Loading summary
Transcript50 lines
- [00:00]
A
The late Dr. Michael Heiser's legendary book, the Unseen Realm reshaped how countless believers even read their Bibles, uncovering the supernatural
- [00:11]
B
worldview of scripture and challenging modern assumptions
- [00:14]
A
about the unseen world all around us. But movements like this don't just end with one book. Today we're talking about why the Unseen Realm continues to impact a brand new generation, whether or not there is a new 10th year anniversary edition in the works. And why a fresh project entitled the Deliverer matters right now. Hello everybody and welcome back to Skywatch tv. I'm Joe Artis Horn. You are in for an incredible treat as we have some very special guests back with us. We let me introduce who's here. She's the president of the Michael S. Heiser foundation, dedicated to preserving and advancing her late husband's biblical scholarship. She leads efforts to archive his work, publish new content and equip future generations to engage deeply with the word of God. Please welcome Drina Heiser. And he's an American Baptist hospital chaplain and chaplain educator who, who was friends with Mike Heiser from the age of 19. They attended Dallas Theological Seminary together and he was one of the first people to see the original draft of Mike's
- [01:33]
B
fiction book, the Facade.
- [01:35]
A
Please welcome Reverend Doug Vardell. Ladies and gentlemen, today is a celebration of the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser. His work, though he is not here with us in this realm, lives on and it is reaching a brand new generation of up and coming Bible theologians. People curious about the supernatural realm, those that are young, that are trying to discern the times we're living in. He and of course my father, the late Dr. Thomas Horne. Their works are still being recycled in podcasts and popular radio programs. I feel like even though doctor, Dr. Michael Heiser passed in 2023, that I am still seeing on Facebook, the comments. It's almost like sometimes people are recognized after they've departed, more so at times than during their tenure here on this planet. And I've never been able to square that. There's almost like a mythos that follows some of these and I will say without hesitation, if anyone is a legend in Bible prophecy, it is Dr. Michael Heiser.
- [02:45]
C
Yeah.
- [02:46]
B
Ye.
- [02:50]
A
If you missed last week's program, go back to the archives. Wherever it is that you watch Skywatch tv, perhaps go to the mobile app store and download our Skywatch Television mobile app absolutely free, where they still have yet to try and cancel us. Other digital platforms aren't as reliable. You never know when they're going to delete us or shut us down for Comments having to do with child advocacy or simply what's happening overseas. We take a political position that the algorithms dislike and we're gone yet again. Download the mobile app absolutely free to follow all of Skywatch Television's content and you will find last week we had an incredible interview with the one and only Drina Heiser.
- [03:30]
D
Thank you, Drina.
- [03:32]
A
You have picked up the mantle. You've taken over Michael's non for profit foundation. You've continued to make sure that you archive and carry his work forward to a whole new group of people that are still studying under Michael, even though he is not with us. Before we dive into more of your journey, I want to pivot over to Doug, because if you'll recall, at the end of last week, I teased something that they didn't even have time to unpack. Minds were blown. And I want to make sure that you hear me assert this, because we're going to unpack this for just a second. How many of you are familiar with Dr. Michael Heiser's fiction books the Portent and the Facade? And without enough time, I was cruel enough to tease a clamoring audience that there is a third book incoming. Doug. Yes to that. Now, what is becoming a series? You've got to tell us, okay, who's behind the writing of this third installation? Maybe we could even speculate that it may go on beyond a third book. But how are you doing in this? And of course, the gentleman that you're about to mention is also responsible for some other works we're going to talk about briefly. But a third installation, the Facade series.
- [04:48]
C
Yes. Very exciting to be able to share that a fellow by the name of Daniel Owen has been selected by Drina, and I've had the privilege of spending time with him on the phone and reading what he's been writing as a third installment in the Facade series. This is a fellow who had a very high secret clearance level at Los Alamos and is very knowledgeable about all of the topics that Mike would want to be included in the third novel.
- [05:23]
A
Do we have a release date yet, or is it still too premature to start revealing details like that?
- [05:29]
C
Too premature? He has written over half of it. Thank you. I was able to read it this past week, and I'll give you a quotation that is also a tease.
- [05:38]
A
And nobody anywhere yet has heard this tease.
- [05:41]
C
That's right.
- [05:41]
A
So this is a Skywatch TV exclusive.
- [05:43]
C
Yes, it is. It spoke to my heart when I read it. He wrote, God was withholding from them what was coming their way, insisting they trust in what could not be seen.
- [06:00]
A
Where's my copy, Doug? Where's my copy?
- [06:03]
C
I'm excited with you.
- [06:04]
A
And of course, Daniel's not just helping to bring that project to fruition. He also had a hand in some other works. Tell me about the children's book.
- [06:12]
D
Okay, well, when Daniel approached me about wanting to write the cipher, that's the third book, he said, I read the facade, like 10 times. Important 10 times. I knew it back and forward and I'm a photojournalist and blah, blah, blah, you know. And so we got to talking and I said, sure. And then I said to him, you know, my passion is giving families something to introduce, like the ancient near east worldview. You know, there's stuff for adults, but there's nothing for kids or families yet. And so I said my passion was to give families something to talk about the Ten Commandments from an ancient viewpoint. Cause that's really important. You know, our kids all learn the Ten Commandments very young, and they're kind of scary and ambiguous, and it covers really deep topics. And so I wanted something for families to be able to teach through from why these were given and why they even needed to be given and why they're relevant today. And so he said, I have four little girls and I'm actually working on something like that right now. I'm like, it was the Lord. So I said, let's do it. And so this book, the Deliverer and the Ten Commandments, came out last week. It is beautiful. When I opened it, I got so emotional because it is so beautiful to the Ten Commandments. There's beautiful artwork. It is geared though, for upper elementary on up. And it is really, if you're going to be upper elementary reading it to your kids, it really needs to be parent guided. And there are some parent questions in there and answers. The thing that he has done, though, is when you're reading through it, there's words in red and he has made this glossary in the back that explain each term. And he goes into Hebrew words and it's so kids can get used to an Old Testament mindset and the ancient Israelite worldview. And so this is a very pivotal, important book to start out, getting your kids to think about the ancient and the people that God chose.
- [08:28]
A
It's beautifully illustrated. She was showing me this in the green room, and in a few minutes we're going to make sure you know how you can get your own copy if that's something you're interested in. But leave it to Dr. Michael S. Heiser to also be thinking about the youngest generation up and coming, right?
- [08:41]
C
Yes. Yes.
- [08:46]
A
I got a quote that I want to share with you all, and I had to write it down. This is as close to verbatim as my memory can recall, so if they ever find the video archives and correct me on a syllable or two, I will stand corrected. But this is from memory what I recall my father saying about Dr. Michael Heiser's book, the Unseen Realm. He once said, if I were stranded on an island and could offer someone only one book that explains the supernatural realm and serves as the best introduction to all things theological, it would be the Unseen Realm.
- [09:18]
C
Amen.
- [09:19]
A
That's what my father said after authoring, what, 20, 30 bestselling books, in your view, Drina, why is the Unseen Realm such a groundbreaking book for today's Christian?
- [09:30]
D
Well, back over 20 years ago, when Mike's best friend in church opened the Bible and said, have you ever read Psalm 82 and how God Sits among the council? Of course Mike read it. Never thought two seconds about it, but that started it. And so that was the watershed moment, as he says. And so it was so important to Mike that he even wrote his dissertation on it. So he knew that it wasn't a new thing. Right. It's in the scripture, but no one had really ever unpacked it for the layperson. And so he thought it was so important that people know just the inner workings and the dot connecting from, you know, Genesis all the way to Revelation. He thought it was important, so he started writing it. And the title initially was, and you read it, the Myth that is True. That's what the working title first was. And then it became the Unseen Realm. So Mike thought it was very important. He spent 20 years of his life writing it. And so it has been very important and pivotal for a lot of people. So that's why it's so important.
- [10:37]
A
Well, and my dad always gave Michael a lot of credit for being able to take the complex and then communicate it to a variety of people. So you could be theologically deep end of the pool, teaching at seminaries and still grasp what he's saying. But you could also be a forklift driver or a soccer mom or somebody like me and just read it, and the words would be able to affect you. You could follow it. Doug, I understand, though, now there is a 10th anniversary version of this book, right?
- [11:02]
C
That's right. Very exciting to be able to read additional material that had not been published anywhere else in print, and it has been brought into the course of 20 chapters of the unseen realm. So it's called the expanded edition. It's possible to get right on my phone. I have it. Additional material all condensed into one document and it's about 74 pages of excellent material that come from Mike's various blogs and academic papers that were presented. Fantastic expansion of the material in the unseen world.
- [11:33]
A
So the 10th anniversary edition, just for clarification, it is Mike's work, correct? It's being featured in the book. This is not contributing authors that think a lot like Mike and they're just offering their thoughts on what he might have said. This is Mike's work.
- [11:46]
C
It would be fair to say it is Mike's concluding work. As he came to the end of his life. What were his finishing thoughts on these topics?
- [11:54]
A
Wow. The 10th anniversary edition. Friends, we're going to let you know in just a minute.
- [12:02]
B
We want to remind you that Skywatch TV is a viewer supported ministry. And right now, when you partner with us, your support not only helps us stay on the air, it also enables us to continue the mission through our networks and digital platforms. Reach areas of the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ that are unable to support us financially. Right now, while supplies last. For your donation of only $65 or more, we're not only gonna send you the late Dr. Michael Heiser's all time best selling book, Reversing Hermon, Enoch, the Watchers and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ. But we're also gonna send you his incredible companion books to the book Book of Enoch, both volumes one and two. These works provide his personal, thoughtful and detailed commentaries on the Book of Enoch, breaking down insights and revelations that theologians have missed for centuries. But in addition, we're also going to send you the Book of Enoch, Fallen Angels and Ancient Aliens on DVD featuring Dr. Michael Heiser as he exposes the blatant lies of ancient astronaut theory and the horrifying nature of fallen angels and alien abduction. Finally, also included in this incredible special offer, the unseen adversary on MP3 audio disc. This series is over six hours in length and features Dr. Michael Heiser and Derek Gilbert discussing the watchers, UFOs, the gods who Rebelled, the Divine Council, God's Holy Mountain, and so much more. These amazing works, sold separately, hold a retail value of over $100. Yours now for your donation of only $65 or more, which includes free shipping to all US addresses. So again, your support helps Skywatch TV continue reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can scan the QR code on your screen using the camera app on your phone for instant access to this special opportunity. You can also Visit us at skywatchtvstore.com or 1-844-750-4985. And ask for the Michael Heiser Legacy Collection right now.
- [14:23]
A
Unbelievable. Drina, I want to ask you about something. I know that you walked through such a deep loss and a heartbreak in losing Michael in 2023. For those that missed last week, again, go back to the archives and watch last week's program. Cause Drina spent a lot of time talking about those last days with Michael and what he was talking about, what he was thinking and what that experience was like. And yet we've also witnessed the beautiful way that God has brought healing and restoration into your life. I would say that our family joins you in the assertion that God has continued to supply all of our needs and he has been faithful to us in every single. If you're comfortable sharing, could you tell us how the Lord brought you your now husband, a man named Eric? How did that come to be?
- [15:12]
D
Well, that story actually starts even before we moved to Jacksonville. So in 2019, October, Mike sent me to Jacksonville to look at houses to buy. So I had this one house that I was obsessed with, but I only saw it on FaceTime. And so my realtor, we went on a Saturday, we looked at, like, seven houses, and the house that I really wanted was the very last house. So I didn't pay attention to any of the other ones. So we went to backtrack. I knew nothing about Jacksonville. Where should we live, where's the church, and, you know, in comparison to where we're gonna live and all this stuff. So I had no guidance with that. And so the very last house that I thought I wanted, the second I walked into it, it was like, no, this is not the house. You know, So I was very disappointed. And so the second house I wanted, we put a full price offer on. It had been on the market for 114 days.
- [16:11]
A
Wow.
- [16:11]
D
They rejected the offer. I couldn't believe it. I'm like, what? You know this? So I asked my realtor, it's like, why did they reject it? And she's like, well, they must have another offer. So the second house I put an offer on was listed for one week and put an offer on, got the house. So that is very important in this story because that first house stayed on the market another 45 days. Okay. So even though we put in the offer, God didn't want us in that house. He said no. The house that we ended up with was in this beautiful little neighborhood. And then Mike got sick. One day, we got a card from someone that lived in the neighborhood, and it was a follower of Mike's, and it was a sweet card. So I read it to Mike. I can remember Mike was sitting in the chair in the living room, and I read this card, and it happened to be from a gentleman named Eric. And he said, you know, I'm praying for you, brother. I live in the neighborhood, and I'd love to meet you and just pray over you. And when it was done, I said, mike, what do you think? He goes, well, is there an email? Because he never did anything except through email. I said, there is an email address. So Mike emailed this gentleman. They corresponded. And this guy happens to be a graphic designer as well. He does book covers for a living. And so he came over and met with Mike, and he ended up being a friend of the family. He was a single guy. He was an artist. All my kids are artists. He ended up doing two book covers for Mike, Became friends of the family. This guy invited us over for barbecues and to watch movies and all this. He was just a real neighbor, the first person that really reached out to our family in the neighborhood. He was the first person we met. And so he was there. He would check up on us. He would have art days on, like, a Saturday morning and invite my kids over to do art, and they'd listen to music and talk about movies. So he became really entrenched in our family and really loved our family. And going through chemo, he was always checking in on us, Asking if we needed anything. And so when mike entered hospice, he came over and prayed over Mike. And then Mike passed away. And so after Mike passed, We had a memorial in Pennsylvania two months later. Now, Eric, he is a photographer and a videographer. So I invited him, as a friend of the family, to come along and do all the photos for the memorial. So he was all over the place taking photos. We have beautiful photos now of everybody that was there. And so he was really entrenched in our. And we all loved him. After the memorial and stuff, Eric wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to church at the time, because Covid happened, and then all this stuff with Mike. And so he invited me to church. He has a big friend group. We all went as friends to church, and we did trivia night together. And he just included me in its group, so I wasn't lonely. It's funny how his aunt was a follower, too, of Mike's. And A fan, I should say. And lived in the neighborhood, too. And so Eric, like, joked with his aunt, wouldn't it be funny, really weird if I lived three doors from the Hyzers, and he lives three doors from the Hyzers, but across the trail. Not like on our street, but across the trail. God just brought him into our life. And so after we were spending time together, it was always in a group setting. And I just started realizing that I was feeling something for this guy and how kind he was. And so I will say, every time we moved around for Mike's career, it was always about Mike, right? And Florida hit different. Florida was not kind to Mike, okay? It was Covid. And then the diagnosis, and then the church imploded and awakening. School was almost shut down. He had to take a pay cut and all this stuff, you know, it was just. It wasn't kind to Mike at all. I kind of realized that this move wasn't for Mike at all. It was for me. The move was for me this time. It's so beautiful to realize that I mattered in God's eyes. Even though Mike was the content creator and he was the guy, right? But that God put me in the neighborhood I was supposed to be in, in the house I was supposed to be in, in the proximity of God reaching out and gonna take care of me. I am so humbled by that because Mike always got the attention and all that. But I mattered to God, and he's taken care of me. And not only was he taking care of me, he's going to take care of this bachelor that needed a partner as well. I'm the person that he never thought he needed until he had it right. And he is the person, like, if I can't have Mike, God brought the perfect man. That was his temperament, his spontaneity, his creative mind. He was not only the person that I needed after Mike, but I was the person that Eric needed. I can remember it was on my 60th birthday, and I was praying, you know, lord, I am having feelings for this man. But it's okay, you know, if. If we're supposed to be friends, it's totally okay. But I need to know. And at this point, Eric was total gentleman, and we were always together with a group, so it was never, like, letting me know that he liked me too. But it's so funny, because here I am, 60 years old, talking about this, but it's a blessing as well. But it was on my 60th birthday, and I had invited a few friends over, and my Kids decided to make this beautiful meal to celebrate my 60th birthday. And so Eric was there, of course, and he gave me a present and gave me a card. And everybody's like, read the card. I'm like, no, I don't want to read the card. I don't want to get emotional. I kind of had a feeling, right? So I don't want to get emotional. So I opened the gift and the gifts, and it was such a beautiful time. And so I can remember going out into the driveway of our house, and Eric and I were standing there, and we're saying goodbye to our guests, to my guests, really.
- [23:00]
A
And.
- [23:00]
D
And I just. And I don't know why it was a God thing, but I was feeling so good and so loved at that birthday party. You know, it was kind of like my second birthday without Mike. And I just, you know, reached over and put my arm around Eric and laid my head on his shoulder, and he kind of reciprocated. And so I thought, maybe this is the answer, you know, that I'm supposed to have from the Lord. Cause I prayed that day. And like I said, I didn't set it up at all. It just kind of organically happened. And so I kind of realized maybe, you know, he has feelings for me. And maybe this is where the Lord is leading, obviously. And so we went a few more weeks, and then we had a talk. And we decided that we're supposed to be together. I wasn't looking for it. I mean, if it wasn't Eric, it wasn't gonna be anybody. Cause I. You know, it was so soon. And afterwards. I'm not going to say it was easy for my kids, but they trusted me, they loved Eric, and they came on board after a while and realized that this would be a good thing for me. People who love being married want to be married, you know. And I loved being married for 38 years to my husband. Just thinking about being alone for me. It was not a good thing for me, My psyche. So the Lord just organically orchestrated where I was, where Eric was. Eric loving Mike before. Oh, and this is a really cool story. I gotta tell you this. Eric's dad. This is before we were married. Eric's dad was in hospital for seven months. So we'd go visit him. And a lot of time he'd be sleeping. So a lot of times we would look at our phones and go through all of our pictures. And. And so we're going through my pictures on my phone, and all of a sudden there's a picture of this lion, and I'm not a lion fan. It's probably the only picture of a lion that I ever screenshot in my whole life. And Eric's like, that's my picture. And he's an artist, beautiful artist. I'm like, no, it's not your picture. I screenshot this a year and a half before I even met you. Right? He goes, that is my picture. I'm like, no, it can't be. And he blows it up. And there, sure enough, is the signature Eric Hollander. And I was like, what are the chances? The only lion picture I ever screenshot in my life happened to be my future husband's artwork. And he gave it to me that Christmas. It's over my piano and it's the lion of Judah.
- [25:40]
C
Amen.
- [25:41]
D
Which is so beautiful because Mike was a big, you know, lion of Judah, Narnia fan. Aslan, like a lion fan. And so it just came full circle. It is like, this is a beautiful story of where God was directing me. So the move to Florida was for me this time.
- [25:59]
C
Thank you, God.
- [26:00]
D
Not for Mike, but for me. And so I'm so grateful and I feel loved.
- [26:12]
A
To me, that is a beautiful story. And it is evidence that God knows his callings for each one of us. He knows the way he wired us our needs. He knows that in the most difficult of times, exactly what he's going to do to show up and to support you through those moments. And I'm thankful for you that you have the companionship that you need to now partner to carrying Mike's legacy forward. God knew that you would need support and companionship.
- [26:42]
D
Very special.
- [26:43]
A
And I am so thankful for you, Drina, because without you moving all of this forward, eventually a lot of these books will just live online and drift off into obscurity. And we're finding that with my father's works, there's an organic following of people that still. But a lot of the ones that have read him have his books trying to get them into the hands of brand new readers so that they can learn what his writing was all about. Dr. Michael Heiser permanently changed how we read our Bibles. And today we say thank you for a life dedicated to radical truth, scholarship, and faithfulness to God's word. The conversation continues and so does the legacy. Until next time. For everybody here in studio, for everybody up here on panel, Doug Drina. Thank you so much for joining us once again. I'm Joe Artis Horne. Keep your eyes on the prize, which is Jesus Christ. We'll be back.
- [27:58]
D
Oh, my goodness.
- [28:00]
C
Caught one.
- [28:03]
D
Look at that little tiny fish. I caught one. Another one. You're famous now, sugar.
- [28:14]
A
You're doing good.