Logos Bible Software and Michael Heiser
April 8. 2025
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143,
fbns@wayoflife.org
The following is from the free eBook The Deceptive Dangers of Logos Bible Software by Brian Snider.

It is a well-documented warning about how that Logos is at the forefront of the ecumenical blending and merging that is producing a one-world “church” in preparation for the day of the Lord and the full-blown Mystery Babylon of Revelation 17-18.

Following is an excerpt:


MICHAEL HEISER

The culture of Faithlife/Logos drifts into things that are downright strange and unsettling, like their appointment of Dr. Michael Heiser as a scholar in residence (2004–2019). He died in February 2023 from pancreatic cancer.

He was a supposed expert on UFO sightings.

He is in good company with evangelical scholars who believe that the Bible can only be understood if we understand the cultural milieu that it was written in, that being the the Ancient Near East. Heiser specifically believed that understanding the Ugarit culture of Syria is vital to understanding the Bible, as he claimed that many Bible concepts were derived from this pagan culture.

In an article on Logos’ webpage, he said “Like everyone whose doctoral work is in Semitics, I took Ugaritic during graduate school. It was a life-changing course, because it opened up the Hebrew text and Israelite religion to me in so many ways.”
https://www.logos.com/ugaritic

“It is often said that one of the most important principles of interpretation is to put every text into its proper context. That is, to read the text to be interpreted in place with its surroundings: the surrounding text as well as the social, historical, cultural, and literary traditions of the world in which it was produced. The texts recovered at Ugarit provide a key piece of literary, social, and religious context for certain passages of the Old Testament.” What's Ugaritic Got to Do with Anything? Dr. Michael S. Heiser, Academic Editor, Logos Bible Software

According to Heiser, the Bible is not a supernatural book in the way that we think about it. It is a man-made book based on pagan ideas.

Heiser’s most significant contribution was his teaching on The Divine Council, a view that Yahweh presided over a heavenly world of lesser gods.

He bases his interpretation on several passages of scripture, including Gen. 1:26, Ps. 82:1, Ps. 89:5-8, Ps. 29:1, Gen. 6:2, Deut. 32:8,9, and others. The definition of ‘many gods’ is polytheism.

Based on Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” Heiser taught that God is actually talking to a council of gods, not to the other members of the trinitarian Godhead.

We see more of his doctrine on this subject in this article posted on the Logos webpage.

The Tower of Babel Story: What Really Happened?

“As odd as it sounds, the rest of the nations were placed under the authority of members of Yahweh’s divine council. Whereas in Deuteronomy 32:8–9 God apportioned or handed out the nations to the sons of God, here we are told God “allotted” the gods to those nations. God decreed, in the wake of Babel, that the other nations he had forsaken would have other gods besides himself to worship.

“The other nations were assigned these lesser gods as a judgment from the Most High, Yahweh. It is as though God was saying, “If you don’t want to obey me, I’m not interested in being your god—I’ll match you up with some other god.”
https://www.logos.com/grow/really-happened-tower-babel/

However, scripture is plain.
Isaiah 44:8 Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

In the Dictionary of the Old Testament which is edited by Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns, Heiser declares:

“Psalm 82:1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment. The term divine council is used by Hebrew and Semitics scholars to refer to the heavenly host, the pantheon of divine beings who administer the affairs of the cosmos. All ancient Mediterranean cultures had some conception of a divine council. The divine council of Israelite religion, known primarily through the psalms, was distinct in important ways.” Michael S. Heiser, “Divine Council,” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (ed. Tremper Longman III and Peter Enns; Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, England: IVP Academic; Inter-Varsity Press, 2008), 112.

“Incursions of henotheistic thought have made their way into churches, seminaries, and theological resources in recent decades. Henotheism is a species of polytheism, where many gods are said to be subject to one principal deity or supreme Being. Rather than being entirely equal, as with many Eastern polytheisms, henotheism teaches a hierarchy in the divine nature. Proponents of henotheism include the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Norse peoples. More recently, however, the late Dr. Michael Heiser has imbibed henotheistic thought. While maintaining monotheism in principle, Heiser defines monotheism as the belief in a “species unique” deity that presides over other divine beings or gods. In my opinion, this is virtually indistinguishable from the Greeks and Romans who saw Zeus or Jupiter, respectively, as the “king gods” who maintained sway over subjugated divine powers, such as Ares, Athena, or Mars. To adopt this position is to (inadvertently?) drink from the fountain of a fundamental metaphysical compromise, i.e. the expansion of “divine nature” to more than one being.” Pastor Joshua Sommer,
https://thebaptistbroadcast.com/category/biblical-theology

“Heiser who denies that Isaiah ben Amoz wrote all the book of Isaiah, who denies Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, who clearly believes Daniel was written hundreds of years after the actual Daniel lived and who more than hints that he doesn't believe in a worldwide universal flood (or much of any of the historicity of Genesis 1-11 for that matter) represents a practical rejection of New Testament statements about the Old Testament, its prophets and prophecies. He certainly doesn't believe the text to be God-Breathed and thus it has to be said that his concept of inspiration is radically different from what traditional theological conservatives have argued.”
https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2019/07/heisers-unseen-realm-and-divine-council.html

The visibility provided to him through Logos allowed him to have a tremendous audience and his views on the Divine Council have spread widely and have been widely accepted by a huge cross-section of evangelical readers and scholars

John Piper’s website (
www.desiringgod.org) ran an article that was a full-orbed acceptance of Heiser’s teachings. “Several biblical passages speak of what some theologians call a “divine council,” an assembly of heavenly beings or “gods.” For Israel’s neighbors in the ancient Near East, such councils reflected polytheistic worldviews, where rival gods vied for power and supremacy. For Israel, however, the members of the divine council, though heavenly and supernatural, remained subject to the providence and decrees of the one Creator God. Furthermore, God disarmed all these malevolent spiritual powers at the cross of Christ, and one day he will strip them of all authority entirely.” https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-divine-council#fn2

The article on Piper’s website goes on to parrot Heiser’s doctrine and errors.

Heiser’s most popular book is entitled The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible which promotes weird and unconventional doctrine regarding supernatural subjects. On the Amazon page for his book, we find this summary and endorsement:

“Why wasn't Eve surprised when the serpent spoke to her?
How did descendants of the Nephilim survive the flood?
Why did Jacob fuse Yahweh and his Angel together in his prayer?
Who are the assembly of divine beings that God presides over?
In what way do those beings participate in God's decisions?
Why do Peter and Jude promote belief in imprisoned spirits?
Why does Paul describe evil spirits in terms of geographical rulership?
Who are the "glorious ones" that even angels dare not rebuke?
After reading this book, you may never read your Bible the same way again.”

"There is a world referred to in the Scripture that is quite unseen, but also quite present and active. Michael Heiser's The Unseen Realm seeks to unmask this world. Heiser shows how important it is to understand this world and appreciate how its contribution helps to make sense of Scripture. The book is clear and well done, treating many ideas and themes that often go unseen themselves. With this book, such themes will no longer be neglected, so read it and discover a new realm for reflection about what Scripture teaches."
-Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Howard G. Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership and Cultural Engagement

Faithlife produced a documentary based on his book “The Unseen Realm.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QM7anD5vSI which merely highlights their endorsement of this very confused ‘scholar.’

Heiser also wrote The World Turned Upside Down: Finding the Gospel in Stranger Things which is featured on the Logos website.

The Netflix series Stranger Things includes paranormal activity, loads of profanity, sexual content and demons.

“Some characters get overtaken by an inter-dimensional creature known as the “Mind-Flayer,” which makes them act in ways that are contrary to their personality and give this creature more power. …Now in its third season, most viewers of STRANGER THINGS won’t be surprised by the amount of swearing in the series. However, Christians will be surprised to know that many of the expletives come from the mouths of children.” (
https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/3-things-christians-should-know-about-stranger-things-2.html)

“In The World Turned Upside Down, Heiser draws on this supernatural worldview to help us think about the story of Jesus and discover glimpses of the gospel in the Upside Down. He argues that this celebrated series helps us understand the gospel in unique and overlooked ways. The spiritual questions and crises raised by Stranger Things are addressed the same way they are in the gospel, with mystery and transcendent power.” Promotional statement on Amazon for his book.

“For Michael Heiser, 'Stranger Things' is the perfect marriage of his interest in popular culture and the paranormal. In 'The Unseen Realm,' he opened the eyes of thousands, helping readers understand the supernatural worldview of the Bible—now he turns his attention to the worldwide television phenomenon, exploring how 'Stranger Things' relates to Christian theology and the Christian life.” Promotional statement on Logos’ website.

Heiser’s book Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ, using apocryphal writings to reinterpret what we know from sacred scripture.

“Reversing Hermon is a groundbreaking work. It unveils what most in the modern Church have never heard regarding how the story of the sin of the Watchers in 1 Enoch 6-16 helped frame the mission of Jesus, the messiah. Jews of the first century expected the messiah to reverse the impact of the Watchers’ transgression. For Jews of Jesus’ day, the Watchers were part of the explanation for why the world was so profoundly depraved. The messiah would not just revoke the claim of Satan on human souls and estrangement from God, solving the predicament of the Fall. He would also not only bring the nations back into relationship with the true God by defeating the principalities and powers that governed them. Jews also believed that the messiah would rescue humanity from self-destruction, the catalyst for which was the sin of the Watchers and the influence of what they had taught humankind. The role of Enoch’s retelling of Genesis 6:1-4 in how New Testament writers wrote of Jesus and the cross has been largely lost to a modern audience. Reversing Hermon rectifies that situation.” Description on Amazon.

With the help and support of Faithlife/Logos, Heiser has influenced thousands of people toward his heretical view of the Godhead and his weird and unscriptural views on a host of things. Thousands of positive comments on his articles and videos reveals how easily people fall prey to this sort of thing.

Recent comment on one of his books:
Elijah Liech, 12/3/2024
“Dr. Heiser's work in bringing out scholarship to the day-to-day folk who are just interested in reading and discerning the word of God is phenomenal. God used him in a profound way in helping many of us to not only see scripture for what it is but also avoid misconceptions unduly placed on the Bible. He was a brilliant scholar and his works continue to enlighten a lot of people. The books are really good...a must-have for any scholar and Christian.”

Through Logos, Heiser has been able to influence conservative and fundamental Baptists. Tri-City Baptist Church of Forest City, NC, was a traditional, fundamental Baptist, KJV church.

In 2019 the church used Heiser’s book
The Unseen Realm as the basis for a series of Sunday School Classes. They have recently also moved from the KJV to using the NKJV.

After Heiser died in 2023,
Kevin T. Bauder, Research Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary, eulogized Heiser in glowing terms, particularly noting how influential he had been on the doctrinal issues he promoted.

“Most of all, Heiser’s legacy rests upon his single-minded focus. Starting from his advocacy of the divine council theory he developed related theories of biblical angelology and demonology, an understanding of the development and role of nations in the plan of God, and ultimately an overarching storyline for the outworking of God’s plan. The result was an integrated system that reflected a comprehensive biblical theology. By continuously publishing the elements of this theory through a variety of scholarly and popular venues, Heiser was able to advance his views significantly within the evangelical world.

“In 2019, Heiser left Logos and moved to Florida to become Executive Director at Awakening School of Theology and Ministry. The following year, while the rest of the world was panicking about COVID, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The cancer took his life in February of this year. Michael Heiser was just sixty years old.

“Heiser was a true scholar. He was a true gentleman. He was a true man of God and a faithful witness for Jesus Christ. But he was also unique in his interests and in his passion to communicate them. We shall not look upon his like again.”
https://centralseminary.edu/a-noted-passing/

Bauder said that Heiser was a true scholar, but in reality he was a dangerous and deceptive false teacher. The very second that you attribute the writings of Moses to pagan nations you have failed the test of true Bible scholarship which begins by acknowledging that the Bible is a supernatural book without error.

The Deceptive Dangers of Logos Bible Software by Brian Snider is available for free at
https://www.wayoflife.org/publications/all.php



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