Michael S. Heiser's Blog

Medical Update

It’s been a while since posting any update on my health—basically because there has been nothing new to report. The past week or so has been given to several medical tests and meetings with my oncologist and (potential) surgeon, so now I can provide an update. Granted, it may sound like nothing has changed, but there is something to report.

First, my latest MRI is in. It’s good news/bad news. The bad news is that there is no visible change to the tumor mass (no visible shrinkage). The good news is that there is no spread (as before, no metastatic spread of the cancer anywhere else in my body). That is very good news. Basically, what this amounts to is that, after 10 months of chemotherapy, I’m still in the same place as far as the tumor goes (at least visually). But the surgeon suspects that, while the tumor size hasn’t changed, the tumor is likely at least 50% dead. But it still needs to be addressed. I’m not at the point of surgery yet without the shrinkage, but in his experience, shrinkage can still be had at this point via selective radiation. “At this point” means in the wake of the ongoing success of my “pancreas to the liver” stent, which has improved my internal situation as to the locus of surgery. The surgeon sees a path toward using isolated radiation to reduce the living tumor tissue—a method that will not rule out later surgery should that be doable. (Recall that, in my case, surgery is the only “cure” option, which is a different word than “remission”). So we want surgery to stay on the table, but the next phase of all this will be consulting with radiologists. That has begun as of this week. If we go down that road, which we all expect now, I’d also be moved to some sort of oral chemo. My guess is that these changes and procedures are at least a month away. We’ll keep you all posted when we have information. This will all be handled through the Mayo Clinic down here in Jacksonville, too, and may be part of a clinical study. The surgeon encouraged me to participate. We’ll see how things develop as we move forward.

Second, in related developments, I’ve actually managed to gain weight for the first time in a year (I’ve put on a good 5lbs in the last couple of weeks). That’s nothing to sneeze at in my situation. It means I’ve adjusted to the chemo and have a regular eating routine figured out. I still have little to no hunger impulse, but I know what I can eat with moderate enjoyment and how to break that into 4-5 small meals a day. The hunger impulse issue (this is my guess now) won’t change until the tumor mass is dealt with. My voice also seems to be getting more normal (at least more “normal” days each week than has been the case). My energy level has improved a bit, too. Granted, most days I am busy 5-8 hrs through the day writing, prepping a course, doing the podcast, and doing some research. (And I’ll soon throw generating more content in the new DRMSH.com community into that mix). I take naps when I need to and get the right amount of sleep. I have no pain issues other than joint issues that are normal wear and tear at my age (59). But I just generally feel better than I have compared to the preceding few months.

So to wrap up, we’ve had a “glass half full” week. Everyone wishes the chemo had been more effective, but (surgeon’s words) I’ve cleared other hurdles that incline toward other possibilities. Please continue to pray for me in light of this update, and for my wife Drenna, upon whom I depend to keep me on track with medications, and who devotes herself to taking care of me in every other way so well. The whole situation is a strain on everyone in the house in some way, but she bears most of it – and does so very well.

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Brief Health Update

Brief update on my health:

Well, this week wasn’t the news producer we thought it would be. I met with the surgeon today and was encouraged by his approach to people in my situation (short version: he’s not looking for reasons to back out of a surgery; he’s aggressive and informed). That’s the good news, as somehow the oncologist’s office dropped the ball with getting the surgeon the images of the latest CAT scan. I’m again shocked by the bureaucratic circus that is the healthcare system. Eyes wide open now, though. The surgeon seemed to think the likelihood of surgery any time soon was low anyway, but he added he’s eventually see the most recent images. At the beginning of this process, I was told 3-6 months of chemo. The six-month plateau is normative for people in my situation. That means it will surprise no one if I am in chemo the rest of the year. I expected that. If I’d still in chemo next April, that will be discouraging, but this isn’t. Next up (the surgeon ordered this one and it will be done at Mayo) is an MRI, something he prefers to work with. That’s in 2-3 months. All this means that having a serious surgical conversation (i.e., actually scheduling something) will likely only happen in January at the earliest. I’m hoping to have surgery by June or July at latest, as that would mark a year of going through the cancer. But I’d take earlier for sure. The honest answer is that no one knows and cannot guess at this point. So, please continue to pray:

(1) That chemo does its job; separating the tumor from the arteries;

(2) That my nausea and diarrhea are controlled;

(3) That I can gain back lost weight in between chemo cycles. This past week I gained seven lbs, something that had no happened for quite a while, so I know it can be done. It’s important for enduring chemo;

(4) That I can exercise. I have the surgeon’s permission (I have been concerned about ANY calorie loss) because any maintained / added muscle mass helps with recovery from surgery;

(5) That I can be productive in terms of (mostly) writing and prepping some school content going forward. It helps to maintain routine and mental activity.

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Things I Have Learned

Don’t take this list the wrong way. Yes, I’m in chemotherapy for cancer, but this isn’t some sort of “last words” post! It just poppoed into my head today that I ought to make such a list for readers / followers like I did years ago on “Heiser’s Laws for Bible Study” (cf. this link as well). Consequently, this is a doodle just for fun, but serious, too. In no particular order … with explanation where needed …

Things I’ve Learned

1. Most people have never escaped high school.

There is great explanatory power in this observation in regard to why people, aged well beyond the teen years, live the way teenagers do (boozing, promiscuity, irresponsible decisions, etc.) and hang out with the same sort of people. They are still in high school in their like-minded high school clique, doing what adolescents do. Everyone is older now, but it’s still high school. In short, they never grow up into thought modes that transcend the assumption that someone else is to blame for their behavior and will bail them out when needed. On the flipside, this ought to teach us something positive. It’s in high school (or college) where we often form our strongest bonds with people. If our churches and adult (Christian or not) relationships cannot compete with that comeraderie, perhaps they are deficient for reasons that ought to be addressed.

2. For scholars: In the academy, being tolerated is not the same as being respected.

Academic respectability is largely a myth. It invariably needs self-definition to avoid that mythical status, too. Of what am I speaking? Many evangelical scholars think that by hiding the fact they actually believe the content of Scripture’s teaching about the supernatural world they maintain respectability in the eyes of unbelieving colleagues. That might be the case if you simply reject what Scripture says about supernatural realities (other than God and maybe Jesus) and your colleaues know that. But if they know you believe things beyond that, like angels, demons, possession, Daniel 10’s princes, etc. (and even in Christ as God), the best you can hope for is tolerance. That isn’t the same thing as respect or acceptance, so don’t confuse the two.

3. Many Christians really do need to be convinced to care about Bible study.

Don’t believe it? Try getting into a serious (not even fringe) biblical theology discussion at church a random attendee who is outside your immediate circle of friends. Some suggestions: Anything in the Old Testament that involves more than a casual glance; the “already but not yet” reality of the kingdom; what “the see was no more” (Rev 21:1) really means; what 1 Cor 6:3 really means; how the Day of Atonement blood offering (the goat that is actually killed) is really about “making atonement for the Holy Place” (Lev 16:16) and not applied to the people; etc. Chances are you’ll be viewed as over-zealous and be told “Hey, it’s all about Jesus anyway, so we’re good.” If not, ask them what they’ve *studied* in Scripture recently. That will do it.

4. For scholars: Quit blaiming the people outside the guild for not appreciating your brilliance.

If your work doesn’t reach the people in the pew you have only yourself to blame. The word of God wasn’t exclusively (or even mostly) intended for the inspection of wizards. If you don’t care if your work ever translates in some way to the needs of the people in the pew, you’re not a biblical scholar for the right reasons.

5. No Christian matures into fundamentalism.

The wonders we discover in the text should humble us and make us less convinced of our own omniscience, not more. Maturity convinces us that not everything in Scripture has equal clarity — and that was God’s choice. If God had wanted the content of Scripture on end times to be as clear as the identity of Christ he’d have prompted writers to devote more space to such things. He didn’t, so let’s stop pretending he did and stop judging other committed believers for where they stand on less clear matters.

6. No Christian matures away from being loyal to the gospel and biblical authority.

Spiritual enlightenment does not involve less awe for the work of Christ and less awareness of his demands on our life. Pretending to be a deep thinker by causing other believers to question the Bible’s moral relevance to their own lives isn’t maturity. This typically involves criticism of things like Torah for their relevance — which is to forget that Torah culture didn’t drop from heaven. Torah (in dozens of passages) reflects an ancient culture already present, now re-articulated in light of a covenantal love Yahweh has for his own, and which he wants reciprocated. The only culture that dropped from heaven was the Eden culture — which is why God’s plan is headed forward to that past environment, this time perfected and global. And if  you think our / your present culture is Edenic you should be seeking counsel or therapy rather than reading this list.

7. For pastors: Many pastors nowadays (and for the last few decades it seems) don’t believe Eph 4:12-13 is their job.

Teach people. Force them to either tolerate content on Sunday morning (or in your class) or go elsewhere. If they cannot handle one half hour out of a week of the 168 hours we get to actually do some thinking about that thing they call the Word of God, tell them politely to find another church that doesn’t care if they learn any Scripture. To not teach your people is a passive admission that either you’re unable of dispensing content and applying it to peoples’ lives (in which case you shouldn’t have a pulpit or teaching ministry), or that you don’t believe Eph 4:12-13 is part of your job. Those verses tell us quite plainly that a major (maybe the major) pastoral role is to equip the people in the pews for the work of the ministry and Christian maturity. Pep talks on Sunday morning do neither. If all people leave with is a spiritual high-five or feel like they need to add “Oorah!” to their prayers, you’ve failed. Nor does thirty minutes of stand up comedy sprinkled with Bible verses accomplish either goal. Eph 4:12-13 isn’t a call to be funny or memorable. The fact that people remember your one-liners and stories is not synonymous with the notion they are prepared for ministering to others and maturing as followers of Jesus. Frankly, if they were they’d ask you to stop and give them something more substantial. I enjoy injecting humor into my own teaching and making learning Scripture fun – but having fun or getting a laugh isn’t the goal. If all they’re leaving church with is a grin you’ve failed.

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Brief Health Update

Most readers will know that I am currently in chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. The goal of the therapy is to shrink a mass so that it can be surgically removed.

This past week was my second chemo cycle. I offer the following for your consideration as you pray for me through this process. The chemo cycle/pattern appears to be five days of misery (Wed through Sunday for me) followed by nine days wherein I feel much better and am functional. Then the cycle repeats.

Anyone who has undergone chemo, or who has watched someone go through chemo, will understand this description. Without the nuts and bolts details, the main issues are nausea, dehydration, and weight loss. Aside from praying that the entire process results in elimination of the tumor, please pray that my nine “good” days allow me to eat and gain weight for the next round. This is crucial for endurance and general productivity (I can’t watch football and baseball 24-7!).

This past round I began to experience neuropathy (lack of functionality of my fingers/hands). It is intermittent and brief when evident. My doctors will be monitoring this (it’s a common side effect of chemo) and adjusting the chemotherapy if needed. Obviously, I need to be able to type and use my hands to be at all productive, so pray about this as well.

Please pray for my wife, the indispensible person in all of this. She sustains me in every way. Pray also for John Phelps, the Dean of the Awakening School of Theology, who also has cancer (diagnosed a couple weeks after I was). His cancer is of a different type. Please pray that his treatment succeeds as well. Lastly, we’re blessed at the school to have Britnie keeping the whole thing running, Dr. Justin Bass to cover my New Testament apologetics class, and Mike Chu of the Divine Council Worldview Facebook Group helping out in student Q & A sessions. Pray that their efforts are appreciated and successful!

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A Thanks to Readers: Five Heiser Titles with at Least 1,000 Reviews on Amazon

I just wanted to offer a brief thanks to my readers. A week ago my Angels book crossed the 1,000 reviews line on Amazon.com. That mark means that I now have five books on Amazon.com with at least 1,000 reviews. Anyone in the industry knows that the 1,000 number indicates a bestseller. When Unseen Realm began its climb I was told that it is axiomatic that less than ten percent of readers actually post reviews of what they read. It’s typically around five percent.

Here are the books that have crossed the 1,000 review line, as of today’s post date:

 

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What Does God Want? Now an Audio Book

Audible.com is now listing the English reading of What Does God Want? If you enjoy audio books, this is a must!

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Did Jesus Endorse the Idea of Reincarnation?

I just saw that my old published journal article on this subject is no longer accessible online (it appeared in a peer-reviewed e-journal back in the day). Here is the citation, along with the PDF.

Heiser, Michael. “Did Jesus Allow for Reincarnation? Assessing the syntax of John 9: 3-4.” Scandinavian Evangelical E-Journal 1 (2010): 1-14.

A *very* abbreviated (and non-academic) treatment of this passage also appeared in my short book of collected articles from Bible Study Magazine: I Dare You Not to Bore Me with The Bible.

 

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Newly Discovered “Gigantic” Previously Unknown Type of Human Isn’t a Nephilim

The title of this post is kind of clunky, but necessary.

When I first heard this news about a week ago, my immediate thought was “How long will it take for someone to email me that this specimen is from the nephilim?” I now have my answer. This morning my email box contained this link, which breathlessly proclaims “what has been discovered in China is the skull of a giant, but nobody in the scientific community would ever dare to use that sort of terminology.”

If only they had read the actual report (and in some cases, even the archaeo-porn media added the most important detail).

Here is the short scientific summary of the skull. It was written by the same folks who published the find in long form under peer review. Here is the summary:

Ni Massive cranium from Harbin

I have highlighted a few lines in the summary, the most relevant of which is this (note the boldface):

“The Harbin cranium has a large cranial capacity (ca. 1,420 mL) falling in the range of modern humans, but is combined with a mosaic of primitive and derived characters.”

So the skull has a cranial capacity of people like you and me. Or your mom and dad. It’s not a giant human relic. It’s only “gigantic” in relative proportion to other ancient humans in the human evolutionary tree discussed for a very long time by the scientific community. They’re excited to have found something so large (like our craniums) that old, when other specimens are more “chimp like” in size.

So much for that. Please — let’s read the material for what it says, not what we want it to say.

I’m not a scientist, so I can’t evaluate the human evolutionary line for validity. But I know faithful Christians with a high view of Scripture who can, and have, and embrace human evolution. One of those is S. Joshua Swamidass, who believes Adam and Eve (and their descendants) were historical people not in the genetic-evolutionary line of other paleo-humans. If you find this subject interesting, I recommend his book to you, The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal Ancestry. I would not talk about the nephilim the way he does (but to be honest, he doesn’t take a position; he just alludes to what others have said). But he’s a real geneticist, not a dabbler, and his book has been reviewed by atheists — who don’t like his faith, but cannot assail his science. I’ve also interviewed Josh on my podcast: Part 1 and Part 2. He blogs and podcasts at Peaceful Science. I’ve been a guest a couple of times on his podcast.

 

 

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The Tic Tac UFO: What You’re Not Being Told

I’ve been preparing notes for my next Fringepop filming round. We’re going to do some episodes on the latest UFO flap started several years ago by the New York Times and the leak of the “tic tac” video. I’d thought I’d post some notes here – early, to precede the looming Pentagon report about UFOs.

In a nutshell, the impetus to default to an extraterrestrial explanation for recent UFO revelations like the 2004 USS Nimitz “tic tac” are as follows:

Credible eyewitness testimony by seasoned professionals trained in aerial observation, including pilots, testify to episodes involving flying objects those witnesses cannot identify.These objects demonstrate capabilities that these pilots and other say are beyond technology now in possession by the United States or other military superpowers.The United States has had a long, secretive history about its interest in UFOs.

The reason these circumstances are not persuasive is that all of these things have been on the table since the 1950s. Due to the selective nature and compartmentalized project structures of the nation’s most secret experimental aircraft programs (e.g., the A-12 Oxcart and SR-71 Blackbird in the late 1950s/early 1960s), very few of the nation’s experienced military pilots knew such craft existed. There is no reason to suspect that experience navy pilots would know what the “tic tac” was if it indeed is a secret black-budget technology. In addition, the unthinkable speeds and maneuvers of such craft are only “impossible” if gravity is in play—but what if there existed gravity modification technology, developed by the United States or some other nation? The existence of such technology would mean appeal to these craft capabilities as evidence of extraterrestrial existence would have no persuasive power.

But is there evidence of such technology and craft development? It turns out there is—and mainstream reporting about the “tic tac” and AATIP has either ignored it or been too inept to find it.

Look familiar? The one on the right … a rounded, oval shell. It’s from a U.S. patent that anyone at the New York Times could have (should have) found. (Okay, I don’t expect real journalism from it either, but many still see it as “the paper of record”).

 

What follows is a selective list of research articles produced by various authors at The Drive, a military/tech blog. These articles at times delve into de-classified documents and other resources like the United States Patent Office. The fact that the United States has been researching anti-gravity for nearly seventy years is demonstrable. There are patents held by the U.S. Navy for craft (or radar deflecting/scrambling devices) that conform to the “tic tac” UFO video and witness descriptions as well as the “fleet” of triangle UFOs. Further, some of these technologies were being tested within the precise carrier groups that were witnesses to some of the most publicized UFO incidents of recent months and years. Obviously, it cannot be determined that any of these human technologies are what was witnessed, but they can indeed account for much of the data.

Ask yourself: “Why haven’t I seen this information before?” Perhaps the narrative is the real story.

Here you go:

March 26, 2018

Joseph Trevithick, “Lockheed Martin Now Has a Patent For Its Potentially World Changing Fusion Reactor”

April 20, 2018

Joseph Trevithick, “China Touts Fusion Progress As New Details On Lockheed Martin’s Reactor Emerge”

May 11, 2018

Tyler Rogoway and Joseph Trevithick, “These Are Real Pentagon Reports On Warp Drive, Extra Dimensions, Anti-Gravity, And More”

May 30, 2019

Tyler Rogoway and Joseph Trevithick, “Carrier Group In Recent UFO Encounters Had New Air Defense Tech Like Nimitz In 2004 Incident”

June 22, 2019

Tyler Rogoway, “Are Some Of The UFOs Navy Pilots Are Encountering Actually Airborne Radar Reflectors?”

June 28, 2019

Tyler Rogoway and Brett Tingley, “Documents Show Navy Got ‘UFO’ Patent Granted By Warning Of Similar Chinese Tech Advances”

Note: The patents describes a “hybrid aerospace-underwater craft” claimed to be capable of truly extraordinary feats of speed and maneuverability in air, water, and outer space alike thanks to a revolutionary electromagnetic propulsion system

July 19, 2019

Joseph Trevithick, “Skunk Works’ Exotic Fusion Reactor Program Moves Forward With Larger, More Powerful Design”

Aug 2, 2019

Brett Tingley, “Navy’s Advanced Aerospace Tech Boss Claims Key ‘UFO’ Patent Is Operable”

Oct 9, 2019

Brett Tingley and Tyler Rogoway, “Scientist Behind The Navy’s ‘UFO Patents’ Has Now Filed One For A Compact Fusion Reactor”

Oct 29, 2019

Brett Tingley, “The Truth Is The Military Has Been Researching ‘Anti-Gravity For Nearly 70 Years”

Dec 11, 2019

Brett Tingley, “Recently Retired USAF General Makes Eyebrow Raising Claims About Advanced Space Technology”

Jan 22, 2020

Brett Tingley, “The Secretive Inventor Of The Navy’s Bizarre ‘UFO Patents’ Finally Talks”

Jan 26, 2021

Brett Tingley, “Navy ‘UFO Patent’ Documents Talk Of ‘Spacetime Modification Weapon,’ Detail Experimental Testing”

Feb 1, 2021

Brett Tingley, “The Navy Finally Speaks Up About Its Bizarre ‘UFO Patent’ Experiments”

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Of Truth Watchers and Inept Readers

Those of you who have read my books (especially, The Unseen Realm) or heard me on interviews will enjoy this — it’s about what happens when people who don’t read my books talk about what I believe. I usually don’t respond to this sort of nonsense, because the people who produce it might benefit in web traffic. But this one is so inept that I couldn’t resist.

Someone sent me this ode to poor reading today: “Michael Heiser’s Gnostic Heresy, Part 1” (I can only anticipate Part 2 being as inept as Part 1).

I know what some of you are already thinking …. Wait, doesn’t Mike have a couple of lectures on YouTube about the heresy of Gnosticism? As a matter of fact, I do. Gnosticism is a heresy. I reject it. How then, you ask, does that headline make sense? Answer: it doesn’t, because its content is produced by someone who either cannot read my material, or won’t — and won’t listen to me on YouTube, either. In a word, they are either inept or dishonest. I’m going with inept as we proceed.

If you click through you’ll see how I’m accused of being a polytheist. I have to wonder how “Truth Watchers” missed the following statements in my books and articles, given their powers of research and concentration.

There’s no doubt that Psalm 82 can rock your biblical worldview. Once I saw what it was actually saying, I was convinced that I needed to look at the Bible through ancient eyes, not my traditions. I had to navigate the questions that are probably floating around in your own head and heart now that you’ve read—really read—that passage. First and foremost, you should be aware of some of the ways the clear meaning of Psalm 82 is distorted by interpreters and why it isn’t teaching polytheism. (Unseen Realm, p. 25)

Many scholars believe that Psalm 82 and other passages demonstrate that the religion of ancient Israel began as a polytheistic system and then evolved into monotheism. I reject that idea, along with any other explanations that seek to hide the plain reading of the text. In all such cases, the thinking is misguided. (Unseen Realm, pp. 29-30)

Many scholars use these passages to argue that the biblical writers at one point in Israelite history were polytheists. This thinking is misguided and rooted in a mistaken notion of what the word ʾelōhı̂m means. We tend to presume that the biblical writers thought about ʾelōhı̂m in the same way we think about capitalized G-o-d. When we see the word “God,” we instinctively assign a unique set of attributes (e.g., omnipresence, omnipotence, sovereignty) to the letters G-o-d. But this presumption is incorrect and leads our thinking astray when we encounter instances where ʾelōhı̂m is intended to describe a group of beings instead of the lone God of the Bible. (Angels, p. 11)

I could go on and on. But you can already see what I’m dealing with here. The great minds at Truth Watchers can’t even get 25 or so pages into my work without screwing up.

Honestly, the folks at Truth Watchers are either illiterate or they’re reading my work blindfolded. If this is what passes for a defense of biblical truth, the church is in serious trouble. But of coure it isn’t. There are many apologetics folks out there who can read and who see my work as valuable for defending things like orthodox Trinitarian theology and the uniqueness of the Godhead in biblical theology. Instead of amateur “truth sleuths” like “Truth Watchers,” well-known apologists like Frank Turek and Sean McDowell have interviewed me about Psalm 82 and Unseen Realm and see it for what it is: an asset to clear thinking about biblical theology.

Basically, “Truth Watchers” translates to “audience seekers.” That’s too often what you get on the internet–bloggers who cannot think carefully about anything that isn’t articulated the way they’d do it — and then that’s supposed to help people defend the faith.

It’s more than cringeworthy. It’s sad.

For those who want more detail, or who might wonder about common questions I get on Psalm 82 and other things, you can check out the material I have placed on my divine council website, or the archive of my published articles. (And hey, Truth Watchers, it’s “council” not “counsel”). Sigh.

 

 

 

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