THE NEPHILIM
We’re moving on now to “Believe It Or Not – Unusual Stories Of The Bible” point number five.
And it’s found in the first part of Genesis 6:4 where it says…
“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (the days prior to the Flood), and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (Genesis 6:4)
And you know that dinosaurs once roamed the earth, but did you also know that giant human beings once roamed the earth as well?
They were the “men of renown,” the last part of Genesis 6:4 reads.
The “mighty men who were of old.”
Do you see that there again in the verse?
We’re talking about the Nephilim.
They are a controversial race of beings (to say the least).
Giant human beings.
A HYBRID
The Bible Dictionary says this about the Nephilim: “[They were] the unnatural offspring of the ‘daughters of men’ (mortal women) in cohabitation with the ‘sons of God’ (angels).” (Unger’s 788)
It goes on: “This utterly unnatural union, violating God’s created orders of being, was such a shocking abnormality as to necessitate the worldwide judgment of the Flood [of Noah’s day].”
And so that’s one thought about who the Nephilim were.
In other words, they were a hybrid.
A cross between angel and man.
INTERMINGLING IN MARRIAGE
And then there’s a second point of view (there are others, but I’ll leave them for another time).
But this second point of view is a more natural explanation.
The second point of view is the Nephilim were the product of the combined relations of the godly descendants of Seth and the ungodly descendants of Cain.
And so the sin was the intermingling in marriage of these and their offspring that followed which led to incredible corruption on the earth. (Hamilton 62)
And so that’s a second point of view on the Nephilim / giant human beings.
DEMON POSSESSION
But coming back to the hybrid idea – the Nephilim being a cross between angel and man.
How is that possible?
How can we reconcile that?
Well, in “When Critics Ask” by Geisler and Howe (pg 40-41), the suggestion is made that, rather than angels marrying women and having children, fallen angels possessed men and it was they who got married, and having children, it was these who became the “men of renown,” the “mighty men who were of old,” giant human beings!
Whatever the case, we believe the Bible.
GRACE PERIOD
And furthermore, the best part of this story of giant human beings once roaming the earth which led to incredible corruption to the point that God felt sorry to have created man and so would destroy the earth – the best part of the story is found in Genesis 6:3…
“Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.'” (Genesis 6:3)
Do you see that there?
Look at it again.
And some believe this verse is speaking about the longevity of man – that man would never live longer than 120 years old from this point on.
But I read something else.
How long did Noah build the Ark?
Do you remember?
How long did it take for Noah to build the Ark?
It could be another “Believe It Or Not,” I suppose.
Well based on Genesis 6:3, it took Noah 120 years to build the Ark.
And the verse could be read that way.
There are others that would disagree.
(For a good discussion of the length of time it took Noah to build the Ark, click here.)
The bottom line is there’s this “grace period” dynamic in Genesis 6:3 (whether it has to do with the length of time Noah built the Ark really isn’t the issue).
And God would still endure (put up) with man in such a corruptible condition where (potentially) fallen angels have possessed men and had children – and the earth became so bad, but still God would afford 120 years of grace and time for people to repent. (Geisler and Howe 41)
It’s another “Believe It Or Not” I could have stressed along with giant humans beings once roaming the earth.
And actually, I have stressed it!
Aren’t you glad we serve a God of “grace periods” (second chances)?
Watch for “Believe It Or Not – A Humble Man Told Others Of His Great Humility” to come soon.
There are second chances with God, but His patience does have a limit. #BibleStudy pic.twitter.com/HnVV5uofNm
— aheartforgod (@aheartforgod) October 2, 2016
(Noah Tried To Tell Them via flickr. CC BY 2.0)
You might also be interested in:
- 7 Things the Story of Noah’s Ark and a Great Flood Tells Us About the End of the World
- The End of the World Has Already Come? (and the Single, Most Important Thing You Must Learn From It)
About Pastor Mike
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