Jamin Bradley

I first came across Michael Heiser’s work when looking for a Logos book on which to spend a gift card. I was quite thrown off by the description of his book, The Unseen Realm. Was there actually a Bible scholar who took the supernatural world seriously enough to risk their academic career on it?

Yes. And Heiser was the one.

I got to talk to him a few times over the years. I was on his podcast to discuss how we implemented his teaching at my church. He sent a game designer my way so we could playtest an RPG built around academic studies like his. And despite his busy schedule, he even listened to some of my original worship songs that implemented his teaching. Here is his feedback on two of my songs called What is Man and The Age That’s to Come, should you be interested:

I usually don’t listen to music (rarely) and have basically no knowledge of its technical “good-ness”; that said, I liked them both. This is the sort of thing that needs to be done. By year’s end I will be unveiling a new page on my website for “divine council resources” that some people have been creating. It would be nice to include links to these there if you like.I think people would like them.

That said, I just released a seven-track acoustic album featuring songs built around Heiser’s studies. It’s called Hymns of the Divine Council: A Tribute to Michael Heiser, and you can listen to it on the YouTube link above or wherever you stream music. (If it’s not currently where you stream music, it should be there in a few days).

Heiser changed my life. My books, my music, my preaching, and my Bible study have all been influenced by him. His studies gave me the interest to start Nerd Church JXN, and I don’t think I would have gone on to get a degree in theology and social justice if I hadn’t read his work. He’s also given me the courage to just be a weird supernatural theologian/pastor/exorcist/nerd and reach other weirdos like me rather than try to fit into the academic box others feel they must cram themselves into.

Thank you, Heiser. You are sorely missed. See you in the council.