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Michael S. Heiser

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For the sculptor, see Michael Heizer.

Michael S. Heiser (died February 20, 2023) was an American biblical Old Testament scholar and Christian author with training in ancient history, Semitic languages, and the Hebrew Bible from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His expertise and work focused on the nature of the spiritual realm in the Bible and about spiritual matters more generally, and he wrote more than ten books on these subjects since 2010. He served as Executive Director of the School of Ministry at Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida and as a professor at Liberty University and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.[needs update] He ran The Naked Bible podcast and Miqlat, a ministry to disseminate his scholarship. He additionally been active in media productions around his area of interest, and in response to popular presentations relating to spiritual matters (such as material in the Stranger Things series, and in rebutting ancient astronaut conjectures).

Education

Heiser was raised in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He received an MA in Ancient History from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MA and PhD in the Hebrew Bible and Semitic Languages from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (with a minor in Classical studies).[1][2]

Research interests

Heiser's area of expertise is the nature of the spiritual realm in the Bible, namely the "Divine Council" (e.g., in Psalm 82) and the hierarchy of spiritual order in the Bible.[3] In many of his works, Heiser stressed the overarching importance and role of the Divine Council in the Old Testament, and Kevin Bauder, Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary, has referred to Heiser as the "most prominent evangelical defender" of the divine council interpretation of Psalm 82; he notes that Heiser "has become a[n]... evangelist for the divine council theory, giving it wide exposure in popular books and articles, and defending it..." through his blogging and other internet activities.[4]

Criticism of ancient astronaut arguments

Heiser spoke out critically against proponents of pseudoscientific ancient astronaut conjectures, especially as popularized by Zechariah Sitchin. Heiser appeared in Ancient Aliens Debunked as an expert on the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern texts.[5][6]

Career

Beginning in 2015, Heiser published at least ten books regarding the meaning of various biblical concepts, and on other topics related to popular understandings of spirituality; in addition, he produced at least two works of fiction, in the early 2010s.[citation needed] Until 2019, Heiser was scholar-in-residence at Faithlife Corporation.[7] As of 2018 he was Executive Director of the School of Ministry at Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, and a distance-learning professor at Liberty University[8][9] and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.[10][third-party source needed][needs update] As of that date, Heiser produced the podcast, The Naked Bible, and a ministry called Miqlat, dedicated to the production and dissemination of his content.[citation needed]

Heiser appeared in the 2018 documentary film Fragments of Truth,[citation needed][11] and in the 2019 documentary film The Unseen Realm.[citation needed][12] In 2019 Heiser released the book The World Turned Upside Down: Finding the Gospel in Stranger Things, referencing the Netflix series Stranger Things as analogies to Christian theology.[13]

Personal life

In 2020, Heiser was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.[14] On January 4, 2023, Drenna Heiser, posting on the "drmshphd" Instagram page with an accompanying picture of the hospitalized Heiser, noted that he had been admitted for severe anemia, that physicians had stabilized him and were seeking to determine a source of blood loss, and that he and the family "appreciate[d] all the prayers, messages, thoughts, support, encouragement you have shown us and our family since Mike’s diagnosis".[15] On January 22, 2023, he announced on his Facebook page that he was "at the end of the road in the late stage (4) of a very aggressive pancreatic cancer".[16] Heiser died on February 20, 2023.[17] His Facebook page announced he had passed and "stepped into the Unseen Realm."[18]

Selected works

  • Heiser, Michael S. (2012). The Facade: Book 1 of the Facade Saga. Kirkdale Press. ISBN 978-1577995685.
  • ——— (2014). The Portent: Book 2 of the Facade Saga. Kirkdale Press. ISBN 978-1577995616.
  • ——— (2015). I Dare You Not to Bore Me with The Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 978-1577995395.
  • ——— (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 978-1-577-99556-2.
  • ——— (2015). Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World - and Why It Matters. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 978-1577995586.
  • ——— (2017). Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ. Crane, MO: Defender Publishing. ISBN 978-0-998-14263-0.
  • ——— (2017). The Bible Unfiltered: Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 978-1-683-59040-8.
  • ——— (2018). Angels: What the Bible Really Says About God's Heavenly Host. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 978-1-683-59104-7.
  • ——— (2019). A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader's commentary, Vol. I: The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36). Crane, MO: Defender Publishing. ISBN 978-1-948-01430-4.
  • ——— (2019). The World Turned Upside Down: Finding the Gospel in Stranger Things. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 978-1-683-59322-5.
  • ——— (2020). Demons: What the Bible really says about the powers of darkness. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 978-1 683-59290-7.
  • ——— (2021). A Companion to the Book of Enoch: a reader's commentary, Vol. II: The Parables of Enoch (1 Enoch 37-71). Crane, MO: Defender Publishing. ISBN 978-1-948-01441-0.

Further reading

  • G.S. Staff (February 6, 2023). ""Michael S. Heiser" [search result]". Scholar.Google.com. Retrieved February 6, 2023. Access to the >400 entries at Google Scholar (G.S.), including citations for the Heiser graduate dissertation at Wisconsin, most Heiser books, and many scholarly papers.

References

  1. ^ Heiser, Michael S. (February 2014). "About". Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  2. ^ Heiser, Michael S. (February 2013). "Dr. Michael S. Heiser CV" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  3. ^ Markos, Louis (June 12, 2020). "The Truth About Angels and Demons Is Staring Us in the Face". Christianity Today. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  4. ^ Bauder, Kevin T. (2019). "Who Judges the Judge? Psalm 82". The Old Testament Yesterday and Today: Essays in Honor of Michael P.V. Barrett. Reformation Heritage Books. p. 167.
  5. ^ "NTR – Dr. Michael Heiser Interview". Nowhere to Run with Chris White. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  6. ^ "Ancient Aliens Debunked". Ancient Aliens Debunked. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  7. ^ Heiser, Michael S. "Logos Author Search | Michael S. Heiser". Logos. Retrieved January 14, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Heiser, Michael S. "Bio for Dr. Michael Heiser, Ph.D." Logos. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  9. ^ Heiser, Michael S. (December 15, 2018). "Dr. Michael S. Heiser". Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  10. ^ Heiser, Michael S. "Dr. Michael S. Heiser" (PDF).
  11. ^ Fragments of Truth | Official Trailer, retrieved April 24, 2018
  12. ^ The Unseen Realm | Official Film Website, retrieved November 27, 2019
  13. ^ Metaxas, Eric. "Michael Heiser: The World Turned Upside Down (on Stranger Things)". Youtube. The Eric Metaxas Radio Show.[dead YouTube link]
  14. ^ Heiser, Michael S. (November 2, 2021). "Brief Health Update". Dr. Michael Heiser. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  15. ^ Heiser, Drenna (January 3, 2022). "drmshphd From Drenna Heiser". Instagram.com. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  16. ^ Lasher, James (January 23, 2023). "Bible Scholar Dr. Michael Heiser Shares Bleak Diagnosis". Charisma News. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  17. ^ "Dr. Michael Heiser has passed into life everlasting after a long battle with cancer". Facebook. Lexham Press. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  18. ^ "Michael S. Heiser Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
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