The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible
One day during a Hebrew lecture in seminary, my internationally respected Old Testament professor Peter Gentry pointed out examples across the Old Testament of something he called the divine council, or the assembly of the gods. It was something of a passing comment, but with a spark in his eye he cryptically mentioned that the heavens are full of stranger creatures than most of us realize. That comment sat in the attic of my mind, mostly unpacked, until I came across Heiser’s book years later. When I turned the last page of Unseen Realm, in which Heiser masterfully unpacks the supernatural worldview of the Bible, I understood the spark in Gentry’s eye. I will literally never look at the Bible or the universe the same again, seeing now that both are teeming with strange and wonderful beings created and engaged by Yahweh. Of course I knew about angels and demons before, but I had no idea how complicated the world of celestial beings is, nor how prevalent they are to the whole storyline of the Bible and redemptive history. If you want a teaser, go read Psalm 82 carefully and try to forget what you have been told about it. Then go read Heiser’s book, but feel free to skip the section on free will.