This reviewer found it interesting that Heiser says that Judaism accepted the idea of two “Yahweh figures” in the OT. Like most Evangelicals, he says this angel is the Lord Himself (p.
Heiser has a lengthy discussion on the Angel of the Lord in the OT. Finally, Heiser thinks that unfallen angels have free will and can fall away (p. He also believes that angels bear the image of God, which accounts for the “us” in Gen 1:26 (p. Other areas in which Heiser challenges commonly held positions include his opinion that angels who rebel against God will eventually have their existence terminated (Ps 82:6-7 p. Here we see that Heiser believes that Near Eastern literature can determine the meaning of Biblical terms. Obviously this is contrary to the understanding of most Evangelicals.Īnother example of where Heiser goes against tradition is the meaning of the word “seraphim.” He says it does not signify “to burn.” Instead, it comes from Egyptian throne guardian terminology and means “serpent” (p. The one spoken of is a temporary accuser. He argues from Hebrew grammar that the word is not a proper name. In Job 1–2, Heiser does not think “Satan” is Lucifer, the fallen cherubim (pp.
For example, he uses Ugaritic texts to help identify the fallen one in Isa 14:13 as the king of Babylon, and not Satan (p. To understand certain OT passages, Heiser sometimes appeals to New Eastern texts. In some cases, God asks for their advice (pp. They are part of the heavenly council, which means they participate in decisions made and are used by God to execute various judgments. It is used sometimes to refer to God, but it can also refer to angels (p. Heiser discusses the word “gods” ( elohim) in the OT. The current role of angels teaches us about the destiny of the Church (pp. He also thinks that all Christians will rule with Christ in the coming kingdom. He rightly states that “heaven” will be on earth. Heiser says that the nations are currently being ruled by fallen angels. However, other things will challenge our traditional way of understanding these issues. The reader will find that some of the things Heiser says agrees with what most Evangelicals think about angels. This includes the writings found at Qumran. He spends a great deal of time discussing Second Temple Judaism and its view of angels. In addition, Heiser deals with the meaning of both Hebrew and Greek words. While a layman can understand the book, it is a scholarly work. The topic of the book is important simply because the Bible discusses it (p. He does not discuss fallen angels in any detail. He desires to speak about what the Bible says about angels. In his book Angels, Michael Heiser says that there are many misunderstandings about angels due to Christian traditions and myths. Angels: What the Bible Really Says About God’s Heavenly Host.
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