“This is a ‘big’ book in the best sense of the term. I was reassured by the endorsement from Tremper Longman, a scholar I deeply respect whose work on the Canaanite conquest and Passion translation have proven his mettle. Then again, he is the expert on ancient Sumeria, not me, and my hesitancies were largely based in a lack of similar content from other scholars. There were times, when reading, I felt like I’d cracked The Silmarillion instead of a book about ancient Israel, and some of Heiser’s conclusions gave me pause. At the same time, you’ll want to have a solid understanding of basic Christian theology to appreciate what he’s saying (an issue I’ll address in the next section). The “big picture” Heiser paints gives a helpful backdrop to these more niche theologies. You’ll find yourself engaged in an enthusiastic pursuit of the truth, resulting in a new appreciation for God’s Word.” Doctrineīecause The Unseen Realm is addressing the entire arc of biblical history, its conclusions touch on almost every theological topic within Christianity: sin, anthropology, Christology, salvation theology… the spiritual realm has implications across them all. He illuminates intriguing and amazing passages of the Bible that have been hiding in plain sight. Michael Heiser examines the ancient context of Scripture, explaining how its supernatural worldview can help us grow our understanding of God. Instead of “spiritual warfare” being that random topic for the charismatic uncle at Thanksgiving, it’s an essential study for understanding the biblical story and our part within it. When you know those themes, terms, and places, you understand what the authors were implying and the spiritual view of the world they had. The Unseen Realm is a book describing the spiritual battle that undergirds the historical narratives we see in the Bible, especially the Old Testament, clues of which can be found in the themes, terms, and places referenced in the text.

So much is going on, so much is addressed, so much knowledge and history is compiled in its pages I have a hard time deciding how to tell those unacquainted with the book what it’s all about. I was thinking about how to summarize this book. The “light” version of The Unseen Realm – designed for the lay person – is called Supernatural. While I’m sure that one is great, I would recommend reading the original, “unabridged” approach in The Unseen Realm. You’ll see why in a moment. He is a prolific writer The Unseen Realmis only one of many books he has written on the topics of angels, demons, the supernatural realm and more. Heiser is a scholar, historian, teaching/theology pastor and host of The Naked Bible podcast.

While I usually like to buzz through books as quickly as possible, I’m glad I took the time to read this one slowly and take in the arc of history and analysis that Dr. It took me the better part of six months to finish this book – one I’ve been asked repeatedly to review.

The unseen realm michael heiser