One reader has asked for a review of Dr. Michael S. Hesier’s work used on this blog. Here are some his books available for free online:
He’s got several others; it’s not hard to find them online if you would rather purchase paper copies. Over the past month, I’ve referred mostly to the first one in the list above.
The concept of the “Divine Council of Elohim” is the sum of several texts in the Bible: Job 1:6-12; Daniel 10:12-13; Deuteronomy 32:7-9 and Psalm 82. But note that Heiser is quite the expert in not just Hebrew, but a broader collection of other Ancient Near Eastern languages and their literature. He digs deep into the actual Hebrew meaning of those passages, not as they are commonly translated into English.
Most English translations avoid anything that would upset the various brands of mainstream Christian religious doctrine, so Heiser makes it a point to lay out a full analysis of these and many other passages. Further, he explains the cultural setting of how God reveals Himself as a divine nomad sheikh. Thus, it recasts the flavor of passages we thought we all knew and understood. Let me recommend the NET Bible for this, because the translators are more likely to use an accurate translation, and explain some of it in their footnotes.
With the list above we have:
Job 1:6-12 – the image of Satan as a member of the God’s staff, who is obliged to make an appearance when God calls together His advisers. They are referred to as “sons of God” in the same fashion as any other sheikh would talk about his council as his sons.
Daniel 10:7-13 – again, a review of terminology recast in the Hebrew style. The messenger from Heaven had to contend with the “prince of Persia”, which Heiser explains in Hebrew terminology as one of those “sons of God” previously mentioned. The messenger was not released from hold until the intervention of Michael, one of the other “sons of God” on the council. It’s highly political, as one might expect from any sheikh’s council.
Deuteronomy 32:7-9 – a song from Moses recounting the lore of how Israel was chosen, casting it in the context of how God had parceled out the human race among His “heavenly assembly” and the NET Bible footnotes even mention Dr. Heiser’s analysis, though they insist on using the term “angels” contrary to his explanation.
Psalm 82 – a proper translation of this paints the image of God standing in His assembly of “gods” (elohim), and berates them for misleading the people they were charged with guiding. They were created and granted such great power and divine wisdom, but cannot seem to do their jobs. The Lord threatens to destroy them like mortals.
In additions, Heiser is hardly the first to notice that Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 are poetic memorials of how the Devil fell from his former position. However, he gives that interpretation a much stronger basis, pointing out the Devil tried to grab God’s glory for himself.
In the broader context of the language, politics and culture of the Hebrew people, not to mention how closely it parallels the literature and culture of the rest of the Ancient Near East, we are granted a glimpse into God’s divine court and a revelation that gives us enough to establish expectations.
While I had never heard of Heiser during my education, as soon as I read his books, I recognized most of what he had to say as things I had been taught about the Hebrew culture and history. The image of some nomad shepherd sheikh in his tents was well understood long ago. Knowing how such a ruler would organize his servants and his domain breathes life into a more accurate translation of the Scripture, and the imagery is common knowledge for those who choose to study it.
I’ve been told by younger generations this kind of thing is increasingly rare in colleges and seminaries. All the more reason we should seek to share this knowledge to keep it alive.
I recommend you read at least the first book in the list above. You’ll find that the second one overlaps an awful lot. I haven’t yet looked at the third one. For those who find it hard to wade through his scholarly stuff, there are several reviews and summaries by other authors. Some of you have surely noticed I’m not onboard with everything Heiser says, but that was never the point. I was just thrilled to see that someone else covered some of the same ground from a different perspective; it was a bonus that he had the chops to press the issue from a higher academic standing.
Our “obsession” with rediscovering the Hebrew perspective on their own Scripture is not something peculiar to Radix Fidem. It is supported by strong scholarship from real experts.