Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World And Why It Matters

by Michael S. Heiser

Dr. Michael S. Heiser, a Scholar-in-Residence at Faithlife Corporation, presents fifteen years of research on what the Bible really says about the unseen world of the supernatural, unfiltered by tradition or by theological presuppositions. People shouldn't be protected from the Bible, Dr. Michael S. Heiser says, but theological systems often do just that, by explaining away difficult or troublesome passages of Scripture because their literal meaning doesn't fit into our tidy systems.

Who were the sons of God? Who were the Nephilim? Where do angels fit into the supernatural hierarchy? Why did God find it necessary to have the Israelites destroy the populations of entire cities man, woman, and child? What relation does Jesus bear to the rest of the supernatural world? Dr. Michael S. Heiser tackles these questions and many more in his books Supernatural and The Unseen Realm.

In both books, Dr. Michael S. Heiser shines a light on the supernatural world--not a new light, but rather the same light the original, ancient readers and writers of Scripture would have seen it in.

After reading these books, you won't be able to read the Bible in the same way again.

Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World and Why it Matters presents this approach to reading and understanding scripture for the person in the pew. The Unseen Realm covers the same material but at a deeper, complex, and highly documented way, for pastors, the seminarian, or serious students of the Bible.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Religion, Christianity, Biblical Studies

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

Mike Heiser is a scholar in the fields of biblical studies and the ancient Near East. He is the Academic Editor of Logos Bible Software. Mike earned the M.A. and Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Semitic Languages at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004. He has also earned an M.A. in Ancient History from the University of Pennsylvania (major fields: Ancient Israel and Egyptology). His main research interests are Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), biblical theology, ancient Near Eastern religion, biblical & ancient Semitic languages, and ancient Jewish binitarian monotheism.

Mike blogs about biblical studies at The Naked Bible, and fringe beliefs about the ancient world at PaleoBabble. He offers courses to the public in Old Testament, biblical theology, Israelite religion, ancient languages, the Book of Enoch through his online institute, MEMRA.

Mike's other academic interests include the paranormal and the occult. His UFO Religions blog discusses how the pop cultural belief in aliens shape religious worldviews. Mike has been a frequent guest on a number of radio programs such as Coast to Coast AM. He is best known for his critique of the ancient astronaut theories of Zecharia Sitchin and his paranormal thriller, The Facade, which intertwines many of his interests.

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fine. Except for the chapter on sovereignty and free will, this book is outstanding. It is a popular level handling of the author's The Unseen Realm.

[Derek Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not exaggerating to say that Dr. Heiser's work has helped me understand the biblical narrative far more clearly than I did before.

Whether you're familiar with the Divine Council or not, Mike's thorough explanation of the cosmology hidden in plain sight on the pages of the Bible will leave you wondering why you've never heard about this in church.

The Unseen Realm and Supernatural are complementary works. Supernatural is an introduction to the supernatural worldview of the authors of the Bible, while The Unseen Realm, a heavily footnoted volume, dives deeper into the theology. (And if you want a serious look under the hood, Mike helpfully provides a companion website to The Unseen Realm with scholarly discussions organized by the chapters of the book.)

Mike's writing style is clear and concise, very readable and accessible even for non-scholars like me. Mike is a credentialed scholar whose conclusions are based on where the biblical text leads. This is not a weird new interpretation of scripture, although it was new to me and probably will be to most readers. Call it the "new old way" of reading the Bible--cosmology seen through the eyes of the authors of the scriptures, or as closely as we can manage from our 21st century perspective.

In both books, Mike systematically lays out the worldview the prophets and apostles recorded in the 66 books of the canon. In a nutshell, humanity was created to serve as the "imagers" of Yahweh, charged with taking dominion of the Earth as members of His Divine Council--which Mike describes as a sort of "supernatural task force". The rebellion of Adam and Eve, encouraged by one of the nachash, resulted in death and banishment from the "cosmic mountain". (Yes, Eden was a garden, but it was also a mountain).

The rest of the Bible is a chronicle of the long war between the rebellious members of the council and Yahweh, and the plan of redemption He set in motion after the Fall. It culminates with Yahweh's final victory at the battle for the "cosmic mountain", Armageddon. (And Mike explains why Armageddon will be fought at Jerusalem--Mount Zion--and not at the "mount of Megiddo". For one thing, Megiddo is in a valley.)

Most of us have heard about heaven, but it's a safe bet that most of what we think we know about life after death and/or the Second Coming is a fuzzy conflation of things half heard on Sunday mornings and random bits of scripturally unfounded fluff absorbed from the culture. Jesus didn't die on the cross just to save us from death, although that's obviously of critical importance, but to restore our inheritance as heirs of Yahweh--members of the Divine Council who will one day judge angels!

This mind-blowing concept gives new significance this passage from Hebrews:

11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,

"I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."

13 And again,

"I will put my trust in him."

And again,

“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
(Hebrews 2:11-13, ESV - emphasis added)

Do you get that? A day is coming when Jesus will present his followers to the congregation--the assembly, the Divine Council--on Yahweh's "cosmic mountain", Mount Zion. And he will sing our praises, saying, "Behold: I and the children God has given to me."

If that doesn't take away your breath, then you really don't grasp the situation you're in.

Five-star ratings for both books. Lexham Press also offers a study guide for Supernatural suitable for personal devotions or small group study. If you're new to the concept of the Divine Council and looking for a quick overview, or something you can share with a friend or family member to ease them into this "new old way" of reading the Bible, start with Supernatural.

If you're willing to jump into the deep end, get The Unseen Realm. Both are highly recommended.

Mike will be the guest on the nationally syndicated SkyWatchTV program (Christian Television Network: DirecTV ch. 376 and Dish Network ch. 267) on Tuesday, January 19th at 9:30 PM Eastern.

[LaRosa Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much do you believe the Bible? Do you really believe what it says? I mean, do you really really believe what it says? Even those difficult passages you come across, do you believe those too, or do you just ignore them like they’re not really there? These are the kinds of questions we need to ask ourselves when it comes to the Bible. If we are going to believe the things it says about Jesus, but gloss over the things we don’t like or find difficult to understand we are doing ourselves a disservice. Michael Heiser wants to tackle the question of what we believe about the Bible in his new book titled Supernatural: What the Bible teaches about the unseen world – and why it matters.

Supernatural is the follow-up to the book he released this summer titled The Unseen Realm, which was a fantastic read. Where The Unseen Realm came in at a whopping 400+ pages and targeted pastors and academia, Supernatural is meant for all Christians and is less than half the number of pages (167). The premise of the book is simple, albeit challenging: “Do you really believe what the Bible says?” (page 11). As you read through the book, the question gnaws at your soul deeper & deeper until you face the reality that either you do or don’t.

Now, what Christian in their right mind would say they didn’t believe what the Bible says? Here’s a pop quiz. Do you believe that there are other gods in heaven? What is God’s plan for humanity and the Earth? Did heavenly beings really have sex with humans? Did God walk the earth in human form before the incarnation? Why was the conquest of Israel so violent? These are just some of the things we need to think through when we read the Bible. Our answer to those questions reveal how much we truly believe what the Bible says. In Supernatural Dr. Heiser seeks to provide clear biblical answers to these questions and more.

Christians believe the Bible to be a supernatural book, but in this book Dr. Heiser wants to show us that if we’re going to understand and get the most out of it, we need to not be weirded out by the seemingly unnatural & supernatural events that take place in the Bible. As such, Supernatural brings the unseen realm of the Bible to the forefront for all to see. The presentation is not sensationalized at all, but is very straightforward & to the point. Dr. Heiser helps us to see the Bible the way Jews, early Christians, and surrounding cultures would have seen it. God had a divine counsel, some of which rebelled. He gave the people over to some of these lower elohim (gods) and called out his own portion in Abraham. The rest of the story is how God works to restore Eden, ultimately through the work of Jesus and the building of his Church. Even today we still must realize that the spiritual realm is real. We need to read the Bible with this understanding or we will miss a good portion of what God is telling us. If we understand who we are in light of the supernatural, we will be better equipped to serve the Lord. That is the purpose of Supernatural.

The one area where Supernatural sets itself apart from its counterpart The Unseen Realm, aside from its brevity, is its emphasis on application. At the end of each chapter is a section called “Why This Matters” where Dr. Heiser recaps the chapter and explains why these truths matter in everyday life. It’s one thing to believe in the supernatural, but it’s another thing entirely to have it shape the way you live and approach others. These applications are worth their weight in gold and make this book worth owning.

Supernatural is a very straightforward and quick read. There are no excessive details to bog you down, and you can’t help but want to keep reading on to the next chapter. This book would work well in a small group Bible study or book club, as the material is ripe for spiritual conversations. Even if you don’t read it in a group, the personal edification and challenge are worthwhile as well. Depending on your Christian background this book will either confirm & strengthen what you already believe or challenge you to rethink what you thought you knew about the Bible. Either way, it’s worth the read.

[India M. Clamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Dr. Michael S. Heiser, compiles his fifteen years of research on a biblical account of unseen world of the supernatural---unfiltered by common bias. His approach is one choosing not to infantilize readers of the Bible and readings of its "questionable" contents. Many theological systems rather handle difficulty by "dismissing passages judged as weird or trifling" given the meaning has no place in our ordered interpretation of the Bible. Creatures such as the Nephilim, Sons of God and Angelic messengers are mentioned. This read is one common to scholars, pastors, ambitious students of the Bible and seekers of truth...

“Salvation is not gained by moral perfection. It is a gift that comes by grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8–9). That in turn means salvation cannot be lost by moral imperfection. What is not at all gained by performance cannot be lost by poor performance. Salvation is about believing loyalty—trusting..."
---Michael S. Heiser

There is some controversy about the "Divine Plans." According to Heiser’ he views such as fact that as multiple in number. For example the plan in the Garden of Eden 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 "Our Savior his Son."Though I comes across contrarily to having just one plan. Heisler laments to preserve the plan, God had to keep the details from Satan’s view---thus trick him into killing . Though Satan thought it was a victory, was in reality what God desired to accomplish his victory once and for all. All these "theories" may be mind boggling. Complex.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m appreciative of much of what Heiser is going for, and his historical knowledge is put to good use in weaving a grand mythological (in the sense of the true myth) narrative. His Arminianism shines through in all the worst places (with remarkably bad argumentation), and the result is that we end up with a God whose omnipotence feels watered down, his plan consistently confounded by the free will of his creatures. Heiser’s sincere belief in the unseen realm is admirable, his argument for the significance of the Divine Council compelling, but his portrait of the Creator is lacking.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a shorter, more accessible version of the author's book, The Unseen Realm, which I reviewed here. This book continues with some of the same problems I mentioned of the other book, particularly issues of God's sovereignty, will, and human autonomy. Heiser sticks mostly to biblical references in this book, but his conclusions are also drawn from extra-biblical writings, which are more documented in the first book.

The subject matter is Heiser's specialized field of academic scholarship and these books illustrate one of the weaknesses of narrow specialization--to the man with only a hammer, everything is a nail. I think some of the conclusions he comes to are a stretch, at least based on the Bible alone. However, I still think the work is valuable and, at least, he will provide commentary on some things in different passages that a lot of commentaries don't deal with at all. Read it carefully.

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not that I've read many books on angels, demons, and the supernatural, but this was certainly the best I've read on the topic. Very interesting; very easy to read.

I appreciated how Heiser pulled together the data from all over the Bible, and in a way that didn't force anything super-sensational. He explains why the Old Testament nations each have their own gods. He shows what it means to be sons of God and why we will judge angels. Of course, I didn't agree with everything in the book. But there was much food for thought, and Heiser made a compelling case for why it matters for us to understand the spiritual world. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, and the weapons of our warfare are prayer and the preaching of the gospel.

Update 2023: Really enjoyed reading it to my teenagers. They were just as encouraged by it as I was 7 years ago.

[Jeremy]

The scholarly version is The Unseen Realm. Detailed review here.

[Joel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Biblical scholarship in one respect is about learning the skill of thinking in ancient ways. This is a demanding and difficult task with many layers of nuance.
This is also precisely the issue with Heiser’s method as presented in this book. He seems to be more interested in how he can interpret and imagine words in our modern context without performing the due diligence of seeking their realm of meaning and usage in their context and among their immediate audience.
This is also accompanied by hyper-literal interpretations of mythic language devices; again not appreciating the contextual nuances that reveal themselves through comparative studies of other ancient Near Eastern texts.
.
An example of this is his interpretation of the Imagio Dei; that humans are not unique within the biblical narrative as image bearers, and that all celestial beings - including demons - share in the image of God.
.
Furthermore his failure to recognise the chaos-language within cosmologies - as well as his flatly literal handling of myth - leads to a mishandling of the serpent in the garden of eden; creating a celestial king who through Gen 3 receives the lordship and claim to all human souls(!)
(If you are interested in navigating cosmologies and mythic devices I would highly recommend reading Walton’s “The Lost World of Adam and Eve.”)
.
David B. Sloan highlights the above concerns well in his review of the connected title “The Unseen Realm”:
“[Heiser] seems to assume that the worldviews expressed in the Bible are authoritative, though many would object that in some of these God is simply accommodating to ancient understanding... Heiser also seems to assume that the biblical authors share a single worldview. For one who emphasizes the “mosaic” that is Scripture, it appears that he flattens the mosaic in favor of coherency.”
.
Ultimately this book is not very helpful for either the uninitiated, nor for the student.
It is inconsistent and relies on convenient conclusions rather than well represented arguments. It is ultimately a systematic evangelical apologetic for denominationally agreeable ideas concerning the supernatural, and the result is neither rigorous biblical scholarship, nor consistent theological systematics.

[Seth Hogeterp · Rating 1 out of 5]

In this book, Michael Heiser is trying to make sense of a complex reality: That there are forces of evil beyond what we can see, and that Jesus, through the cross, played a key role in fighting those forces. He does this the only way he knows how, by taking what the Bible has to say about this theme (especially what the Bible says about “other gods”) extremely and woodenly literally. Unfortunately, this lead to a number of massive logical leaps, and some really harmful conclusions about the character of God. Thus, I would not recommend this book, especially if you’re someone trying to make sense of the unseen world. It just doesn’t provide any satisfying or helpful discussion, and falls flat in terms of writing tone, academic integrity, and genuine hope through the God of Love.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that this book has as high of a rating as it does. The implicit assumptions that Heiser makes about how readers read the Bible are arrogant. Heiser doesn't reference any source material to support his claims and he switches between various translations (some obscure) of the Bible to support his argument as it fits his narrative. Very disappointing.

[Melvin Kauffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I have heard much about Heiser's work, this is the first time I've engaged with any of his books. This is a lighter, layman's version of "The Unseen Realm" and a good introduction to the cosmic forces at play in the biblical narrative.

The two points that were most intriguing to me and deserve further study/engagement with Heiser's other work: The dividing of the nations to lesser gods at Babel (gods/princes of the nations) and the family of God including the divine council and spiritual beings.

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good on making sense of theophanies and the reality of the oft-overlooked spiritual elements of scripture. Not good on free will, but a worthy read for what he gets right.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cliffs-notes version of his longer Unseen Realm.

Key argument: “In at least some cases, God decrees what he wants done but gives his supernatural agents freedom to decide what it means” (23).

Image of God

Genesis says God says “Create in our image” and it says God created in his image.” Since God is speaking to the Divine council and not the Trinity, this means that the Council and God (and presumably we) have something in common (29). We are to image God’s rule on earth.

Divine Rebellions

The Old Testament never says there was an angelic rebellion (37). Revelation 12:7-12 is talking about the birth of Christ. There was another corporate transgression, but it was the beings in Genesis 6. Peter and Jude say that these angels are placed in eternal darkness under chains. If we take 1 Enoch seriously (and Peter and Jude) did, then from these beings came the Nephilim, and when the Nephilim died, their spirits became demons.

The physical descendants of the Nephilim are called the Anakim and the Rephaim (Numb. 13:32-33; Deut. 2:10-11; some of these Rephaim show up in the underworld realm of the dead (Isai. 14:9-11).

Cosmic Geography

Deuteronomy 32 Worldview: Geography in the Bible is cosmic (52).

Daniel 9-10: foreign nations are ruled by divine princes.
1 Sam. 26:19: David fears being in a land of foreign gods.
2 Kgs 5: Namaan takes Israelite dirt back
Paul uses a range of terms for divine, hostile beings–thrones, principalities, powers
Nota Bene:

Angels don’t have wings. Cherubim do, but they are never called angels (Heiser 19).
Any disembodied spirit is an elohim (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 32:17; 1 Samuel 28:13; Heiser 20).
God has a supernatural task force (1 Kgs 22:19-23; Ps. 82:1).

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read 2015: I really don't know what to think. There were portions of this that made perfect sense and other portions I was like "wha?" So I guess I have to go on and read his more scholarly work Unseen Realm next to decide if I agree with him. But a book that expands your understanding and challenges your previous understandings, this is the book that does that!
Recommended (I think)

Reread in 2021: I am preaching on Psalm 82 next week and have been studying the Psalm which is a key portion of Heiser’s views on the unseen realm and I think he is right. My studies so far have really agreed with him and his view is not the minority report I thought it was when I first read this book. Recommended (this time FOR SURE)

[Courtney Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was recommended by my pastor, and it did not disappoint!! It is such an easy read (finished in a few hours), but it dives deep into ideas that I have never thought deeply about. It challenged my shallow faith by making me think of the supernatural realm in new ways.

So insightful- from God, angels, demons, other gods, to even our place in divine royalty- I have a better understanding of scriptures. I would like to check out Unseen Realm by Heiser to look at these ideas more in depth.

[Drew Heath · Rating 1 out of 5]

For someone held in such high esteem as a Biblical scholar, he constructs a very poorly constructed argument for the heavenly council and the typical fundamentalist argument that the Bible is CLEAR in supporting this with NO CITATIONS and switching in multiple translations.

Don't read if you're expecting rigorous scholarship and research!

[Dee Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audible sale 3 hours 51 min. Narrated by Gordon Greenhill (A)

Marvelous reader. Poor theology.

[Rachel Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

very red pill experience to illuminate the scriptures. The “weird” parts of the Bible that teachers often ignore are very important about our lives, the supernatural, and the unseen realities.

I started reading this book around October because it is a time when many people consider the supernatural. Halloween is interesting to me because it is a decidedly not modern time in our otherwise modernity saturated culture. (And sadly when people *celebrate* demons, alas.) I think the draw of the current holiday is all people, even non Christians long to know the reality of angels, demons, the divine council, and the one true God. And I got to complete reading it as author Michael Heiser passed into glory this month in February 2023. A king of a man who wrote and studied unashamed of a single word of the bible.

He gets free will wrong (chp 4) but this book is an otherwise GREAT blessing to the American church. Read at least once to help keep your mind not Modern! And for him to rock you

[Brianna Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fiance has raved about this book since day one together. I finally sat down and read it and found it surprisingly easy to read and interesting. Definitely learned a lot about the unseen world and God's divine plan for his creation.

The most interesting chapter brings a correlation between the tower of Babel and Pentecost. You'll have to read it for yourself to understand ☺️

I didn't agree with everything, or maybe I just need to study more in depth before I can say. It is, afterall, a short, fast-paced book.

[Samuel Bierig · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give it 7 stars I would!

Probs the most important, helpful, insightful, & engaging book Ive read in the last 5 yrs. For me, that is saying something. Ive read some truly great books in the last 5 yrs. I don’t think I can overstate how important it is that you read this little book. I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

[Jake Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who was familiar with a lot of concepts Heiser has proposed and am generally convinced, this book was not a surprising one as it is for others. But, I would recommend it for any Christian, because the ideas he proposes in here are truly world changing, it’s also extremely readable.

[Chad E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started listening and realized it was everything in the “Unseen Realm” but for the layperson. Most of it is great but I do, like in the unseen realm, disagree with his overall literal interpretation of Scripture in the OT. That said, I have the same conclusions as him but a passage does not have to be literal to be true or convey a truth.

[Sarah Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars, not so much for the writing style, thought it was clear and well written, but because the subject was so mind blowing and theologically altering for me. It also checked the boxes of, would I read it again, yes. Would I personally own the book, yes. And would I recomend the book to anyone, absolutely yes!

[Allison Whiteford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes to so many things I’ve never thought about or been told. It has made reading the Bible so much more interesting and has given sense to parts I didn’t understand before. It was encouraging and motivating.

[Aidan Elliot · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book promised people's understanding of supernatural in biblical times and ended up constructing an elaborate and less believeable reason to care for the supernatural in our day and age.

[Angela Blount · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one even more interesting than Heiser's I Dare You Not To Bore Me with the Bible.

As ever, the author's tone is conversational and accessible. And the topic is one that a lot of churches either skip over or seem to find deeply uncomfortable. (Heiser is a proponent of taking a closer look at anything in the Bible that seems "weird", going on the assumption that its weirdness means its probably important.)

I do wish he'd gotten into spiritual warfare with this... but that was perhaps outside of his focus.

[Ian Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read that really puts color to the outlines of a picture the Bible creates. Adds a totally new layer to being “made in Gods image” and what it looks like to “be made new in Christ”. Also makes the Gospel so much more powerful reading about the Supernatural elements of the cross and resurrection. Loved it!

[Josh Ponder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Michael Heiser’s exploration of the Divine Council worldview in Supernatural profoundly reshaped my understanding of human purpose and our relationship with the divine. Dr. Heiser’s Supernatural offers an easily digestible companion to The Unseen Realm while still distilling complex theological ideas, revealing Yahweh’s unwavering commitment to humanity and His ultimate plan to establish His divine family on earth. Through a careful examination of scripture, Heiser illuminates God’s relentless pursuit of restoring humanity’s intended role as royalty within His cosmic design. This book serves as an excellent entry point into Dr. Heiser’s groundbreaking scholarship and I look forward to diving even deeper into his work.

[Paige Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that, while you're reading it, you'll find yourself simultaneously saying "What? I'm not sure about that.. I've never heard that before and I've been a Christian my whole life!" and "Dude, that actually makes SO much Sense! What the heck!?!". It is simply fascinating and if you're anything like me, you'll read this book is really just his intro book to the subject and you'll find yourself going onto Amazon and adding all of his other books on the subject to your wish list. :D Fascinating read that I would Highly recommend! Definitely going to be doing some further reading and study on the whole subject now.

Favorite Quote "Salvation is not gained by moral perfection. It is a gift that comes by grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). That in turn means that salvation cannot be lost by moral imperfection. What is not at all gained by performance cannot be lost by poor performance. Salvation is about believing loyalty - trusting what Jesus did to defeat Satan's claim and turning from all other gods and the belief systems of which they are a part."