Naked Bible

About Michael Heiser and the Naked Bible

Michael S. Heiser (1963-2023) was an American biblical scholar whose work transformed how many evangelical Christians think about the supernatural worldview of the Bible. He held a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.A. in Ancient History from the University of Pennsylvania. He served for many years as Scholar-in-Residence for Faithlife Corporation (publishers of Logos Bible Software), a position that gave him an unusually large platform for a working academic. He died on February 20, 2023, following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

The Divine Council and His Central Thesis

Heiser's signature scholarly contribution was his work on the Divine Council, the assembly of heavenly beings described throughout the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Jewish literature. Drawing on texts such as Psalm 82, Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (in the Septuagint and Dead Sea Scrolls), and Genesis 6:1-4, Heiser argued that the biblical authors operated within a coherent supernatural worldview in which Yahweh presides over a council of divine beings, some of whom rebel and are assigned responsibility for the nations. He contended that recovering this "cosmic geography" is essential for understanding both Old and New Testament theology. This framework undergirds his best-known book, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Lexham Press, 2015), which became an unexpected bestseller and introduced the Divine Council paradigm to a wide popular audience.

Theological Position

Heiser defied easy categorization. He was committed to the authority of Scripture and held orthodox Trinitarian and evangelical convictions regarding salvation. However, he consistently resisted what he called "the tyranny of the normal" in biblical interpretation, arguing that modern Western assumptions cause readers to flatten the Bible's supernatural texture. He was willing to follow the ancient Near Eastern textual and linguistic evidence even when it produced conclusions that made some evangelicals uncomfortable, while maintaining that the results ultimately strengthened rather than undermined biblical faith.

The Naked Bible Podcast

The Naked Bible Podcast (the name referring to Scripture stripped of traditional assumptions) ran for nearly 500 episodes, covering verse-by-verse expositions, topical studies, Q&A sessions, and interviews. The YouTube channel mirrors this archive and includes recordings of lectures, conference presentations, and conversations with other scholars such as John Walton, his frequent interlocutor on questions of the supernatural and Genesis. The channel numbers over 155 videos. Revelation is the most-cited book (82 references), reflecting Heiser's extensive work on apocalyptic literature and the book's supernatural imagery. Exodus (74), Genesis (64), Deuteronomy (56), and Hebrews (53) follow, tracing his core interest in the Mosaic cosmological context and its New Testament re-reading.

Other Published Works

Beyond The Unseen Realm, Heiser published Supernatural (a popular-level companion), Reversing Hermon (on the Watchers tradition and its Christological significance), Angels, Demons, and a series of academic articles. His Miqlat ministry and associated website (drmsh.com) served as the distribution hub for his writing, podcast, and video content. After his death, Faithlife and colleagues have continued to make his content available online.

Target Audience and Legacy

Heiser attracted a broad audience: seminary-trained pastors who recognized the scholarly rigor, undergraduate students encountering the material for the first time, and laypeople who found in his work an intellectually satisfying explanation for passages that had puzzled them. His approach resonated particularly with readers dissatisfied with both overly rationalist evangelical interpretation and with the speculative fringes of popular angelology or supernatural fiction. Since his death, his work has continued to circulate widely, and the Naked Bible channel serves as a permanent archive of his teaching legacy.