This was our first live episode. Trey, myself and David Burnett got together with podcast listeners and a live Q & A broke out!

Thank you to everyone who came and joined us in San Antonio!

Ep. 133 drops the studio for a packed room at Rosella’s Coffee in San Antonio. In a fast-moving Q&A, Dr. Michael Heiser (with David Burnett) fields questions squarely in his wheelhouse: image of God as vocation, the Genesis 6 “sons of God,” and the Deuteronomy 32 worldview that frames cosmic geography and the church’s mission. He explains how to use Second-Temple literature (like 1 Enoch) as context for the New Testament, offers grounded, non-sensational counsel on spiritual warfare, and sketches how Revelation portrays the powers in light of the Lamb’s victory. Along the way the conversation touches baptism as allegiance/Name-bearing, judgment imagery (Gehenna, Lake of Fire), and the importance of reading Scripture within its ancient context—not ours. It’s the Divine Council worldview brought to life in pastoral, practical terms for everyday readers.

Timeline (audience Q&A mini-segments)

Note: Timestamps are approximate chapter points to help listeners jump to each exchange quickly.

00:00–03:00 — Intro & setup
Live audience at Rosella’s Coffee in San Antonio. Trey introduces Dr. Michael Heiser and co-panelist David Burnett; quick banter hits recent sci-fi (Arrival) and what the session will cover (rapid-fire Q&A).

03:00–09:00 — Q1: “Image of God” & Divine Council basics
How Heiser frames imaging as vocation (represent/representatives) rather than ontology alone; quick pointers to Gen 1:26–28, Psalm 8, and royal-priestly language that runs through the Bible.

09:00–15:00 — Q2: Genesis 6 & the ‘sons of God’
Concise recap of the Watcher reading (sons of God = divine beings; 1 Enoch background), why this best explains the context for later NT passages (e.g., 1 Pet 3; 2 Pet 2; Jude), and common objections.

15:00–22:30 — Q3: “Cosmic geography” & Deut 32 worldview
Audience asks how Deuteronomy 32:8–9 shapes missions and prayer. Heiser sketches the allotment of the nations, Israel’s calling, and how Psalm 82 critiques disloyal elohim; practical implications for the church.

22:30–29:30 — Q4: Spiritual warfare that isn’t sensationalized
Practical counsel for laypeople: identity in Christ, loyalty/holiness, and community as the ordinary means that win the “long war.” Quick warnings about method-driven deliverance and proof-texting.

29:30–36:00 — Q5: Reading the NT with Second-Temple sources
What to do with Second Temple literature (e.g., Enoch, Jubilees, DSS): treat them as context, not Scripture; how their ideas surface in NT authors, and a simple reading plan to get started.

36:00–43:00 — Q6: Hell, judgment, and the “Lake of Fire”
Short comparative sketch of OT Sheol, intertestamental developments, Gehenna imagery, and the Lake of Fire in Revelation; why genre matters and why not to flatten metaphors.

43:00–49:30 — Q7: Baptism, loyalty, and “bearing the Name”
An audience member links baptism with name/loyalty (echoes of Exod 19, Matt 28:19). Discussion touches how ritual signals allegiance in the cosmic conflict and forms identity.

49:30–56:30 — Q8: Calvinism/Arminianism detour (brief & irenic)
Mike refuses the cage-match (ha) and re-centers on what the text says in its context; quick note on divine counsel and human responsibility without collapsing either side.

56:30–1:03:30 — Q9: Revelation, “principalities and powers,” and hope
Audience asks how Revelation maps onto the powers idea. Mike highlights Rev 5; 12 and Pauline language (Eph 6; Col 2), with a focus on the Lamb’s victory as pastoral hope, not prediction charts.

1:03:30–end — Outro & meet-and-greet
Thanks to Rosella’s, quick sign-offs, and a nod to the conference-week recording sprint.