Are Yahweh and El Elyon Distinct Deities? | Michael Heiser on Deut 32 & Psalm 82

***⚠️ Video quality has some lag at the start but improves throughout.*** Michael Heiser argues that scholars often misread terms like elohim and malakim by treating them as fixed ontological labels instead of context-dependent words, and his Edinburgh paper claimed that Psalm 82, Deuteronomy 32 (specifically verses 8-9), and Deuteronomy 13, along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint, do not support the idea that Israelite and Second Temple texts were simply "upgrading" divine beings into angels to avoid polytheism. He says elohim is best understood as a term for a resident of the disembodied spiritual realm, not a word that automatically means "polytheism" when pluralized, and he emphasizes that biblical and Second Temple authors freely used plural divine language—"gods," "God of gods," "assembly of the gods," "divine council," and related expressions—without feeling forced to replace it with angel-language. In his view, the Scrolls contain many clear references to divine plurality but almost no systematic use of malakim in places where elohim appears, while the Septuagint mostly translates these terms literally as "gods" rather than consistently softening them into "angels," which he takes as evidence that Jews of that period did not think the language itself implied polytheism. Crucially, Heiser directly addresses whether Yahweh and El Elyon are distinct deities—the central question of his original paper—and answers NO: they are NOT separate gods. He argues that Yahweh and El Elyon are the same deity, with Yahweh being El Elyon (the Most High God) who presides over the divine council as supreme Elohim, not as one god among equals. The other elohim are real spiritual beings under Yahweh's authority, not rival deities. His larger conclusion is that Yahweh is unique among the elohim: he is not interchangeable with other divine beings (including deceased humans or the gods of the nations), and the biblical worldview preserves real divine plurality under the supreme rule of the God of Israel rather than collapsing everything into a later monotheistic flattening. Yahweh is the only true God, while other elohim exist but are subordinate to Him. Michael's Conference Paper: https://www.amazon.com/Yahweh-Separate-Deities-Psalm-Deuteronomy-ebook/dp/B01KEXRBIQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K716AL5J3GTV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jZgh6Ysq2Eyucawnqq-bZ97ejxnAqHAfZ3X8ooQr8dZdi4Bqk65Fop12_VWu5FtKT2JIK3QOooy3GpbAMUhZwEI32mmhaTmPr2HGkBwWf8kcZUavg_rQWFP3MO6UPv8V0uqZ8q-ltH4YkEJge-mB9MvlDEA251slP64LXfpjHk5DCqNg3oiw93Jn13TzAVGSlC0abj9grj3xTS5n8mIdEBhD-hCYUIms3a1oN5rLARE.EzFimRR1aXDZfj9aCI9ZepvzJq7-N9mdfhAisa7b48I&dib_tag=se&keywords=Are+Yahweh+and+El+Distinct+Deities+In+Deut.+32%3A8-9+and+Psalm+82&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1780063428&sprefix=are+yahweh+and+el+distinct+deities+in+deut.+32+8-9+and+psalm+82%2Caps%2C403&sr=8-1 #jesus #gospel #christ #michaelheiser #baptism #jerusalem #satan All rights to this material belong to their respective owners. Direct links to the original videos will always be provided when possible. This video is presented in combined format for ease of viewing and educational purposes. Channel Disclaimer: This channel is not operated by or affiliated with Dr Michael Heiser or his official platforms. Comments here do not reach Michael's team. I'm just a fan who saw a need to share his ideas in bite-sized form and make them more accessible for lay audiences here on YouTube, which I believe aligns with Dr Heiser's mission and honours his legacy. If you feel called to give back, please support the Michael S. Heiser Foundation. By joining the DRMSH Community, you are supporting the Michael S. Heiser Foundation. Your participation makes a real difference! Thank you so much, and let's keep Mike's legacy going! Join DRMSH Community here: https://community.drmsh.com/ I encourage you to visit: Dr Michael Heiser's site: http://drmsh.com/ Naked Bible Podcast: https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/ Michael Heiser's books: Reversing Hermon: https://www.amazon.com/Reversing-Hermon-Watchers-Forgotten-Mission/dp/0998142638 The Unseen Realm: https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Realm-Recovering-Supernatural-Worldview/dp/1577995562/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fjlYOYMgWYiqMyi9Y4ZrIBW_Ne5xHOOkOPGZtsSAVvMqCQzbE1JiY4Nmhb5P4hXLDUh2zy8dGPLzDN9RC7h1NswDorSUe3M_DJWxXwg1bibjREWXVuu_507D6w60ZQ1WUyGTtyV7nGEBUulcn2BQRDjTQ4xurW-IH8kq9B0_LUXI2a4Aw0jUwJLPluhfqDxW-Y1kwPW2ciQ3G57--iu1Kc4wBlFyflTtWZ7DhjNrUBI.GcIUDjc90Lneb3VmZm0kXOhBq9aXJ2B-08IlUezCTew&qid=1778562330&sr=8-4 Supernatural: https://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Bible-Teaches-Unseen-Matters/dp/1577995589/ref=pd_bxgy_thbs_d_sccl_1/131-2102390-3258532?pd_rd_w=GS0mB&content-id=amzn1.sym.dcf559c6-d374-405e-a13e-133e852d81e1&pf_rd_p=dcf559c6-d374-405e-a13e-133e852d81e1&pf_rd_r=0YWQTFR0RC0NA870FKVX&pd_rd_wg=usjQz&pd_rd_r=c3b3998f-3d08-4881-9b01-121621c0cf51&pd_rd_i=1577995589&psc=1