Jonathan Edwards on Divine plurality & the unseen realm
Real created spiritual beings, ranked under Yahweh and holding delegated rule
So they are a kind of princes under God, over such and such parts of the creation, or within such a certain sphere ... and so they as well as the princes of Israel are called gods, Elohim.
THE POSITION
Angels are real created spirits of limited understanding, appointed to different parts of the created order and holding a real if ministerial dominion within them — "a kind of princes under God" — and Edwards says they are called gods, elohim, for exactly that reason, alongside the princes of Israel. He insists the titles thrones, dominions, principalities and powers "properly denote rate and authority" rather than mere excellence. He adds that God concealed the boundaries of those spheres so that men would not be tempted to worship them, and elsewhere treats the evil spirits behind heathen religion as real: God's people under the Old Testament "were sensible that there was an evil and malignant spirit ... as even the heathen nations had a notion of evil daemons."
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
1 OTHER HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
New England pastor, revival theologian and philosopher of the First Great Awakening, dismissed from his Northampton pulpit in 1750 over who may come to the Lord's Table. This entry rests on Freedom of the Will (1754), Original Sin (1758), Religious Affections (1746), An Humble Inquiry (1749), Distinguishing Marks (1741), Some Thoughts on the Revival (1742), An Humble Attempt (1747) and A History of the Work of Redemption, read in the Hickman edition.
Cite this page
"Jonathan Edwards on Divine plurality & the unseen realm", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/edwards/divine-plurality (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/edwards/divine-plurality).