FaithlifeTV just released a 70-minute documentary version of Dr. Michael Heiser’s biblical theology of the supernatural, The Unseen Realm (and its popular-level handling Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World—And Why It Matters). Here’s how a reviewer for Themelios described the book:
A fundamental Christian belief is the existence of the supernatural. However, in The Unseen Realm, Michael Heiser (Scholar-in-Residence for FaithLife’s Logos Bible Software) argues that Christians—primarily conservative Western Christians—have not fully appreciated the role of the supernatural for biblical theology. According to Heiser, “a theology of the unseen world that derives exclusively from the text understood through the lens of the ancient, premodern worldview of the authors informs every Bible doctrine in significant ways.”
Joining Heiser in the video is Dr. Ben Witherington III of Asbury Seminary, Dr. Darrell Bock of DTS, Dr. Eric Mason, and Dr. Gary Yates of Liberty. Heiser and his team of scholars present a biblical and compelling theology of the supernatural—and it might make you uncomfortable because he forces you to see what is easy to gloss over, or rationalize out of the Bible.
A key text he uses is Genesis 6 and the Nephilim (which ironically/conveniently I skipped over when I preached the Melodic Line of Genesis). Heiser believes that the Nephilim are fallen angels who mated with men and backs up his argument by pointing to numerous Scriptures that don’t make a lot of sense unless his view is right. If you’ve ever scratched your head in passages like Genesis 6 or Psalm 82 (and its mention of “gods”), Heiser can provide much needed clarity.
Unfortunately, I can’t do this resource justice with a more complete review. But I encourage you to check out the video. You may not agree with all of Heiser’s conclusions or explanations (I’m not sure I do), but you might just see Scripture in a different light.
Watch The Unseen Realm
Watch The Unseen Realm (Trailer), Michael Heiser
