Simon Pease reviews ‘The Unseen Realm’ by Michael Heiser (Lexham Press, 2015).

In this extensively researched book, Dr Michael Heiser tackles the ambitious subject of explaining the entire biblical narrative in terms of the supernatural realm. Seeking to do so from the theological and cultural perspective of the original authors, he offers insights which have largely been overlooked by mainstream Christianity, stimulating interest in a neglected field of study.

According to Heiser, God has a “divine council” (Psa 82:1) of spiritual beings (elohim in Hebrew) who rule with him and are superior to the angels (who serve as messengers). God’s intention was always for his divine family to be mirrored on earth and for the two to live in harmony. The Bible charts the history of rebellion within this ‘divine council’, the corruption of humanity and God’s unfolding plan of salvation and ultimate triumph.

Thought-provoking Conclusions

Within this narrative, Heiser presents many thought-provoking, perhaps controversial conclusions. For example, he suggests that the serpent in the Genesis Creation account was a powerful spiritual being, not a literal animal.

He claims that humanity’s rebellion against God at the Tower of Babel provoked the Lord to split mankind into nations and subject them to the rule of the rebellious elohim, ‘disinheriting’ them and choosing to start afresh with Israel.

Dr Michael Heiser tackles the ambitious subject of explaining the entire biblical narrative in terms of the supernatural realm.

Joshua’s military campaign in Canaan was, in Heiser’s view, targeted specifically at eradicating the anakim, the surviving giant offspring of the union between elohim (the ‘sons of God’, Genesis 6) and women which started at Mt Hermon. As a result of this union, God’s spiritual ground had to be reclaimed, which is why Jesus was transfigured on this same mountain – in which vicinity he also described his followers’ mission as an assault on the “gates of Hell” (Matt 16:18).

Similarly, Jesus sending out the 70, the traditional number of nations in Jewish religious belief, signified the commencement of reclaiming the nations for Yahweh.

A Systematic Theology

At just over 400 pages, this is a big book in every way. Heiser holds a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages and is the academic editor for Logos Bible Software, but succeeds in making his research accessible to scholars and lay-people alike. Always keeping his overall theme in view, he builds his case in clear and logical steps, breaking down his message into groups of short chapters, each followed by a section summary, and assigning more academic content and references to footnotes.

The book proceeds chronologically and is split into eight parts. The first three establish Heiser’s overall view about God’s ‘divine council’ and the way the supernatural realm is structured, particularly with regard to Creation and the Fall. The second three sections consider the Old Testament narrative, from the calling of Abraham through to the Babylonian exile. The final two sections look at the New Covenant and the situation for believers today, including Heiser’s own interpretation of the end times.

Altogether, the book amounts to a systematic theology of the supernatural - and Jesus features prominently throughout (including in earlier chapters through his pre-incarnate appearances).

Some Problems

Heiser’s basic approach, outlined in the introductory chapters and epilogue, is to allow Scripture to speak for itself. He takes Zechariah’s prophecy of Jesus returning to fight at Jerusalem literally, and believes Armageddon is actually a reference to the city. However, these interpretations are perhaps surprising in light of his statement that not all prophecy is to be taken literally – as well as his apparent commitment to Replacement Theology.

According to Heiser, God has a “divine council” (Psa 82:1) of spiritual beings who rule with him.

For instance, he says that the “sordid” history (p216) of Israel (the Jews) has ended in “release” (p159), and that God’s eternal promise to Jacob concerning the Land is fulfilled by Jewish and Gentile conversion to Messiah. Heiser asserts that believers are now the “true Israel” (p158), meaning that Romans 11:28, which states that “all Israel will be saved”, can be interpreted in terms of the Church. His idea that Jesus’ incarnation and sacrificial death were only necessary because of Jewish failure to establish God’s kingdom on earth is more concerning.

Eye-opening Overview

Notwithstanding these points, the book contains much valuable and eye-opening material, providing a generally coherent and helpful overview of a complex subject and bringing to the fore the idea of God’s ‘divine council’ and its importance to the entire meta-narrative of Scripture.

Heiser is to be commended for the sheer scale and thoroughness of his research – the book includes a 12-page index of Scripture references. For the less ambitious reader, he has published Supernatural, a shorter version which he describes as including practical applications.

The author’s claims, though not always comfortable, deserve attention; The Unseen Realm will undoubtedly prompt widespread debate for years to come.

‘The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible’ (hardcover, e-book, audiobook, 413pp) is available on Amazon for £17.99 (hardcover). Find out more on the book’s companion website: www.moreunseenrealm.com.