God’s Family Council and the War for the Nations

“Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” —1 Corinthians 6:3

Few verses unsettle modern Christians quite like this one. Judge angels? Is this a reference to sentencing demons, or settling disputes among the angels? Most believers have never thought deeply about this, let alone been taught how it fits into the larger biblical story. Yet Paul treats it as obvious—something the Corinthian church should already understand. It turns out this part of angelology is a vital thread that helps to form the true picture of our destiny as humans.

To make sense of this claim, we must widen our field of vision. Scripture invites us to see human history as part of a much larger spiritual conflict: a war for the nations, the family of God, and the restoration of heaven and earth as one.

Psalm 68 and the Mountain War

Psalm 68 is a victory hymn celebrating the triumph of Yahweh over both earthly and spiritual enemies:

“O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan! Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode?” —Psalm 68:15–16

Here the psalmist contrasts two mountains. Zion, the mountain God has chosen as his dwelling place, stands opposite Bashan—a towering rival associated with hostility, jealousy, and rebellion.

Bashan, whose highest peak is Mount Hermon, loomed large in Israel’s imagination. It marked Israel’s northern border and was infamous for idolatry, pagan worship, and spiritual corruption. Ancient Jewish literature, such as 1 Enoch, associates Mount Hermon with the rebellion of the “sons of God” in Genesis 6. Ugaritic texts describe Bashan as a gateway to the underworld.

In short, Bashan was understood as enemy territory.

Psalm 68 climaxes with Yahweh’s victory:

“You ascended on high,leading a host of captives in your trainand receiving gifts among men…” —Psalm 68:18

This is conquest language. Yahweh storms the enemy stronghold, defeats its rulers, and ascends in triumph.

Elohim and the Divine Council

To grasp the significance of this victory, we need to recover a biblical category most Christians have lost: elohim.

Psalm 82 opens with a startling scene:

“God [elohim] presides in the great assembly;he renders judgment among the gods [elohim].”(Psalm 82:1–2)

This does not mean Israel believed in rival gods equal to Yahweh. Rather, elohim is a term used throughout Scripture for non-physical beings who inhabit the spiritual realm—angels, demons, departed spirits, and Yahweh himself. Yahweh alone is uncreated, sovereign, and supreme. But Scripture consistently portrays him presiding over a heavenly council.

This council appears repeatedly: in Job 1–2, 1 Kings 22, Daniel 10, and the prophets. Some of these beings remain loyal. Others rebel—and are judged.

Eden: God’s Original Mountain Council

The story begins in Eden. Genesis hints that humanity was never meant to rule alone. God creates humans in “our image” (Genesis 1:26), language that implies divine plurality. Job tells us that the “morning stars”—a poetic term for divine beings—were present at creation, rejoicing (Job 38:7).

Eden itself is later described as a mountain:

“You were in Eden, the garden of God…You were an anointed guardian cherub…I placed you on God’s holy mountain.” —Ezekiel 28:13–14

In the ancient world, mountains and gardens were where gods dwelt. Eden is portrayed as a sacred mountain-garden, a place where heaven and earth overlapped.

Adam and Eve were placed there not merely as caretakers, but as royal-priests—members of God’s family council. Jewish tradition remembers Adam as prophet, priest, and king. Humanity was meant to rule the world with God, extending Eden outward until the whole earth became God’s dwelling place (Genesis 1:28).

Rebellion, Babel, and the Disinheritance of the Nations

That calling was not abandoned, but it was disrupted.

After Adam’s rebellion, and later the flood, humanity again rebelled at Babel. Instead of spreading out across the earth, they gathered together to build a tower—a man-made mountain—designed to draw divine power down on their own terms.

God’s response was decisive but not final judgment:

“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance…he fixed the borders of the peoplesaccording to the number of the sons of God.But the LORD’s portion is his people.” —Deuteronomy 32:8–9

The nations were handed over to spiritual rulers—members of the divine council. Israel alone remained Yahweh’s inheritance.

Paul echoes this in Acts:

“He made from one man every nation of mankind…having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,that they should seek God.” —Acts 17:26–27

God disinherited the nations—but left a path home.

Jesus and the Gates of Hell

This brings us back to Bashan—and to Jesus.

When Jesus declared:

“On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” —Matthew 16:18

he was standing at Caesarea Philippi, at the foot of Mount Hermon—the very place associated with the “gates of hell.”

Immediately after this declaration, Jesus ascended a high mountain with Peter, James, and John. There he was transfigured, and the Father’s voice thundered:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus deliberately entered enemy territory and announced his identity as divine Son and rightful King. It was a provocation. And it worked.

The powers responded by orchestrating his death. Yet Paul tells us:

“None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”(1 Corinthians 2:8)

By killing him, they sealed their own defeat.

Ephesians 4: Christ Ascends, Humanity Rises

Paul explicitly connects Jesus’ victory to Psalm 68:

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”(Ephesians 4:8)

In the ancient world, a victorious king both received tribute and distributed the spoils of war. Paul focuses on the second act.

After conquering the powers, Christ ascends:

“He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.”(Ephesians 4:10)

The result is astonishing. Christ shares his victory with his people.

The ultimate gift is not merely ministry roles, but shared rule:

“The one who conquers… I will give him authority over the nations…as I also have received from my Father.”(Revelation 2:26–28)

This is why Paul can say, without embarrassment, “We will judge angels.”

What This Means for Us

1. We Have a Mission

The gospel is not only about individual salvation. It is about reclaiming the nations and restoring God’s original plan: humanity ruling with God as his family council, turning earth into Eden.

2. The Battle Is for the Family

From Eden to Babel to the Gospels, Satan attacks the family because God works through families. When Jesus healed the demonised boy, he restored a son to a father. The family remains central to God’s redemptive strategy.

3. God Never Gives Up

Human rebellion never cancels divine purpose. Eden, Babel, Israel’s failures, even personal sin—none of these derail God’s plan. He never gives up on humanity, and he never gives up on you.

4. Live Now in Light of Who You Will Be

If you are destined to rule with Christ, your present life matters. Hidden sins, unresolved conflicts, spiritual immaturity—these are not trivial.

“If you are to judge angels, how much more matters pertaining to this life?” —cf. 1 Corinthians 6:3

The church is being trained for cosmic responsibility.

The Final Word

The story of Scripture is not small. It is not sentimental. It is cosmic.

Christ has defeated the powers, reclaimed the nations, and invited humanity back into the family council God always intended. The question is no longer whether we are called to rule—but whether we will live now in light of who we are becoming.