The Bible begins without Israel, and it ends with far more than Israel.
The first eleven chapters of Genesis concern all humanity. God creates the heavens and the earth, makes human beings in his image, and commands them to be fruitful, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over his creation. At the other end of the Bible, the vision remains universal: people from every tribe, language, people, and nation stand before God and the Lamb. Even in the vision of the New Jerusalem, there are still “nations.”
Why, then, does so much of the Bible in between focus on Israel?
Why does the God who created all humanity suddenly turn, in Genesis 12, to one man named Abram? Why does he form a nation from this man, enter into covenant with that nation, and become their God?
The more I read these passages together, the more I see a thread running through the Bible that is easy to miss. It appears across Genesis, Deuteronomy, the Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, and eventually Revelation. When these passages are placed alongside one another, a remarkably coherent picture begins to emerge.
From Humanity to the Nations
Genesis 1 has the whole world in view.
But beginning in Genesis 3, humanity repeatedly turns away from God: Eden, Cain, the violence of the pre-Flood world, and finally Babel.
“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:4 (ESV)
They want to build a city and a tower, to “make a name for ourselves,” and to avoid being scattered across the earth.
This is not a biblical argument against cities, government, or human cooperation. Within the development of Genesis 1–11, the problem is humanity once again seeking security, identity, and greatness on its own terms. God had told humanity to fill the earth; at Babel, humanity gathers together and seeks to make its own name great.
God responds by scattering them.
The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 and the Babel account in Genesis 11 therefore leave us with a world divided into different peoples, languages, and territories.
Then, quite suddenly, Genesis 12 turns to Abraham. Why? Deuteronomy 32 may provide an important part of the answer.
The Most High Divides the Nations
Deuteronomy 32:8–9 looks back to an ancient division of humanity:
“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
Deuteronomy 32:8–9 (ESV)
when 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 allotted heritage.”
There is an important textual variant in verse 8.
The Masoretic Text (MT), reflected in many traditional translations, reads “sons of Israel.” A manuscript of Deuteronomy among the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), however, preserves the reading “sons of God.” The Septuagint (LXX) textual tradition likewise reflects heavenly beings, with readings along the lines of “sons of God” or “angels of God.”
Several modern English translations reflect this ancient textual tradition:
ESV: “according to the number of the sons of God.”
NRSVue: “according to the number of the gods.”
NET: “according to the number of the heavenly assembly.”
LEB: “according to the number of the sons of God.”
These translations differ in how they render the underlying expression, but they reflect the same basic textual tradition: the verse refers to heavenly beings rather than to the “sons of Israel.”
So “sons of God” is not a modern translation created to support a Divine Council interpretation. It is an ancient reading supported by early manuscript evidence.
It also produces a natural parallel with verse 9:
The nations — the sons of God
Jacob — YHWH
The traditional “sons of Israel” reading is often connected with the seventy members of Jacob’s household who went down to Egypt. But “sons of God” creates a much more direct contrast between the nations and Jacob, and between the sons of God and YHWH. Together with the evidence of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint, I think “sons of God” probably preserves the earlier reading.
And this way of understanding the passage is not a recent development.
Second Temple Jewish literature shows that Jewish readers were already thinking in these terms before the time of Christ. Sirach 17:17 says:
“He appointed a ruler for every nation,
Sirach 17:17 (NRSVue)
but Israel is the Lord’s own portion.”
Jubilees 15 goes even further. After speaking of the many nations and peoples, it says:
“over all hath He placed spirits in authority to lead them astray from Him.”
“But over Israel He did not appoint any angel or spirit, for He alone is their ruler.”
Jubilees 15:31–32 (R. H. Charles)
These writings do not determine the original text of Deuteronomy. What they show is historically important: centuries before modern scholarship, Jewish readers were already connecting the nations with heavenly rulers while understanding Israel as God’s own portion.
Babel and Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32:8 describes the Most High dividing the nations, separating humanity, and establishing the boundaries of the peoples. Read against Genesis 10–11, the most natural background is the formation and scattering of the nations associated with Babel.
Genesis 10–11 describes the formation of the nations and the scattering of humanity. Deuteronomy 32:8–9 presents another dimension of that division: the nations are associated with the “sons of God,” while Jacob is YHWH’s own portion.
Deuteronomy 4:19 is also important. Moses warns Israel not to be drawn away by the sun, moon, stars, and the host of heaven, which YHWH has “allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven” (Deut. 4:19, ESV).
This suggests a more complex biblical picture of the religious world of the nations than we sometimes assume. The religious life of the nations does not develop within an entirely empty spiritual universe. Deuteronomy itself places the nations, heavenly beings, and YHWH’s unique relationship with Jacob within the same larger picture.
Why Seventy?
By the traditional count, the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 contains seventy nations. In the older reading of Deuteronomy 32:8, the Most High establishes the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the “sons of God.”
In Ugaritic literature from the wider ancient West Semitic world, we also encounter a tradition concerning El, Athirat, and seventy divine sons. Scholars have long noticed the possible relationship between this cultural background and the seventy nations associated with Deuteronomy 32.
The number seventy then appears again within Israel’s own story. In Exodus 24, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel ascend Mount Sinai. They see the God of Israel and eat and drink in his presence.
In Numbers 11, God again tells Moses to gather seventy elders. God takes some of the Spirit resting upon Moses and places it upon them so that they can share the burden of governing the people. Later Jewish tradition would associate the supreme Jewish council of seventy or seventy-one members with Moses and the seventy elders.
The seventy nations, the sons of God, the West Semitic tradition of seventy divine sons, and Israel’s seventy elders in contexts of representation and governance are difficult to dismiss as entirely unrelated coincidences. Seventy appears to carry associations with the completeness of the nations, representation, and structures of rule.
Why Does Abraham Appear Immediately after Babel?
The transition from Genesis 11 to Genesis 12 becomes especially significant. After Babel, God does not choose one already existing powerful nation to become his nation. He calls one man.
Abram comes from beyond the River. Joshua 24 later recalls that his ancestors had served other gods. And immediately before Abram’s story properly begins, Genesis tells us:
“Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.”
Genesis 11:30 (ESV)
Then God speaks to this childless man:
“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great.”
Genesis 12:2 (ESV)
And the promise extends beyond Abraham himself:
“and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3 (ESV)
The contrast with Babel is striking.
At Babel: “let us make a name for ourselves”
To Abram: “I will … make your name great.”
At Babel, human beings seek to establish their own name. With Abraham, God gives a name to the person he calls.
Nor does God simply “find” Israel among the nations. He begins with a barren couple. Through promise comes Isaac; through Isaac comes Jacob; Jacob becomes Israel; and his sons become the twelve tribes.
Israel is a nation God brings into existence through promise.
One Nation Chosen for the Sake of the Nations
When God calls Abraham, the universal direction is already explicit:
“and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3 (ESV)
Abraham’s election therefore has a universal horizon from the beginning. God calls one man from among the nations and forms one nation from that man, but the story of that nation continues to point toward all the families of the earth.
At Sinai, God tells Israel that if they obey his voice and keep his covenant, they will be his treasured possession among all peoples, because:
“all the earth is mine”
Exodus 19:5 (ESV)
He then calls them:
“a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”
Exodus 19:6 (ESV)
“All the earth is mine” matters. The nations may be allotted; authority may be delegated; but YHWH remains Lord of the whole earth.
Deuteronomy 4:5–8 pictures the nations observing Israel’s statutes and rules, recognizing the wisdom of this people and the nearness of their God. The Prophets develop this direction further. Nations come to the mountain of YHWH. Instruction goes out from Zion. God’s servant becomes a light to the nations so that his salvation may reach the ends of the earth.
Israel’s particular election and God’s universal purpose therefore belong together. They were already joined when Abraham was called.
Those Entrusted with Authority Can Become Corrupt
Israel itself, however, becomes corrupt. The people worship idols, oppress the vulnerable, practice injustice, and sometimes become indistinguishable from the nations around them. Being YHWH’s covenant people does not mean that God automatically approves of what they do.
Psalm 82 suggests that heavenly authorities likewise stand under divine judgment.
“God has taken his place in the divine council;
Psalm 82:1 (ESV)
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment.”
Psalm 89 likewise speaks of the heavenly “sons of God” and of YHWH being feared in the “council of the holy ones.” Job uses “sons of God” for heavenly beings, while 1 Kings 22 pictures YHWH enthroned with the host of heaven standing around him. Together these passages reflect a Divine Council worldview.
Psalm 82 gives a very specific reason for the judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly
Psalm 82:2 (ESV)
and show partiality to the wicked?”
They are then commanded to give justice to the weak and the fatherless and to maintain the rights of the afflicted and destitute. They possess authority, but they have failed to govern according to God’s justice.
The authority of created rulers is derived, not autonomous. God may grant authority, but those who exercise it remain accountable to him.
This is true of Israel, and it is true of heavenly rulers.
The Part of the Story We Do Not Know
Deuteronomy 32 presents the nations and the sons of God. By Psalm 82, however, we encounter heavenly rulers who are corrupt and under judgment.
What happened in between?
The Bible does not preserve a complete history of that development. When did these sons of God become corrupt? When did they begin receiving the worship of the nations? What exactly was the original relationship between the nations and these heavenly beings? How did Satan later become associated with the spiritual powers opposed to God?
Different biblical texts allow us to see different stages, but they do not give us a precise chronology.
We should go as far as revelation takes us.
The work of scholars such as Michael Heiser, as well as writers such as Brian Godawa, has been valuable in helping modern readers recover the Bible’s rich supernatural worldview. But where Scripture leaves gaps, I think those gaps should remain.
God Still Wants the Nations
“Arise, O God, judge the earth;
Psalm 82:8 (ESV)
for you shall inherit all the nations!”
Deuteronomy 32 describes the nations being allotted. Psalm 82 portrays corrupt heavenly rulers under judgment. Yet the psalm ends with the nations becoming God’s inheritance.
“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
Psalm 2:8 (ESV)
and the ends of the earth your possession.”
Then, in Daniel 7, “one like a son of man” approaches the Ancient of Days and receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. The story of the nations is beginning to converge upon one king.
Jesus Refuses Satan’s Offer of the Nations
Against this background, Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness becomes more than an account of personal temptation. Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and offers their authority and glory to him.
“To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.”
Luke 4:6 (ESV)
Jesus refuses. Yet in the end, Jesus still receives the nations. His path is faithfulness to the Father: obedience, suffering, death, resurrection, and exaltation.
“humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:8 (ESV)
Then comes the consequence:
“Therefore God has highly exalted him”
Philippians 2:9 (ESV)
Paul continues until the vision reaches universal scope:
“at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth”
Philippians 2:10 (ESV)
This language draws on Isaiah 45, where YHWH declares:
“To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.”
Isaiah 45:23 (ESV)
Paul applies this vision of universal submission to the exalted Christ. And notice the scope: those “in heaven” are included. The nations and every created heavenly authority ultimately stand under the lordship of Christ.
“All Authority in Heaven and on Earth”
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Matthew 28:18 (ESV)
Then:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”
Matthew 28:19 (ESV)
Those two statements belong together. All authority has been given to Christ; therefore his disciples are sent to all nations.
Looking backward from this point, the larger story comes together. After Babel, humanity is scattered among the nations. God calls Abraham from among the nations and forms Israel through him. Israel becomes YHWH’s special covenant people among the nations, yet Israel too fails in its calling.
Finally, the truly faithful Son comes. He refuses to gain the nations by bowing to Satan. He remains faithful to the Father even unto death. God raises him from the dead and gives him all authority in heaven and on earth. Then he sends his disciples: “make disciples of all nations.”
From Babel to Pentecost
This is also why Pentecost in Acts 2 so naturally recalls Babel. At Babel, languages are confused and humanity is scattered. At Pentecost, people from many places speaking different languages hear the mighty works of God in their own languages.
God does not make everyone speak one language again. Linguistic and ethnic differences remain. Instead, God begins gathering his people in Christ from among different languages and nations.
The gospel moves from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and eventually “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, ESV).
From One Priestly Nation to a Priestly People from the Nations
The New Testament later reuses the language of Exodus 19. Peter describes the Christian community as:
“a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession”
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
Revelation 5 brings priesthood and the nations together even more explicitly. The Lamb has ransomed people for God:
“from every tribe and language and people and nation”
Revelation 5:9 (ESV)
and has “made them a kingdom and priests to our God” (Rev. 5:10, ESV). The story that began with Abraham has returned to the nations.
The Bible Ends with the Nations Still There
The end of Revelation does not erase the nations, nor does it portray humanity abandoning creation for heaven. The nations remain present in the vision of the New Jerusalem.
“By its light will the nations walk”
Revelation 21:24 (ESV)
“They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.”
Revelation 21:26 (ESV)
“The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Revelation 22:2 (ESV)
Genesis begins with God, humanity, and the whole earth. Revelation ends with renewed creation, the nations, and the throne of God and the Lamb.
Humanity → Nations → Abraham → Israel → Jesus Christ → Nations → New Creation
So Why Did God Choose Israel?
Because God still wanted the nations.
He called Abraham out from among the nations and created a people from a barren family. Yet from the first day of Abraham’s calling, the promise already included:
“in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3 (ESV)
Israel was set apart among the peoples as YHWH’s own portion and as a kingdom of priests. Then, from this people came the faithful Son.
Jesus refused to bow before Satan in order to gain the kingdoms of the world. Instead, he obeyed the Father even unto death, and God raised him from the dead and exalted him.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Matthew 28:18 (ESV)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”
Matthew 28:19 (ESV)
By Revelation, people from every tribe, language, people, and nation stand before God and the Lamb.
God called one man from among the nations, brought one nation from that man, and from that nation brought forth the faithful Son—who ultimately inherits the nations.
God chose one nation not because he had abandoned the nations, but because he still intended to reclaim them.
Questions Still Worth Exploring
This larger picture leaves several questions worth exploring further. What does Deuteronomy 4:19 mean when it says that God “allotted” the host of heaven to the peoples under heaven? What was the original relationship between the nations and the “sons of God”? When did the heavenly rulers judged in Psalm 82 become corrupt? And how are they related to the spiritual powers opposed to God in the New Testament?
These are questions I hope to explore in future articles.
References
- Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Lexham Press, 2015).
- Michael S. Heiser, “Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God,” Bibliotheca Sacra 158, no. 629 (January–March 2001): 52–74.
- Michael S. Heiser, Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness (Lexham Press, 2020).
- Brian Godawa, Psalm 82: The Divine Council of the Gods, the Judgment of the Watchers and the Inheritance of the Nations (Embedded Pictures Publishing, 2018).
- Mark S. Smith, The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel’s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts (Oxford University Press, 2001).
Michael S. Heiser (1963–2023) was an American scholar of the Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages. Through both academic work and books written for a wider readership, he played an important role in bringing the biblical Divine Council worldview to the attention of a much broader evangelical audience. For an introduction to the concept, see my English article, “The Divine Council in the Bible — Who Is the ‘Us’ in Genesis 1:26 and 11:7?”