Troublesome Topic: THE PILLARS OF MICHAEL HEISER’S UNSEEN REALM

ONE: A SELF-SERVING INTERPRETIVE METHOD. Michael Heiser usually offered only the options that would help his argument, and he ignored some major themes that should be a part of this discussion. What he did not say is more important than what he did say because he left out anything that would hurt his cause. If you don’t study things carefully to see what he was leaving out, you will fall for his deception.

TWO: RELIANCE ON OTHER RELIGIONS AND THEIR MYTHOLOGIES.   Michael Heiser assumed the mythology of foreign religions is trustworthy and relevant to the story of the God of Isarel. He argued that it can and should be incorporated into the Bible. To Heiser it was all acceptable. This includes the books of Enoch, the book of Jubilee, the book of Giants, and all the Second Temple Jewish writings, many of which were heavily influenced by foreign religions. Heiser assumed that the use of a word or phrase in the Bible should usually be interpreted in the same way that other nations used it; he did not allow the Bible to interpret itself; instead he interpreted it through the lens of pagan religions.

THREE:  A NARROW USE OF THE TERM ELOHIM.  Michael Heiser only allowed the name Elohim to be understood in a narrow way. He claimed it is always a “place of residence” term (p. 29) and always refers to the heavens. He said the phrase “sons of Elohim” always refers to divine beings with authority higher than that of angels (p. 24). Also, he said the name Elohim carries no concept of attributes because it is used of various entities (pp. 30 & 32).

FOUR: A FLAWED VIEW OF GOD’S IMAGE-BEARERS. Michael Heiser taught that everything God created bears the image of God, even things like demons, and Satan. This is the reason so many entities are included in his concept of a council of gods. His discussion of the image of God given to Adam is lacking of any connection to morality and focuses instead on how, in his mind, man was created as a little god. He ignored Genesis 5:3 where we learn that after the fall into sin, Adam’s sons were born in the image and likeness of Adam, not the image and likeness of God.

FIVE:  A COUNCIL OF GODS. Michael Heiser believed there is a council of the gods, and the Nephilim spirits (demons) are a part of it. There are some members of that council of gods that have remained true to YAHWEH (p. 352) but some of the council members have rebelled against God, and yet they remain on the council. He used Psalm 82 and a few other references to support this.

SIX: ANGELS FATHERED THE NEPHILIM WHO BECAME DEMONS.  This theory purports that “angels” came to earth and procreated with human women, and their offspring were the Nephilim. He used Gen 6:4 for support. When the Nephilim were killed, their disembodied spirits supposedly became demons. This has been put forth by a number of people as the origin of demons.

SEVEN:   DISINHERITED NATIONS WERE PLACED UNDER CORRUPT GODS.  According to Heiser, at Babel God disinherited all the nations and gave them over to the authority of the Nephilim spirits and other “lesser gods” for them to control and rule over them. He used Numbers 13:33 & Dt 32:8-9 as support. Later God selected Israel as His chosen people and told them to remain separate from the disinherited nations. What is meant by “rule over them” was not been spelled out clearly by Heiser in Unseen Realm. Today their rule over those nations is supposedly partial.

EIGHT: THE WATCHERS CAUSED CORRUPTION IN HUMANKIND. Heiser taught that sin and corruption in this world started with the first rebellion in Eden and were greatly intensified after the lesser gods of the divine council were given control over all nations except Israel. The book called 1 Enoch calls the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim “Watchers” and claims they were largely responsible for the advance of wickedness among the nations. Heiser assumed that II peter and Jude agreed with him and agree with 1 Enoch.

NINE:  JESUS CAME TO DEFEAT THE CORRUPT GODS AND RESTORE EDEN.  Heiser’s book teaches that, through Jesus, God is slowly taking back the disinherited nations from the control of the Nephilim and He will someday restore Eden.

TEN:  GOD WILL DEFEAT THE CORRUPT LESSER GODS AND HUMANITY WILL BECOME DIVINE. According to the book The Unseen Realm, believers today are God’s children and upon death will become divine (p. 352), and be made members of God’s divine council (p. 310). We and other loyal members of God’s council will defeat the disloyal members of that same council.  On page 353 Heiser wrote “Humanity will become divine and displace the lesser Elohim over the nations under the authority of the unique divine son, the resurrected Jesus.”

The next lesson in this series is FATAL FLAWS IN MICHAEL HEISER’S WORLDVIEW