Chapter Overviews
Chapter 1
This is the first part of a series of overviews that will review and discuss the book Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ by Michael S. Heiser¹²³. The overview introduces the main theme of the book, which is how the ancient Jewish and Christian writers understood the role of Jesus as the messiah in relation to the story of the fallen angels in 1 Enoch 6-16. The overview explains that the book challenges the modern church to rediscover this forgotten aspect of the gospel and its implications for Christian faith and practice. The overview also provides some background information on the author, Michael S. Heiser, and his credentials as a biblical scholar and theologian. The article ends with a brief overview of the contents of the book and an invitation to join into the discussion.
(1) Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of .... https://www.amazon.com/Reversing-Hermon-Watchers-Forgotten-Mission/dp/0998142638.
(2) Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of .... https://www.amazon.com/Reversing-Hermon-Watchers-Forgotten-Mission-ebook/dp/B0723B2Z4S.
(3) Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of .... https://www.logos.com/product/144076/reversing-hermon-enoch-the-watchers-and-the-forgotten-mission-of-jesus-christ.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 will now dive into 1 Enoch and the Enochian material from the viewpoint of the 2nd Temple and first century Jewish perspective.
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 explores the Mesopotamian Apkallu.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4 explores the Birth of Jesus and sins of the Watchers.
Plan and Approach
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
A primary impact of Dr. Heiser on myself (personally) has been an extreme elevation in my desire to handle the word of truth diligently. As the Lord commanded that the disciples go out into the world and make more disciples, that call has never been rescinded—coming down to this present time unchanged. As disciples, it is the disciplined (diligent) handling of scripture that the Spirit of Christ in us uses as the means of revealing Himself to us and in us. One of Dr. Mike's most precious gifts was leading the way in the disciplined and sober handling of the scripture.
With that said—I am writing this portion of this web site with this in mind. The goal is to write a set of study notes that are useful in the context of our Zoom meeting and beyond. As the scripture is timeless, so ought to be commentary notes on it. Moreover, a subordinate goal of these notes is to capture some of the more interesting commentary from participants in the Zoom meeting. Because of the way this technology works, it may even be possible to capture, craft, and include that commentary on-the-fly during the meeting, yielding an immediate review-and-approve by the group of additions to these notes.
Structure
I will take the time to outline chapters one by one in such a way as to form a skeletal study guide as a launching point. Once into the meeting, the group can then follow along, commenting as we go, and capturing the most meaty and powerful points—and even some not so meaty as well. All comers will be welcomed.
Because this is a web site that can be live edited and turned around very quickly, I will facilitate such editing and turn-around. This will slow the meeting a bit, but there is an adaptable plan. For example, as we cover points, the group can assess which points being made they want to be captured, edited in, and then turned around for the group to see, review, and approve.
The other consequence of these notes being on a website is that it can reference materials on the internet just like any website—pages, images, videos, and other content can be linked, embedded, and otherwise included. Therefore, if someone in the group knows of a relevant web resource (i.e., a Naked Bible podcast, YouTube video, book, and so on) then we can note it, include it, and drive on with our review.
Bing ChatGPT-4 Examples
Personally, I have started using Microsoft Bing ChatGPT-4 to facilitate research and even cross validation of that research. The system has turned into a valuable tool for saving time and cutting through the garbage of the internet. Please allow me to demonstrate.
Sure, I can help you with that. According to my web search, there are at least two episodes of the Naked Bible Podcast that have to do with Heiser's book Reversing Hermon. They are:
- **Episode 372: Revelation 7, Part 1**², where Heiser discusses the relationship between the 144,000 and the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch), a work that elaborates on the fall of the sons of God of Gen 6:1-4.
- **Episode 373: Revelation 7, Part 2**¹, where Heiser continues the discussion of the 144,000 and also talks about the omission of the tribe of Dan from the list and the reference to the "great tribulation" in Rev 7:13-14.
You can find the transcripts and audio files of these episodes on the Naked Bible Podcast website⁵. I hope this helps you. 😊
Source: Conversation with Bing, 6/16/2023
(1) Naked Bible Podcast Transcript. https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/NB-372-Transcript.pdf.
(2) Naked Bible Podcast Transcript. https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/NB-373-Transcript.pdf.
(3) The Naked Bible Podcast | Biblical theology, stripped bare of .... https://nakedbiblepodcast.com/.
(4) Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotte…. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34052822-reversing-hermon.
(5) Reversing Hermon Archives - Dr. Michael Heiser. https://drmsh.com/category/reversing-hermon/.
The next example is a favorite of mine. I use Bing's ChatGPT-4 against itself as a validator of its own responses. In this case, I used a direct quote from a Naked Bible podcast where Justin Bass is responding to a question from interviewer Trey Stricklin. The idea is to get ChatGPT to parse out thoughts or notions and then evaluate them for truthfulness based on the LLM AI's capabilities. The results are often surprising, validating, and invalidating. Note that the AI will (and does) hallucinate, but this is why you are a human and it is a software tool and not a real "intelligence".
Okay, I will try to parse the thoughts of the statement and evaluate them as you requested. Here is my analysis:
- **In the 29 years that the prison Alcatraz was running... I want to ask everybody listening, how many prisoners escaped?** This is a rhetorical question that introduces the topic of the statement. It is neither true nor false, but it implies that some prisoners did escape from Alcatraz.
- **If you've seen the move The Rock… That was fiction, so you can't answer "Sean Connery."** This is a humorous remark that refers to a 1996 movie starring Sean Connery as a former Alcatraz inmate who helps stop a terrorist attack on the island. It is true that the movie is fiction and that Sean Connery did not escape from Alcatraz in real life.
- **There were many escape attempts, but how many actually got out of the prison and crossed the dangerous waters of San Francisco Bay to freedom?** This is another rhetorical question that emphasizes the difficulty of escaping from Alcatraz. It is true that there were many escape attempts, but the exact number of successful escapes is unknown and disputed.
- **Well, according to the authorities (like the FBI), no one ever escaped.** This is a factual statement that reflects the official position of the authorities who investigated the Alcatraz escapes. It is somewhat true, because there is no conclusive evidence that any inmate survived the escape and reached the mainland, but it is also somewhat false, because there is some circumstantial evidence and expert opinion that suggests otherwise.
- **But new evidence revealed in just the last decade suggests that the most famous escape attempt (that was even made into a great movie called Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood—I highly recommend it) was indeed successful.** This is a factual statement that refers to some recent developments in the case of the 1962 escape attempt by Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin. It is somewhat true, because there is some new evidence (such as a letter allegedly written by John Anglin in 2013) that supports the possibility of their survival, but it is also somewhat false, because there is no definitive proof or confirmation of their success.
- **On the night of June 11, 1962, Frank Morris, John England, and his brother, Clarence, undeniably escaped Alcatraz Prison, made it to the Bay, and started paddling on inflatable rafts they made from raincoats toward land.** This is a factual statement that describes the events of the 1962 escape attempt. It is true that Morris and the Anglin brothers escaped Alcatraz Prison and made it to the Bay on inflatable rafts they made from raincoats. However, there is a typo in this statement: John England should be John Anglin.
- **The authorities had always claimed they drowned, but the rafts were, indeed, uncovered on land after the escape and their footprints nearby.** This is a factual statement that contrasts the authorities' claim with some evidence found after the escape. It is somewhat true, because it is possible that they drowned after leaving their rafts on land and their footprints nearby, but it is also somewhat false, because it is possible that they survived and continued their journey on land or by other means.
- **Evidence also suggests that they made it to Brazil and were still alive 50 years later.** This is a factual statement that refers to some evidence (such as a photo allegedly showing Morris and John Anglin in Brazil in 1975) that supports the possibility of their survival and relocation. It is somewhat true, because there is some evidence that suggests this scenario, but it is also somewhat false, because there is no definitive proof or confirmation of their identity or whereabouts.
- **Frank and the England brothers are still on the US Marshall's Most Wanted List, which gives you an idea what they think about whether they truly escaped or not.** This is a factual statement that reflects the status of Morris and the Anglin brothers as fugitives from justice. It is true that they are still on the US Marshals Service Most Wanted List (again, there is a typo: England should be Anglin), which implies that they are still considered alive and at large by the authorities.
- **The way they escaped is fascinating. They dug below their prison cell sink through to the ventilation shaft. Once the hole was big enough, they crawled through and the shaft led them to the roof. But here's the best part: in their beds, they placed paper mâché dummies made with human hair stolen from the prison barber shop. So when the prison guards walked by at night, they were tricked by the dummies in their beds.** This is a factual statement that summarizes the method of escape used by Morris and the Anglin brothers. It is true that they dug below their prison cell sink, crawled through the ventilation shaft, reached the roof, and placed paper mâché dummies in their beds to deceive the guards. However, this statement also contains an opinion: that the way they escaped is fascinating and that the best part is the paper mâché dummies. These are subjective judgments that may not be shared by everyone.
I hope this analysis meets your expectations. 😊
Source: Conversation with Bing, 6/16/2023
(1) June 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1962_Alcatraz_escape_attempt.
(2) Alcatraz escape of June 1962 | Planning, Escapees, & Facts. https://www.britannica.com/event/Alcatraz-escape-of-June-1962.
(3) Escape From Alcatraz: June 11, 1962 | HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/escape-from-alcatraz-june-11-1962.
Conclusion
There are so many ways that this media and presentation might be useful to our study and review group. Please give me your feedback and ideas to help us see if this can actually work and be useful to the group!
All of the love of Christ to each of you!