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Cancer is an ugly word that continuously brings fear and trepidation with it when a patient hears it spoken from a doctor’s mouth.
Those suffering from this affliction often hold dear to hope that it can be managed if not eradicated.
Still others hold to faith when given the prognosis that modern medical technology can offer no solution to the disease rampaging through their bodies.
In the case of renowned Bible scholar Dr. Michael Heiser, medical science has reached its limits and only God would be able to heal his body.
“I am at the end of the road in the late stage (4) of a very aggressive pancreatic cancer,” Heiser shared on a Facebook post Sunday, Jan. 22. “Nothing to date has reversed the tumor’s status. It has now invaded the upper GI and stomach areas causing slow, uncontrollable bleeding. No one on my medical team has a solution or knows of one. During the latest endoscopy an effort was made to cauterize as many of the bleeding points as possible to at least slow the bleeding. In essence, I am bleeding out at a slow rate with no solution.”
In his work and studies, Dr. Heiser became a leading proponent for the “divine council” worldview.
According to an abstract posted by Kaspars Ozolins, assistant professor of Old Testament Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the “Divine Council” worldview is as follows:
“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.”
Dr. Heiser has also gained many followers outside traditional Christian circles by engaging and discussing Christianity with those holding to alternative worldviews.
Frequently engaging with supporters of UFOs, psychic experiences and conspiracy theories, Heiser approaches those society often casts aside as crazy in an opportunity to share the works of God with them.
Debunking those who would look to discredit God as the Creator of heaven and earth earned Dr. Heiser some notoriety among the paranormal scene. Appearing on multiple television shows and documentary series like “Ancient Aliens” and “Zeitgeist,” Heiser would bring the Word of God into parts of society that are often overlooked if not outright ignored due to their fringe belief systems.
Dr. Heiser’s words convey his faith and hope in the Lord with no hint of fear, worry or anxiety. He shares with his community, even while looking physical death in the face and not flinching, how he takes comfort in knowing where he is going should his body fail and Who he will see.
“As you all know, when I pass, I will join the family of God and his council, to which all of us as believers presently belong but ‘not yet’ in its fullness. This is what awaits me, and I am glad. We will see each other in the future in unimaginably glorious ways,” he explained.
As Dr. Heiser appears to prepare himself, his family and his community for his celebration of life, he leaves them with the words of a man confident in his God and the destination in which his soul will spend eternity.
“I know this news is depressing, but you should all know, I will die happy to have served the Lord and you all in the ways I have. God has been very good to us, gifting me in discernible ways and, I think just as importantly, given me heart for the lay community—all of you. I desired nothing more than to empower all of you to study Scripture more deeply, to unlock the Bible for you in ways inaccessible to all but scholars. This brought me a special joy.”
What could be a better ending to a life spent in service of the Lord than passing on with the joy of the Lord in one’s heart? {eoa}
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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.
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