©2011-2025, David E. Robinson: At the Gates of Yerushalayim Ministries

 

Lessons from the Wilderness, Volume 64

…What We Know… Part Four

The Definition of Our Enemies ^{[i] [ii] [iii]}

John 4:19-24 [NET]

¹⁹ The woman said to him, “Sir, I see⁴⁶ that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our fathers worshiped on this mountain,⁴⁷ and you people⁴⁸ say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”⁴⁹

²¹ Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman,⁵⁰ a time⁵¹ is coming when you will worship⁵² the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

²² You people⁵³ worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.⁵⁴

²³ But a time⁵⁵ is coming—and now is here⁵⁶—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks⁵⁷ such people to be⁵⁸ his worshipers.⁵⁹

²⁴ God is spirit,⁶⁰ and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”^[iv]

 Ephesians 6:10-12 [ESV]

¹⁰ Finally, ^ebe strong in the Lord and in ^fthe strength of his might. ^11 gPut on ^hthe whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ⁱthe schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^jwe do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^kthe rulers, against the authorities, against ^lthe cosmic powers over ^mthis present darkness, against ⁿthe spiritual forces of evil ^oin the heavenly places.^[v]

Sometimes when it comes to writing a series such as this, there may be a gap of time between the various parts that make up the lessons- such as this. My last post was in July of this year. Since then, I have laid to rest a loved one, seen many upheavals in life, and had some health issues. All these situations play into the writing, not including the continuous studies and prayers that one has to undertake to insure that what I am teaching lines up with HaShem’s words, and the words of Yeshua.

 Now, that is not to say that some of the situations I’ve encountered in the past few months are just life in progress. No, some have been spiritual in nature. When I began my journey seventeen years ago, the forces that lined up against me were daunting to say the least.

 In my journey through the wilderness[vi], I had aligned myself with the prince of this world, the darkness of the present age for forty years. Anger, bouts of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, lawlessness, bitterness, depression: all these were the result of following the wrong elohim[vii]: one that was a manipulative, malevolent, evil creation that has blinded human eyes since it’s own creation, the ha’satan, the accuser, the adversary (and other adversaries that aligned themselves to it) of ʾ^elōhiym עֶליוֹן ’elyon [viii] [ix].  

 Because I had aligned myself with this adversary, I belonged to it. The relationship was fine as long as I did it’s bidding, right up to the time it decided to kill me that is. You see, that is what happens when we align ourselves to the wrong elohim. The end result is always death. Alignment to ʾ^elōhiym עֶליוֹן ’elyon, Elohim Elyon, the Most High Elohim, brings life, and when I made that shift, or to be truthful, when Elyon made the shift for me, there was and has been a target on my back.

 Tragic as it is, when one aligns themselves to the Truth, there are forces in the Cosmic Realm of the Unseen World and their followers of this present age that hate us. Charlie Kirk is a reminder of this. The faithful and loyal believers around the world under persecution, threats of murder and actual death are reminders of this. Believing loyalty comes with a price in this life and conversely, great reward, in the ʿolam ha-ba[x] to come.

 So it is no surprise to me that issues and situations rise up in a believer’s life, as they have in mine. I am not saying I am like Charlie; he lived a life of honor, truth, and love for God, and will be sorely missed by those of us who listened to him, believing in his mission, and by the family he left behind. One has to go into this, this alignment to the Creator of the Cosmos, with both eyes open, and prepare to count the cost. One way or another – it costs everything.

 Is it worth it? Has to be. It simply has to be. I can think of nothing greater, not riches, fame, accolades of man that compare to the freedom I have found in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, and His Son and Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ if that is the name and title you prefer). So here we are.

 To this end, we must get a true understanding of what we are up against. This will be a long post, and many of you will tune out. Why you might ask, would I say such a thing? Because we live in a world of 15 second sound bites on YouTube®, Tik-Tok®, WhatsApp®, Tom, Dick and Harry’s blogs and podcasts, blah-blah-blah.

 Some do not want to know.

 But if you truly want to know, let me show you. All we need to know is in Ephesians 6:12. Here is the world the Apostle Paul lived in, and by connection, we still live in it today. His worldview was by emphasizing the ongoing spiritual conflict between God’s people and rebellious spiritual beings. ​

 The verse states and for full context, we will start at verse 10:

 

¹⁰ Finally, ^abe strong in the Lord and in ^bthe strength of His might. ^{11 a}Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the ^bschemes of the devil.

 

¹² For our ^astruggle is not against ^1bflesh and blood, but ^cagainst the rulers, against the powers, against the ^dworld forces of this ^edarkness, against the ^fspiritual forces of wickedness in ^gthe heavenly places. ^[xi]

 

Let us explore the definitions of our foes:

       “flesh and blood”: carries with it the sense of the finite – i.e., human. In the Greek it reads as “blood and flesh or αιμα^G129 και^G2532 σαρκα^G4561  or pronounced hah'-ee-mah*kahee*sarx”. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament reads this as such:

 

“…129. αἷμα haíma; gen. haímatos, neut. noun. The blood of the human or animal body (Mark 5:25, 29; Luke 8:43, 44; 13:1). (I) Blood as the substantial basis of the individual life (John 1:13; Acts 17:26). Although the OT contains nothing parallel to these two passages, the expression corresponds to the idea contained in Lev. 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood.”

(II) With sárx (4561), flesh and blood conjoined to indicate the natural human body, mortal man (Heb. 2:14). Flesh and blood designates mankind insofar as it owes its distinctive character to the material aspect of its being (Eph. 6:12). The expression means the physical origin of man in Matt. 16:17; 1 Cor. 15:50; Gal. 1:16. The physical and the spiritual natures of man are contrasted in Eph. 6:12 (cf. Heb. 2:14)…”^[xii]

 

So, let us be clear: while we seem to be at war with other humans, we are really at war with those entities in the Unseen World that control these people.

 

So then, what are we up against?

 

      “…against the rulers…”: προς^G4314 τας^G3588 αρχας^G746“ pronounced pros*ho* ar-khay'

o   This description involves a deeper dive, for the root of αρχας^G746  ar-khay' derives from ἀρχή == Power, in the sense of “dominion” or “force^[xiii].

 

In the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, this long explanation is given, but we need to see this, for this is how Paul himself would have understood the choice of words he used:

 

·         “…b. In Daniel 7 the reference of ἀρχαί is perhaps to supraterrestrial and demonic powers which are subdued by the Messiah (according to NT exegesis) and which cannot therefore hurt the people of God anymore. It is, of course, a long way from these national angels²⁴ to the ἀρχή concept of Paul. This had been worked out by the diaspora prior to Paul.

 

·         For Paul, however, there is no need to identify ἀρχαί with national angels, since the people of God is no longer the Jewish nation. The dominion of the ἀρχαί is thus widened, though we cannot say what functions they have—in distinction from the → ἐξουσίαι and → δυνάμεις? [definition: ex-oo-see'-ah power or authority or right to act or show strength]—or whether they are wholly hostile to God, though this is probable in view of Eph. 1:21 and Col. 1:16. We may gather from Eph. 6:12 that different spheres of influence are allotted to them, probably by their over-lord (Eph. 2:2), according to the different spheres of life, e.g., the religious (1 C. 8:5; 10:20 f.), the sexual (1 C. 6:15 ff.; 7:14), the purely vital (1 C. 15:26), and the different social relationships in terms of the general context of Eph. 6. Strictly, however, the reference is not to dominion over other spirits—for in such cases we should expect ἄρχοντες ( ar'-khones i.e. “the princes of evil spirits )—but to power over the rest of the cosmos, especially the earthly.

 

·         They are spiritual beings²⁵ (Eph. 6:12), related to angels according to R. 8:38.²⁶ For Paul this does not exclude the possession of another form (v. 12a) of corporeality (cf. 1 C. 15:35 ff.). In the plan of creation they were originally meant to be good spirits and were created as such (Col. 1:16).²⁷ Perhaps they were originally assigned to a higher heavenly sphere. Their abode is now the ἐπουράνια (eh-PEE-gay-os  or “of the earth” - Eph. 3:10), which is obviously the lowest of the different heavenly spheres (cf. 2 C. 12:2) from which σκότος )SKO-tos = darkness) comes into this world (Eph. 6:12). The powers of the air, i.e., of the lowest heavenly sphere, have, somewhat schematically, separated God and man until the coming of Christ.

                ·         They believed that with the rejection of the human race by God (R. 1:24) they would become unconditional κοσμοκράτορες (kos-mok-rat'-ores by definition, “lords of this world”) until God’s original plan of salvation was disclosed in and with the resurrection of Christ (Eph. 3:10).²⁸ By the crucifixion of Christ they have been deprived of their power (Col. 2:15; → ἄρχων, 489). The wall of partition, which their power over the world implied, has been broken down. Christ has subjected them to Himself (Col. 2:15; Eph. 1:21). He has now been revealed as their Lord (Col. 2:10),²⁹ as He has been from the very first as their Creator, archetype and ground of existence (Col. 1:16).

 This does not mean, of course, that their power is destroyed. Man is still engaged in continuing conflict with them (Eph. 6:12). They are not merely behind those who threaten Christians for their faith;³⁰ they are also behind all moral temptations. Yet they cannot decisively affect the relationship between the Christian and God (R. 8:38), and in the final consummation they will be definitively stripped of all their influence (1 C. 15:24).^{31 [xiv]} 

      “against the powers” προς^G4314 τας^G3588 εξουσιας^G1849 , pronounced pros*ho*ex-oo-see'-ah

 

For our definition, we turn to the The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament:

 

o   “… For the celestial and infernal powers, princes, potentates, e.g., angels, archangels (Eph. 1:21; 3:10; Col. 1:16; 2:10; 1 Pet. 3:22); demons (Eph. 6:12; Col. 2:15). See aḗr (109), air, in Eph. 2:2. Generally of the powerful adversaries of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:24 (cf. archḗ )746), principality). (3) In 1 Cor. 11:10, where exousía is used as an emblem of power, i.e., a veil or covering (cf. 1 Cor. 11:13, 16) as an emblem of subjection to the power of a husband, a token of modest adherence to duties and usages established by law or custom lest spies or evil–minded persons should take advantage of any impropriety in the meetings of the Christians (cf. timḗ [5092], honor…)^[xv]

       “…against the ^dworld forces of this ^edarkness…”: προς^G4314 τους^G3588 κοσμοκρατορας^G2888 του^G3588 τούτου^G5127 σκοτους^G4655 pro*ho*kos-mok-rat'-ore*ho*toútou*skot'-os.

 

For a detailed look at this phrase, I turn to “A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition” or otherwise known as BDAG. This is a highly technical scholarly book, considered the premier work by many scholars on how to interpret the Messianic Writings, the New Testament. Because it is so technical, I will just use certain highlight portions that best describe what Paul’s thinking and usage of language best represents him.

 

·         “…κοσμοκράτωρ, ορος, ὁ (s. κόσμος, κρατέω) world-ruler (used of world-ruling gods…[of spirit beings, who have parts of the cosmos under their control

 

·         τὸν διάβολον …, ὃν καὶ κοσμοκράτωρα καλοῦσι (Translation mine: the devil..., whom they also call the ruler of the world)

 

·         Also loanw. in rabb., e.g. of the angel of death) of evil spirits (w. ἀρχαί and ἐξουσίαι) οἱ κ. τοῦ σκότους τούτου the world-rulers of this darkness i.e. the rulers of this sinful world Eph 6:12

 

·         κοσμοπλανής, ῆτος, ὁ (s. κόσμος, πλανάω) deceiver of the world, of an apocalyptic apotheosis of evil D 16:4

 

·         the sum total of everything here and now, the world, the (orderly) universe

 

·         ⓑ the world, and everything that belongs to it, appears as that which is hostile to God, i.e. lost in sin, wholly at odds w. anything divine, ruined and depraved

 

·         the κόσμος is unjust and hostile to great men) IMg 5:2; IRo 2:2. ὁ κόσμος οὗτος this world (in contrast to the heavenly realm) J 8:23; 12:25, 31a; 13:1; 16:11; 18:36; 1J 4:17; 1 Cor 3:19; 5:10a; 7:31b;

 

·          ‘This world’ is ruled by the ἄρχων τοῦ κ. τούτου the prince of this world, the devil J 12:31b; 16:11;. ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται the whole world lies in the power of the evil one 1J 5:19; cp. 4:4; also ὁ αἰὼν τοῦ κ. τούτου Eph 2:2 (s. αἰών 4).—Christians must have nothing to do with this world of sin and separation fr. God: instead of desiring it IRo 7:1…

 

·         When such an attitude is taken Christians are naturally hated by the world IRo 3:3; J 15:18, 19ad; 17:14a; 1J 3:13, as their Lord was hated J 7:7; 15:18; cp. 1:10c; 14:17; 16:20.

 

·         —Also in Paul: God and world in opposition τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κ. and τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ θεοῦ the spirit of the world and the spirit that comes fr. God 1 Cor 2:12; The world is condemned by God 1 Cor 11:32; yet also the object of the divine plan of salvation 2 Cor 5:19; cp. 1 Cl 7:4; 9:4.

 

·         A Christian is dead as far as this world is concerned: διʼ οὗ (i.e. Ἰ. Χρ.) ἐμοὶ κ. ἐσταύρωται κἀγὼ κόσμῳ through Christ the world has been crucified for me, and I have been (crucified) to the world Gal 6:14

 

·         Neither Christ himself 17:14c, 16b; 14:27, nor his own 15:19b; 17:14b, 16a; 1J 3:1 belong in any way to the ‘world’. Rather Christ has chosen them ‘out of the world’ J 15:19c, even though for the present they must still live ‘in the world’ 17:11b; cp. 13:1b; 17:15, 18b. All the trouble that they must undergo because of this, 16:33a, means nothing compared w. the victorious conviction that Christ (and the believers w. him) has overcome ‘the world’ vs. 33b; 1J 5:4f, and that it is doomed to pass away 2:17 (TestJob 33:4; Kephal. I 154, 21: the κόσμος τῆς σαρκός will pass away).^[xvi]

 Only the highlighted portions are at play. What we see here is how Paul used these words to describe the state of man and the cosmos without ʾ^elōhiym Elyon, אלוהים עליון , the Most High God and his Messiah Yeshua/Jesus.

What is important to see is the depth of scholarship that has to go into finding the context of the Biblical Writers, and how scholarship has to look sometimes outside the Biblical Text to find the context, so that we can better understand what ʾ^elōhiym wants of us in this post-Christian/Judeocentric world we live in.

 By a post-Christian/Judeocentric world I mean with the rise of multi-culturalism, the decline in church or synagogue attendance and more and more just out-right hostile to the message of God, folks, we are in enemy territory, and we need to hold fast to truth and re-discover what it really means to have believing loyalty to our Elohim, and Messiah. It matters who and what we believe and only being exposed to truth can we engage in this Cosmic Struggle we are a part of. The takeaway?

 Yeshua has already won the battle; that is why the devil rages. No matter how long it takes Messiah to return, and we should all be praying the Father will haste that day, the war is won; but the battle still remains.

 Hold fast to what is true, what is good, what is holy. Hold fast to one another, put aside bitterness and wrath, and pick up the mantle of forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. Pray for those who hate us, and want to deceive us and use our differences against us. We will return next time, and pursue what we know, and should know.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and may YHVH bless His people Israel.

Till then, May the Father of Light and His Messiah Richly bless you my Beloved

In The name of Yeshua, Amein and Amein.

 

   

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[i]NOTICE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: Unless otherwise cited, all material found on this blogsite (original text, opinions, conclusions, and other material not related to cited sources remains the collected intellectual property of the author of this site, David E. Robinson, Elder, teacher, and minister, and are owned and controlled by myself and are protected by copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws of the United States, foreign jurisdictions, and international conventions. Any errors found within, rest solely upon me; please do not blame the Father for my mistakes. I am teachable and correctable, not infallible. 😊 What I aim to do in this blog is trying to help you study your Bible better, by providing you with notes and explanations that you, my dear reader, may not have the resources available to you.

 [ii] FAIR USE DISCLAIMER: This blog site may contain content that is not authorized for use by its owner. All such material will be cited back to its original source. According to Section 107 of the Copyright Act: “…the fair use of a copyrighted work […] for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright…” I have made and will continue to make every effort to stay within all ethical and moral guidelines in the use of material presented here, and the use of these materials is solely intended for educational purposes only, and all efforts to obtain or sustain fair use of non-owned material will be made. That being said, this site is for education only and is not affiliated with any institution, organization, or religious group. It is the sole production of its editor/author. Use of information from Jewish-themed websites (or any other source material) should not be construed as these sites endorsing or confirming any thesis introduced by the author of this epistle. I present the information from their respective sites for instructional purposes only and/or to aid in the readers understanding of the subjects discussed.

 [iii] Author’s note:  Throughout these studies, I will be using the NET Bible® and the NET Notes®: within the notes you will see symbols like this: ( B Ψ 892* 2427 sys) [see explanation below…]. These are abbreviations used by the NET Bible® for identifying the principal manuscript evidence that they (authors and translators of the NET Bible®) used in translating the Old and New Testament. Please go to https://bible.org/netbible/  and see their section labeled “NET Bible Principals of Translation” for a more complete explanation on these symbols and other items pertinent to the way the NET Bible uses them. Net® foot/end notes will be separated as follows:

 (start of): NET Bible® Notes: {the numbered notations are unique to the NET® Bible and will be separated by this notation.}

(end of): {End Net® Notes}

 This is not to say that the NET® Bible will be our only source of God’s word but will be used as seen fit.  To help you understand, the symbols listed here mean the following:

Breakdown of the symbols

·         B: This refers to Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest and most important Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Dating to the 4th century CE, it is a key witness to the Alexandrian text-type.

·         Ψ (Psi): This is a standard abbreviation for the book of Psalms, from the Greek word psalmoi. In New Testament textual notes, it can also refer to the important 8th-century Greek manuscript Codex Athous Lavrensis.

·         892*: This is a number assigned to a specific ancient biblical manuscript. The asterisk (*raised to the * power*) indicates that the reading came from the original, uncorrected version of the manuscript. The manuscript itself is a 9th-century Greek minuscule manuscript containing the Gospels and Acts.

·         2427: This refers to another Greek minuscule manuscript, dating to the 14th century, containing the Gospels.

·         sys: This is an abbreviation for the Syriac manuscript tradition, which was a very important early translation of the New Testament into Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic. 

·         For those who wish to take their studies to the next level, a list of symbols used in textural criticism can be found here: https://www.cob-net.org/compare/docs/reference-charts-ciampa.pdf

 Also, in these studies, I have used the notes that come along with the passages I cite from the sources that I cite: these need a bit of a disclaimer though. As in all things, not everything that is footnoted is something that may I necessarily agree with [nor specifically disagree with]; the only instances will be where I may find it not compatible with what I believe pertains to any matters of the Torah or the commandments of God. I give you the notes as they are written by the authors of the material I cite from, so that you can see the information contained within them. It truly is not my place to edit or ignore them; if they state anything that is in opposition to what I teach, then so be it. I will address these issues if requested. That is not to say I should not challenge something I believe, in my humble opinion, might contradict the truth of God’s word; that I will do in the main body of my epistles for that is where my gentle dissent belongs.  Most (but not all) of the differences will come when a QUOTED source displays a decidedly Western/Greek mindset, as opposed to one of the Hebraic Perspectives. I must be intellectually honest – I am biased toward the God of Avraham, Issachar, and Yakob, and his son, Yeshua, the Messiah. I pray we all can find common ground as we study the Scriptures. Also, some may be put off by the length or depth of the notes; not everyone has access to the references I do, so therefore, I try to include the notes that come with the material I use, so each can see for themselves the information the originator has pointedly gleaned. I hope you avail yourselves to these inclusions – they help us to understand how the material in scripture is laid out and the thought process of the original writers of Scripture.

 NET® Bible Notes

⁴⁶ tn Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.

⁴⁷ sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.

⁴⁸ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “say” is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone.

⁴⁹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁵⁰ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208–9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

⁵¹ tn Grk “an hour.”

⁵² tn The verb is plural.

⁵³ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “worship” is second person plural and thus refers to more than the woman alone.

⁵⁴ tn Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9.

⁵⁵ tn Grk “an hour.”

⁵⁶ tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.

⁵⁷ sn See also John 4:27.

⁵⁸ tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”

⁵⁹ tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunountas) as the complement.

sn The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.

⁶⁰ tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (theos) is the subject.

^[iv] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible, Second Edition. (Denmark: Thomas Nelson, 2019), Jn 4:19–24.

{End Net® Notes}

^e Rom. 4:20 (Gk.); 2 Tim. 2:1; [1 John 2:14]; See ch. 3:16

^f ch. 1:19

^g ver. 14; Job 29:14; See Rom. 13:12

^h ver. 13; [2 Cor. 10:4]

ⁱ ch. 4:14

^j See 1 Cor. 9:25

^k ch. 1:21

^l See ch. 2:2

^m Luke 22:53; Col. 1:13

ⁿ [ch. 3:10]

^o See ch. 1:3

^[v] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 6:10–12.

 [vi] I mention “the wilderness” for a specific reason. This blog is called “Lessons from the Wilderness” for a reason. I entered the “wilderness” at the age of 13 on my birthday, after being raped by a stranger in a movie theater bathroom. I exited the “wilderness” on my birthday at 53, 40 years to the day, set free by the Great and Merciful King of Heaven and earth who then gave me the following verses:

 Deuteronomy 8:1-3

(1)  “All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, so that you may live and increase, and go in and take possession of the land which YHVH swore to give to your forefathers.

(2)  “And you shall remember all the way which the YHVH your ELOHIM has led you in the wilderness these forty years, in order to humble you, putting you to the test, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

(3)  “And He humbled you and let you go hungry, and fed you with the manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, in order to make you understand that man shall not live on bread alone,

but man shall live on everything that comes out of the mouth of YHVH.”

 My life verses. My life and loyalty given. My testimony.

 [vii] Not to be confused with the One True Elohim, the Uncreated One, Creator and King. We must understand, that aside from the Tetragrammaton  (YHVH – יְהוָֹה ), which occurs approximately 6,800 times in the Scriptures (denoting the proper, personal name of “God”), the next most used word is ^elōhiym, occurring some 2600 times – but not always as a reference to the One True God. While it is plural in form, it can refer to the one true God of Israel in a singular sense, particularly when used with singular verbs. The word is also used to refer to other divine beings, such as angels, or even human rulers and judges. 

Here's a breakdown of its usage:

·                     Referring to the God of Israel: 

In the vast majority of cases, Elohim is a singular reference to the God of Israel, especially in the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth". 

·                     Referring to other deities: 

Elohim can also refer to other gods, such as the "gods of Egypt" mentioned in the Book of Exodus. 

·                     Referring to divine beings: 

It can be used for non-corporeal beings, including the heavenly host, angels, and other supernatural beings. 

·                     Referring to humans: 

In some contexts, "Elohim" can also refer to powerful human figures like kings or judges, particularly when they hold significant power or authority. 

 [viii] ʾ^elōhiym Elyon: The Most High ^elōhiym (God).

[ix] “…tn The Hebrew term עֶליוֹן (’elyon) is an abbreviated form of the divine name El Elyon, frequently translated “God Most High” (so here NCV, CEV) or something similar. This full name (or epithet) occurs only in Gen 14, though the two elements are parallel in Ps 73:11; 107:11; etc… The title depicts God as the sovereign ruler of the world, who is enthroned high above his dominion.): edited from the footnote for Deuteronomy 32:8 found in  Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Dt 32:8–9.

[x] Olam ha-ba, in Jewish theology, refers to either "the world after death" or the restoration of the world following the messianic millennium. Emerging after the destruction of the Second Temple, classical Rabbinic Judaism uses the expression olam ha-ba to refer to both the messianic age and the heavenly estate that the righteous ascend to at death.

 Jewish literature contrasts olam ha-ba with olam ha-ze ("this world"), the latter being a time to prove oneself worthy of participating in "the world to come". In ancient Judaism, God dwelled in heaven and was also present in the Temple of Jerusalem. The underworld (Sheʾōl) was outside God’s jurisdiction. However, this changed after the Babylonian Exile, as the conviction grew that there must be no limit to God’s power to vindicate his people even after death. Adapted from “The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica- ʿolam ha-ba". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 1998, https://www.britannica.com/topic/olam-ha-ba. Accessed 2 October 2025.

^a 1 Cor 16:13; 2 Tim 2:1

^b Eph 1:19

^a Rom 13:12; Eph 6:13

^b Eph 4:14

^a 1 Cor 9:25

¹ Lit blood and flesh

^b Matt 16:17

^c Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10

^d John 12:31

^e Acts 26:18; Col 1:13

^f Eph 3:10

^g Eph 1:3

^[xi] New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Eph 6:10–12.

gen (genitive)

neut (neuter)

OT (Old Testament)

cf (compare, comparison)

^[xii] Spiros Zodhiates, in The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[xiii] Gerhard Delling, “Ἄρχω, Ἀρχή, Ἀπαρχή, Ἀρχαῖος, Ἀρχηγός, Ἄρχων,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–) 482.

NT New Testament.

²⁴ Dibelius, op. cit., 10.

²⁵ Not special aeons or stellar powers (Reitzenstein Ir. Erl., 235 f. for Eph. or 1 C. 15). On the other hand, men can hardly be meant in Eph. 6:12 (Kurze, 82).

²⁶ On the basic attitude of Paul to angels, → ἄγγελος, 85 f.

v. verse.

²⁷ The doctrine of the fall of angels is tacitly assumed (cf. Jd. 6).

²⁸ The reference to “pure spirits of heaven” (Kurze, 92 f.) is meaningless.

²⁹ It can hardly be said that Paul is “primarily thinking of the elements” (Dibelius, op. cit., 138).

³⁰ Dibelius, 164.

³¹ There is no express reference here to human ἀρχαί (Ltzm. C., ad loc.; → 482 on Tt. 3:1.

^[xiv] Gerhard Delling, “Ἄρχω, Ἀρχή, Ἀπαρχή, Ἀρχαῖος, Ἀρχηγός, Ἄρχων,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–) 483–484.

cf (compare, comparison)

^[xv] Spiros Zodhiates, in The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^d John 12:31

^e Acts 26:18; Col 1:13

loanw. loanw. = loanword

rabb. rabb. = rabbinical (literature etc.)

e.g. e.g. = exempli gratia (for example)

w. w. = with

i.e. i.e. = id est (that is)

I.-E. Indo-European

D D = Didache, except that in a list of manuscripts or as textual variant D refers to Codex Bezae—List 1

i.e. i.e. = id est (that is)

I.-E. Indo-European

w. w. = with

IMg IMg = Ignatius to the Magnesians—List 1

IRo IRo = Ignatius to the Romans—List 1

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

fr. fr. = from

IRo IRo = Ignatius to the Romans—List 1

IRo IRo = Ignatius to the Romans—List 1

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

fr. fr. = from

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

1 Cl 1 Cl = 1 Clement—List 1

i.e. i.e. = id est (that is)

I.-E. Indo-European

cp. cp. = compare, freq. in ref. to citation fr. ancient texts

w. w. = with

w. w. = with

TestJob TestJob = Testament of Job—List 2

Kephal Kephal = Manichäische Handschriften der Staatlichen Museen Berlin, date uncertain—List 5

^[xvi] William Arndt et al., in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 561–563.