What does “You are gods” refer to in Psalm 82?

QUESTION ON FACEBOOK:  Can someone help me understand Psalm 82?  When HaShem says, "I said, 'You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you,'" who is He speaking to?

Is HaShem referring to human judges and rulers who were given authority to judge on His behalf, or is He speaking to spiritual beings? I've heard both interpretations and I'm trying to understand which fits the context best.

Also, when the Psalm refers to "gods" (elohim), is that title being used because judging is an authority that belongs to HaShem, or is there something deeper going on in the Hebrew that I'm missing?

Jeremy Chance Springfield of Random Groovy Bible Facts responds:

You are familiar with the concept of “principalities and powers” that Paul wrote about in Ephesians 6, which were not “flesh and blood,” ie, human rulers?

That is what is being referenced in Psalm 82—the spiritual entities who are set over nations. This is mentioned in a few other places. The book of Daniel references the notion when he is greeted by the Angel Gabriel, who tells him he would have arrived sooner to speak with him, if not for the “prince” of Persia who opposed him, and who was eventually sidetracked by the coming of the angel Michael to fight and allow him to pass through to Daniel.

You see them in the first part of the book of Job, when they go to appear before the Creator, and of course the Satan goes along with them and essentially boasts of his authority to control the peoples of the world.

The end goal is stated in Psalm 82—all the spiritual powers will be judged and removed from their authoritative positions, and the Creator will once again be in full control of this earthly realm.

Something serious for Torah rejecters to contemplate

For those who don’t believe Torah pertains to you, please explain and respond to just two of many other examples that could be cited:

(1)  If you believe the Torah doesn’t pertain to you, why do you tithe?

Deuteronomy 16:17 “Every man is to give what he can, in accordance with the blessing Adonai your God has given you.”  (CJB)

(2)  Why are you bothering with the Ten Commandments, since they come straight out of Exodus 20?

Exodus 20: 1 Then God said all these words:

^{2  א} “I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the abode of slavery.

ב ³ “You are to have no other gods before me.

⁴ You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline.

⁵ You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot.

ג ⁷ “You are not to use lightly the name of Adonai your God, because Adonai will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly.

^{8 ד} “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. ⁹ You have six days to labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. ¹¹ For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.

ה ¹² “Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which Adonai your God is giving you.

ו ¹³ “Do not murder.

^{(14) ז} “Do not commit adultery.

^{(15)  ט} “Do not steal.

^{(16) ט} “Do not give false evidence against your neighbor.

י ^{14 (17) י} “Do not covet your neighbor’s house; do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

^{15 (18)} All the people experienced the thunder, the lightning, the sound of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled. Standing at a distance, ^{16 (19)} they said to Moshe, “You, speak with us; and we will listen. But don’t let God speak with us, or we will die.” ^{17 (20)} Moshe answered the people, “Don’t be afraid, because God has come only to test you and make you fear him, so that you won’t commit sins.” ^{18 (21)} So the people stood at a distance, but Moshe approached the thick darkness where God was. (CJB)

What The Church Taught Me…

By Sue Francis

~ What The Church Taught Me ~

The church taught me

sin is missing the mark.

But here’s what nobody asked…

Whose mark?

Defined by whom?

Based on what standard?

Because the honest answer

depended entirely on which church you attended.

Which denomination.

Which pastor.

Which tradition.

And if I’m being completely honest…

the mark I was most often

trying to hit wasn’t even YHWH’s standard.

It was people’s.

The pastor’s approval.

The congregation’s expectations.

The unwritten rules of the community I belonged to.

Looking right.

Sounding right.

Being seen doing the right things

by the right people.

Pleasing the church more than seeking to actually know what pleasing YHWH looked like.

And those two things

are not always the same.

One church’s mark, looked different from another’s.

And underneath all of it…

the actual standard YHWH established was rarely the foundation.

And I felt the confusion, but never quite knowing exactly what I was failing against.

And here’s what the church didn’t teach me…

The Hebrew word for sin

is “chata”.

And chata DOES mean

missing the mark.

But SCRIPTURE doesn’t leave

the mark undefined.

IT DEFINES IT.

Precisely.

Clearly.

Without ambiguity.

1 John 3:4.

Sin IS the transgression of Torah.

That’s not a feeling.

That’s not a denomination’s standard.

That’s not a pastor’s opinion.

That’s not what the congregation expects.

That’s a definition.

Torah is the mark.

The measuring line.

The boundary marker.

The covenant instruction

that tells you exactly

where the line is.

And without Torah?

You’re trying to hit a target

that keeps moving

depending on who’s defining it.

Feeling guilty

without knowing why.

Striving to measure up

without knowing what up looks like.

That’s an exhausting way to live.

And I lived it for years.

Genuine love for Him.

Genuine desire to please Him.

But no clear foundation

beneath my feet.

Torah gives that foundation.

Not as a burden.

Not as a performance checklist.

But as a Father saying ….

here is the path.

Here is what love looks like

walked out in real life.

Here is where the line is

so you don’t have to guess anymore.

YHWH never intended

for sin to be mysterious.

He gave us Torah

so we would know

exactly what He was asking.

And exactly what

we were walking away from

when we chose our own way.

And why does this matter?

Because vague conviction

without clear direction

produces one of two things.

Either shame without solution —

always feeling like you’re falling short

but never knowing what to change.

Or license without boundaries —

deciding the standard is unclear

so anything goes.

Torah removes both traps.

It gives you the standard clearly.

And it gives you the path back

when you miss it.

That’s not legalism.

That’s clarity.

And clarity is an act of love

from a Father who never wanted you

stumbling in the dark trying to hit a target that kept moving

depending on who was defining it.

The church taught me

sin was missing the mark.

YHWH showed me

Torah is the mark.

Same story.

The REST of the story.

A great reminder about the commanded Sabbath Rest

The following article was written by a Facebook friend called “Humble Disciple.”

I struggled with this verse in the past. Not because it was difficult to understand. Because it was difficult to explain away.

The book of Hebrews spends chapter after chapter showing what has changed. The Levitical priesthood changed. The sacrificial system changed. The earthly sanctuary pointed to a greater reality. Hebrews is not afraid to tell us when something has reached its fulfillment.

Yet when the writer arrives at the Sabbath, he doesn't say it ended. He doesn't say it was replaced. He doesn't say it became Sunday. He says it remains. Remains. Not remained. Not used to exist. Not fulfilled away. Remains. Something cannot remain if it has ceased to exist.

I was told Hebrews proves the Sabbath was replaced by Jesus. That the rest is now purely spiritual. But the more I read the chapter, the more that explanation felt forced. The author never says the Sabbath ended. He never says it was abolished. He says it remains. Not because the weekly Sabbath is the final destination, but because it points forward to a greater rest still ahead.

What struck me even more was who this promise is for. "There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God." Not for the world in general. For the people of God. The people who hear His voice. The people who trust Him. The people who refuse to harden their hearts. The people who are pressing toward the Kingdom.

Hebrews is using the Sabbath as a picture of something even greater.

The weekly Sabbath reminds us that our work is not our salvation. Every seventh day we stop striving, stop chasing, stop producing, and remember that everything comes from Yehovah. And every Sabbath points beyond itself. Back to creation, where God rested. Forward to the Kingdom, where His people will finally enter the fullness of that rest.

That's why the Sabbath appears everywhere in Scripture. It begins in Genesis before there was a Jew. It is written into the covenant at Sinai. The prophets see it in the age to come. Yeshua kept it. The apostles kept it. Revelation describes a people who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua.

One story. One God. One people. One consistent witness from beginning to end.

Hebrews 4:9 is a promise:

• A promise that the gift given at creation still stands.
• A promise that the weekly Sabbath still points somewhere.
• A promise that after all the wandering, striving, suffering, and waiting...
• …there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

PS: Many comments say, "Jesus is now our Sabbath rest," so before you feel compelled making that same comment, note, I agree that our rest is found in Messiah.

The question is whether Scripture says that because Messiah is our rest, the Sabbath no longer matters. Hebrews never says that.

The author doesn't conclude, "The Sabbath has ended." He concludes, "There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God."

Messiah and the Sabbath are not competitors. The Sabbath points to Him. It reminds us weekly that salvation is not by our works and points forward to the greater rest still ahead.

That's why I find it difficult to believe the Sabbath was abolished. Yeshua spoke of His followers caring about the Sabbath long after His resurrection (Matthew 24:20). Isaiah sees all flesh worshipping before Yehovah from Sabbath to Sabbath in the age to come (Isaiah 66:23).

The Sabbath points to Messiah. But pointing to something greater is not the same as disappearing because of it.

Responding to one of the many supposed Christian “proof texts” against Torah keeping…

Christian argument against Torah keeping:

“If the guilt or punishment or curse of the Moses law was death and Hades and Yahshua took away the debt or punishment or curse by conquering death, then the Moses law no longer has any power and had to be canceled.No guilt or death for the transgression of the Mosaic law makes the Moses law useless.

“18. For on the one hand there is the abolition (cancellation) of the preceding commandment (the Moses law) because of its weakness and uselessness, 19. because the law made nothing perfect; but on the other hand there is the introduction of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:18-19, Afr1953)

“But there is a new law where death for transgression is not taken away...”

The Refiner’s Fire Response:

Let’s look at this from the Hebrew, instead of the Greek viewpoint, using the Aramaic English New Testament:

Hebrews 7:18. And the change which was made in the first statute was on account of its powerlessness and because there was no usefullness in it. 19. For the instruction[1] (of the priests) made nothing perfect, but there has come in its place a better hope[2] by which we draw near to Elohim. 20. And he confirmed it to us by an oath. (AENT)

[1] The word Namusa may refer to Torah proper, or instruction relating to a group or people. The line of thought begins in 7:17 which would demand that namusa/instruction relates to the Aaronic priestly order, not Torah as a whole. The toggling between the two priestly lines of Melchisedec (Bereshit/Genesis) and Aaron (Vayiqra/Leviticus) is a common theme in Tanakh, which predicts that the one must give way to the other.

For those who are adamant that Paul can only be referring to Torah (the Law), then consider that Paul is writing to Jews!

If Paul were writing to Christians he might have written, “for the Bible perfected nothing” because a “Holy Book” in itself cannot bring perfection even if the Book itself were Perfect. Only the Spirit of YHWH who wrote Torah or “the Bible” can bring perfection. All religions have a “Holy Book” (or two), but imagine how different the world would be if everyone actually followed what their Holy Books teach?

Torah reveals Mashiyach who brought a better hope! Do we throw out the Book? That would be foolish theology! And this is not what Paul is teaching! The world is not lacking “holy books” but many souls are lacking in the motivation and desire to live Righteous and Sanctified lives unto YHWH.

[2] The word Sebar could be "hope" but also "Good News/Gospel." More than any other author, Shaul routinely exploits this root word “sebar” in his writings, which is as strong a signature for his writing style as could be found in the NT.

Acts 2 Reveals something amazing about the YHWH-Yeshua relationship!

What does Acts 2:36 tell us about the YHWH/Yeshua relationship?

ACTS 2:36. Truly, therefore, let all the house of Israel know that Elohim has made[1] this Y’shua the Mashiyach whom you executed on a stake both Master YHWH and Mashiyach.” 37. And when they heard these things they were touched in their hearts, and they said to Shimon and to the rest of the Shlichim, “What should we do, our brothers?” 38. Shimon said to them, “Repent and be immersed[2] each of you in the name of Master YHWH-Y’shua[3] for the forgiveness of sins, that you may receive the gift of the Ruach haKodesh. 39. For to you was the promise, and to your children, and to all those who are far away whom Elohim will call. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[1] “Has made” meaning from Y’shua’s birth; one of the clearest statements in the NT that Y’shua had occurrences of human and divine natures co-existing within him. The human side’s total obedience to YHWH contributed to Y’shua qualifying as haMashiyach; the fact that the Ruach haKodesh (another name for YHWH), dwelled inside Y’shua, also establishes Y’shua as the image of YHWH.

[2] Shimon was preaching from the steps of the Temple in Jerusalem. Just below him were hundreds of mikveh (immersion) baths. Both the steps he spoke from and the baths are visible today outside the Western Wall. In Peter’s day baptism wasn’t an act of conversion from one religion to another, but an act of purification from sin. A person repented of their sin, prayed, and then entered into the waters of the mikveh to symbolize atonement.

[3] MarYah and Y'shua appear next to one another! Therefore, Keefa is saying that the divine part of Y'shua and YHWH are one and the same; he is referring to Him in both ways. It is an example of how the Name of the Father and the Son is one and the same, or they could not possibly be combined in this matter.

TO BETTER GRASP THE MEANING OF ACTS 2:36-39 ABOVE, we need to refer to an explanation straight from Yeshua’s mouth in John 17:11-12:

John 17:11. Henceforth, I will not be in the world, and these are in the world. And I am coming to Your presence. Kadosh[4] Father, keep them by your Name,[5] that which you have given to me, that they may be one as We are. 12. I was with them while I was in the world. I have kept them in your Name;[6] those whom you have given to me, I have kept. And not a man of them is lost except for the son of perdition, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. (AENT)

FOOTNOTES:

[4] Kadosh/Set Apart means that YHWH and His Word will never change; we can put our trust in Him knowing He will keep His Word.

[5] A very key passage. Aramaic literally reads that YHWH gave His Name to Y’shua; therefore, he has the Name of his Father within him.

[6] Y’shua keeps them in YHWH’s name so when we call upon YHWH in Y’shua’s name, we are calling on YHWH for Salvation. As the Name of YHWH is in Mashiyach, so are we to have the name of Mashiyach in us, which means that as followers of Y’shua we are to walk according to his righteousness, observe Torah and walk in the anointing of the Ruach haKodesh as Mashiyach demonstrated to us.

A stark reminder that we are in the end times…

IT ALWAYS SADDENS ME TO HEAR OF ANOTHER "MASS SHOOTING"; yet that scourge seems to have become the norm in today's modern world. The most recent one happened yesterday in San Diego, California, when two teenaged perpetrators (aged 17 and 19) managed to kill three innocent people at a Muslim mosque, including a security guard, before taking their own lives.

It also saddens me to know that cities nationwide are grappling with a trend of "teen takeovers"—large, spontaneous gatherings coordinated via social media that frequently escalate into violence, looting, and vandalism. One such example is the most recent incident that occurred at a Chipotle restaurant where teens gathered for the sole purpose of entering to purposely cause damage to property and terrorize customers by overturning furniture and using chairs as weapons to deliberately hurt people.

This crazy, violent trend has been expanding for several years, as indicated in a report out of California in 2024, where teens were using fireworks to "launch off rockets at cars and people and blowing doors off of hinges, using explosives and fireworks."

In other words, these things aren’t just “childish pranks”; they are meticulously planned gatherings by teens who are certainly old enough to know right from wrong – who seek gratification by wreaking havoc, and causing fear, pain and destruction of property, not seeming to realize or care about the fact that they are catering to Satan by satisfying their carnal natures.

Authorities have only recently begun to prosecute parents of children causing violence, in hopes that it will help to stem the craziness by causing parents to become more aware of their children's actions outside the home.

I personally don't believe it will help because, from what I have been able to ascertain over the years, many parents are just as much "in the world," as their children, and won't put the blame where it belongs (on themselves); rather, they will continue to point the finger at law enforcement, accusing policemen of being "too rough" on their children (during scuffles where the kids become violent and fight policemen in their efforts to resist arrest), and then suing whenever their kids get hurt or killed.

The bottom line is, this type of behavior has become a growing concern over recent years as it demonstrates the demonic nature of mankind in a fallen world that is headed for the abyss.

We ARE “as in the days of Noah”; nothing has really changed since the day Adam and Eve committed the first deliberate sin…

Genesis 6: 5 ADONAI saw that the people on earth were very wicked, that all the imaginings of their hearts were always of evil only. 6 ADONAI regretted that he had made humankind on the earth; it grieved his heart. 7 ADONAI said, "I will wipe out humankind, whom I have created, from the whole earth; and not only human beings, but animals, creeping things and birds in the air; for I regret that I ever made them." 8 But Noach found grace in the sight of ADONAI. (CJB)

Genesis 6: 11 The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. 12 God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth. 13 God said to Noach, "The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth. (CJB)

Jude 1:14. And of them also prophesied Enoch who was the seventh from Adam when he said: Behold, Master YHWH comes with myriads of his Set Apart believers;[1] 15 to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the wicked because of all the deeds they have wickedly committed; and because of all the hard speeches which they, sinners without Elohim, have uttered. 16. These are they who argue and complain of everything while they walk according to their lusts; and their mouth speaks shocking things; and they flatter people for the sake of gain. (AENT)

It’s exactly the same today and nothing, except the return of Yeshua, can or will stop the craziness that mankind always ends up resorting to!  The Bible tells us that Yeshua will put a swift end to ALL the evil, and bind the Destroyer for a thousand years... (See Matthew 24; Revelation 20:1-5; Jude 1:11-21; 2 Peter 2:9-21.)

Matthew 24: 27. For as the sunshine comes out from the East and is seen even in the West, thus will be the coming of the Son of man. 28. Wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles gather. 29. And immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shine its light. And the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. 30. And then will be seen the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land mourn, when they will see the Son of man who comes upon the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. 31. And he will send his Messengers with a large trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. (AENT)

Revelation 20: 11. And I saw a great white throne and Him who sits upon it; from whose presence the earth and heaven fled away, and this their place was not found. 12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is (the book) of life. And the dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds. 13. And the sea gave up the dead in it; and death and Sheol gave up the dead in them. And they were judged, each one according to his deeds. 14. And death and Sheol were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (namely,) this lake of fire. 15. And if any one was not found enrolled in the book of life, he was cast into this lake of fire. (AENT)

Returning to the reason for this article, I have to admit that, whenever I hear of evil deeds, decadence and violence in this world, I always have to fight the urge to sink into a deep depression, because I cannot understand why anyone would feel a need to secretly plan out the killing of random innocent folks, including little children and babies. It's mind-boggling! It simply doesn't make any sense!

But, whether we like it or not, the world is getting a little crazier every day, as evidenced by not only the behavior of mankind, in general, but also in the destruction being caused by ever more powerful natural disasters around the world...

All we can really do is to keep our own houses in order and remember to keep our eyes, ears and hearts stayed on Yahweh and Yeshua who amply warned us that these things MUST happen before Yeshua's return.  These events are being used to usher in the rise of the Antichrist (Revelation 12:1-10); and ultimately, the return of Yeshua (Revelation 1:7 which tells us "every eye will see him"; Revelation 22:12, and 20 which tell us, "I come quickly", and Acts 1:11 …"he will come in the same way you saw him go". Yeshua himself spoke of his return in Matthew 24:30 ("coming on the clouds of heaven") and Matthew 24:44.

God’s people must stay strong, for - as Paul told us, those who endure to the end, will be delivered (Matthew 24:13 ).  Until then, I urge you to continue to cling to passages such as this one below:

PSALM 121: If I raise my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come? 2 My help comes from Adonai, the maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip — your guardian is not asleep. 4 No, the guardian of Isra’el never slumbers or sleeps. 5 Adonai is your guardian; at your right hand Adonai provides you with shade — 6 the sun can’t strike you during the day or even the moon at night. 7 Adonai will guard you against all harm; he will guard your life. 8 Adonai will guard your coming and going from now on and forever. (CJB)