Book Review: The Unseen Realm, Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael S. Heiser

 

I first heard of this book, published in 2015, in a podcast interview with N. T. Wright. Dr. Heiser (who passed away in 2023) builds a contextual framework to integrate all of the diverse Bible passages that deal with supernatural beings. In this he calls them elohim, which based on his Hebrew language scholarship credentials, refers to supernatural beings perceived as gods, not just to the one true God. He explains these passages from the viewpoint of the ancient Jews who wrote the original manuscripts. The Divine Council (a committee of gods) consists of those subordinate rulers whom Yahweh convenes as part of His rule of the earth and spiritual realms.

Sadly, many of these rulers rebelled against the true God. Although they had been assigned positions of authority by Him, in their rebellion they chose to lead the humans in their assigned realms to follow in their footsteps, and reject worship of Yahweh for worship of themselves. Following the Tower of Babel, humans were dispersed to various language groups all over the earth. The author points to the grim unanimity of pagan tribes in worshipping false gods in all parts of the earth. (Think of Asherah poles, totem poles, pyramids, and human sacrifice, as examples.)

One of the mysteries is the account of children born from the union of the “sons of God” and the daughters of men, resulting in giants. The mating of gods with humans is common to mythology and pagan religions around the world, and we could treat it as myth, except that elohim having children with human women is in the Bible. (Genesis 6:4) In fact, Goliath was very likely one such offspring, based on his being a giant. (1 Samuel 17:4-7) The insistence by Yahweh that Israel utterly eradicate the Canaanite tribes mentioned is possibly linked to this demonic pollution of their gene pool - He wanted it gone. That Israel failed to complete the task means that there are still remnants of that demonic seed in some humans.

Direct visits by Yahweh to various individuals are put in context — why God chose to meet them in person. These meetings provide insight into the interaction of the spiritual realm with the physical.  The primary point is that He visited them to accomplish His purpose, of building the Kingdom of God on earth. Abraham, Moses, Joshua didn’t choose to do this on their own, but Yahweh appeared to both direct and empower them.

As the author discusses the coming of Christ on earth, and the second coming, the focus is on setting things right according to God’s original plan. The rebellious ‘gods’ or ‘demons’ did not understand the redemption that would be brought by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  (1 Corinthians 2:8) Jesus’ ultimate plan is that the redeemed, of their own free will, will vanquish evil and serve Yahweh - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - wholeheartedly and in His nature and character, by the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The redeemed will ultimately judge the fallen elohim. (1 Corinthians 6:3) Beyond the unveiling of Revelation, the future is beyond our understanding or the revelation we have now. (1 Corinthians 2:9) We are, however, presently engaged in spiritual warfare, and have direction.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:12-17)

A video summary of this book is on YouTube.

Daniel – the musical, at Sight and Sound Theatre

 

Ronks, Pennsylvania is the middle of Amish country, but the Sight and Sound presentation of Daniel is an intense presentation of faith confronting political power and evil directly. The story of Daniel is presented chronologically (with occasional flashbacks), weaving together the entire biblical story. This includes the historical context of the Babylonian captivity, appearances by the contemporary prophets (Ezekiel and Jeremiah), and of course a faithful presentation of the book of Daniel including both his interactions with Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian religious and political hierarchy, and both Daniel’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams and visions.

 The play is intense. The themes themselves bear the weight of slavery in a foreign land, the constant opposition of evil religious schemers, the risk of imminent death, and the presentation of truth and righteousness to rulers who are not particularly interested. The intensity is matched by the music and special effects. A large LED movie screen covers the entire back of the stage, and the action and sets are integrated so that it is often hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Just one example - as Ezekiel is telling his vision of the valley of dry bones coming to life, actors on stage are dancing to a spiritual, and behind them is a screen with hundreds more, an army of the resurrected. Belshazzar’s final party is a wild bacchanal with almost the entire cast drinking and dancing until the hand of God appears to write the fateful words on the wall, terrifying all.

 The depiction of dreams is faithful to Scripture. When visions of heaven are presented on-screen, it seems as though the developers are following the scheme set forth in The Unseen Realm, by  Michael S. Heiser. Heaven is on a mountaintop populated with angels and occasional appearances by the pre-incarnate Christ, with a seemingly endless array of stars in the distance. When future empires are depicted by animals, they are terrifying. The statue that Nebuchadnezzar dreams is tangible, flying through the air over the audience. The subsequent statue that  Nebuchadnezzar builds seems impossibly lavish, because it was. (Although the head is on stage, the whole statue is shown only on-screen, but it is depicted ginormously right in front of the Hebrew young men.)

 It is the application of eternal values that is ultimately important. What should we take away from Daniel’s legacy?

•      We must determine in our heart to remain faithful to God in every circumstance and situation, whether trial and tribulation or success, power, and wealth.

•      Our relationship with God requires a significant investment of time spent with Him every day.

•      When God gives us revelation in visions or dreams (or by other pathways), we must understand the meaning, and we must respond appropriately (in obedience).

•       Rulers, regardless of political structure, may or may not respond to God’s revealed standards of justice, mercy and humility. They are often tempted by their power or by others seeking to influence them into horrible sin. We should pray for them irregardless.

The fact that God chooses to display the attributes of His glory - holiness, love, righteousness, mercy, justice - through our lives is our ultimate calling. Neither evil people nor evil spirits (nor the politicians they deceive and enslave) can prevent God from accomplishing His ultimate purpose.

Improving My Prayers’ Signal to Noise Ratio

In radio communications, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is a measure of how well the information can be understood. When I pray, perhaps I can improve my understanding of what God is saying to me. So I can think about specific actions in this paradigm. For example, God often speaks through Scripture, so if I study the Bible more intently, this might help me hear Him better. If I take seriously things He has said in the past, and do what He told me, this also could strengthen His voice to me. Personal worship opens my heart to Him. On the noise side, there are the distractions of daily life that I need to set aside. Unconfessed or unrepented sin makes His voice fainter. Struggling with temptation is more like spiritual warfare, since Satan will find very clever ways to compromise my heart and drown out God’s voice. The triad of the world, the flesh, and the devil often work in concert to try to drown out that heavenly voice.

If someone is in the room speaking to me, it is much easier to focus and also hear what they say. SNR is not a factor. And so if I am in the same room with Jesus, His voice is unmistakeable. How often do I leave that room because I don’t want to hear what He is saying? Not the physical room, but the spiritual room of communion with Him.

Fasting is a potential step to hearing God better. But if I were to fast, would I be trying to earn His favor, or focus myself on Him and His? Would I think I can overcome my lukewarmness with self-denial and self-discipline? Even though not trying to impress others, would I be trying to impress Him? To persuade Him to do something? Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23) This is His prescription for the abundant life!

 But there is another step that I fear I fall far short of. On occasion I have had profound experiences of His presence. These are divine intersections of my seeking Him fervently, and His eager response to my ardor. SNR is not a consideration in a lovers embrace. If I truly, sincerely want to know His voice by experience, I need to have that level of desire for Him. Desire that is heartfelt and not ritual or rule-based. It is a choice, but more than that, a choice to want Him and His kingdom presence above all else.

 As we receive God’s blessings, perhaps we become used to them and take them for granted.  For example, Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple was answered in power. (2 Chronicles 7:1) That was followed by a warning (2 Chronicles 7:12-22). In his old age, Solomon reflected on the consequences of having riches (Ecclesiastes  5:13-20). He does not explicitly say that when the blessing of God is wealth, it creates lukewarmness in one’s relationship to God, but probably is a reflection on the events recorded in 1 Kings 11. This type of test is probably quite common for believers who the Lord prospers and blesses with success over the long term. The temptation to formal religion and rote prayers, trusting in the rewards of faith as signs of God’s favor, can lead to lukewarmness. Whether that is perceived as a low SNR prayer life, or as distance from God, the real challenge is to rekindle the fervor of our first conversion. Both Rehoboam and Jeroboam were blessed but drifted away from God. (Jeroboam actually went immediately to syncretism in setting up golden calves). The challenge is that effective prayer is a two-way conversation with God. We can only pray with effect when we agree with God on what He wants, praying specifics of His will into a context or situation, which means we have to really hear Him.

 Returning to the practical challenge of hearing and recognizing the voice of Jesus, perhaps the most important factor is that of responding in obedience when we do hear Him.  (John 2:5) We worship Him, praise His name, recognize Scriptural truths. Do we worship His name (hashem) as a euphemism because we know that if He is really present, then we experience His holiness and cannot but fall in worship? (Leviticus 9:23-24) But most important, when He offers to share His holiness with us, will we receive it? (1 Peter 1:16) That will improve our SNR.

Israel, Hamas, the World Central Kitchen - Where is Jesus when we need Him?

Benjamin Netanyahu rightfully labels the Hamas assault on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023 as evil. Unfortunately, in the attack on the relief convoy on April 1, 2024 the IDF has fallen for the demonic temptation to imitate the level of depravity that they experienced. As a military tactic to deter other aid workers from helping the Palestinian civilians who are on the verge of starvation, it may succeed. But although Gaza civilians might disown Hamas to get food, they will more likely hate Israel even more for stooping to such depths of immorality.

 Perspectives:

•      Hamas comes from the Islamic perspective under which the Islamic empire was first established, that violence in defense of, or to advance the faith is justified. That goes back to the sixth century after Christ. The crusades of the tenth and eleventh centuries shared the same perspective, that victory in battle would demonstrate who had the true understanding of God. Hamas apparently sees kidnapping and murder of civilians, and using the cover of aid workers to conceal their whereabouts and activities, or as human shields as just part of war.

•      It appears that Israel has a perspective from the reign of King David, approximately one thousand years before Christ, seeing the Palestinians as indistinguishable from the Philistines of three thousand years ago. In this paradigm, military force was used by David to complete the charge given to Joshua to purge the land of pagan idolaters.

•      The modern world’s perspective is of two ethnic groups fighting for the same land, with varying degrees of ethical and moral constraints, or lack thereof. Why can’t they get along, find a compromise they can live with? In fighting a war, the Geneva convention is cited, but ignored when military necessity dictates.

•      Jesus’ perspective was articulated in the Sermon on the Mount. To say that His view has been rejected by the world is to implicitly admit that both Israel and Hamas have the world’s perspective thoroughly embedded in theirs. How does Jesus view this situation in the present? Most likely, He grieves that people on all sides of the conflict use His revelation and twist it to justify worldly and depraved actions, distorting His Word to advance their own self interest instead of building His kingdom.

 Until Jesus returns as promised, He is not going to sovereignly end the conflict, but only plead with us through His Word and His Spirit. Instead of pleading with Him to intervene, we need to receive what He has already given us; we need to be about His parting words, the Great Commission (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20) bringing it to completion.

War in the heavenlies, Peace on Earth - Easter?

 Daniel 10:13 & 20-21, and 11:1, allude to conflict between spiritual beings in heavenly realms, and the wars described next that are the earthly component of these battles in other dimensions. This passage gives us a hint that gruesome conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are neither new nor inexplicable.   Why does war continue? Why does God not sovereignly end these conflicts?

•      Perhaps because although Jesus did His part on the cross to bring peace on earth, He told us to take the good news to every nation. (Matthew 28:19-20) We humans have not yet completed the Great Commission. Simply put, the ball is in our court.

•      Another thought is that God uses earthly trials to test and refine His people. Our sins are forgiven and our eternal home secured when we receive Christ, but His work in shaping us takes place when we must deal with adversity. Our moral character and our trust in Him become aligned with His plan for us as we suffer as a result of sin (our own sin or those of others).

•      Another possibility is that God is using His grand plan and eternal events to visibly demonstrate the superiority of His nature and character for all to see. For Satan (née Lucifer) and those who follow him, it is a convincing proof that sacrificial love is a better paradigm for existence than self-love. For those who have allegiance to God, this shows us how He manifests His nature and character. The incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Son of God to rescue fallen humans is inextricably the manifestation of His very essence, so that we can learn to emulate Him. And it shows the fundamental, eternal emptiness of Satan’s approach.

 How and why the light-bringer (Lucifer) became Satan (the accuser) is a mystery. The life of God, in Christ, brings light to men. (John 1:4) This suggests that originally Lucifer had a calling to participate (somehow) in bringing God’s life to humankind. But the accusatory nature of his current behavior shows that instead of an approach of ‘you made a mistake here, this is how to make it right’, Satan chose the path of saying ‘you are a bad person, guilty before a holy God’. (Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5).

 The reason for Satan’s rebellion is really irrelevant to us, except for the temptation for us to follow his footsteps. It’s not just that Satan lies to deceive people into rebelling against God, but that he cleverly and carefully tailors the lies to appeal to our human nature, and we buy into them and hold onto them even when God reveals Truth to us. Jesus emptied Himself to take on the form of man and show us the path to eternal life, not just by teaching and preaching, but by living and dying. The  consequences of that life choice are eternal life and peace, as opposed to endless self-serving battles to get what we think is rightfully ours. Zoe (God’s eternal life) trumps bios (biological life) just as eternity trumps time. 

Although war continues now, one day the essence of Jesus’ resurrection will bring peace, not just to our soul, but ultimately to the heavenly realms and to our planet. It is sad that although Israel and Russia have vastly different value systems, they have this in common: both have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord, and will reap the fruit of choosing the world’s ways.

Theology: Worship, Physics, and Holiness

Is the essence of worship seeking an emotional response, or. saying what is right about God, life, the universe, etc. recognizing reality. Singing psalms goes back to the time of David (and David himself), but the content of the words is the worship. Voices and instruments are really tools or means. Recognizing that the uncreated creator of all things, the essence of existence, the perfectly holy and uncompromising love incarnate is a Father, is worship.

Theology should be the queen of philosophy and the sciences, because to have a correct understanding of God is foundational to understanding cause and effect. This eliminates magic from the operation of the universe, understanding how spiritual causation is different from magic, and why miracles from God aren’t magic, by putting everything in context. We need to understand

•      How spiritual understanding relates to human reasoning, since God’s ways are above our ways;

•      How to discern God’s voice from our own mind and from the evil one’s voice.

Theology starts with foundational truths about God’s nature and character, and what Jesus did for us on the cross. All the rest of nature, humankind, knowledge & reason, evidence & experience, values & virtue flow from this foundation like an artesian well. This foundation is not theology about God’s nature and character, but the reality of His essence, His essential existence. Theology is the instrument, the channel, by which we can see and understand Him, and thereby understand these other derivative things like nature, humankind, knowledge and reason, evidence and experience, values, and virtue. Doing theology is a form of worship.

An example from the realm of physics. How do laws and behaviors of physics flow from God’s nature and character? There are at least three broad categories of behavior in physics. Simple laws like universal gravitation, electromagnetic field theory, and nuclear strong and weak forces; complex behaviors that are understood by complexity theory in various realms as the result of the interactions of a very large number of things, deterministically; and chaotic behavior such as the random motion of molecules in a gas, that are understood and modeled in aggregate such as ideal gas law, the second law of thermodynamics, and so on.

From our perspective, we cannot derive these from God’s nature, but we can learn from them about Him. The basic, large-scale universality of existence is simple and straightforward, and God is at His core straightforward: He is holy and He loves. But there is also implicit complexity in Him, that is structured but not simple, as different parts of existence interact according to seemingly simple law at a lower level: DNA that defines our biological life; the human brain that is able to reason, control our body, and is conscious. And finally, there are limits to this structured complexity at the nanoscopic level, in which 6.023 x10²³ atoms bounce off of or interact with each other, the best of which we can do is describe by statistical averages. Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle describes how things at the atomic level are unknowable below a certain level. Thus, God allows not everything to be deterministic. Otherwise, we would be robots and the universe would not achieve His ultimate goal (described below).

I am certain there are similar insights to be gleaned from other fields of study. We can learn about God from all of them, because He is the fountainhead of all existence. The core of our faith is not ultimately justified by these studies, because we are limited and fallen creatures and make mistakes in our process of reasoning, analysis, experimentation, both in the sciences and in theology. God has given us freedom to learn about Him and His creation.

A peaceful, just, and prosperous society is based on shared values of civil order, respect for laws, justice, work, and the dignity of others, all in appropriate relationship. The so-called seven deadly sins, for example, degrade society but foremost they make us less like God. Whether a degraded society becomes anarchy in the constant turmoil of gang warfare, or a dictatorship in which every action is controlled by an unforgiving ruler and judge, neither is the rich social fabric the founding fathers had a glimpse of because of their understanding of God. God is at peace with Himself because all aspects of His nature and character are in appropriate balance and relationship. We would likewise have inner peace if we were able to put all aspects of our nature thusly.

God created the universe with a vision that He tries to communicate to us. Humans have imagined fictional universes such as those of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Middle Earth, Narnia, Dr. Who, and Star Trek. But God’s universe is real. The diverse kinds of things that can happen reflect the depth and complexity of His essence. There is space for love in many forms, and also space for self, and space for either of these to go astray. There is space for relationships and society, group activity, leadership and loyalty, betrayal and exploitation. There is space for good and bad ideas, logic, philosophy, truth and lies.

Where does holiness fit in all this? Holiness is for a positive purpose, to set apart for a divine commission with glory and blessing. We learn about God from direct contact with Him, but also by seeing cause and effect and the results of obeying or disobeying Him. Holiness in God is partly understood as being so devoted to what is good, right, and just that He does not want any resources to go towards its opposites, and dedicates the best of the best to be used for good, righteous, and just ends. In Leviticus He told Moses that the Israelites should do the same.

Why are certain animals identified as clean or unclean in Leviticus? Only animals that chew the cud and have cloven hoofs are clean. (Leviticus 11:3-7)   What does this mean? Perhaps there is symbolism if we interpret chewing the cud as a type of meditating on or studying God’s word. Cows chew their cud because it aids in digestion, and digesting God’s word requires time, focus, and thought. What is the significance of cloven hooves? Perhaps these are a crude representation of the stigmata. We are cleansed by the blood of Christ, which is symbolized clearly by the Passover Lamb’s blood being sprinkled on the doorway.  (Exodus 12:7,22-23) But Jesus’ body is also symbolically represented in the Holy Communion celebration by the bread, as Jesus said, just before He was crucified. (Luke 22:19) So eating clean animals symbolizes a combination of both digesting the Word of God by meditating on it, and partaking vicariously in the crucifixion of Christ, identifying with His pierced hands and feet.

In a sense the laws of physics exhibit this devotion of resources to an end. In gravitation, electromagnetic forces, strong and weak nuclear forces, there are mechanisms that are straightforward and efficient. But, when Jesus was on the earth, He did not shun things we might think superfluous, like parties and celebrations, but He turned them to the glory of God, the revelation of His nature and character.

God so wants the things He has created to be employed for the good for which He created them that He grieves when they are used for lesser purposes. There was a hint of that in Judas complaint about Jesus’ anointing - he said the money would have been better used to give to the poor (although he really just wanted to pilfer from the moneybox).  (Matthew 26:9, Mark 14:5, John 12:5) But Judas did not recognize Jesus as who He really was, or that the Presence of the essence of God is of more value than good works. The real tragedy was that Judas did not want to use His life for the Lord’s good purposes. He lacked understanding of God.

Using God’s creation for other than God’s intended purpose is like taking part of God Himself and turning it against His essential core. Perhaps this is why some of the punishments in the Pentateuch for disobedience seem to us severe. God showed Himself, as close as He could without killing those near Him, and they wanted to pervert His nature, His essence, into something else. God did not create this universe for it to be a place of self-centeredness and selfishness, but rather a place of agape, self-sacrificial love, self-giving for the sake of another. Is He selfish for wanting this for His creation, when it would not exist apart from His exercising these traits? Most likely, since the holy Trinity the exchange of love, devotion, and self-giving is so wonderful, He wanted (wants) to share and create more of it. But it only exists when it is freely chosen, in the presence of real alternatives.

We come back to worship in recognizing that God created all of this – the universe and humankind – to create more opportunities to display this essential characteristic - agape in action. Ultimately, worship occurs when we recognize God’s nature and character in thought, word, and deed, in our lives, in human relationship, and in all of creation.

Book Review: The Risk of Education - Discovering Our Ultimate Destiny, by Luigi Giussani

Luigi Giussani’s harsh critique of modern secular education: it produces adults who are not equipped to deal with conflicting value systems and evaluate and apply ultimate values to their own lives. This leaves them either  (1) uncommitted to any particular paradigm, (2) rebelling against existing value systems, or (3) resigning themselves to the status quo. This results from not having been properly prepared to make wise decisions in this realm of life. The public schools, in particular, teach about ideas, but do not challenge students to learn how to evaluate them. Predating the explosion of online and virtual learning by a few decades (written in 1995), Giussani points out that a student listening to a lecture that is like a videotape, i.e. without back and forth interaction with the teacher, will not learn how to evaluate claims and counterclaims or even learn anything beyond rote facts.

Giussani proposes a different paradigm, so that students (adolescents) will mature into fully functioning adults. Education is an introduction to reality, and we do not affirm reality unless we affirm its meaning. This meaning is ultimately based on absolutes, but the adolescent must decides which ones: is tradition to be embraced without question, or accepted after a period of questioning and the basis of tradition understood, or is tradition rejected based on the student’s freedom? The teacher’s role is to guide the student through the process. The adolescent will best learn to use tools with which to process these options - competing sets of value systems -  in concert with a mentor who advises and encourages. Otherwise skepticism and cynicism are likely to be the student’s destination. The student needs personal experience  as the  ultimate verification methodology leading to true conviction about ultimate values. 

The crisis of Christian education is that Christianity is not ultimately about tradition, theology, church activities, or creeds; Jesus is a Person, the Son of God. He interjects Himself into peoples’ lives with an encounter. When the adolescent or young adult encounters Christ, how will he or she respond? The problem of faith is that the things that are taught lack verifiability, until we meet Christ. We can read the Church fathers, study apologetics, engage in good works, but that does not verify the truth of Christianity. That is the crisis! It is the personal interaction with the Savior, the Truth incarnate, that verifies Christianity. The educator’s goal is therefore to prepare the student to dialog openly and honestly with the other, that is, with Christ. 

The final chapter is frankly hard to understand, as the author attempts to deal with epistemology. The role of experience, tradition, community, and authority are to be woven together into the fabric of faith. How this is to happen is the educator’s challenge.