Hi Mark W,

There are a lot of views out there. I was not aware of James Matheny. And I am not inclined to read authors that claim thier book was not accepted because all the experts are wrong and they are right. I also am not going to pay hundreds of dollars for the book.

Hi Edina,

You’re off topic on this post so read my comment policy. Since you’re new here I will answer this time.

God knows everything that will happen. He knew that Adam would sin and fall. That is why Jesus was appointed to save mankind before the foundations of the world.

The Bible does not say that God did not see Adam and Eve hiding. They did lose their fellowship with Him when they sinned. They hid from God because they lost their glory.

God gave angels and humans freewill. Mankind was to to have faith in God and wait for the kinsman redeemer but the human race became corrupted by fallen angels. (Women had offspring with Angels.) All those corrupted by the Angels could no longer be saved by the kinsman redeemer of the Adamic race. God chose to cut them off and start over again with a line of Humans that had not yet been corrupted. That was Noah and sons. God knew it would happen, but knowing something and preventing free will in His created beings is two different things.

The Catholics do not change words in their Bible. They just use St. Jerome’s translation which is translated into Latin from a manuscript that might have some corruption. Even so, no major points of doctrine differ. The Catholics do add additional books to the Canon and that is a problem. The greater problem is that Catholics put church tradition on the same level as scripture and make what the Popes decree infallible.

Heiser did seem to be saying that Gog and the antichrist were one and the same. I had thought they were different. He has a video on Daniel’s 70 weeks I hadn’t watched yet. Maybe I don’t need to now. I take a more literal than a metaphorical view.

Heiser has pointed out a lot of other things to be excited about without giving up my eschatology.

When I watched his ‘rapture’ video a couple of weeks ago he explained we are either splitters (pre trib rapture) or harmonizers (post trib rapture). He said he wasn’t giving a position on it but just wanted us to know how we chose our position. I could tell then he was amillennial.

Hi Caitlin,

From what I know I think you got Heiser’s views correct. I hope he learns to take Eschatology more literally.

He seems to think that Gog and the Antichrist are the same. I think Russia will lead the coalition of nations. I think at that time there will be a great confederacy of nations led by Russia much like there was in the days of the Soviet Union.

There is only one nation that has the military power to lead such an effort as is describe in Ezekiel 38 and 39 within the next 20 years or so and that nation is Russia. Some think the coalition of nations is led by Turkey but Israel could destroy Turkey’s military without God’s help.

Rather than Gog coming from the seat of Baal’s authority at Bashan the Antichrist might indeed come from that region. It is the land given to Dan. Some think the Bible indicates the Antichrist comes from the tribe of Dan and that is also why that tribe is not mentioned in Revelation with the 144,000 Israelite’s that preach the gospel of the coming kingdom to the whole world as a witnesses.

Keep in mind that Judas was an Israelite and he is a foreshadow of the Son of Perdition. As the twelve apostles will rule on 12 thrones ruling over the 12 tribes of Israel there was one person that betrayed Christ and he was replaced by another. There also will be one tribe that will welcome the coming of the Antichrist and it will be replaced by another in preaching the gospel of the coming kingdom to the whole world. It will be Dan.

Even so, the Beast/Antichrist is not Gog. We also cannot assume that he will not be Roman because he comes from that region. I believe the revived Roman Empire will rule over the whole area of the ancient Roman Empire. That would include Syria.

Heiser is amillennial and he discounts any literal Rapture before any tribulation or the future literal fulfillment of the Daniel 70 weeks prophecy. In fact, he discounts many things in Bible prophecy that sound quite literal by suggesting that they may just be metaphors. He tends to think that the Gog Magog war is at the end of the church age and by that he means just before the Devil is cast into the Lake of Fire and we go into the eternal state.

Just because one is an expert in one field of study that does not make them experts in all fields of study. In my Revelation commentary I warn teachers and pastors about just doing some side studies in Bible prophecy and then thinking that they did the work to get Eschatology correct.

I think Heiser knows much about ancient writings but I believe he is over his head when it comes to correctly interpreting Eschatology and other major theologies as well. Teachers will get carried away with themselves. Pretty soon they start thinking they know more than those that have been specializing in certain theologies all of their life. Heiser’s teaching on Eschatology is much like Dr.Thomas Ice trying to teach Michael Heiser about ancient languages. I know its hard for some teachers, but teachers should stay within their area of expertise as much as they can.

It wasn’t difficult for me to embrace the Deut:32 worldview. Fascinating and exciting to get out of the traditional rut.

In some cases Heiser was presenting options for possible meanings but there were a few points I particularly looked for.

1. A distinction between National Israel and the Church. He never made that point and I too think he is a believer in Covenant Theology.

2. He also left out a literal thousand year reign. He takes the amillennial view.

It was interesting that Gog might come from the seat of Baal’s authority located in the heights of the north and not necessarily a geographical location but then he went on to present another thought. The antichrist would come from the tribe of Dan, located in Bashan. The way Heiser explained it made sense but I’m not sure what to think about it. (pg. 366)

Neither suggestion is the way we’ve thought about it.

Don, what do you think? Are we still with Russia leading the coalition of nations against Israel?

I want people to hold off on making further comments on their personal experiences with the supernatural realm. I am now in the process of writing an article where comments like this will be much more appropriate. I should have it posted by tomorrow morning.

Comments about The Unseen Realm book are still desired.

I will mention an occurrence of an almost physical touch that happened to me many years ago for only one reason. It occurred at a time of great emotional upset and was either caused by that upset or the upset was used as an avenue of attack. Whatever was the cause God’s word gave me immediate ‘victory’.

It is our minds that are most effected by spiritual powers i.e. God’s power to give salvation’s blessings are by his word, and our minds to understand that word.

Doubt and fear and a host of other negatives can affect our minds and our bodies, and isn’t it in these negatives that the Devil attempts to destabilise and defeat us.

However like Doug I no longer dismiss the testimony of sensible people ( I will always dismiss the testimony of certain types however). 🙂