Supernatural Seminar with Michael Heiser - understanding the unseen powers and God’s purpose

 

This Four part lecture series on YouTube is largely based on Dr. Heiser’s book The Unseen Realm. Each video (ranging from 50 to 80 minutes each) has a link to the next. These videos were filmed a few years before his death in 2023. Most of the video recaps materials from the book, about the elohim, the divine council, the three rebellions, the fallen elohim, the Nephilim (children born to human women fathered by fallen angels), Moses and Joshua dealing with this demonic seed, and the New Testament perspective on spiritual warfare in this context. This is a different  medium (and more accessible to many) than his scholarly tome.

One point Dr. Heiser makes is often understated or ignored by others, which is God’s purpose in creating humanity. God created the elohim, with the purpose of assigning them roles in His creation. He then (later) created humanity, with the purpose of assigning them different roles. (Genesis 1:28) Dr. Heiser infers that Satan and other rebellious elohim were furious that they were being sidelined for this role. It is not entirely clear whether Satan’s rebellion preceded God’s decision and plan, or was because of it. In any event, Satan conspired to destroy humankind by tricking and tempting humans into self-destructive sin, which continues to this day.

What the rebellious elohim did not understand was God’s plan of redemption. They did not truly understand His nature and character: how His love and His holiness merged into the greatest rescue plan in all eternity - Jesus’ propitiatory death on the cross. God’s plan is that redeemed humans will have His nature and character inextricably embedded in the core of their very being. And that these redeemed humans will then fulfill His plan to have an earth ruled and cared for by humans who share His values, His character, His essential essence.

The implications of this for our present life should be obvious (at least, after watching the videos). Our present life should be focused firstly on being in right-standing with God, and then disciplining ourselves to conform to His image. This means that we have to learn to see every situation from His viewpoint, to respond with love and holiness and justice and mercy integrated in working to a result that He would seek. This training occurs in our everyday life situations, it is the purpose of our current life on this earth. We see this exhibited in first responders, farmers, medical professionals, veterinarians, teachers, and many others.  That is, people called by God to careers that involve helping people be fruitful and increase in number, filling the earth and subduing it, ruling over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. If we are ultimately to serve Christ in eternity, He has to be able to trust us! This is more than career, it is a heart fully submitted to His heart.