There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand (Proverbs 19:21 - KJV)
In the heaven, God is not alone. He is with his angels which the numbers is so many. So, when God wants to created something, He has to make his decisions before his angels. In Jeremiah 23:18, this name is THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD. Who comes in the counsel is the angels (Hebrew צְבָאֹות -TSEVA'OT). Lets we check the Bible,
1 Samuel 1:3
LAI (TB): Orang itu dari tahun ke tahun pergi meninggalkan kotanya untuk sujud menyembah dan mempersembahkan korban kepada TUHAN semesta alam di Silo. Di sana yang menjadi imam TUHAN ialah kedua anak Eli, Hofni dan Pinehas.
KJV: And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
NIV: Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.
Hebrew:
וְעָלָה הָאִישׁ הַהוּא מֵֽעִירֹו מִיָּמִים ׀ יָמִימָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹת וְלִזְבֹּחַ לַיהוָה צְבָאֹות בְּשִׁלֹה וְשָׁם שְׁנֵי בְנֵֽי־עֵלִי חָפְנִי וּפִנְחָס כֹּהֲנִים לַיהוָֽה׃
Interlinear translate: VE'ALAH {dan dia naik/ dan dia pergi} HA'ISH {orang itu} HAHU ME'IRO {dari kotanya} MIYAMIM YAMIMAH {dari tahun ke tahun/ masa ke masa} LEHISH'TAKHAVOT {untuk sujud menyembah} VELIZBO'AKH {untuk mempersembahkan korban} LAYEHOVAH TSEVA'OT (dibaca: 'Adonay Tseva'ot, kepada TUHAN Semesta Alam) BESHILOH {di Silo} VESHAM {dan di sana} SHENEY {yang kedua dari} VENEY-'ELI {putera2 Eli} KHOF'NI {yaitu Hofni} UFIN'KHAS {dan pinehas} KOHANIM {imam2 dari} LAYEHOVAH (baca L'Adonay, pada TUHAN)
The phrase of YEHOVAH (Adonai) TSEVA’OT is often used in military or apocalyptic context. God is not alone in the heaven. We could compare it with the time when Jesus Christ returned to the world. He did not come alone, but with his angels.
Matthew 25:31
LAI (TB): Apabila Anak Manusia datang dalam kemuliaan-Nya dan semua malaikat bersama-sama dengan Dia, maka Ia akan bersemayam di atas takhta kemuliaan-Nya.
KJV: When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory
TR: οταν δε ελθη ο υιος του ανθρωπου εν τη δοξη αυτου και παντες οι αγιοι αγγελοι μετ αυτου τοτε καθισει επι θρονου δοξης αυτου
Interlinear translate: hotan {ketika} de {dan} elthê {Dia datang} ho huios {Anak} tou anthrôpou {Manusia} en {dalam} tê doxê {kemuliaan} autou {-Nya} kai {dan} pantes {seluruh} hoi {yang} hagioi {kudus} aggeloi {malaikat - malaikat} met {dengan} autou {-Nya} tote {kemudian} kathisei {Dia akan duduk} epi {di atas} thronou {takhta} doxês {kemuliaan{ autou {-Nya}
Ha-Berit:
וְהָיָה כִּי יָבוֹא בֶּן־הָאָדָם בִּכְבוֹדוֹ וְכָל־הַמַּלְאָכִים הַקְּדֹשִׁים עִמּוֹ וְיָשַׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא כְבוֹדוֹ׃
Interlinear translate: VEHAYAH {dan terjadi} KI {sebab} YAVO {Dia akan datang} BEN-HA'ADAM {Anak Manusia} BIKHEVODO {di dalam kemuliaan-Nya} VEKHOL- {bersama seluruh} HAMAL'AKHIM {malaikat-malaikat-Nya} HAQEDOSHIM {yang kudus} 'IMO {bersama-Nya} VEYASHAV {dan Dia duduk} 'AL {di atas} KISE' {takhta} KHEVODO {kemuliaan-Nya}
How about when we found words “US” in the Bible? For example
Genesis 1:26
LAI (TB): Berfirmanlah Allah: "Baiklah Kita menjadikan manusia menurut gambar dan rupa
Kita, supaya mereka berkuasa atas ikan-ikan di laut dan burung-burung di udara dan atas ternak dan atas seluruh bumi dan atas segala binatang melata yang merayap di bumi."
KJV: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Hebrew:
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַֽעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Interlinear translate: VAYO'MER {dan Dia berfirman} 'ELOHIM {Allah} NA'ASEH {marilah kita akan menjadikan, Volitive Cohortative form} 'ADAM {manusia} BETSALMENU {pada gambar kita} KIDMUTENU {seperti rupa kita} VEYIR'DU {dan mereka akan memerintah/menguasai} VID'GAT {pada ikan} HAYAM {laut itu} UVE'OF {dan pada unggas} HASHAMAYIM {langit itu} UVABEHEMAH {dan pada ternak} UVEKHOL-HA'ARETS {dan pada seluruh bumi itu} UVEKHOL-HAREMES {dan pada seluruh yang melata} HAROMES {binatang merayap} 'AL-HA'ARETS {atas bumi itu}.
If we found “US” like Genesis 1:26 above, in this case it is plural pronouns which is used by God, it refers to GOD and HIS ANGELS before the counsel of the Lord. He is made His purpose to creating creatures that will rule the earth and its contents, namely humans.
Note: In Hebrew, there are two words that refer to THE COUNCEL: סוֹד - SOD (Jeremia 23:18, 22; Psalm 33:11; Proverbs 19:21) and עֵצָה - 'ETSAH.
There are several commentary books which claim that the word “US” is the word of God to the armies of Heaven. lets we see the statement from THE NEW BIBLE COMMENTARY,
"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. The plural form of the first person “US”, it seems to be explained thus: that the Creator said as Heavenly King before the heavenly army. in the another part of the Bible, when these words appear, that angels who serve are present near Him (Compare with Genesis 3:22, 24; 11:7; and 18:21 and compare Genesis 18: 2; 19:1 and Isaiah 6:8).
Humans and the angels, are both personal beings who are included in the historical relationship that is responsible with God. This image of God cannot be lost and cannot be reduced, but the direction of decency can be reversed. This picture takes its correct form, of course, in its accord with God’s holy will."
Humans are made into the “IMAGE” of GOD: “ ACCORDING TO OUR IMAGE” (Hebrew: בְּצַלְמֵנוּ - BETSAL’MENU) and “OUR LIKENESS” (Hebrew: כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ - KID’MUTENU). Even though these two terms appear to be synonym, but it has different meanings, it does not seem to be intended to convey a different aspect of God. It is clear that humans have a noble position because they are made of a special image of His glory. Humans are creatures that can be visited and can connect and fellowship with their Creator. Instead God can expect humans to respond to Him and be responsible to Him. Humans are given the power to have the voting rights, even to the level of "disobeying" their creator. Humans are given the mandate by God on earth, carry out and be responsible according to the will of the Creator (Genesis 1:28).
About the position of the angels, we can said that they were the participants of the council of the Lord that invited by God in the agreement “to make” (not created) humans who possess certain qualities from ELOHIM (and the angels), who were feeling, knowledgeable/have intellectuals, have power, etc, like some of the qualities that God and the angels possess. This human ability is different from other creatures that have been created before on Earth, namely animals.