The Divine Council Worldview Podcast Dr. Ronn Johnson

In this episode, Ronn and Mike review the place of Genesis 5 in the early story of the Bible. They suspect that this list of fathers and sons was formatted to suit a literary purpose as well as to recognize that a line of Yahweh-worshippers could be identified between Adam and Noah. Enoch is noted as among these righteous men, mysteriously disappearing off the earth after faithfully walking with his God. At the conclusion of this episode they introduce the pivotal narrative which took place during the days of Noah: a certain number of bene elohim (a Hebrew phrase signifying god-class or divine beings) became involved with the human race resulting in the birth of nephilim, “famous men” known to the original readers. This is truly one of the most unusual stories in all the Bible—yet it is also a significant story in the development of a Divine Council worldview.

In this episode, Ronn and Mike discuss the events described in Genesis 4. They challenge the popular notion that God was frustrated with Cain's vegetable offering, suspecting that something much more ominous was at stake. After surveying the story of Cain and his expanding family, they recommend that the last verse of the chapter offers the necessary clue for understanding the chapter as a whole—where we hear that Yahweh-worship eventually returned to Adam's family through Enosh, the son of Seth (4:26). Thus Genesis 4 is describing something worse than just the spread of sin; it is the spread of non-Yahwistic worship through Adam's own son. It will come as no surprise to find that the New Testament labels Cain as "of the evil one" (1 John 3:12).

In this episode, hosts Rich and Mel share personal anecdotes about their relationship with Dr. Michael Heiser, and reminisce on how they first met. They then delve into their shared passion and vision of integrating Dr. Heiser's teachings with the core message of the Gospel. Together, they aim to foster discipleship and inspire listeners to embark on their own transformative journey.

In this episode, Ronn and Mike return to Genesis 2 & 3 and ponder some of the specific stories related to the Garden of Eden. What did the two trees mean, or represent? How was Eve "made," and what was her relationship to Adam? Who or what was the serpent? Even more importantly, what was the temptation that the serpent presented to the human pair? Was it to become like Yahweh, or to become a divine being, even like the snake himself?

In this episode of the Divine Council Worldview Podcast, Ronn and Mike interview Dr. Matthew Bates, author of Why the Gospel? Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose (Christianity Today’s 2024 book award winner in the category of Popular Theology). Their conversation surveys the narrative nature of the gospel story, the meaning of divine kingship in the first century, and the modern implications of living under Jesus’ sovereignty. In the end, Bates sees the gospel as much more than the forgiveness of sins. He believes that being a Christian includes both an intentional confession of Jesus as King and a commitment of allegiance to this King.
Get the book here: Why the Gospel? Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose

In this episode of the Divine Council Worldview Podcast Ronn Johnson and Mike Chu discuss the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. They debate the possible options presented by the serpent to Eve: was the temptation to become like “God,” or to become like himself, an elohim? And what did it mean for Adam and Eve to fear their “nakedness” when Yahweh entered the garden? The curses upon the snake, Eve, and Adam are lastly considered, specifically the famous “proto-gospel” passage of 3:15 which finds the seed of the woman crushing the head of the serpent. Could this “seed” be referring to Jesus?