Gods many

Who exercises the authority of the civilized governments of men which they make for themselves? Those who had the right to judge the people and enforce that judgment were called ruling judges or “gods”1.

“For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)” 1Corinthians 8:5

What is Paul talking about? Who are “called gods” in heaven and in earth? And why are there “gods many”?

And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for [am] I in the place of God? Genesis 50:19

How was Joseph in the place of God? Is this blasphemy? He had the power of judgment over the people. He literally administered the ownership possessing the equitable title to their land, belongings and labor.

Again, it bears repeating that, in the Old and New Testament, the words “gods” and “God” are translated from words defined as “rulers, judges”, which includes the right to exercise authority, power, and jurisdiction over other men. The words “God or god” was “applied as deference to magistrates”2and “figuratively, a magistrate”3 in both Israel and Rome.

To realize that, at the time of Christ, you would address a judge in a Hebrew, Roman, or Greek courts as “god” should change the entire way you read your modern Bibles. This is why there are “gods many”.

Another example of the word “god” is found in Acts 7:19, 21: “In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.”

What do they mean “exceeding fair”? Fair is from the word, asteios, which in the original form was astu (a city). Here, it is a form that meant “of the city” or “civil power”. The word is only used in reference to Moses in the Bible.

The word “exceedingly”offers some clarification. Of the over 1300 times it appears in the New Testament, it is translated as “exceedingly” only once, and the rest it is translated “God” or “gods”.

Yes, Moses was a “god” of the civil authority and had the power to rule over his brothers with executorial judgment as a “god”. He had become the son of the daughter of Pharaoh when he was three months old. By that adoption into the house of Pharaoh, he was an heir to the office of ruling judge.

Moses had the right to judge and rule over the people in this high office of Egyptian government. The power wielded by persons in arbitrary civil jurisdictions can tempt and change men. Moses feared what his soul was becoming and turned from that ancient temptation and fled Egypt.

Moses showed this holy restraint many times, as in the case of Dathan and Abiram, who could have been judged by Moses as god of Israel. Instead, he left judgment to God the Father for Moses knew “vengeance is mine saith the LORD” Rom 12:19.

The God of Heaven eventually arranged that Moses was able to redeem the people and bring them out of this corvee’, or civil bondage, of Egypt. They were given the gold and silver (an honest money system), replacing their denominated scarabs issued by the government through their usurious Egyptian banking temples. According to Philo, when the people were led out of that system by Moses, they received the title to their animals, possessions, and families back. This was a parallel to Abram leaving Haran.

God brought the souls of Israel out of Egypt where the people served strange gods. He then gave them a specific command to guide them in this new governance:

“I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2-3.

The people knew what gods were. They knew that the gods were not the statues, but the men and jurisdictions they represented. Does anyone worship the flag or the Capital Dome or the statue upon the top? Those are just the symbols of the people’s allegiance and service.

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:” Ex. 20:4

In the days of Abraham, Nimrod, Daniel, and Rome, these images of lions, elephants, and eagles were simply symbols of jurisdictions. God goes on to clarify this simple truth:

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” Ex. 20:5-6

We cannot serve a statue like the one on the top of the Capital Dome or the eagle above the American flag, but we can serve the jurisdiction of that government and the men who make its laws. As lawmakers, they have the power to appoint judges over the people of their created civil society and execute judgment upon those who dare disobey their will.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Ex. 20:5-6

The third office created by the Senate of Rome and requested by Augustus Caesar, as Emperator,4 was the office of the Apo Theos, appointer of gods. The duty of this office was to appoint magistrates or judges throughout the Empire, who were called “theos” or “gods”. There were many gods exercising judgment over the people by way of the thousands and thousands of laws passed by the Senate or Conscripti Patres (conscripted fathers) and ratified by the elected President of Rome, Augustus.

It should not be so strange to think of the Roman Emperors as gods when you realize that George Washington himself is deified in the ceiling of the Capitol Dome. “Across the Dome’s eye, 180 feet above the floor, spreads a gigantic allegorical painting by the Italian artist Constantino Brumidi. The painting depicts the ‘Apotheosis,’ or glorification, of George Washington.”5 The Vatican painter, “Brumidi depicted George Washington rising to the heavens in glory… The word ‘apotheosis’ in the title means literally the raising of a person to the rank of a god…”6

“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” John 10:34

Why would Jesus say “ye are gods”? If the people exercise freewill, they remain the ruling judges of their own actions. They are gods, but only over themselves, not over their neighbor. They, of course, are answerable to the Laws of God, but no man or civil power stands between them and their Father Creator. How was chaos avoided?

Moses found the authoritarian centralized power of the Civil State to be in opposition to God’s plan. Central powers decide what is good and what is evil. These systems also grant power to government to define charity, hope, and faith. A ruling elite can decide what is given or received and when. This annihilates hope and robs the individual of the divine right of choice and charity. Guaranteed entitlements entice men to trust in the governments of men and lures them away from faith in God.

What form of Government could Moses employ in managing those millions of souls that followed him out of Egypt and into the wilderness?

“The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.” Proverbs 12:24

 

 

Footnotes:

Table of Contents

of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

Peace be to this house,

The Prologue of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-0Prologue.php

1. The Kingdom of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     Is Righteousness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-1IsRighteousness.php

     A Man as King of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCa1-2AManasKing.php

 

2. Abraham Uncivilized of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The City State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-1TheCityState.php

     Two kingdoms/ The Merchants of Men of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-2MerchantsofMen.php

      The Hindu Connection of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-3HinduConnection.php

     Abraham and the Legend, The Prodigal Son
     Our king and our god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-4Legend.php

     The Code of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-5code.php

     Abraham and the Family of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCb2-6Family.php

 

3. The Altar of Abraham of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     Moses and the Altars of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-1AltarsofClay.php

     The Altar of Sin of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-2Sin.php

     Sacrifice of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCc3-3Sophistry.php

 

4. Moses, Moses of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Civil State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-1CivilState.php

     Gods Many of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-2godsmany.php

     No Kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-3NoKings.php

     Servant Priests of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCd4-4Servants.php

 

5. Joshua’s Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    White Altars of Joshua
     King over us of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-1WhiteAltars.php

     Adultery of a Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-2Adultery.php

     Fear, Faith and Foolishness of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCe5-3RearFaith.php

 

6. The World of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    Of Rome and Judea of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-1Rome.php

     The Remarkable History of Israel of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-2Israel.php

     Rome the Believer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     The Commander in chiefs
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-3RomeBeliever.php

     A Father’s offer of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-4TheOffer.php

     The Hasmonean Appeal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     Socialization of Rome
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-5SocialAppeal.php

     The Love of kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCf6-6LovingKings.php

 

7. Factions at the Altar of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Pharisees and The Sadducees of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-1Factions.php

     The Essenes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     The Healers of a Nation
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCg7-2Essene.php

 

8. A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     A King is Born of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-1KingBorn.php

     What is redemption? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-2Redemption.php

     Kingdom in Turmoil of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-3Turmoil.php

     The New Deal of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCh8-4NewDeal.php

 

9. Temples and Churches of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-1TemplesandChurches.php

     Investing in Diana of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-2InvestinDiana.php

     One Father of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-3OurFather.php

     Arts of the Temples of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-4TempleArts.php

     The Temple of Satan of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-5SatansTemple.php

     The Royal Treasury of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCi9-6RoyalTreasury.php

10. Two Paths of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     God’s dominion from the Beginning of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     The revenue of the wicked
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-1Paths.php

     Beams in our eyes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
     Removing the Beam
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-2Beams.php

     These two Kingdoms of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-3TwoKingdoms.php

    Faith is actions of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-4Action.php

     The kingdom appointed to Liberty of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCj10-5AppointedLiberty.php

 

11. Where is the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    The kingdom comes of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-1Kingdom.php

    Eating in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-2Eating.php

    Washing in the kingdom of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-3Washing.php

     Where is the Church? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-4Where.php

     We are all kings of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCk11-5AllKings.php

 

12. Apostasy of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

     The Ship of State of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-1Ship.php

     The Allurement of Wolves of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-2Wolves.php

     The Church of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-3Church.php

     The Separate Church
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCl12-4Separate.php

13. The Kingdom of Heaven of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    The State of the Nation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-1Heaven.php

    Seeking the kingdom, The Law of God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-2SeekLaw.php

    What does the Kingdom look like? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-3looks.php

    Assembling a congregation of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
    Where to start seeking the kingdom of God
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCm13-4Start.php

Appendix of the book Thy Kingdom Comes

    Appendix 1. Kingdom of Heaven and God of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-1Appendix.php

    Appendix 2. The things He says of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-2AppenSaid.php

     Appendix 3. What is Worship? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-3AppenWorship.php

     Appendix 4. Who are the Nicolaitans? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-4AppenNicolaitan.php

     Appendix 5. Who is a god? of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-5Appengods.php

     Appendix 6. Oaths and Swearing of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/TKCn-6AppenOaths.php

    The Cover of the book, Thy Kingdom Comes
The Elixir of Love.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwa.php

     About the Author of the book Thy Kingdom Comes
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/books/TKC/tkczzwb.php

 

Other publications:
The Covenants of the gods
The Free Church Report