For the past few months, I have been hearing a lot of hype about a couple of new books by Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm and Supernatural. Both of these books are an examination of the unseen realty of the spiritual realm that we cannot see, but which is very real. The Unseen Realm is the more scholarly of the two works, and my review of that volume will be forthcoming.

Supernatural is a secondary effort, taking the information presented in The Unseen Realm and making it much more readable and easier to understand for the common reader. This review, while it may touch on the material presented in both books, is primarily concerned with Supernatural.

I have been hearing a lot about these books for a while now, and part of me wanted to read them, while another part of me was afraid to. While I know the reality of spiritual warfare and the realm of the unseen, it has always been an uncomfortable topic amongst the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. It’s too… pentecostal (?) for most of our churches.

And yet this is a very real topic presented in Scripture and there is much to be learned from the pages of the Bible about the forces of good and evil that surround us, which we cannot see. And so, I went into this book with a bit of fascination, and a bit of skepticism for what I might find.

And rightly so. I was faced with thoughts and ideas that I’ve never been faced with before. And, in reading this book, I was forced to examine some of these ideas and see what I believe about them.

Supernatural gave me some insights and ideas that I have been wrestling with since I read the book, and I’m not certain about the conclusions I may reach. This book has really caused me to think, more so than anything I have read in a long while.

First, I want to address the things I found that I didn’t agree with, and then I will share the other side. And finally, I will wrap this review up with something new I am facing and dealing with.

When We Misunderstand Scripture

Much of Michael Heiser’s book deals with spiritual entities, God and Satan, and their angels and demons. Scripture is clear that these being exist, but where did they come from? Heiser’s theory of origins for these creatures is based upon a faulty view of Genesis 6:1-4. In this passage, where the sons of God reproduce with the daughters of men, Heiser draws the conclusion that the sons of God were angels, or fallen ones, and the daughters of men were humans. This produced the beings we know as demons.

I don’t think this is an accurate understanding of this passage. From the rest of Scripture that tells us of angels, this seems to be at odds. I feel a better understanding of this passage sees the sons of God as descendants of Seth, a godly line, while the daughters of men are descendants of Cain, a people that do not know God. This fits the text much better.

Another issue here is the presence of the Nephilim. These were large, gigantic people, and warriors. They are also mentioned later in the Old Testament, and Goliath is associated with these people. However, the later group of the Nephilim cannot be directly descended from the pre-Flood Nephilim. All living creatures, except what were saved on the Ark of Noah were killed. There is absolutely no record of any of these Nephilim surviving in order to carry on their lineage through the later periods of Old Testament history.

So Heiser’s theory of the origins of many of these supernatural creatures is flawed, but that does not mean that the rest of his information concerning them is incorrect.

My only other issue with Heiser’s work in this volume is the fact that he seems to see God’s plans as multiple in number. God’s plan in the Garden didn’t work, so he had to devise another plan with Abraham. That didn’t work, so another plan was created with Moses. And so on, until finally he succeeded with Jesus. I assume that this is not what Heiser believes, but it comes across this way in the book.

In reality, God had, and has, one plan, from the beginning, that included the sacrifice of his Son on the cross. On plan. Not multiple plans. This could be clarified within the book, and it would help prevent some misunderstandings.

The Supernatural Plan

On the other hand, though, once Heiser moves into the time frame of the New Testament, with Jesus’ involvement in spiritual warfare, he brings up idea after idea and point after point that open the eyes to the reality of what God was doing through Christ. The whole of Christ’s ministerial efforts were a coordinated effort to accomplish the plan of salvation, redeeming mankind from the grasp of Satan. Everything Jesus did was with this in mind.

In order for this plan to work, God had to keep the details from Satan’s view, and in fact, trick him into killing Christ. This, even though Satan thought it was a victory, was in reality what God needed to happen to accomplish his victory once and for all. From chapter 10 on, Heiser reveals so many interesting thoughts and ideas concerning this Holy War that it becomes mind boggling.

This was very revealing of the nature of spiritual warfare, and brought out many points that I had never considered before. Heiser’s work here is very intriguing, and I look forward to digging into The Unseen Realm, where he will go into more detail, and learning more on this.

Keeping An Open Mind

But there was one thing that completely blew my mind. Heiser begins by talking about Psalm 82, and the council of the gods. This idea presented me with some severe problems. In fact, it was on my list of negatives, right at the top.

I have always been taught that there was one God, and that there were no other gods. Pagan gods were false gods. And, most likely, these were demonic in nature. The idea that God had a heavenly council of gods disturbed me greatly. The more I read, the more frustrated I got. Finally, I decided to start doing some research on my own, to see what others have said about this idea.

I checked several commentaries that I own, by authors whom I trust. To my surprise, this idea was echoed in their thoughts. So I bounced this idea off of a few colleagues. Each of them gave me some eye-opening insights to consider as well.

Very quickly, Heiser’s premise is this: God’s council, made up of at least 70 lesser gods, were given control of the nations that resulted from the division at Babel, in Genesis 11. These gods were to lead the nations, bringing them to an understanding of the God of gods, the God of Israel. But they rebelled, and in so doing, became God’s enemies, and snares for God’s people.

My understanding was always that there was but one God. This idea of other gods was offensive. But the more I researched, the more I realized that my thoughts and beliefs in this may not be completely accurate.

I do not yet now where these thoughts, and these studies, will lead me. I have not reached a conclusion on this. Instead, my mind has been opened to the idea of something new in this regard, and there is much study left to be done.

And I must say, it is not a comfortable feeling, having something I have always held to be challenged so easily. It is disconcerting, and bothersome. But at the same time, I am excited for the challenge of possibly learning something new about the nature of the God I serve and love. I look forward to what Heiser has to say about this in The Unseen Realm, and I am on the search for additional resources in this matter.

My Conclusions

I found Supernatural to be a very interesting book, and I was challenged, frustrated, and fascinated, all at the same time. If you are not interested in expanding your views on the supernatural, perhaps this book is not for you. But if you are interested in learning about the spiritual, supernatural reality that surrounds us, then pick up a copy of Supernatural and read it. But in doing so, prepare to have your thinking challenged. You may just learn a few things you have never imagined before about the unseen realm.

Question: Have you ever really stopped to consider the supernatural realm? How does the idea of the unseen realm make you feel? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

I received this book free from Logos Bible Software, and Michael S. Heiser, as a part of the book’s launch team. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.