There are some books that come along that truly grab my attention. Be it the subject matter or simply the quality of writing, these attention grabbers more often than not leave a lasting impression upon the reader. In the world of theology, there are some topics that while important, seem to be avoided. So to come across a book that grabs my attention while at the same time digs in with salient theological aptitude not only a subject of great importance but also something that has greatly interested of me of late is shall we say a veritable treat. Dr. Michael Heiser’s latest effort The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible fits the aforementioned description of an attention grabber and a theological powerhouse of a book. Let me explain why I can make such a statement.
Scripture is full of terms, events, and concepts that are often either overlooked or misunderstood. This is typically because the underlying purpose of those terms, events, and concepts can be lost in the proverbial shuffle of the high level action of the text in question. Furthermore, there is the temptation to set aside what can be termed as the spiritual undercurrents of events in Scripture. Perhaps this is due to the tendency of some to spiritualize everything with the opposite extreme being that of looking at everything at the most literal level possible to avoid spiritualization. Arguably, a more overarching reason for this approach is the reality that we often view the Bible and its contents from a modern perspective.
In his excellent book, Dr. Heiser seeks to reorient the reader to the important underlying currents found throughout Scripture, most notably the concept of the divine council and the truly fundamental element of all of Scripture, that of redemption, specifically the movement of a return to Eden and the spiritual battle that ensues as God’s divine plan is unfolded.
Heiser aptly notes at the beginning of his book something that sets the stage for how to grasp what he is about to discuss. He rightly notes:
“We talk a lot about interpreting the Bible in context, but Christian history is not the context of the biblical writers. The proper context for interpreting the Bible is not Augustine or any other church father. It is not the Catholic Church. It is not the rabbinic movements of late antiquity and the Middle Ages. It is not the Reformation or the Puritans. It is not evangelicalism in any of its flavors. It is not the modern world at all, or any period of its history. The proper context for interpreting the Bible is the context of the biblical writers—the context that produced the Bible. Every other context is alien to the biblical writers and, therefore, to the Bible. Yet there is a pervasive tendency in the believing Church to filter the Bible through creeds, confessions, and denominational preferences.”
This lengthy quote is of great importance given Heiser’s efforts to share with the reader how to view the events of Scripture which form the locus of his discussion from the perspective of the biblical authors and those who lived in that period of history. It is a bit of a paradigm shift for most and a necessary one. Those who put on the correct biblical glasses will begin to see the truly interesting mosaic of activity taking place all though the pages of Scripture.
While Dr. Heiser is certainly an accomplished biblical scholar, this book, while very deep in content, is not a difficult read. It is a fun mix of a book that you want to race through because you are excited for what will be presented next and a book that deserves several additional reads in order to fully dig into all the material and concepts. Having spent some time of late reading about subjects such as the Nephilim, Mount Hermon, redemption as it relates to a return to Eden, and having some familiarity and background with the battle between the seeds, I found myself having several additional connections made by Heiser in regards to these issues and how they play out in Scripture.
In order to grasp this idea of what is going on behind the scenes in Scripture and history for that matter, it is an absolute necessity to begin in Genesis and then to walk the progression of through all the way to Revelation. If one skips over sections or does not take the time to see how the Old Testament and New Testament are revealing the movement of God in history to restore that which was lost due to sin, then misunderstandings and confusions will ensue. Heiser does a marvelous job throughout this book of tying together key words and concepts that are more often than not overlooked. His insight into the original biblical languages is clearly evident and throughout this book I was amazed at the numerous connections in the biblical corpus and drama that I had overlooked or had not realized were right there before my eyes.
Believers often quote passages such as Ephesians 6:12 which notes the reality of the warfare for which we are engaged. What is arguably overlooked is how this battle has played out in history. Heiser outlines the repeated polemic presented by God in Scripture against those rules of darkness. Some of those polemics might be more familiar than others. For instance, most likely understand the plagues poured out on Egypt were a display of God’s power and authority over the gods of Egypt. Dig a little further and you will also realize as noted by Heiser that “The reason for Israel’s circumstances was that it wasn’t sufficient that only Israel new Yahweh was Most High among all gods, and that Israel was his portion. The other nations had to know that as well. Scripture makes it clear that Israel’s deliverance had that effect.”
The conquering of Canaan was also a polemic, this time against the Nephilim. Heiser does a great job of nothing the failure of the Sethite view in relation to the Nephilim, thus providing the reader for the proper backdrop of why God commanded Israel to completely wipe out much of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. God was asserting his rule through His chosen people. Unfortunately, as the story unfolds in the history of Israel, failure to fulfill God’s mandate ensued. Heiser properly walks the reader through why God called the prophets and why they were more than just tellers of the future. They were setting the stage for the coming of the messiah.
Heiser concludes this important book by noting the spiritual war brought directly to earth by the coming of Jesus. One of the most interesting elements of the New Testament discussion was that of Heiser’s description of the baptism of Jesus. Many wonder why Jesus was baptized. While many have presented some valid submissions, one element is often missed to which Heiser aptly digs into. Once again, word usage and connections to Old Testament events are in focus. Mark 9:10 describes the heavens being split apart and the Spirit of God descending on Jesus like a dove with God noting Jesus as His beloved Son. There is much to note in that verse; however, Heiser hones in on the word split noting the Greek word schizo is used in that passage, the same word used in the Septuagint for the parting of the Red Sea. Why is this so important? It is vital as Heiser notes because just as the entrance into the Promised Land through the parting of the Red Sea was God doing battle and reclamation, so to was the coming of Jesus as the God-man to earth. His baptism was immediately followed by him doing battle against the enemy as the beloved, a specific reference to Jesus as “the king, the legitimate her to David’s throne.”
I could go on and on noting the plethora of insights provided by Heiser throughout this book. Suffice it to say, these few examples are merely the tip of the iceberg as to the extremely interesting and truly important issues Heiser examines in this book. Reading it resulted in a number of light bulb moments for me and I anticipate returning to this work a number of times in the future to examine in further detail various issues that are discussed. Thus I can highly recommend this book and I also recommend those who read this book take the time to check out the companion website located at http://www.moreunseenrealm.com for additional insight into several key topics that Dr. Heiser was able to only brush upon at times in this book. I have read a number of books this year and I can honestly state thus far, The Unseen Realm resides at the top of my list of recommended books for 2015.
I received this book for free from Lexham Press and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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From the Publisher
ABOUT DR. MICHAEL S. HEISER
Michael Heiser is an expert in the weird and wonderful world of the Bible. His popular Naked Bible Podcast passed five million downloads in 2019. Heiser is the author of several best-selling books, including The Unseen Realm, Demons, and Angels.
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Winner of the ECPA Bronze Sales Award for over 175,000 copies sold! |
Readable, but grounded in top-notch scholarship. |
Challenge what you thought you knew about the supernatural world of the Bible. |
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| Demons | The Unseen Realm Q&A Companion | Supernatural | Angels | The Bible Unfiltered | |
| Customer Reviews |
1,960
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2,639
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1,623
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649
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| Price | $16.99 | $7.49 | $13.49 | $16.99 | $12.99 |
| What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness | A Question & Answer Companion | What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World—and Why it Matters | What the Bible Really Says About God’s Heavenly Host | Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms | |
| 320 pages | 160 pages | 224 pages | 248 pages | 192 pages | |
| Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook | Paperback | Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook | Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook | Hardcover, Kindle |
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Outstanding work and an accomplishment of scholarship with a very unique contribution to biblical knowledge. Superb!
Prior to purchasing and reading Dr. Heiser's book, I had spent the entire summer listening to vast amounts of his talks, lectures, and podcasts at a beautiful seaside location. After about 40 hours of listening to his words, I was primed and ready to sit and read The Unseen Realm. I purchased the Kindle edition, the Hardcover book, and the Verbum 6 Logos edition for my collection. Dr. Heiser's writing style is highly accessible and unique in the sense that it is sophisticated, yet can be read by any person of average intelligence and intellect. When an author can do that and present a plethora of in-depth material and high-level conceptual framework, a masterpiece has been created. This book can be used in an academic setting with ease, and I would suggest that college level coursework be created around it's central themes, and I can see this happening for high school level coursework as well. It is just so rich in information, and the footnotes are superb, the whole work is superb! The audience can be anyone, and not one person should have any trepidation about picking this volume up and reading it. Put the time in, get a notebook and make copious notes. I produced 51 pages of college-ruled hand-written notes in pencil to further solidify my learning and commitment to long-term memory retention. In summary, I must say that what Dr. Heiser has done is to help me see the bible in a way that I never could have imagined before. I am changed for the better, my paradigm has been tuned and restructured, and most importantly, this work will be the impetus for preparing me to fully comprehend the plan that God has for me and for all of us. I am today, a Heiserinian, a follower of the good Doctors work and worldview. I trust him to provide me with the finest quality scholarship now and in the future, because he has the credentials and knowledge, but more important than that is the fact that this man has the contrite and humble heart of a believer, and that my friends makes all the difference. Imagine a humble and compassionate academic who believes in God! With that, I bid you all the best while reading this and future works of Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Enjoy!
Top reviews from other countries
Hiram Piña
Great investigative work, easy to understand
Reviewed in Mexico on May 26, 2023
Enrique Antonio Santoveña Fernández
Imprescindible
Reviewed in Spain on February 20, 2023