Psalms82:8

The most natural interpretation of this psalm is that it is addressing human leaders, especially those that serve as judges. They have not acted as they should; they have not used their authority as God wanted them to nor as God Himself acts. In due time God, the true judge, the only one with ultimate authority, will judge the judges.

On a secondary level, it is also a statement about the worthlessness and weakness of false gods. They are not real, but even the belief in them will one day be shown for what it is, a bad choice, for they, just like mere men, have no real power and will come to nothing.

There is a theory that has been popularized by Michael Heiser which posits that the God of creation is part of a “council of the gods” and all of them have some power and can do things. Supposedly, the Nephilim of Genesis 6:1-4 make of up part of this “council of gods”. The God of creation is the most powerful entity in this council, but not in a truly sovereign way. He cannot control these other deities, and we have some of the problems we do today because these other powerful entities are wreaking havoc among humans.

However, promoting that theory by means of this psalm requires turning this psalm upside down! It is based on the words “assembly of El” but it ignores the rest of the psalm. Michael Heiser has given himself the freedom to interpret the phrase “Assembly of El” however he wants to instead of allowing the psalm it appears in to define it and clarify it.

In Psalm 82, the God of creation is clearly depicted as having all power; other entities of power must submit to Him. Human authorities, such as heads of state and judges, exercise authority only because God has granted them power in order to further His causes; they are to be a reflection of Him. Using their power for their own benefit is an afront to the one who gave them that power.

According to this psalm and the rest of the Bible, all supposed deities that are not the creator God, only exist in the imaginations of men, or are demons masquerading as deities. Whenever there are demonic forces behind them, it will come to light that their authority has been stolen, not granted. Satan and his demons are allowed to function within certain limitations that God has established and they know they will be punished in the end.

There is no competition for who is truly God. This psalm does not make the God of the Bible look weak and incapable; it makes our God look all-powerful and other entities look weak.