Who Are the Elohim? Vivek Ramaswamy and the Demon-gods of Scripture

If you’ve wondered why Christians have fought viciously over our understanding of the Holy Trinity throughout the centuries, it’s because with one slight misunderstanding, one could end up with a polytheistism. And because monotheism is a pretty central component of Christianity, we’ve fought numerous groups like the Monarchians, Sabellians, Modalists, and other heretical sects who confuse this doctrine of God’s triune-ness.

Although in recent years it appears that evangelicals have made peace with sloppy explanations of the Trinity, ranging from the success of The Shack to embrace of Oneness Pentecostals like Phillips, Craig, and Dean, inadvertently wandering into polytheism really is a big deal.

Monotheism is perhaps the single most-recognizable trait of the religions called “Abrahamic” (fun fact: there’s only one religion of Abraham, and it’s Christianity). When we abandon belief in the “One True God,” we’ve departed into some other religion altogether. But a conversation on X today had some people questioning how monotheism works with the Bible’s apparent recognition that other gods do, indeed, exist.

If you prefer, you can listen on Spotify (free version only)

THE JEET GODS

At its core of the Hindu Pantheon are the Trimurti, a trinity of supreme gods: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the creator, responsible for bringing the universe into existence, though he is less widely worshipped compared to the others. Vishnu, the preserver, maintains cosmic order and is known for his ten avatars, including Rama and Krishna, who descend to earth to restore dharma (righteousness) in times of crisis. Shiva, the destroyer, is both a figure of dissolution and regeneration, embodying the cyclical nature of existence. These three gods represent the fundamental forces of creation, preservation, and destruction, forming the backbone of the pantheon.

Beyond the Trimurti, the Hindu pantheon expands into a vast array of gods, goddesses, and divine beings, each with unique attributes, stories, and regional variations. Goddesses like Saraswati (knowledge and wisdom), Lakshmi (wealth and prosperity), and Durga (power and protection) hold significant roles, often as consorts to the male deities or as independent forces. Other prominent figures include Ganesha, the elephant-headed remover of obstacles, and Hanuman, the monkey god of strength and devotion.

And so, when former presidential candidate and current candidate for Ohio governor, Vivek Ramaswamy, speaks to fly-over Americans about his belief in “God,” in raises the question of exactly who he’s talking about.

Several contrarian accounts commented on this post, and you can see @SmashBaals’s QT below.

I chimed in, pointing out that this god is indeed real. To be fair, that was a shameless Jesus Juke on my part. I’m not implying that there is a second, true God in the Universe. Rather, I’m merely pointing out that in at least one sense, these gods are real; they are actual demons, who have real power and authority, and are not the mere imaginations of men (I don’t think SmashBaals would disagree with that, which is what makes it Jesus-Jukey).

This started a wave of confusion by some, who took exception with the claim that other gods exist. Surely, they thought, this in some capacity contradicts the Bible’s claims that there is only One True God. After all, the Psalmist writes, “For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone” (Psalm 86:10).

If this is true, how could any god besides our God be real?

THE ELOHIM OF SCRIPTURE

Obviously, the Christian faith is monotheistic. Yet, a meticulous reading of the Sacred Text reveals a recurring acknowledgment of multiple gods, embedded in its language, narratives, and legal codes. These references do not signify an endorsement of polytheism but rather reflect something important about the celestial realm that we are not always privy to.

One of the most foundational texts in the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments, begins with an intriguing allusion to other gods. In Exodus 20:2-3, Yahweh declares, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” The Hebrew phrase elohim acherim (“other gods”) and the preposition al-panai (often translated “before me” but literally “in my presence”) suggest the existence of rival deities. This commandment does not deny their reality but demands that Israel prioritize Yahweh exclusively. A parallel passage in Deuteronomy 5:7 echoes this.

Some argue that this language just “reinforces the idea that other gods were a tangible concern in the religious imagination of the time.” But were these gods only imaginative? That’s our question. Were the gods spoken of in Scripture actual entities (celestial or otherwise) just a matter of “imagination?” Or are they real?

The assumption of “other gods” persists throughout the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy 6:14 warns, “You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you,” explicitly tying these deities to neighboring cultures like the Canaanites, Amorites, and Hittites. Deuteronomy 32:8-9 offers a more cosmological hint, “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.”

Here, “sons of God” (bene elohim) implies a divine council, where a high god apportions domains to lesser deities. Yahweh, in this reading, is one such deity assigned to Israel, though the text elevates Him above the others.

Strange, right? Well, hang in there.

The motif of a divine assembly appears explicitly in Psalm 82, a striking text that portrays Yahweh presiding over a celestial court. Verse 1 states, “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment” (elohim nitsav ba’adat-el, b’qerev elohim yishpot). The repetition of elohim—first for Yahweh and then for the “gods”—suggests a plurality of divine beings subordinate to Him. The psalm continues with Yahweh condemning these gods for injustice, declaring in verse 6-7, “I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die.’

Psalm 89:6-7 similarly exalts Yahweh within a divine hierarchy: “For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings (bene elim) is like the Lord, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones?” The bene elim (“sons of the mighty” or “sons of gods”) again evoke a pantheon-like setting, though Yahweh’s unmatched power is the focus. Job 1:6 and 2:1 further depict the “sons of God” (bene ha-elohim) presenting themselves before Yahweh, with Satan among them, suggesting a bureaucratic divine order.

The Old Testament frequently names specific foreign gods, treating them as real entities with influence, albeit inferior to Yahweh. In Judges 2:11-13, the Israelites “abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth,” referencing the Canaanite storm god Baal and the fertility goddess Asherah. These deities appear repeatedly, such as in 1 Kings 11:5, where Solomon worships “Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.” The showdown on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:21-40 pits Yahweh against Baal, with Elijah taunting Baal’s prophets, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; perhaps he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey!” The sarcasm implies Baal’s existence as a rival, though powerless before Yahweh.

Legal texts also address these gods. Leviticus 19:4 commands, “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal,” while Exodus 34:14 insists, “You shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” The term el qanna (“jealous God”) underscores Yahweh’s intolerance of competitors, a recurring theme tied to Israel’s covenant fidelity.

Despite these references, the Old Testament progressively asserts Yahweh’s singularity. Isaiah 44:6 proclaims, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.’”

So, which is it? Do other gods exist? Can this be admitted without betraying Christianity’s commitment to monotheism?

INTRODUCING THE DEMON gODS

The Bible portrays demons as spiritual beings who rebelled against God, often identified as fallen angels led by Satan. Some dutiful theologians have made good arguments that demons are not synonymous with fallen angels, but for the purpose of this article, I’m using the term “demon” to refer to malevolent, non-human, evil spirits.

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