Unseen Realm (Expanded Edition): Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible

by Michael S. Heiser, Tim H. Dixon (Narrator)

New edition of a bestseller (over 175k copies sold) that features more content from Michael S. Heiser

If it’s weird, it’s important.

To celebrate its tenth anniversary, The Unseen Realm Expanded Edition features new content from Heiser never before available in print, further unveiling the unseen realm.

Talking snakes. Giants. A heavenly council. Imprisoned spirits. Your Bible is filled with strange things, but what do they mean and why do they matter? In The Unseen Realm, Michael Heiser unveils the supernatural worldview of the Bible. Heiser shows how understanding the Bible’s ancient context reveals surprises hiding in plain sight. By reading the Bible with the mindset of an ancient Israelite, you will learn new things about God, yourself, and the world. You may never read your Bible the same way again.

Why wasn't Eve surprised when the serpent spoke to her? How did descendants of the Nephilim survive the flood? Who are the assembly of divine beings that God presides over? Why do Peter and Jude write about imprisoned spirits? Why does Paul describe evil spirits in terms of geographical rule? Who are the "glorious ones" that even angels dare not rebuke? “How was it possible that I had never seen that before? Dr. Heiser’s survey of the complex reality of the supernatural world as the Scriptures portray it covers a subject that is strangely sidestepped.”

―John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary

“There is a world referred to in the Scripture that is quite unseen, but also quite present and active. The Unseen Realm seeks to unmask this world.”

―Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Audible Audio

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

Mike Heiser is a scholar in the fields of biblical studies and the ancient Near East. He is the Academic Editor of Logos Bible Software. Mike earned the M.A. and Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Semitic Languages at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004. He has also earned an M.A. in Ancient History from the University of Pennsylvania (major fields: Ancient Israel and Egyptology). His main research interests are Israelite religion (especially Israel’s divine council), biblical theology, ancient Near Eastern religion, biblical & ancient Semitic languages, and ancient Jewish binitarian monotheism.

Mike blogs about biblical studies at The Naked Bible, and fringe beliefs about the ancient world at PaleoBabble. He offers courses to the public in Old Testament, biblical theology, Israelite religion, ancient languages, the Book of Enoch through his online institute, MEMRA.

Mike's other academic interests include the paranormal and the occult. His UFO Religions blog discusses how the pop cultural belief in aliens shape religious worldviews. Mike has been a frequent guest on a number of radio programs such as Coast to Coast AM. He is best known for his critique of the ancient astronaut theories of Zecharia Sitchin and his paranormal thriller, The Facade, which intertwines many of his interests.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heiser's "Unseen Realm" is an excellent introduction to often marginalized and misunderstood Biblical references to the celestial world, in particular the Divine Council referenced in Job, the Psalms, Daniel, and many other places. Illuminating the celestial aspect of God's creation also helps give greater clarity to God's overall scheme of creation and the ultimate restoration of the physical world. The one downside of the book, is that the Divine Council's impact on the big picture tempts Heiser to interject his other beliefs, unrelated to the supernatural, about free will (tending dangerously in the direction of the open-theism heresy) and futurist eschatology. These diversions explain Heiser's broader thinking but are mostly peripheral to and distracting from the main theme of the book.