Last week, my church book club met to review the book, Supernatural, by Michael S. Heiser. Dr. Heiser died from pancreatic cancer in February 2023, but his work continues.

I came upon his work a couple of years ago, and it really shifted my understanding of the Ancient Near East cultures. Dr. Heiser’s work helps us make sense of the odd things we read in the Bible. His goal was to make everything more accessible to the layman, that is basic people like you and me who want to learn more.

Supernatural is a smaller book, but it is still jam-packed with good insights. Dr. Heiser’s much more complete work, The Unseen Realm, is really good maybe a little more professorial. I found Supernatural to be more manageable for the amount of time I have to read. And so, it was very helpful!

Dr. Heiser based his framework on a concept in Psalm 82 called “the divine council.” We see evidence for this all over the Bible, but often we miss what is happening, or it is weird so we just skip over it. Essentially, the divine council includes heavenly beings who serve God and are in His household (Heaven). And, He created humans to be a part of His earthly family. They represent God in the unseen realm, and we are his imagers here on Earth.

Dr. Heiser also mentioned three rebellions: Lucifer being cast out of Heaven; the Nephilim leading to the great Flood; and the Tower of Babel. These serve as the basis for a lot of what we see among the nations, even today (hatred toward Israel, wars, political and economic woes, etc.)

Satan, as we know him, is essentially Lord of the dead now. Because he tricked Adam and Eve to eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden which lead to their spiritual death (before physical death later), Satan lays claim to all their offspring (humanity). We can be immoral dead people or moral dead people – both are still dead as a doornail spiritually. That’s another way of saying we cannot help but sin, and sin always leads to physical death in Hell… without Jesus. That’s actually why He came, to settle the score, get us back, and give us new life.

The unseen realm and the visible realm are divided right now, and so there are also the sides of good and evil. Those who follow Jesus are under His banner. And someday soon, when He comes back, He is bringing Heaven to Earth! So, we will be all living together as the Father always intended. I’m still wrapping my brain around all that, but it will be epic!

One of my favorite parts was when Dr. Heiser described faith as “believing loyalty.” What we do on Earth carries great impact in the unseen realm. Every time we say yes to God and obey Him here, we are proclaiming our stance and participating in spiritual warfare. Satan hates God’s family because we are His ambassadors. So, essentially, we have targets on our back! Nonetheless, the Holy Spirit working in us is more powerful than all the evil Darkness can bring against us (see 1 John 4:4). In my mind, that makes me want to step out in faith more and more!

The ladies in my book club didn’t all agree with every part of the book or even each other, but it was fun to see each person’s perspective. And, it was a good reminder that God welcomes questions! I think a lot of “light bulbs” went on for the group!

If you have ever wondered, “what the heck does that mean?” or if you have stopped reading the Bible because you feel lost, pick up a copy of Supernatural by Dr. Michael S. Heiser. I highly recommend it!

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Heavenly Father, You are God Almighty! All You do is good and true. Thanks for helping us know You more as we read and study Your Word! May we submit to You as we learn more about the world You created, both visible and invisible.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Question: Have you heard of Dr. Michael Heiser, or others like Joel Muddamalle or Nate and Luke over at Blurry Creatures before?! Do you nerd out on these topics or are you more hesitant? (Disclaimer: Some caution is good, as I have not gone too deep into any of these topics, just barely skimmed the surface!)

Task: Make sure to test everything you read, watch, and listen to against the Bible, as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11. Don’t just accept my words, even though I try my best. 🙂 Look for evidence and learn how to interpret biblical principles for yourself! Dr. Heiser made much of what we need to know accessible, but only God and His Word are infallible!