Note to the reader:
Just because we recommend any book, doesn't follow that we agree with it on all aspects. We recommend it because it is beneficial for effective Bible study in regard to certain topics. Dr. Michael Heiser was a gem and an expert in Old Testament Biblical Theology taking into account the Ancient Near Eastern context, Divine council theology, and Demons.
This summary article credits to brother Shanta Tamang who is passionate in Apologetics featuring Evolution and Historical Jesus.
Summary
of Supernatural
This is a
summary of book Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World
and Why it Matters by Michael Heiser. As Heiser tells in the
acknowledgement section, this book is highly based on his previous book Unseen
Realm. Every pages and chapters of this book is full of new and fascinating
ideas that will change the way we look Bible, God and ourselves, why we are
here and our ultimate destiny. The book mainly focuses on the unseen world of
scripture which are extraordinary and supernatural in nature such as council of
God, divine beings, sons of God, Satan, Nephilim, cosmic geography, etc. which
many preachers and pastors barely talk in our churches. Therfore, some people
especially like Nepalese will find it very difficult to embrace since it
contains very new and controversial topics. However, I find it as very helpful
and thoughtful that every person needs to read.
The author
opens the book with the common question, whether we really believe or not what
Bible says. If we would say yes then it will take us to believe in many strange
things of scripture. Bible contains many passages and verses like 1 kings
22:19-23 where God meets with the group of spiritual beings to decide what
happens in the earth, which are very strange and troubling to believe especially
in this modern age where no value is given to unseen spiritual world. But
Heiser says in reality these strange passages like above and strange verse like
psalms 82:1,2 kings 6:8-23, 1 Corinthian 6:3, Genesis 6:1-4 are very helpful
since they teach specific ideas about God, unseen world and our own lives.
Besides they are different from the ordinary, the author says the main reason
why people are fascinated by science fiction or supernatural epics and movie is
the way how we have been taught to think about the supernatural things of Bible
among us. On the other hand, we churches are escaping the supernatural stories
and making it super boring which is also the reason why Christians are not
giving much interest.
Bible is
very true when it uses the term gods which are created divine beings. God has
the force group of divine beings which carry to make a decision together with
God which is called God's assembly or council. This can be seen clearly in
verses like Psalm 89:5-7, Daniel 7:10, psalm 82:1 and so on. All the members of
this council are known as spirits or gods or also sons of gods (Job1:6, 2:).
One controversial idea that I found while reading this book was the term Elohim
which has been conventionally understood as the triune God. According to book,
unlike trinity the Hebrew term Elohim means gods which literally are members of
divine council. And God is the head of this council so he is called as the God
of gods (Psalm 136:2, Deuteronomy 10:17). Not only does God have heavenly
council but he has council on earth as well where God wants Adam and Eve as an
image bearer of God to be part of council and to rule the world and make like
Eden, God's home office and also the place where heaven and earth intersects.
Since we are members of his family so God calls us as sons of God or children
of God (John 1:12, Galatians 3:26). As a result, we see that God has two
councils, on heaven and Earth. And all the members of his family are decision
makers.
It becomes
very clear that nobody can take a decision unless he/she/it has something to
choose out of the available choices. Relatively, nobody can choose unless
he/she/it has free will, an ability to choose right or wrong, good or bad.
unlike robot which only does what is programmed it for God gives free will to
his both imperfect beings (divine and human). the concept like freewill play a
vital role. And it should be remembered that it freewill that has made things
like love and self-sacrifice possible to exist and it is the same freewill that
has led to divine rebellion in God's
council where one member of council doesn't like God's authority and wishes to
be God(Isaiah 14:13) . As a result, God banishes him along with other angels
from heaven to earth and today he is known as Satan or Devil among us. Now this
enemy of God deceit Adam and Even in the garden of Eden which finally leads to
loss of earthy immortality. As a result, there needed a redeemer for human to
have an eternal life. This is all how the main charters Satan and Jesus enters
in a story.
As we all
know that every decision has its consequence, so does Adam and Eve's decision.
Because of their disobedience, sin passed into their off springs. With the time
the growth of sins increases in the earth. Now suddenly there is an entry of Nephilim,
offspring of sons of God (Genesis 6:1-4). This causes co-opt in God's plan for
human and the restoration of life. Soon after the flood we see another
rebellion by human where they build the very big tower at Babel instead of
being scattered which wasn't God plan.as before God wanted earth to be like
Eden but humans wanted to bring God down at one spot. As a result, God along with hid council
decide to split their languages. God uses Abraham and promises to bless. After
people are scattered, God choses nation Israel as his family in order to renew
his kingdom on earth and fulfil his plan. So, Geography, place, nation in bible
is cosmic, it is either dedicated to Yahweh, the most High or other lesser
powerful gods (Deuteronomy 32). Israel was God's family and earthly
representatives and the law of God was delivered by God’s council. But sadly, Israelites
fails by breaking laws and worshiping other foreign gods of foreign lands. They
were supposed to be loyal to God since the salvation for Israelites was by the
faith on the promises and characters of God of gods and refusing to worship
other gods. Some of the terms are very crucial to understand about God. The
word or voice of God in old testament (Genesis15:1-6, 1 Samuel 3:19, Jeremiah
1:1-9) is not the literal sound we hear but it is the way of expressing God in
human form. And terms like Angels of Lord (Exodus 23:30-22) and name of Lord
(Isaiah 30:27-28) are in fact referring to God Himself. Moreover, Angel was the
God in human form and also second person of Trinity who would later be a human,
Jesus. There is a holy war for the promised land which was not physical but war
against the force of darkness and spiritual enemies. With the time, the
promised land, holy land is captured by other nations due to unloyalty and
holiness of Israelites.
Since the fall
of Adam, the world has been corrupted and lord of death has been controlling over humans and blocking the God's plan to
make earth the place where humanity could enjoy divine. So, God needs a man who
is more than man, has resistant over temptation, obeys to solve this serious
problem. But that was only possible if God himself becomes man. The new plan
was sending to send Jesus, the messiah to earth and reversing the curse of fall
by dying on a cross and again raising on third day. We see that the Satan tries
many times to trap Jesus to make plan unsuccessful but Jesus, a God in a human
form wins every time. The reversal was that Satan would not have a claim over
the humanity once people belongs to Jesus. So, after his three years ministry
Jesus begins to prepare for end. Jesus challenged the power of darkness and the
transfiguration of Jesus on mount Hermon shows that He was here to take back
all those which were taken. Following Daniel 7 clears says that it is the beginning
of the end of the supernatural power of darkness when Jesus Christ, Son of Man
dies, rises again, and ascends to heaven.
After that
there is great reversal where He pours out his Spirit onto his people (Acts 2)
during the day of Pentecost. The term rushing wind used here to refer the
arrival of spirit is similar as the presence of God used in Old testament. And
two things, flaming tongues which is associated with division and Jews crowd
associated with confusion, connect event at Pentecost with Babel where there is
the division of languages and nations led to confusion among them. But that
divine and confusion led three thousand people to believe in a Christ. It is
clearly found in the writing of Paul that we don't wrestle against the flesh
and blood but against the unseen forces’ darkness like principles, powers, dominion
and lords. He frequently talks about the territorial forces that opposes to spread
gospel. All these show that Paul has realized the God's plan to restore His
kingdom has been launched in his own life. The concept of sacred place, holy
ground in Old testament is seen dramatic in New Testament. Sacred place or holy
ground were thee place places where God would dwell His presence but in New
Testament God is everywhere and We are holy ground of God since God' s presence
dwell upon us so we are called the temple of God. Followingly, baptism is spiritual
warfare and as Paul said although we die, we will rise with Christ. We will
have eternal life by the faith in Christ and in the new heavens and earth will
rule over angels (1 Corinthians 6.3). As the book say finally the powers of
darkness will be defeated and the demonic gods will lose their dominion over
the nations permanently which will be replaced by God’s glorified human family
and council. Happily, at the end we will be in new eternal Eden with God and we
will his family where there is no second death.
Conclusion
There is no
doubt that this book has indeed changed the way I look the Bible, God and
ourselves. I now know Bible speaks largely about the unseen world which are
supernatural. Similarly, I learn that God has a council of divine beings.
Especially this book has cleared who I think about Angel and Satan. I used to
think Angels as someone who has wings but it was member of God's council. Both
Satan and Angeles were sons of God. I knew my identity that I have a home in
family of God. And my purpose was to play a part in God's plan to restore Eden.
In country
like Our Nepal which is dominated by Hindus people, in my opinion it will be
hard or otherwise will take more years for Nepali people to accept this idea.
Because of two reasons. Firstly, this very new
and controversial stuff , so few peoples in country are familiar with
this idea and for majority of Nepali Christ the notion is alien .Secondly,
though there are vast differences between the
Heiser's idea of gods, angels and gods of Hinduism, it shows Bible somehow being parallel to the
idea of Hinduism, since there are countless gods and Shiva as lord head.
Thought I
like idea of the book, there are some issues I would like to Raise. Trinity is
the most important one that I want to talk since I felt like the book presents
few or insufficient idea about Trinity. It would be much better if he shows
link between God's council and Trinity comprehensively because almost every
Christian beliefs God as Trinity-one being with three personhoods.
In
conclusion it was really interesting to learn the ideas book provides and it
has changed the way I look Bible and its events. And I think this idea should
be discuss in our local church and among congregations.
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