHY IN SCRIPTURE**
4.1 Introduction: Why This Chapter Matters
One of the most misunderstood themes in biblical theology is the idea that God placed nations under the authority of heavenly beings—“sons of God,” “holy ones,” or “angels of the nations.” This worldview is essential for understanding:
Why the Bible describes other nations as under “other gods”
Why the Old Testament forbids worshiping them
Why early Christianity believed Christ conquered the “principalities and powers”
Why saints and angels participate in divine governance today
Why Christians judge angels (1 Cor 6:3)
Why the Communion of Saints is not pagan, but rooted in the supernatural worldview of ancient Israel
This chapter explores the biblical and historical evidence for Israel’s cosmic worldview, focusing on Deuteronomy 32, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the early Church Fathers.
4.2 Deuteronomy 32:8–9 — The Biblical Key to Cosmic Geography
4.2.1 The Problem of Textual Variants
Deuteronomy 32:8–9 is one of the most debated passages in biblical scholarship.
Three textual traditions exist:
Masoretic Text (MT): “sons of Israel”
Septuagint (LXX): “angels of God” or “sons of God”
Dead Sea Scrolls (4QDeutᵍ): “sons of God”
Modern scholarship agrees the oldest and original reading was:
“He set the boundaries of the nations
according to the number of the sons of God.
But the LORD’s portion is His people—
Jacob His inheritance.”
— *Deut 32:8–9 (DSS; LXX)*¹
This means:
God allotted the nations to heavenly beings
Yahweh alone governed Israel
The nations were placed under subordinate divine rulers
This is not polytheism—it is a structured heavenly bureaucracy, consistent with all other Divine Council texts.
4.2.2 Why the Masoretic Text Changed It
Jewish scribes after the destruction of the Temple were uncomfortable with older readings that implied other divine beings.
Thus “sons of God” became “sons of Israel.”
But Israel didn’t exist when the nations were divided (Genesis 10), proving the MT is a later revision.
4.3 Biblical Evidence for Guardian Angels of Nations
Israel was not the only nation with heavenly representation.
4.3.1 Daniel 10 — Angelic Princes of Persia and Greece
Daniel sees a vision of spiritual warfare:
“Prince of Persia” (Dan 10:13, 20)
“Prince of Greece” (Dan 10:20)
“Michael, your prince” (Dan 10:21)
These are angelic rulers of nations.
Michael is explicitly called:
“The great prince who stands over the sons of your people.”
— Dan 12:1
Thus the idea of national guardian angels is not Catholic invention—
it is straight from Scripture.
4.3.2 Sirach 17:17 — Angels Assigned to Nations
A key deuterocanonical text states:
“Over every nation He appointed a ruler,
but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.”
— Sirach 17:17
This affirms the Deut 32 worldview and was widely accepted in early Judaism.
4.3.3 Jubilees 15:31–32 — Heavenly Guardians
The Book of Jubilees (2nd century BC) states:
“Over all nations He set spirits to lead them astray,
but over Israel He set none,
for He alone is their ruler.”
This parallels Psalm 82’s judgment of corrupt divine beings.
4.4 Psalm 82 and the Corruption of the Heavenly Rulers
Psalm 82 describes God indicting the fallen “sons of God” who ruled the nations unjustly:
“How long will you judge unjustly…?”
— Ps 82:2
The nations’ paganism is attributed not merely to human sin, but to cosmic rebellion among their angelic overseers.
This explains:
why Israel’s prophets often describe pagan gods as rebellious beings
why Paul speaks of “principalities and powers” (Col 2:15)
why Christ’s coming is depicted as a cosmic overthrow
This is not borrowing from paganism—
it is explaining paganism.
4.5 The Nations in Rebellion: The Jewish Second Temple Perspective
The Second Temple period (500 BC–70 AD) provides extensive elaboration on the Deut 32 worldview.
4.5.1 1 Enoch
Enoch describes:
Guardian angels (“Watchers”)
Their corruption
Their misleading of nations
Their upcoming judgment
“These are the angels who have abandoned the high heaven
and have defiled themselves with the daughters of men.”
— 1 Enoch 15
This is referenced by Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4.
4.5.2 The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Qumran community believed:
Israel worships with angels together
Nations lie under the rule of corrupt supernatural beings
God will restore the rightful order in the Messiah
4Q381, 4Q400–407, and 11QMelchizedek all affirm this worldview.
4.6 Early Judaism: The “Two Powers” and God’s Council
Rabbinic literature refers to debates about:
The “Two Powers in Heaven”
The “Prince of the World”
The “Metatron” figure
These concepts show that Jewish theology before the rabbis closed ranks had no problem with complex heavenly hierarchies.
Alan Segal’s Two Powers in Heaven is the definitive study.²
4.7 Early Christianity and the Conquest of the Nations
The New Testament portrays Christ as overthrowing the corrupt cosmic rulers:
4.7.1 Ephesians 1:20–23 — Christ Enthroned Over All Powers
Christ is seated:
“Far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion.”
— Eph 1:21
These are angelic/demonic thrones, not human governments.
4.7.2 Colossians 2:15 — Christ Defeats the Powers
“He disarmed the principalities and powers
and made a public spectacle of them.”
This is Christ reclaiming the nations from their former corrupt rulers.
4.7.3 Acts 17:26–27 — The Time of Ignorance Is Over
Paul indirectly refers to the Deut 32 worldview:
“God overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now commands all people everywhere to repent.”
Because the “other gods” have lost their authority.
4.8 The Nations Reclaimed: The Church as the New Divine Council
4.8.1 The Great Commission as Cosmic Overthrow
Jesus declares:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
— Matt 28:18–19
Because the old angelic authorities have been dethroned.
4.8.2 Christians Will Judge Angels
Paul teaches:
“Do you not know that we shall judge angels?”
— 1 Cor 6:3
Which angels?
The fallen ones—including those of the nations.
4.8.3 Humanity Restored Above Angels
As Hebrews teaches:
“It was not to angels that God subjected the world to come.”
— Heb 2:5
Meaning the saints now inherit the nations, not angels.
4.9 The Fathers and the Cosmic Overthrow
4.9.1 St. Irenaeus
“Christ has recapitulated all things,
including the heavenly powers.”³
4.9.2 St. Athanasius
“Through Christ the powers of the air were cast down
and the nations gathered into one faith.”⁴
4.9.3 Augustine
“The saints shall judge even the fallen ‘gods’ of the nations.”⁵
4.10 Not Pagan Borrowing, but Pagan Correction
Anti-Catholic critics claim:
Saints resemble pagan gods
Guardian angels resemble pagan spirits
Heavenly courts are borrowed from Babylon
This chapter proves:
Israel already had a Divine Council worldview
Pagan religions contain distorted fragments of it
Christ restores the original order
Saints inherit the governance roles once held by angels
As I stated earlier:
Paganism is the distortion; Christianity is the restoration.
4.11 Conclusion: The Nations Return to God’s Family
The biblical worldview of divine beings ruling the nations explains:
The origins of paganism
The connection between angels and nations
Christ’s victory over the cosmic powers
The elevation of saints
The logic of intercession
The Christian participation in divine governance
The Catholic and Orthodox doctrine of saints and angels is not innovation—
it is the fulfillment of the ancient supernatural worldview of the Bible.
CHAPTER 5
THEOSIS AND HUMAN PARTICIPATION IN THE DIVINE NATURE**
5.1 Introduction: Why Theosis Is the Silent Center of Christian Salvation
Among the most ancient doctrines of Christianity—yet one of the least understood in the modern West—is the teaching that human beings are destined not merely to be forgiven, but to be transformed, divinized, and raised to share in the life and glory of God Himself.
This doctrine, historically known as theosis (Greek: θέωσις, “divinization”), is not fringe, mystical, Eastern-only, or speculative. It is:
Biblically rooted
Explicitly stated in the early Church Fathers
Affirmed by Catholic and Orthodox theology
Implicit in nearly every major Christian doctrine (Incarnation, Trinity, Eucharist, Sacraments, Eschatology)
Anti-Catholic and anti-Orthodox critics sometimes claim theosis is “pagan,” especially because pagan religions had myths of apotheosis (deification). But as noted in previous chapters, pagan religions represent distortions of the true Divine Council worldview, not the source of Christian theology.
In this chapter we will show:
Theosis is thoroughly biblical.
Theosis was the universal view of early Christians.
Theosis is the key to understanding salvation itself.
Theosis explains purgatory, sanctification, and divine sonship.
Theosis clarifies why humanity will judge angels and reign with Christ.
5.2 Theosis in Scripture: Humanity’s Destiny from the Beginning
5.2.1 Created in God’s Image for Participation in His Life
From Genesis onward, humanity is not created as mere servants, but as imagers of God (בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים).
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
— Genesis 1:26
Most modern Christians read “image” morally or mentally, but biblical scholars increasingly emphasize that “image” refers to function and ontology, not anatomy. As Michael Heiser summarizes:
“To be God’s image is not something humans have,
it is something humans are.
Humans are God’s representatives—His imagers—on earth.”¹
Being God’s image means humanity participates in God’s rule, justice, creativity, and communion.
5.2.2 Psalm 8: Humanity Crowned with Glory
Psalm 8 is foundational:
“You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings (elohim),
and crowned him with glory and honor.”
— Psalm 8:5
The Hebrew word is elohim—the same word used for divine beings. Humanity was made just beneath God’s heavenly host, destined to rise above them through Christ (Heb 2:5).
5.2.3 2 Peter 1:4 — The Biblical Heart of Theosis
“You may become partakers of the divine nature.”
— 2 Peter 1:4
The Greek phrase is θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεως — literally:
“participants / communicants / sharers in God’s own nature.”
This is the clearest New Testament articulation of theosis.
5.2.4 John 17:22–23 — Sharing in the Divine Glory
Jesus prays:
“The glory you have given me I have given them… that they may be one as we are one.”
— John 17:22–23
Glory (δόξα) in Scripture connotes divine life, power, and radiance.
5.2.5 Romans 8:17 — Co-Heirs with Christ
“We are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
Not parallel heirs—co-heirs.
Not servants—sons.
5.2.6 1 John 3:2 — Becoming Like God
“We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
The vision of God (the Beatific Vision) changes the Christian into what they behold.
5.2.7 Revelation 3:21 — Sharing Christ’s Throne
“To the one who conquers I will grant him to sit with me on my throne.”
This is the divinized participation of humanity in the reign of God—replacing the fallen angelic rulers of the nations.
5.3 Theosis in the Church Fathers: The Universal Patristic Consensus
Contrary to modern assumptions, theosis was not a minority teaching.
It was the unanimous belief of the early Church.
5.3.1 St. Irenaeus (2nd century)
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, through His transcendent love,
became what we are,
that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself.”²
5.3.2 St. Athanasius (4th century)
“The Son of God became man
so that we might become god.”³
This is the classic summary of the doctrine.
5.3.3 St. Gregory of Nyssa
“The goal of the virtuous life is to become like God.”⁴
5.3.4 St. Augustine
“God became man so that man might become God—not by nature,
but by participation.”⁵
5.3.5 St. Maximus the Confessor
“The Word of God became human so that humans could become gods by grace.”⁶
“My flesh is true food… whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
— John 6:51–58
The Eucharist is theosis in sacramental form.
5.5.3 Confirmation — Participation in Divine Power
Pentecost is not symbolic; it is divinizing fire.
5.5.4 Confession — Restoration of Divine Sonship
Sin damages divine likeness; confession restores it.
5.5.5 Anointing — Divine Strength for Union with God
The sacrament prepares the soul for meeting God purified and strengthened.
5.6 Theosis and Sanctification: Transformation into Christ’s Likeness
5.6.1 Sanctification Is Theosis in Motion
Paul describes a progressive transformation:
“We are being transformed into His image from glory to glory.”
— 2 Cor 3:18
This is not metaphor; it is mystical reality.
5.6.2 The Daily Struggle as Ascent
The Christian life is synergistic:
God initiates
We respond
God empowers
We cooperate
As Philippians teaches:
“Work out your salvation… for God is at work in you.”
— Phil 2:12–13
This synergy is the heart of theosis.
5.7 Theosis and Eschatology: Humanity’s Future Role in the Divine Council
Christians will:
Rule the nations (Rev 2:26–27)
Judge angels (1 Cor 6:3)
Sit on thrones (Rev 3:21)
Reign with Christ (2 Tim 2:12)
Share in His glory (Rom 8:17)
This fulfills the Divine Council worldview discussed in Chapters 2–4.
Christ reconstitutes the Divine Council with redeemed humanity.
This is the ancient, orthodox Gospel.
5.8 Theosis and Purgatory: Purification for Divine Participation
5.8.1 Why Purgatory Exists
Scripture teaches:
“Nothing unclean will enter [Heaven].”
— Rev 21:27
If we are to share the divine nature, we must be purified of all sin and attachment.
Purgatory is not punishment;
it is final theosis, completed by God.
5.8.2 Hebrews 12:29 — “Our God Is a Consuming Fire”
The fire of purgatory is God’s love burning away everything not like Him.
5.9 The Rebellion of Angels: Why Theosis Provoked Jealousy
Chapter 4 showed the Biblical foundations of divine beings over the nations.
Early Christian theology taught that the fall of a third of the angels was triggered by envy:
Envy of human destiny
Envy of the Incarnation
Envy that humans would sit above angels (Heb 2:5)
As St. Irenaeus writes:
“The devil, having been set over the angels,
became jealous of man
when he saw him destined to ascend higher than himself.”⁸
Thus theosis is not a late doctrine—
it is the reason for the cosmic rebellion.
5.10 Answering Modern Objections
5.10.1 “Isn’t Theosis Pagan?”
No.
Pagans sought deification in the wrong direction:
self-exaltation rather than divine gift.
Christian theosis is:
by grace, not nature
by participation, not essence
through Christ, not self-effort
by union, not absorption
5.10.2 “Doesn’t Only God Have Divine Nature?”
Yes — by essence.
We share in God’s nature by participation, like iron heated in fire.
The Fathers use this analogy repeatedly.
5.11 Conclusion: Theosis as the Heart of the Gospel
Theosis is not optional theology;
it is salvation.
As I argued in earlier chapters:
Jesus did not come merely to pay for sins.
He came to heal, transform, and glorify us,
making us participants in His own divine life.
To be saved is:
to be purified
to be sanctified
to be healed
to be glorified
to reign with Christ
to join the Divine Council
to become, by grace, what God is by nature
This is the Gospel the apostles preached,
the Fathers defended,
the martyrs died for,
and the saints lived.
CHAPTER 6
ANGELS, SAINTS, AND HEAVENLY INTERCESSION
IN THE BIBLICAL DIVINE COUNCIL**
6.1 Introduction: Why Christians Believe in Heavenly Intercession
The doctrine that angels and saints intercede for humans is often misunderstood—sometimes even by Christians themselves.
Critics (especially certain Evangelical, Fundamentalist, SDA, or JW traditions) frequently claim that:
“Praying to saints is pagan,”
“Angels cannot hear us,”
“Only Christ mediates,”
“Intercessors resemble polytheistic gods,”
“Dead believers cannot be aware of earthly prayers.”
Yet these objections fundamentally ignore the biblical supernatural worldview we have been developing: Earth has always been in communion with Heaven, and Heaven has always been involved in the governance, intercession, and protection of God’s people.
This chapter demonstrates:
Angels intercede for humans in the Old and New Testaments.
Saints intercede before God in the heavenly liturgy.
The Divine Council worldview logically leads to intercession.
Christ’s role as the “one mediator” includes subordinate mediators.
Catholic and Orthodox devotion is the fulfillment—not corruption—of biblical cosmology.
6.2 Angels as Heavenly Intercessors in Scripture
Angels are repeatedly depicted as mediators between God and humanity.
6.2.1 Angels Present Human Prayers Before God
The Book of Revelation offers the clearest example:
“The twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
— Revelation 5:8
Incense = prayers.
The elders = glorified humans.
They are offering our prayers to God.
Again Revelation explains:
“Another angel came… and was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of the saints on the golden altar before the throne.”
— Rev 8:3–4
An angel offers human prayers before God.
This proves:
Angels hear prayers
Angels carry prayers
Angels mediate prayers
This is direct biblical evidence contradicted only by modern polemics.
6.2.2 Angels Advocate for Humans
In Zechariah 1–3, angels plead with God on behalf of Israel:
“O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem?”
— Zech 1:12
This is an angel interceding for a people.
6.2.3 Angels Intercede for Abraham and Lot
In Genesis 18–19, angelic figures negotiate, intercede, and act on behalf of the righteous.
6.2.4 The Book of Tobit (Deuterocanon)
Although many Protestants reject Tobit, early Christians universally accepted it.
Raphael tells Tobit:
“I presented your prayers before the Holy One.”
— Tobit 12:12
This explicitly describes angelic intercession.
6.3 Saints as Intercessors in the Heavenly Council
Saints in heaven are not unconscious, absent, or inert—Scripture depicts them as active participants in the heavenly liturgy and governance.
6.3.1 Saints Pray for Earth (Revelation 6)
The saints beneath the altar cry out:
“How long, O Lord, holy and true…?”
— Rev 6:9–11
They are aware of earthly history, concerned about justice, and are praying before the throne.
6.3.2 Saints Worship and Intercede (Revelation 7)
The great multitude of the saved stands before the Lamb and intercedes in worship:
“Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb.”
— Rev 7:10
The “elders” (likely either glorified saints or angelic beings) speak and act as mediators.
6.3.3 Hebrews 12:22–24 — The Heavenly Assembly
The Church is in communion with:
innumerable angels
the spirits of righteous humans made perfect
Jesus, mediator of the new covenant
This is theological dynamite: The saints “made perfect” are explicitly part of the heavenly court.
6.3.4 1 Samuel 28 — Samuel Intercedes after Death
The text shows:
Samuel lives after death
He knows God’s judgment
He communicates divine truth to Saul
Whatever the complexities of the passage, it disproves the notion that the dead are unaware.
6.3.5 Early Jewish Tradition
Jewish literature before Christianity contained:
prayer to forefathers (Tobit)
patriarchal intercession (e.g., 2 Macc 15:14)
belief in righteous dead praying for Israel
Christians did not invent this—
they inherited it.
6.4 Christ the One Mediator: What Protestants Misunderstand
6.4.1 1 Timothy 2:5
Protestants quote:
“There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Tim 2:5
And conclude:
“No other mediators exist.”
“Praying to saints denies Christ’s mediator role.”
But this ignores the context.
6.4.2 The Same Chapter Commands Human Intercession
“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions… be made for all.”
— 1 Tim 2:1
Paul instructs Christians to intercede, mediate, and pray for others—
just four verses before saying Christ is the sole mediator.
Thus the meaning is clear:
Christ is the source of all mediation
Christians (on earth and in heaven) participate in His mediation
This is theosis applied to prayer.
6.5 The Divine Council and Christian Intercession
The Divine Council worldview provides the theological foundation:
6.5.1 God Governs the Cosmos Through His Council
As shown in earlier chapters:
God consults heavenly beings (1 Kings 22)
Angels govern nations (Deut 32; Dan 10)
Angels present prayers (Rev 5, 8)
Saints reign with Christ (Rev 20)
Thus, divine governance is hierarchical participation.
6.5.2 The Saints Join the Council
Christ tells the apostles:
“You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the tribes of Israel.”
— Matt 19:28
And Paul tells all Christians:
“Do you not know that we will judge angels?”
— 1 Cor 6:3
This is Divine Council language.
6.5.3 The Saints’ Intercession Flows from Their Office
If saints reign with Christ,
and share His authority,
and sit in judgment,
and rule with Him…
then intercession is part of their participation in divine governance.
This is not paganism.
It is biblical cosmology.
6.6 Communion with the Saints in Early Christianity
6.6.1 Catacombs and Early Inscriptions
Early Christian tombs request intercession:
“Pray for us, holy martyr.”
“Peter, pray for the brethren.”
“Ask God for us.”
These appear long before Constantine and long before “Roman pagan corruption.”
6.6.2 Church Fathers
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (4th century)
“We pray for the holy fathers and bishops who have fallen asleep,
and I believe that their prayers greatly help us who pray for them.”
— Catechetical Lecture 23
St. Augustine
“The dead are not separated from the Church…
they pray for us even as we pray for them.”
— Sermon 172
St. Jerome
“If apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others…
how much more after their crowns, victories, and triumphs?”
— Against Vigilantius 6
6.6.3 No Early Christian Opposed Intercession
The argument that intercession developed out of paganism is historical fiction—
no one in antiquity made that claim.
Even the earliest heretics accepted intercession.
**6.7 Are Angels and Saints “Replacement Gods”?
Answer: No—They Replace Fallen Angels, Not the One God**
Anti-Catholic critics often argue:
“Catholics replaced Zeus with St. Peter.”
“St. Anthony = Mercury.”
“Mary = Isis.”
This is superficial pop-history that ignores:
the real biblical Divine Council
the corruption of nations by fallen angels
the elevation of humanity above angels
What Catholics actually believe is:
Pagan “gods” were distorted memories of real spiritual beings
Christ dethroned the corrupt rulers (Col 2:15)
Saints now rule in their place
All authority comes from Christ
Worship belongs only to God
Thus Christian intercession is not polytheistic —
it is Christocentric participation.
6.8 Why Prayer to Saints Is Not Necromancy
Critics sometimes quote Deut 18:10–11 against necromancy.
But Scripture shows:
the dead are alive (Luke 20:38)
prophets speak after death (1 Sam 28)
Moses appears physically with Christ (Matt 17)
saints pray in heaven (Rev 6–8)
Necromancy = summoning spirits through occult means.
Christian prayer = asking living saints in heaven to pray to God.
They are opposites.
6.9 Why the Saints Hear Us: The Beatific Vision
If saints are united with the infinite God (1 John 3:2),
then they share in divine life.
Just as Jesus “knows” our prayers,
so do those fully united to Him—
not because they are omniscient,
but because they participate in Christ’s knowledge.
If the body of Christ is united,
its members are united in knowledge and love.
6.10 My Personal Perspective: Why This Doctrine Makes Sense
From the standpoint of everything established in prior chapters:
a heavenly council
mediating spirits
glorified humans rising above angels
participation in Christ’s reign
theosis
sacramental life
and the communion of the whole Church across heaven and earth
Intercession is not optional—it is inherent.
From my own vantage point as a Catholic:
I see the saints not as rivals to God, but as His perfected children
I see intercession not as paganism, but as God’s family praying for each other
I see the heavenly court not as myth, but as the biblical destiny of the saved
And critically:
Ancient pagans did not invent divine mediators.
They distorted what God had revealed.
The early Church restored it.
6.11 Conclusion: Intercession as Divine Council Participation
This chapter has shown that:
Angels intercede in Scripture
Saints intercede in Scripture
Heaven is depicted as a liturgical court
Christ is the one mediator whose mediation empowers ours
Humanity’s destiny is divine participation
Pagan mediators were distortions of a real revealed truth
Thus the communion of saints is not merely “Catholic tradition,”
nor is it a medieval invention, pagan import, or theological error.
It is the biblical supernatural worldview fulfilled in Christ.
CHAPTER 7
CHRIST THE KING AND THE RECONSTITUTED DIVINE COUNCIL**
7.1 Introduction: The Kingship of Christ in the Biblical Drama
The enthronement of Christ is not a peripheral doctrine—it is the climax of the biblical story.
The resurrection and ascension are not merely proofs of divinity; they mark the cosmic enthronement of the Messiah foretold in Psalm 2, Daniel 7, and the prophetic literature.
Modern Christians often conceive of Christ’s kingship as:
a metaphor,
a future reality at the Second Coming, or
a devotional slogan (“Christ is King”).
But in ancient Christianity—and in Scripture—Christ’s kingship is:
present,
political,
cosmic,
eschatological,
judicial,
liturgical,
and administrative.
In this chapter we will show that:
Christ is enthroned NOW as the cosmic ruler.
Christ’s enthronement fulfills the prophecy of Daniel’s “Son of Man.”
Christ inherits the nations formerly ruled by fallen “gods” (Ps 82; Deut 32).
Christ forms a new Divine Council around His throne.
Saints participate in this governance as co-rulers.
The Church’s heavenly hierarchy (angels, saints, elders) derives from this exaltation.
This chapter integrates Christology, eschatology, biblical theology, and the Divine Council worldview into a single argument: Christ is King not as an isolated monarch but as the head of a renewed heavenly court.
7.2 The Messianic King Foretold in the Old Testament
7.2.1 Psalm 2 — The Messiah as World Ruler
Psalm 2 describes the rebellion of the nations and God’s response:
“I have set my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
— Ps 2:6
God tells the Messiah:
“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance.”
— Ps 2:8
This psalm underlies the New Testament’s proclamation that Christ inherits the nations in His resurrection and ascension.
7.2.2 Daniel 7 — The Son of Man Enthroned
Daniel 7 is central to New Testament Christology.
The “Son of Man” is:
a human figure
exalted to the throne of God
given dominion over all nations
worshiped by all peoples
seated among the heavenly host
“To Him was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
that all nations, peoples, and languages should serve Him.”
— Dan 7:14
This is the most explicit “enthronement prophecy” in the Hebrew Bible.
7.2.3 Psalm 110 — The Heavenly Enthronement
Psalm 110 is the most quoted verse in the New Testament:
“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”
— Ps 110:1
To sit at God’s right hand is to participate in divine rule.
7.3 Christ's Resurrection and Ascension as His Cosmic Coronation
7.3.1 The New Testament Interprets These Prophecies Literally
Christ declares after the resurrection:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
— Matt 28:18
Paul confirms:
“He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.”
— Eph 1:20–21
This is not future—it is present.
7.3.2 Ascension = Coronation
Peter’s Pentecost sermon explicitly connects the ascension to kingship:
“God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
— Acts 2:36
Christ is enthroned NOW.
7.3.3 Christ as Judge of Angels and Nations
Christ is not merely Savior; He is:
Judge (John 5:22)
King (John 18:36–37)
Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev 1:5)
This judicial role directly corresponds to the Head of the Divine Council in Psalm 82.
7.4 Christ Reclaims the Nations from the Fallen “Gods”
This connects directly to the arguments made in Chapters 3–4.
7.4.1 Deuteronomy 32 — Nations Assigned to Divine Beings
God divided the nations according to the “sons of God” (Deut 32:8, DSS/LXX).
But these beings rebelled (Ps 82).
7.4.2 Psalm 82 — God Judges the Corrupt “Gods”
“I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High’…
but you shall die like men.”
— Ps 82:6–7
Psalm 82 ends with a prophecy:
“Arise, O God, judge the earth,
for you shall inherit all nations.”
— Ps 82:8
Early Christians read this as a prophecy of the Messiah.
7.4.3 Christ Overthrows the Powers (Pauline Theology)
Paul repeatedly teaches:
Christ disarmed the powers (Col 2:15)
Christ triumphed over them (Eph 1:20–22)
Christ subjected all angelic rulers to Himself (1 Pet 3:22)
Thus, Christ reclaims the nations from their former corrupt spiritual rulers.
7.5 Christ’s Kingdom as a Reconstituted Divine Council
7.5.1 The New Council Seen in Revelation
Revelation portrays:
The Lamb on the throne (Rev 4–5)
24 elders (glorified saints or heavenly rulers)
Angels
Martyrs
All participating in worship and judgment
This is Daniel 7 fulfilled.
7.5.2 Christ Calls Apostles to Thrones
“You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
— Matt 19:28
This is Davidic court language.
7.5.3 Christians Will Rule the Nations
Revelation affirms:
“He who conquers… I will give authority over the nations.”
— Rev 2:26
Theosis → divine governance.
7.5.4 Christians Will Judge Angels
“Do you not know that we will judge angels?”
— 1 Cor 6:3
Thus humans replace the fallen angelic rulers.
This fulfills Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2.
7.6 Christ as King in Early Christian Theology
7.6.1 Ignatius of Antioch
“There is one God who revealed Himself through Jesus Christ,
who is His eternal Word and His eternal Kingdom.”
— Ignatius, To the Magnesians 6
7.6.2 Justin Martyr
“The prophets proclaimed that the Christ would rule over all nations forever.”
— Dialogue with Trypho 36
7.6.3 Irenaeus
“Christ gathers all things into Himself,
heavenly and earthly, visible and invisible.”
— Against Heresies 3.16
7.6.4 Augustine
“Christ reigns now. His kingdom is the Church,
and through His saints He administers judgment on the world.”
— City of God 20.9
This is not symbolic—it is Divine Council theology.
7.7 The Participation of the Saints in Christ’s Kingship
7.7.1 Saints as Co-Rulers
Paul writes:
“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”
— 2 Tim 2:12
Reigning is administrative, judicial, liturgical, cosmic.
7.7.2 Saints Share Christ’s Glory
“The glory you have given me I have given them.”
— John 17:22
Glory is divine power.
7.7.3 The Saints in Revelation
Revelation shows:
thrones
crowns
judgments
heavenly governance
intercession
participation in divine knowledge
This is the career of the resurrected human.
7.8 Christ’s Kingship and the Eucharist: Heaven and Earth Unite
The Mass is not only a memorial—
it is participation in the heavenly court.
7.8.1 Hebrews 12:22–24
At every liturgy Christians come to:
Mount Zion
the heavenly Jerusalem
innumerable angels
the spirits of the righteous made perfect
Jesus the mediator
the sprinkled blood
This is the Divine Council manifest.
7.8.2 Revelation’s Heavenly Liturgy
The Mass echoes:
incense (Rev 8:3–4)
the Lamb (Rev 5:6)
elders (Rev 4:4)
holy, holy, holy (Rev 4:8)
communion of the saints
The Eucharist is the meeting of the two realms.
7.9 My Personal Perspective: “Christ is King” as a Cosmic Reality
Critics today associate “Christ is King” with political slogans, culture wars, or online provocateurs.
But the ancient Christian meaning is far deeper:
Christ is King cosmically
Christ is King judicially
Christ is King eternally
Christ is King liturgically
Christ is King over angels and nations
Christ is King over demons and death
Christ is King NOW
And because Christ is King:
the saints reign with Him
the angels serve Him
the nations belong to Him
the Divine Council is restored
For me personally, this is why I use the phrase “Christ is King.”
Not as a political slogan.
Not as Internet rhetoric.
But as the deepest cosmic truth of Christianity.
7.10 Conclusion: The Reign of Christ as the Fulfillment of All Scripture
Christ’s kingship fulfills:
Psalm 2 (Messiah inherits the nations)
Daniel 7 (Son of Man enthroned)
Psalm 110 (seated at God’s right hand)
Deuteronomy 32 (nations reclaimed)
Psalm 82 (fallen gods judged)
Revelation (new Divine Council formed)
And because Christ is enthroned:
saints reign
angels serve
demons fall
nations return
the Church participates
the cosmos is restored
This chapter demonstrates that Christ’s kingship is the key to the entire Divine Council worldview and the theological foundation for intercession, theosis, eschatology, and the communion of saints.
CHAPTER 8
PURGATORY AND THE NECESSITY OF PURIFICATION
FOR ENTRY INTO THE DIVINE COUNCIL**
8.1 Introduction: Why Purification Is Necessary for Theosis and Divine Governance
If the ultimate destiny of redeemed humanity is to:
share in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4),
reign with Christ (2 Tim 2:12),
judge angels (1 Cor 6:3),
sit on heavenly thrones (Rev 3:21),
serve in the reconstituted Divine Council,
then humanity must undergo radical transformation.
We must become holy, pure, radiant, and like Christ.
But no one dies perfect.
Even the righteous die with attachments, wounds, disordered desires, selfish habits, and incomplete sanctification.
Thus the ancient Christian tradition, grounded in Scripture and the Divine Council worldview, teaches purgatory—not as medieval speculation, but as:
final theosis,
necessary purification,
completion of sanctification,
healing of the soul,
preparation for participation in divine judgment and rule.
This chapter demonstrates:
Purgatory is required because of theosis.
Scripture teaches purification after death.
Early Judaism already held purification and postmortem sanctification.
The Fathers unanimously affirm it.
Purgatory is not punishment for the damned but healing for God’s children.
Participation in the Divine Council requires absolute holiness.
8.2 Purification in Scripture: The Biblical Logic of Purgatory
“If it burns up, he will suffer loss,
yet he will be saved,
but only as through fire.”
— 1 Cor 3:12–15
Paul describes:
a purifying fire,
after death,
affecting the saved,
not the damned.
This is the doctrine of purgatory.
8.3 Purification and the Divine Council: Holiness Required for Rule
Participation in the Divine Council requires perfection.
This is not arbitrary; it is structural.
8.3.1 Divine Council Members Must Be Pure
In Scripture, no being can stand in God’s council unless holy:
Seraphim cover their faces (Isa 6)
Cherubim surround God’s throne (Ezek 1)
Angels are “holy ones” (Job 5:1; Ps 89:7)
To join this court, humans must be equally purified.
8.3.2 Reigning With Christ Requires Sanctity
Christ says:
“To the one who conquers I will grant to sit with me on my throne.”
— Rev 3:21
Conquering = holiness, overcoming sin.
8.3.3 Judging Angels Requires Divine Likeness
Paul:
“Do you not know we will judge angels?”
— 1 Cor 6:3
Judgment requires righteousness.
Theosis → holiness → governance.
8.3.4 The Saints Are Described as Radiant and Pure
Daniel 12 describes resurrected humans:
“Then the righteous shall shine like stars forever.”
— Dan 12:3
This is divine radiance—God’s own glory reflected in the saints.
Purgatory is the process of attaining this radiance.
8.4 Purification in Early Judaism: The Foundation of Christian Teaching
8.4.1 2 Maccabees 12:44–45 — Prayer for the Dead
Here is explicit biblical support from the Jewish canon:
“He made atonement for the dead,
that they might be freed from their sin.”
This is the oldest written testimony of a Jewish doctrine of postmortem purification.
8.4.2 Dead Sea Scrolls: Purification by God’s Spirit
4Q521 describes God purifying the righteous in the age to come.
The Qumran community believed in:
purification after death,
healing of souls,
a “spirit of holiness” that cleanses.
8.4.3 Philo of Alexandria
Philo teaches the soul undergoes cleansing after death to be purified for heaven:
“The soul must be cleansed of all passions before it can ascend.”
Judaism before Christ already recognized postmortem purification.
8.5 Purgatory in the Early Church Fathers
No Church Father denied purification after death.
Many explicitly affirmed it.
8.5.1 Origen
“If a man departs this life with lighter faults…
he will be purified in the fire.”
— Homilies on Jeremiah 2.4
8.5.2 St. Augustine
“Some suffer temporal punishments in this life only,
others after death,
still others both now and then.”
— City of God 21.13
8.5.3 St. Gregory of Nyssa
“When death comes… the soul is purged of its corruption.”
— On the Soul and Resurrection
8.5.4 St. John Chrysostom
“Let us help and commemorate the dead.
If Job’s sons were purified by the sacrifice of their father,
why should we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them consolation?”
— Homily on 1 Corinthians 41
8.5.5 St. Gregory the Great
“As for lesser faults, we must believe that there is a purifying fire before judgment.”
— Dialogues 4.39
Thus purgatory is not medieval—it is apostolic.
8.6 The Nature of Purgatory: Healing, Not Torture
The popular image of purgatory as a “mini-Hell” is false and unhelpful.
Catholic teaching is:
purgatory is not punitive
purgatory is not part of hell
purgatory is not for the damned
purgatory is the fire of God’s love
8.6.1 Purgatory Is the Final Stage of Theosis
The Catechism:
“All who die in God’s grace… undergo purification,
so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter Heaven.”
— CCC §1030
8.6.2 The Fire = God Himself
Following Hebrews 12:29, Catholic mystics taught:
“The fire of purgatory is the same as the fire of heaven—
God’s consuming love.”
— St. Catherine of Genoa
8.6.3 Purgatory Removes Attachments, Not Forgiveness
Forgiveness is given in this life.
Purification finishes what forgiveness starts.
8.6.4 Purgatory Is Joyful Pain
C.S. Lewis (Anglican but affirming purgatory):
“I assume that the process of purification will involve suffering…
but it is suffering full of joy, because it is the Lord’s work.”
— Letters to Malcolm
8.7 Purgatory and the Resurrection: Preparing for Glory
8.7.1 The Resurrection Requires Perfection
The glorified body is sinless, radiant, and immortal:
“It is sown in corruption;
it is raised in incorruption.”
— 1 Cor 15:42
8.7.2 Divine Council Membership Requires Glory
Revelation repeatedly depicts the saints:
enthroned (Rev 20:4),
crowned (Rev 4:4),
robed in white (Rev 7:14),
serving before God’s throne.
Purification prepares the soul for enthronement.
8.8 My Personal Perspective: Purgatory Makes Sense Because Heaven Is Holy
From my own Catholic standpoint:
If heaven is God’s presence, and God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29),
then entering that fire unprepared would be agony.
If we are called to be like Christ,
then we must be purified as He is pure (1 John 3:2–3).
If we are destined to join the Divine Council,
then we must be immaculate—
not by our power, but by God’s love.
Purgatory is not a divine threat—
it is a divine gift.
It is God finishing what He began in us (Phil 1:6).
8.9 Conclusion: Purification as Preparation for Participation
This chapter demonstrates that purgatory is:
biblical,
Jewish in origin,
universally patristic,
theologically necessary,
Christocentric,
part of theosis,
required for entry into God’s glory,
essential for the Divine Council.
Without purification:
we could not see God,
could not reign with Christ,
could not judge angels,
could not participate in divine governance.
Purification is not an optional doctrine—
it is the bridge between human frailty and divine glory.
CHAPTER 9
THE FALL OF THE ANGELS AND THE RISE OF HUMANITY IN GOD’S PLAN** Rebellion, Rivalry, and the Elevation of Humanity in the Divine Council
The fall of the angels—often reduced to a children’s story about Satan’s pride—is far richer, older, and more complex in Scripture and tradition. Far from a simplistic tale of heavenly disobedience, the angelic rebellion emerges in the Bible and Second Temple literature as a profound conflict over God’s plan for humanity.
In both Jewish and Christian thought, angels did not rebel simply because of generic pride; they rebelled because they refused to accept God’s will to raise human beings above them.
Key themes:
Humanity was created “a little lower than the angels” (Psalm 8) but destined to surpass them after glorification.
Angels were commanded to serve humanity, protect them, and assist in their ascent.
Once Christ assumed human nature, human destiny became exalted above the angels forever.
A “third of the heavenly host” rejected this plan (Rev 12:4).
Their rebellion forms the backdrop to the entire drama of salvation.
This chapter explores:
How and why angels fell, according to Scripture and tradition
Humanity’s role in God’s cosmic design
The connection between angelic rebellion and the Divine Council
How Christ’s incarnation exalted human nature above the angels
Why fallen angels hated God’s plan
Why humans must be purified before taking their intended place
9.2 Biblical Foundations: The Angelic Rebellion
9.2.1 Revelation 12: The Dragon and the Third of the Stars
John writes:
“His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky.”
— Revelation 12:4
In apocalyptic symbolism, “stars” = angels (Job 38:7; Dan 8:10).
This text preserves the ancient tradition that one third of the heavenly host rebelled.
Revelation describes:
a heavenly war
Michael and loyal angels
the Dragon/Satan
the casting out of rebels
This is the cosmic backdrop to salvation.
9.2.2 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 — Angels that sinned
Peter says:
“God did not spare the angels when they sinned…
but cast them into Tartarus.”
— 2 Peter 2:4
Jude adds:
“The angels who did not keep their own position…
He has kept in eternal chains.”
— Jude 6
“Tartarus” is a direct reference to the fall of the Watchers in 1 Enoch.
9.2.3 Genesis 6 and the Watchers
The “sons of God” in Genesis 6:1–4 (bene elohim) are interpreted by:
These texts describe arrogant beings cast from heaven (though originally about kings):
“You said, ‘I will ascend to heaven… I will make myself like the Most High.’”
— Isaiah 14:13–14
The Fathers interpret these passages typologically of Satan.
9.3 The Ancient Near Eastern Background: Rival Gods and the Divine Council
Biblical monotheism existed within a world where polytheistic cultures imagined rival gods vying for authority. In the Hebrew Bible, these “gods” are created spiritual beings who form a heavenly council (Psalm 82; 1 Kings 22).
Psalm 82 famously says:
“God stands in the midst of the gods;
He judges among them.”
— Ps 82:1
This psalm is the key to understanding the rebellion:
Some angels ruled over nations (Deut 32:8–9 LXX).
Many became corrupt (Ps 82:5).
God condemns them to death.
Thus the fall was not merely individual— it was a political rebellion inside the Divine Council.
**9.4 Why Did Angels Rebel?
The Early Christian Explanation: Jealousy over Humanity’s Exaltation**
9.4.1 Hebrews 1–2: Humanity Will Rule the World to Come
Hebrews cites Psalm 8:
“You have crowned him with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
— Heb 2:7–8
And then declares:
“It was not to angels that He subjected the world to come.”
— Heb 2:5
This is explosive: The future cosmos is given to redeemed humanity—not angels.
9.4.2 Early Church Fathers: Angels Were Jealous of Human Destiny
St. Irenaeus (2nd century)
“It was jealousy of man’s future that caused the apostasy of the angels.”
— Against Heresies, 5.24
Tertullian
“The devil was jealous of man, because man was destined to inherit what he had lost.”
— On Baptism 5
St. Augustine
“The devil envied man’s blessedness and so fell.”
— City of God 14.3
Origen
“Some powers were unwilling to minister to man, and through envy fell.”
— Homilies on Ezekiel 1
9.4.3 Why they rebelled
Humans were destined for exaltation.
Angels were commanded to serve them (Heb 1:14).
Christ—God Himself—would take on human nature, not angelic (Heb 2:14–16).
Humans would eventually sit in judgment over angels (1 Cor 6:3).
To fallen angels, this was intolerable.
9.5 Christ’s Incarnation as the Trigger of Cosmic Rebellion
9.5.1 Hebrews 2:16 — Christ did not assume angelic nature
“He helps the descendants of Abraham,
not angels.”
— Heb 2:16
The Incarnation unites divinity permanently with humanity—
not with angels.
This elevates humanity above all angels forever.
9.5.2 Fallen Angels Refuse to Serve the God-Man
Tradition holds that angels were shown the plan of the Incarnation.
Some bowed and worshiped.
Others refused.
St. Maximus the Confessor
“The mystery of the Incarnation was the cause of the demonic rebellion.”
— Questions to Thalassius 61
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
“The cause of the devil’s pride was the Incarnation…
he refused to serve a God made man.”
— Sermon on the Nativity
9.6 Humanity’s Ascendancy: Theosis and the Restoration of the Divine Council
9.6.1 Humans Become “Sons of God” Again
Theosis restores humanity to the lost status of the bene elohim (“sons of God”).
2 Peter 1:4:
“Partakers of the divine nature.”
Romans 8:17:
“Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
9.6.2 Humans Will Judge Angels
“Do you not know that we will judge angels?”
— 1 Cor 6:3
This is a courtly, Divine Council function.
9.6.3 Humans Will Sit on Thrones
“I will grant him to sit with me on my throne.”
— Revelation 3:21
9.6.4 Nations Will Be Ruled by the Saints
Daniel 7:
“The kingdom shall be given to the saints of the Most High.”
This is divine governance.
9.6.5 Angels Become Ministers to the Saints
Hebrews 1:14:
“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent forth to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
Angels serve us because we will rule with Christ.
9.7 My Personal Perspective: Angels Rebelled Because Humans Are Destined for Greatness
From my perspective, the angelic rebellion makes profound sense once we accept the biblical truth that human beings—frail, mortal, sin-prone—are destined to sit above angels in the divine hierarchy. Theosis is the great scandal of salvation history: that God intends to elevate redeemed humanity to a level fallen angels refused to accept. In this light, their rebellion is not absurd—it is predictable. And my own spiritual reflections lead me to believe that the fallen angels’ rage is directed not only at God, but at us, because we have been chosen to sit where they once stood.
This aligns perfectly with the theology of:
Irenaeus
Augustine
Maximus
Chrysostom
1 Enoch
Psalm 82
Fallen angels hate humans because humans will be exalted above them.
9.8 Fallen Angels, Nations, and the Corruption of the World
9.8.1 Deuteronomy 32:8–9 (Septuagint)
“He fixed the boundaries of the nations
according to the number of the sons of God.”
This ancient reading means:
Each nation was assigned a guardian angel.
Some angels became corrupt and accepted worship.
These became the “gods of the nations.”
Psalm 82 condemns these corrupt spiritual rulers:
“You are gods…
but you will die like men.”
The fall is political—
a rebellion within the heavenly administration.
9.9 The Fall of the Angels and the Need for Purgation
Only the purified can replace the fallen angels.
This ties Chapter 9 back to Chapter 8.
Purgatory exists because:
humans must be purified
to enter the Divine Council
to fill the thrones vacated by fallen angels
This is explicit in early Christian theology.
St. Gregory Nazianzen
“Man is destined to take the place of fallen angels.”
— Oration 14.24
St. Thomas Aquinas
“Men will fill up the places of the fallen angels.”
— Summa Theologiae I.63.9
Thus:
Angelic rebellion
Human exaltation
Purgatorial purification
Divine Council participation
all form a single coherent doctrine.
9.10 Conclusion: Humanity’s Cosmic Vocation and the Defeat of the Rebels
The fall of the angels is not mythology—it is cosmology.
The Bible presents a consistent picture:
Humans will rule with Christ over creation and even judge angels.
Purgatory purifies us so we can take up this role.
The war in heaven began over us.
It ends with us enthroned in heaven.
CHAPTER 10
ANSWERING THE PAGAN ACCUSATIONS: THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE DIVINE COUNCIL, AND THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP**
10.1 Introduction: The Modern Charge of “Paganism” and Why It Persists
Few criticisms are as pervasive in anti-Catholic polemics as the claim that Catholic veneration of saints is “pagan.” Fundamentalist pamphlets, early Protestant polemics, certain secular historians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventist eschatology, and neo-Reformation YouTubers all recycle the same accusations:
“Saints = renamed pagan gods.”
“Intercession = polytheistic mediation.”
“Icons/statues = idolatry.”
“Mary = Ishtar / Isis / Astarte.”
“Heavenly court = pagan pantheon.”
These arguments often rely on superficial similarities, ignoring the radically different theology underneath.
This chapter responds to these claims using:
biblical evidence
patristic testimony
Jewish Second Temple parallels
rigorous historical scholarship
that similarities arise not from Catholic imitation of paganism but from pagans misinterpreting humanity’s God-given religious instincts and fragments of pre-Christian revelation.
This is the final step in the monograph’s argument: that the Communion of Saints is not a corruption of the Divine Council—
it is the restored Divine Council under Christ the King.
10.2 What Anti-Catholic Critics Claim
10.2.1 Protestant Reformers
Martin Luther accused Catholics of “invoking the dead” as “idolatry.”
John Calvin wrote:
“The saints are set in the place of the pagan gods.”
— Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.20.3
10.2.2 Fundamentalist Writers
Jack Chick (20th century cartoonist) claimed:
“Catholic saints are simply renamed Roman gods.”
— Chick Tract: Why Is Mary Crying?
Dave Hunt declared:
“The Catholic system is paganism with Christian names.”
— A Woman Rides the Beast (1994)
10.2.3 Jehovah’s Witnesses
JW literature argues:
“The veneration of saints imitates pagan ancestor worship.”
— Reasoning from the Scriptures (1985)
10.2.4 Seventh-day Adventist Roots
Ellen G. White wrote:
“The so-called Christian Church fell into the idolatry of Rome.”
— The Great Controversy (1888)
10.2.5 Modern Online Critics
Some Evangelical YouTubers label the Communion of Saints as “necromancy,” “pagan spiritualism,” or “demonic counterfeit.”
These claims rest on four assumptions:
Anything involving heavenly beings is pagan.
Mediation implies polytheism.
Biblical worship is strictly individualistic.
Similar symbols = identical meaning.
All four assumptions collapse under biblical and historical scrutiny.
10.3 The Biblical Reality: Scripture Describes a Heavenly Assembly
10.3.1 The Divine Council is not pagan—it is biblical monotheism
The Divine Council appears throughout Scripture:
Psalm 82: “God stands in the council of the gods.”
Job 1–2: “The sons of God came before the Lord.”
Daniel 7: “Thousands upon thousands served Him.”
1 Kings 22: The Lord speaks among heavenly spirits.
The Hebrew Bible uses divine council imagery not to endorse polytheism but to show:
God is supreme
heavenly beings assist His governance
righteous humans will one day join them
This is the root of the Communion of Saints.
10.3.2 The Saints Already Participate in Heavenly Governance
Scripture shows the righteous in heaven:
interceding (Rev 5:8; Rev 8:3–4)
reigning (Rev 20:4)
sitting on thrones (Luke 22:30)
judging angels (1 Cor 6:3)
This is not pagan—it is the restoration of humanity’s lost vocation.
10.3.3 Angels & Saints Intercede in Scripture
Angels carry prayers to God (Tobit 12:15; Rev 8:3–4).
Abraham, Moses, Samuel intercede after death in Jewish traditions (cf. 2 Macc 15:12–16).
The martyrs cry out to God (Rev 6:9–11).
The Bible shows heaven is not silent—
it is liturgical, intercessory, and alive.
10.4 Early Christianity: The Fathers Reject Paganism, Not Reflect It
10.4.1 The Fathers Explicitly Differentiated Christian Veneration from Pagan Worship
St. Augustine:
“We honor the martyrs, but we do not offer sacrifice to them.
They are not gods, but servants of God.”
— City of God, 8.27
St. Jerome:
“We do not worship the relics, but the God of the martyrs.”
— Letter 109
St. Cyril of Jerusalem:
“We do not worship those who have fallen asleep…
but we ask their prayers.”
— Catechetical Lectures 23.9
10.4.2 The Councils Condemned Paganism but Affirmed the Communion of Saints
Council of Carthage (397):
Affirmed prayers for the dead as apostolic practice.
Second Council of Nicaea (787):
Defended icons while explicitly condemning pagan idolatry.
10.4.3 The Incarnation Makes This Possible, Not Pagan Imitation
St. John Damascene wrote:
“We do not worship matter, but the Creator of matter
who became matter for our sake.”
— On the Divine Images, 1.16
Icons, saints, relics—
all flow from the logic of the Incarnation.
10.5 The Real Source of Similarities Between Paganism and Christianity: Natural Religion, Fallen Memory, and Distorted Revelation
10.5.1 My Perspective: Pagans Reflected Fragments of a Lost Revelation
From my personal perspective, ancient paganism resembles Christianity not because the Church adopted pagan practices, but because pagans were reaching, fumbling, and misunderstanding truths that Christianity would later reveal clearly. Pagan rituals were fractured mirrors—distortions of humanity’s innate longing for the divine.
This view aligns with:
St. Justin Martyr, who called pagan truths “seeds of the Word.”
C.S. Lewis, who described pagan myths as “good dreams” God sent to the pagans.
Vatican II, which said other religions contain “rays of truth.”
10.5.2 The Fallen Angels and the Corruption of True Worship
Chapter 9 demonstrated:
Angels were assigned to nations.
Some rebelled.
They accepted worship and created false religions.
Thus pagan similarity to Christian concepts is explained by:
Human nature (natural religious instinct)
Corruption of earlier divine truths
Demonic distortion of God’s original design
Humanity’s memory of the Divine Council
This is not Catholic borrowing—
it is pagan corruption of earlier revelation.
10.6 Why Saints Are Not Pagan Gods: Key Theological Distinctions
10.6.1 Worship vs. Veneration
Catholic theology distinguishes sharply:
Latreia (latria) = worship due to God alone
Douleia (dulia) = honor to saints
Hyperdulia = special honor to Mary, but not worship
The Council of Nicaea II said:
“The honor given to the image passes to its prototype.”
— Nicaea II, Definition of Faith
This is the opposite of pagan worship.
10.6.2 Saints Have No Independent Power
Pagan gods were:
autonomous
immortal by nature
morally unpredictable
objects of propitiation
rulers of domains
Catholic saints are:
redeemed humans
dependent on God
sinful (except Mary by grace)
intercessors, not deities
members of Christ’s body, not rivals
There is no ontological overlap.
10.6.3 Intercession Does Not Create a Pantheon
Intercessory prayer is:
communal
biblical
Christ-centered
rooted in the Incarnation
It is not a sign of polytheism.
It is a sign of the Body of Christ acting as one.
10.7 The Divine Council Explains the Communion of Saints Better Than Pagan Parallels Do
Modern biblical scholarship (especially the work of Michael Heiser, N. T. Wright, and Crispin Fletcher-Louis) emphasizes:
the biblical reality of the Divine Council
humanity’s destiny to join it
Christ’s enthronement as the new Council Head
the saints reigning with Him
The Communion of Saints is thus not an add-on—
it is the fulfillment of:
Psalm 82
Daniel 7
Revelation 20–22
1 Corinthians 6:3
Hebrews 12:22–24
The saints do exactly what Scripture says glorified humans will do:
reign
intercede
judge
participate in heavenly governance
This is not pagan; it is biblical eschatology.
10.8 The Real Reason Anti-Catholics Reject the Communion of Saints: An Anti-Sacramental, Anti-Incarnational Bias
Many Protestant attacks stem from theological assumptions:
Radical individualism (“just Jesus and me”).
Suspicion of material mediation (anti-sacramentalism).
Fear of hierarchy or heavenly participation.
Rejection of intercessory structures.
These assumptions are foreign to:
Judaism
the early Church
the Bible
the Divine Council worldview
Thus the Catholic teaching is more faithful to biblical cosmology than modern Evangelical theology is.
10.9 Conclusion: The Heavenly Communion Is the Fulfillment of Scripture, Not a Fall Into Paganism
The Catholic (and Orthodox) communion of saints is not:
a pagan survival,
an idolatrous imitation,
or an infiltration of mystery cults.
It is:
the restoration of humanity’s original vocation
participation in the Divine Council
the destiny of the redeemed
the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy
the eschatological reign of the saints
the eternal family of God
The saints are not gods.
They are what humans were always meant to be.
My personal theological insight captures the heart of Christianity:
What paganism grasped only in shadows, Christianity revealed in full. The saints are not replacements for gods—they are redeemed human beings finally fulfilling the role God always intended: sharing His life, His authority, and His glory in the Divine Council under Christ the King.
Thus the accusation “Catholics are pagan” collapses under:
Scripture
history
theology
and the very nature of the Gospel itself.
Note:
The Divine Council, Ugaritic Parallels, Pagan Distortions, and Why This Is Why I Am Catholic**
Scholars frequently point to the similarities between the Divine Council of the Hebrew Bible and the divine assemblies of Ugarit and other Ancient Near Eastern cultures. This resemblance, however, does not imply theological borrowing. Rather, it reflects a shared ancient cosmology reframed by biblical revelation. The Bible presents one transcendent God, surrounded by a heavenly host, in complete contrast to polytheistic pantheons.¹
From a Jewish-Christian perspective—and my own—the pagan myths represent distorted memories of primordial revelation, glimpses of truth refracted through cultures that “exchanged the truth of God for a lie.”² As St. Justin Martyr taught, every genuine insight among the pagans belonged in seed form to Christian truth.³
Note:
1. Israel Did Not Borrow; Paganism Remembered Poorly
Ugaritic texts describe a high god (El), surrounded by a council of divine beings (bn ’ilm).⁴ The Bible mirrors the vocabulary but transforms the theology:
YHWH alone is Creator (Isa 45:5)
heavenly beings are creatures (Ps 148:2–5)
rebellious spirits are judged (Ps 82)
God rules alone (Deut 32:39)
Scholars such as Michael Heiser show that the Hebrew Bible is participating in the “divine council” worldview but radically redefining it.⁵
From a Christian theological perspective, these ANE systems are not the origin of biblical religion but corruptions of a more ancient monotheistic truth.⁶ This is consistent with St. Paul’s teaching that humanity once knew God but drifted into myth.⁷
2. The Apostles Themselves Taught That Not All Truth Was Written Down
Here is a major reason why I am Catholic: the early Christians did not believe in sola scriptura. The Apostles explicitly affirm that:
Some revelation was NOT written down
St. John writes that Jesus’ unwritten deeds and teachings could fill countless books.⁸
St. Paul commands believers to hold fast to unwritten apostolic traditions.⁹
Some teachings were withheld until believers matured
Paul says he fed the Corinthians “milk, not solid food,” because they were not ready.¹⁰
Peter warns that Scripture is “hard to understand” and easily twisted.¹¹
These passages are a direct refutation of Protestant claims that Christianity is reducible to the Bible alone.
The Church—“the pillar and foundation of truth”¹²—was always necessary to guard the deposit of faith.
3. Why I Am Catholic: Only the Catholic Church Preserves the Full Supernatural Worldview
Modern Protestantism (especially Evangelicalism) often reduces salvation to:
“Just believe in Jesus.”
“Once saved, always saved.”
“Jesus paid the price; nothing more needed.”
“Church isn’t necessary—just a Bible and a personal relationship.”
This is a modern view, not an ancient one.
The biblical worldview is:
communal (Acts 2:42–47)
hierarchical (1 Tim 3; Titus 1:5)
sacramental (John 3:5; 6:51; 20:23)
liturgical (Rev 4–5; Acts 13:2)
supernatural and cosmic (Dan 7; 1 Cor 6:3; Rev 20:4)
The Church is:
a kingdom (Matt 16:19)
a family (Eph 2:19)
a temple (Eph 2:21–22)
a body (1 Cor 12:12–31)
a heavenly-earthly council (Heb 12:22–24)
This structure mirrors the Divine Council described in both Testaments.
Thus the Catholic Church is not simply an institution;
it is the earthly extension of the heavenly court.
4. Protestantism Lost This Apostolic Vision
By rejecting apostolic succession, sacramental mediation, heavenly intercession, and ecclesial hierarchy, the Reformers unintentionally created a faith stripped of its biblical supernatural worldview. Modern Evangelicalism especially has discarded:
theosis (2 Pet 1:4)
intercessory heavenly beings (Rev 5:8; 8:3–4)
ecclesial authority (1 Tim 3:15)
participation in heavenly judgment (1 Cor 6:2–3)
the cosmic hierarchy of angels and saints
This loss explains why many Protestants accuse Catholics and Orthodox Christians of “paganism”—they no longer understand the biblical cosmology the early Church took for granted.
5. Why I Am Catholic
I am Catholic because the Catholic Church preserves:
the whole Gospel, not the reduced modern version
the apostolic unwritten traditions
the theosis vision of salvation
the communion of saints
the heavenly hierarchy
the sacramental economy
the structure of the Divine Council restored under Christ
The Catholic Church alone maintains the full biblical worldview as held by:
the Apostles
the Fathers
the Councils
the ancient liturgy
the earliest Christian communities
This is not paganism.
This is the original revelation— the Kingdom of God, restored and fulfilled,
the Divine Council opened to humanity through Christ the King.
Chicago-Style Footnotes
Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Lexham Press, 2015), 25–42.
Rom. 1:23–25 (NRSV).
Justin Martyr, 1 Apology 46, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (Buffalo: Christian Literature Publishing, 1885).
Mark S. Smith, The Origins of Biblical Monotheism (Oxford University Press, 2001), 41–58.
Heiser, The Unseen Realm, 49–71.
Winfried Corduan, In the Beginning God: A Fresh Look at the Case for Original Monotheism (B&H Academic, 2013).
Rom. 1:19–21.
John 21:25.
2 Thess. 2:15.
1 Cor. 3:2.
2 Pet. 3:16.
1 Tim. 3:15.
Full Bibliography (Chicago Style)
Primary Sources – Scripture & Early Church
Augustine. Expositions of the Psalms. Various translations.
The Holy Bible. New Revised Standard Version.
Ignatius of Antioch. Letters.
Irenaeus. Against Heresies.
Justin Martyr. First Apology.
Origen. On First Principles.
The Apostolic Fathers. Edited by Michael W. Holmes. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
