| Forum: Introductions & General |
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| Topic: The Nephilim |
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| The Nephilim [message #14211] |
Fri, 21 February 2025 00:10 |
 Mark L
Messages: 868
Registered: October 2006
Location: Canada |
Senior Member |
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The Nephilim
It seems everywhere you go today there is talk of the Nephilim. Someone pointed it out to me and asked what I thought. My opinion is it's an overblown issue. It all stems from Gen. 6
Gen 6/1-4. (ESV)
When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2. the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3. Then the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." 4. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
Some background
Many conservative theologians believe the list of patriarchs in Gen 5 is not a direct father-son list. I agree and think they mostly were the heads of eras or generations. The Bible does not give us a detailed look at life before the flood. It just points out some notable issues and times. One of those times was the Nephilim of Gen. 6. "In those days" vs 4 points that out.
Often in the bible information is just put together but not really sorted in any functional or logical way. Very common in the prophets. I think that is true of Gen 6. It seems to me to be a passage linking creation and the genealogies with the flood. Pointing out a particularly egregious example of the sinfulness of man. Originally there was much info on this but edited by later divinely appointed editors (redactors). Jewish tradition is that Moses recorded Genesis and Ezra edited and updated it. I think that is probably true. My point is that the 120 yrs and the Nephilim aren't necessarily directly connected to the flood.
The Sons of God
There are a great number of spiritual personalities spoken of in the bible. Angels. Cherubim. Seraphim. Watchers Thunders. To name a few. Along with a multitude of demonic beings. One of those personalities are called the Sons of God. There are various views of who they are. I believe they are a class of spiritual personalities who have some sort of governmental authority over our world.
They are spoken of in Gen. 6 Job 1,2 and Job 38/7. Along with Satan 1/3 of heaven fell into sin. Some angels did; some didn't. Some Cherubim did; some didn't. That is true to some degree or another for all the personalities in Heaven. The point here is some of the Sons of God sinned and some didn't. We see that in Gen 6 when they cohabited (sinfully) with human women. We see that also in Job 38/7 when those who didn't sin were present rejoicing as God created the world.
Many of the spiritual personalities that inhabit the unseen world around us when they want can manifest themselves in or as a human body. I don't mean inhabiting one or manifesting through someone but as a personality itself. A human body fully physical and functional as any of us. While still retaining their own spiritual personality. Angels do it all the time.
The physical act of procreation was entirely new and foreign to the spiritual world. I think these spiritual beings found it highly interesting and tried it out for themselves. Taking on fully functional human bodies with the resulting offspring called the "Nephilim"
So who then are the Nephilim
The word itself means the fallen ones. The KJV translates it as "Giants" I don't believe this refers to their physical size but rather to their inward nature. They were as fully human as all the rest of us. Conceived in the usual way. Men (and women) with abilities no one had ever seen before. Physically spiritually intellectually. They likely lifted the entire earth to new heights of accomplishment. Heights of sinful accomplishment as I don't imagine they were reaching out to the Lord.
There are two other references to Nephilim in the bible. Num. 13/32-33 where the 10 spies brought back a report to Moses of Nephilim in the land. The KJV translates that as Giants and I think that is a proper translation. People who were of abnormal size and used that to dominate in civic life and warfare.
The other (possible) reference is in Ezek 32/17-32. I think it simply means the Nephilim from before the flood are in Hades/Hell/the grave along with all the rest of fallen humanity.
Some thoughts on the Nephilim in light of Today
First of all, I think it is a massively overblown issue. It was a unique time in history when something very much out of the ordinary happened. We are told that Genesis 6 was their first incursion into humanity. Their bloodline came through Noah's flood. Probably through his sons' wives. The 2nd incursion came during the time of Nimrod. Gen. 10/8-9 I assume because he was a "mighty" hunter. The third incursion is happening now in these last days. They are among us. They are the UFO's. Half human and half angel. Serpent seed. They were present all through the land of Canaan when Joshua killed them off. According to one prophecy expert they are still in modern Gaza. They will rise again in the last days. Obviously, I don't agree with any of this.
I don't believe it was the Nephilim that gave rise to the judgment of the flood for the reasons given above under the background notes
It is entirely possible for there to be a spirit of Nephilim. The same as a spirit of Amalek or Jezebel. Or any other. But that is not the Nephilim of Gen. 6
To some degree, Paul's warning in Col. 2/18 needs to be heeded. The warning is that we are to be careful not to go too far in examining the unseen world around us. Also, the personalities that inhabit it. Obviously if God didn't want us to know anything he wouldn't have given us the info he did. We just need to be careful. On this entire issue it just seems to me that collectively we (the church) are going too far. What Paul was really saying in Col. 2 is that we need to keep our feet on the ground.
Maybe because of the way the issue is pointed to in Gen 6 it may be relevant to these last days. I personally don't believe it. I don't see it in the scriptures either. It was a unique time in our shared history.
Another reason why I don't believe in the rise of the Nephilim in these last days is because they would compete directly with the anti-christ.
I do think that these last days are another unique time in history. That is clearly said in Dan. 2 concerning the 10 toes. Something out of the ordinary is going to happen. Concerning a different kind of life. A great breakthrough in science. An overwhelming flood of mysticism spirituality occultism. Quantum computing. Trans humanism and cloning. And more. I will be commenting on all that soon.
But the Nephilim? They are in the grave awaiting judgment.
You can read
"Meanderings on Scripture by Mark
https://mlederman.substack.com/
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