Secret Council of the Lord

Council of the Lord Series #1

There is a place in the heavenly realm where the Lord discusses his secret counsel with confidants—angelic beings; departed saints; and prophets, the friends of the Lord.

But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?
–Jeremiah 23:18 NIV

What is the council of the Lord?

The word council is sôd in Hebrew, meaning, “a session, i.e., a company of persons in close deliberation; by implication intimacy, consultation, a secret: assembly, counsel” (Strong’s, H5475).

Sôd is translated as “secret” nine times out of its twenty-one occurrences in the Old Testament.

The council is a confidential assembly of beings who listen to the counsel of the Lord.

The primary meaning of the word is “confidential speech”…, hence, “counsel” (TWOT, 1471a). The GNT translates it “the Lord’s secret thoughts.” The JUB puts it, “For who has stood in the secret of the LORD and has seen and heard his word?”

Eliphaz asked Job,

8 Do you listen in on God’s council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we do not know? What insights do you have that we do not have?
–Job 15:8-9 NIV

God’s secret counsel must be “listened in on.” It communicates God’s wisdom, information, and insights that others do not know.

The wise and upright person who walks in the fear of the Lord will be privy to God’s secret counsel. See Ps. 25:14; Prov. 3:32; Amos 3:7; Job 29:4. Angels, seraphim, and cherubim are among the Lord’s council.

Besides heavenly beings, there are human servants of the Lord who have special access to the sôd of God.

Amos 3:7 states that “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (NIV). The EXB translates it as “Before the Lord God does anything, he tells his plans to his servants the prophets.” Many Bible versions translate plans as “secrets,” sôd.

Before doing anything on the earth, God shares his secret plans with his servants, the prophets.

The council of the holy ones

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.
–Psalm 89:5-7 NIV

God is surrounded with holy spiritual beings who greatly fear him. He is the most awesome among them all.

• “Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Ex. 15:11 NIV)
• “God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the ‘gods’” (Ps. 82:1 NIV).
• “Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours” (Ps. 86:8 NIV).

This council of holy ones meets in heavenly places—paradise (see 2 Cor. 12:2-4), perhaps before the throne of God—to discuss the secret plans of the Lord. Daniel 7:9-10 describe the Lord’s throne and a court assembled before Him to hear his counsel.

“Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left” (1 Kings 22:19 NIV).

Accessing the council of the Lord

How do prophets and other righteous followers of the Lord attend this counsel in the heavenlies? By being taken there.

Apostle John wrote, “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit…” (Rev. 1:10 NIV), and “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Rev. 4:1 NIV).

Isaiah was swept up to the throne of God in a vision: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isa. 6:1 NIV).

A number of times Ezekiel was escorted in the spirit to see things transpire: “He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem” (Ezek. 8:3a NIV).

Paul was caught up to the third heaven, although he did not know whether it was in the physical body or only in the spirit (2 Cor. 12:2).

Interacting with the council of the Lord

The primary purpose of attending the council of the Lord is to hear and see what God is communicating and to share it with those on earth.

Carlton Kenney, in his excellent booklet, Standing in the Council of the Lord, states: “While on these trips those servants of God not only saw and observed, but also interacted with the scene before them. This occurred in such a way as to even affect the outcome of the events” (32).

This is the ultimate place of intercession. We have access to the secret council of the Lord and can not only listen in on discussions and decisions made there, but intercede as Abraham and Moses did for the fate of others on the earth.

Isaiah stands before the throne, and after a seraph touches a coal to his lips, this transpires:

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for US?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
9 He said, “Go and tell this people:”
–Isaiah 6:8-9a NIV

Among the council of the mighty, the sôd of the Lord, God asks who will go and speak for them. Isaiah volunteers, and God accepts his offer!

The purpose of Isaiah’s participation in the council of the Lord was to hear and heed God’s command to speak to God’s people.

Although Paul heard things in the council of the Lord he was not permitted to tell (2 Cor. 12:4), Isaiah and other prophets were commanded and commissioned to share what they heard. Why? Because “Before the Lord God does anything, he tells his plans to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7 EXB).

And what is a prophet’s job? To declare the word of the Lord (Deut. 5:5; 1 Kings 13:32).

This is why God told Abraham his plans for Sodom: “The Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?’” (Gen. 18:17 NIV). He did not hide it; He divulged his secret counsel to His friend and prophet, resulting in Abraham’s intercession and the deliverance of Lot’s family.

Sharing the council of the Lord

On July 9, 2018, I was listening to the Lord, journaling His inner voice, and this is what He said:

My son, we are calling you up higher. We desire that you come up and be where we are. Seek things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, and we will draw you here.

Know that your intention and your imagination will play a part in this transportation. Know that we will begin to do this as you apply yourself to being here.

God invited me to attend His council in the heavenlies. I asked the Lord how I could get started. The Spirit said:

See yourself in the council of the mighty, surrounded by those who would counsel you and give you direction and guidance.

On August 4, 2018, the Lord said:

My son, we are going before you to prepare the way for you to speak the message, even the word of the Lord. For we desire you to take your instructions from this council and that you share with others that which we share with you.

We will give you the word, we will give you the message, we will give you the confirmation, and we desire that you speak this word in humility yet in boldness, for we are able to bring it to pass.

And you will not be the only one speaking this word, but there will be others who speak it. And it will be confirmed here, and it will be confirmed there. It will be taken up, it will be taught on, and in this way the word of the Lord will be revealed to the Body to guide and to direct and to instruct and to encourage, to inform, and to fortify. For we desire that the Body of Christ be ready to do the will of the Lord and to build the Kingdom.

We will release you with Kingdom power. We will release you with a Kingdom word. We will release to you a word not only for the Church, but for the Body yet to be. We will give you a word that draws others unto the Kingdom. Know that as we reveal our secret plans to you and to others, that we will draw those unto the Kingdom that they may become like Christ, become part of the Church, and to become Kingdom builders and spreaders.

I’m planning a series of experiments, although not without some trepidation.

As I apply myself to attending the council of the Lord, I will share what I hear and see here on my blog. It will be tagged in the category “Council of the Lord.”

If you encounter similar messages from others or through what the Spirit is saying to you, please comment and include links, if any.

Until then, God bless you, and may He share His secrets with you for good!