This is a bit of a thorny topic as most folks believe the Nephilim are the offspring of the fallen angels which were giants. I disagree.

When researching the Word, one must take into account several things regarding the word or phrase or topic under scrutiny. The word 'nephilim' was translated in the KJV as 'giants', because, I assume, they did not know what the word meant. Hence everyone thinks that the Nephilim are the hybrid offspring of spirits and humans which were giants.

But the Hebrew word 'nephilim' literally means 'the fallen ones'. I contend that these were the fallen angels themselves, the sons of God, who fell from grace, fell from Heaven and fell to earth. Hence, 'the fallen ones'. Nephilim.

But let us widen the study from Genesis 6. We are discussing fallen angels here. So to better understand our quest, we look at many of the places in Scripture and the Book of Enoch where it speaks  of angels falling from Heaven to earth. This will provide a 'scope' of the topic of fallen angels and better inform us. To save time, I shall list these off quickly:

"How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer..." Isa 14:12

"I beheld Satan as lightening fall to earth..." Luke 10:18

"I saw a star (angel) fall from Heaven onto the earth..." Rev.9:1

"And the stars (angels) of Heaven fell unto the earth as figs falling..." Rev.6:13

"Behold a star fell from Heaven..." Book of Enoch 86:1

"I saw many stars fall and cast themselves from Heaven..." Enoch 86:3

"He seized the first star that had fallen from the Heavens..." Enoch 88:1

"The seven heads are seven kings...five have fallen, one is and the other is not yet come..." Rev.17:9,10

(That is, these seven are Nephilim. This is why it says 'five are fallen' because they are 'fallen angels').

So the interesting thing to notice here is that everywhere it talks of  angels coming from Heaven to earth, it uses the words 'fall' or 'fallen' to describe the event. This is not a coincidence. This is the proper usage of words by the Holy Spirit to communicate an idea.

God could have used other words such as descended; alighted; came down; landed; flew down; appeared etc. But He did not. He uses the word 'fallen'. This gives us the overall picture regarding evil angels falling to earth and ties us back to the Nephilim of Genesis 6; the 'fallen ones'. I know some will say that the Greek Septuagint translates this word as 'gigantes'. But Greek was not in existence and only came along way after the events of Genesis 6 which was a mere 800 to 1,000 years or so after Adam and Eve in the garden.

So we must defer to the inspiried Word of God for direction and this informs us that those evil spirit men who manifested on earth way back in the dim, distant past on Mount Hermon were the Nephilim; the fallen ones. Thus there is a reason why Genesis 6:4 says:

"The Nephilim were ON THE EARTH in those days..."

The inference being that prior to this they were not on the earth. They were in Heaven and had not yet left their 'first estate'. Jude 6

"And the angels which kept not their own estate, but left their own habitation..."

'Habitation' here is oiketerion.  The only other place this word is found is in 2 Corinthians 5:2 which speaks of our spiritual bodies. Thus Jude is telling us that when the fallen angels left their original home, Heaven, and fell to earth, they forsook their spiritual bodies or lost some of their spiritual abilities, and became manifest on earth in full view of humankind.

So let us be technically and grammatically accurate when we speak of the evil fallen angels. These are the Nephilim who became the heroes of old, the men of renown in Greek and Roman mythology which speaks of the exploits of these gods of legend. Sure it speaks of the giants also. But these were a mere sideshow compared to the supernatural, powerful spiritual beings who manifested on planet earth in plain sight and caused all the sin and violence in those days which filled the earth with bloodshed and precipitated the Flood.

And, "as it was in the days of Noah...so shall it be".

wow... I am having many "aha" moments here of all the combined reading and studying I've been doing.. SO- the angels fell and were sent to earth, then Adam and Eve fell and were sent to earth, OR.. out of the protected garden of Eden (Israel) and in the same realm/area as were the fallen angels. When Cain committed murder, he was cast out of the presence of God and sent to the EAST. (the unprotected area where the fallen angels were?) He was not happy about going there-he was afraid-they knew there were others on the face of the earth.- When the fallen angels, created men made children, God did not want to immediately destroy them, because they were part human, so- he numbered their days- maybe that is why there are some in heaven that have wings and some who do not- (ones with wings are nephilim who were saved?).. God has a "preserved" race though.. who were not defiled.. Adam... to... Noah and his family.. the influence of the fallen angels was so bad it contaminated the entire earth..so God had to destroy it with the flood (we know it had to be read bad for God to destory EVERYONE). So, once again the earth will be like it was in the days of Noah, where the nephilim (aliens/demons) are on the earth?... If you've read this much.. thanks (just thinking out loud)

Trish, I believe that Adam and Eve didn't literally fall, but that it was a fall from the state of Grace. I believe they were physically here on this planet. I believe that when God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, He hid the garden of eden from man's sight, and it can only be seen in the spiritual realm.

I believe that what you are talking about with some angels having wings and some not, could be due to the classes of angels. Cherubim vs. Arch Angels, etc. (That is pure speculation on my part and is only for your discernment.)

It shows in Genesis that the serpent was in the garden before the fall, since he tempted Eve there. Job shows that satan and the fallen angels had access to all of the earth and to God's throne. So they had full access to the earth, not just parts of it. So I believe that Cain wasn't afraid to go out because of the fallen ones.

One of the things I've pondered is why the Bible doesn't show that a sacrifice was made for Cain to cleanse him like God did with Adam and Eve with the lamb. I do know the lamb for Adam and Eve was symbolic of what Jesus would do when He came, but there wasn't one done for Cain. If anyone has light to shed on that I'd be really grateful!

Just my two cents on what I've studied. Please use your own discernment and study out anything I say for yourself by the Word. I'm fallible and human and get things wrong.

God Bless and Love,

Verna

I have questions about this idea of fallen angels producing children with human women. Were the angels of God created with the ability to have offspring? Were they created male and female, or genderless? Jesus said they don't marry, so did they reproduce without marriage? If they didn't reproduce in heaven before they fell, then where did they get the body parts and ability to reproduce? satan cannot create, he can only deceive. Considering how powerful these beings are compared to women, did the women have any choice in the matter? Why did God blame human beings for this if it was the fault of fallen angels? That flood was an awfully harsh punishment.

Thanks Bluebird for the answer. I appreciate it.

Dave, I believe that Job shows that the sons of God are angels. In Job 1:6-7 it says:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”    

They were presenting themselves to God in Heaven. I glean this because God asks where they've come from and satan says from the earth. This says to me that while they're talking to God, they're not on earth. Also, the sons of God came with satan to Heaven. Humans wouldn't have been able to do that.

Just my thoughts.

God Bless and Love,

Verna

Dave,

There were two periods of Nephilim living on the earth.  The first prior to the Flood and the second after the flood but limited just to the land of Canaan.  Prior to the flood there was constant violence and bloodshed.

Genesis 6:5(NIV)

The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

Genesis 6:4(NASB)

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, 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.

Angels as Spirit Beings had the abililty to take on a physical form.  Abraham was shown feeding Angels.  See Genesis 18:1-3

It was the Devil's plan to pollute the bloodline of mankind with genetic material from fallen angels.  Why, because Fallen Angels cannot be redeemed.  Neither can their offspring.  That is why it says that Noah was perfect in his generations.  In other words his bloodline was untainted.  This was the reason for a global flood.  To destroy the Nephilim and their offspring.  They not only corrupted the genetic makeup of mankind but also the plants and animals DNA as well.

After the flood Satan's plan was to seed the land of Canaan which had been promised to Abraham and his descendents with Nephilim.  To prevent them from claiming the land.  There were many offspring of the Nephilim.  The Anakim known as The Long Necked Ones a.k.a. The Sons of Anak, The Rephaim called The Restless Ones a.k.a. The Sons of Rapha, The Zuzim meaning the Roaming Ones and The Emim meaning The Fearful Ones.  King Og of Bashan was a Rephaim.  His bed was 13 feet long and 6 feet wide.  See Deuteronomy Chapter 3. 

The reason there are not any more Rephaim is because God ordered the Isrealties to destroy them.  Man, Woman and child.  Goliath of Gath and his four brothers were some of the last of the Rephaim.  Once Canaan was cleared of Rephaim, God punished those angels who participated and forbid any further interaction.

Jude 1:5-7(NASB)

Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.

And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

Re - why was not Cain's sacrifice acceptable to the Lord?

IMHO - it would have been had Cain chosen the finest of his produce - he was a tiller of the ground and Abel was a livestock breeder.  But it says that Cain chose the fruits of "the soil".  This implies to me that Cain's offering was not the "best" he had to offer - possibly even fruits that had fallen and were just lying on the ground -  and this is why it was not pleasing to the Lord...whereas Abel chose the finest and fattest lamb he had to offer.  Cain didn't have sheep etc to offer - but he COULD have offered his very finest fruit/grain/vegetable - it appears he did not.

There is a second and more provoking field of thought that Satan was actually Cain's father - that the "fall from grace" in the garden of Eden invoved sexual sin - especially as they realised they were naked after and covered their loins (why of all things??).  That the serpent (Lucifer) tempted Eve to lie with him - in fact Cain is referred to as "being from the evil one".  I don't have a fixed opinion on that particular theory - but it could explain why Cain was evil from the beginning.

Re the Nephilim - if the flood destroyed all living creatures apart from Noah and his family - then there can't be any nephilim around in these days - so I am unsure why people still seem to think they are.  Would they have not been wiped out in the flood? 

ysiC, Susan.

Interesting topic.  Personally, I find the argument for the sons of Cain to be pretty weak.  I think we are going to find out that Truth is stranger than fiction sometimes.

Thank you Knight Michael. You have such a way of explaining things with eloquence that I don't.

Trish wrote:

What do you mean the lamb sacrifice for Adam and Eve?

This is purely my speculation and my idea I'm tossing out there. After God layed out how He would punish Adam and Eve, He clothed them with animal skin. Even though it doesn't specify which animal He killed, I believe He slew a lamb as a sacrifice for their sin, which would be a foreshadow of Jesus.

As far as my question about Cain's sacrifice, I know I didn't explain what was in my brain very well. What I'm asking about is when God set down Cain's punishment after he killed Able and God kicked Cain out of His presence, why there wasn't a sacrifice made for Cain at that point to cover his sin? I've always wondered about that. I know God had to have a reason. Just throwin' stuff out there.

Where I was talking about satan being in the garden, I was trying to show that the fallen ones had access to everywhere on the planet including God's special place of Eden. In your post you said that satan and lucifer were different beings. For me, I always thought they were one and the same. Can you throw some of your thoughts out there on why you believe they're different? I think it would be interesting. 

Delila said:

why someone would give any credit to the Egyptian gods

Delila, I'm not sure what you meant by that. Please know that I'm not trying in any way to give credence to Egyptian gods. There is only one God! I believe that fallen angels and their offspring may have been behind the stories that were passed down, and the egytians took them as their gods, same with the Greeks, the Romans, the Aztecs, the Mayans, etc. None of these peoples should have believed in these false gods at all because they were just fallen angels who wanted to be seen as gods, and fooled humans into thinking they were. But these are only my thoughts I'm throwing out there. They are to be taken with a very hefty dose of skepticism. I do believe like Amy said that the truth may end up being stranger than fiction.

God Bless and Love,

Verna

Richard, you're right. I've talked my theories over with several people over the years, and this is one of those topics that gets people heated for some reason.

What's been amazing is that this thread hasn't gone down that road. Everyone's put their ideas out there, and we've discussed it in a great way. This is how it should be. And thank you for starting the thread, there's been some really interesting takes on this.

I agree with you that there will be a lot of deception fear and panic.

God Bless and Love,

Verna

Faithwon,

First of all, how do you do the "quote" thing? I keep pressing the button on the link and nothing happens. It might be my pop-up blocker. Anyway- you wrote:

This is purely my speculation and my idea I'm tossing out there. After God layed out how He would punish Adam and Eve, He clothed them with animal skin. Even though it doesn't specify which animal He killed, I believe He slew a lamb as a sacrifice for their sin, which would be a foreshadow of Jesus.

I pondered this not very long ago too and was so excited when I realized that God made the first blood sacrifice for them when he clothed them.. I also went further too and started to speculate as to whether or not it was "flesh" (or their fleshly body) that he actually clothed them with and not animal skin.

As far as my question about Cain's sacrifice, I know I didn't explain what was in my brain very well. What I'm asking about is when God set down Cain's punishment after he killed Able and God kicked Cain out of His presence, why there wasn't a sacrifice made for Cain at that point to cover his sin? I've always wondered about that. I know God had to have a reason. Just throwin' stuff out there.

You are saying exactly what I thought you would say, but I didn't want to assume, so that's why I asked for clarification. Good question. If it's the "fleshly" thing.. he would have already been clothed. If it's the animal sacrifice thing.. then, God would have alread showed them how to sacrifice an animal for forgiveness of sins (even though it doesn't say that) so, he wouldn't have needed to show Cain, he already knew.

Where I was talking about satan being in the garden, I was trying to show that the fallen ones had access to everywhere on the planet including God's special place of Eden. In your post you said that satan and lucifer were different beings. For me, I always thought they were one and the same. Can you throw some of your thoughts out there on why you believe they're different? I think it would be interesting. 

I wasn't/didn't want to say that they were seperate beings, but God created Lucifer and he was with God before he fell.. (because of pride). What I was saying was that he had already fell and he was the serpent and not the glorious being that God created him to be...

I have never bought into the argument that the Sons of God were of the line of Seth.  Sorry Dave.  I am not seeking to be confrontational or divisive.  Just laying out my take on things.  People can believe whatever they want.  But I would like somebody to explain to me how the line of Seth were rejoicing when the foundations of the World were made.  Explain to me how the line of Seth produced Giants.  Or do they not believe that the Israelites fought Giants.  Or that David fought Giants.  Or that Joshua fought Giants.  13 foot tall giants with six fingers and six toes.  1 Chronicles 20:6  Not exactly normal run of the mill humans...

Job 38:4-7(NASB)

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
         Tell Me, if you have understanding,

Who set its measurements? Since you know.
         Or who stretched the line on it?

“On what were its bases sunk?
         Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together
         And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 1:6-7(NASB)

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

Every single reference in the Old Testament with regards to the B'nai Elohim, the Sons of God, refer to Angels and not men.  In fact the Septuagint translates B'nai Elohim as the Angels of God.  This was the understanding of our early church fathers until the fourth century.  When Julius Africanus, a contemporary of Origen brought his "Seth" theory forward.

There would be no point to make a distinction of the "Daughters of Men".  For are not all women daughters of men.  If the bible wanted to make the distinction that these were from the line of Seth or Cain it would state so.  The only reason the whole "line of Seth' argument came up was because the organized church stopped believing in the existance of the supernatural.  They saw the existence of angels as being a burden to prove to the enlightened.  So they chose to ignore it instead. 

I am sure the Devil had a good laugh over that one.  I am sure he is thrilled that there are people in the world who do not believe in a literal hell, or demons or angels or in any afterlife at all.  People have the freedom to believe whatever they want.  But I am gonna stick with the literal interpretation over a metaphorical one every single time.  Because the bible has been fufilled literally not figuratively.  Read Psalm 22 and tell me who it is talking about...

Hello everyone,

I have read many articles or posts about these sons of God. I am more inclined to Knight Michael's stance. The words sons of God were also mentioned in Job chapter 1 and 2, and it is about a heavenly gathering (note Lucifer aka Satan was also there in the gathering).

Angels are beings which are far more powerful than men. And I think Knight Michael is right: Lucifer's goal is to corrupt mankind by interbreeding men and angels, because angels and their offsprings cannot be redeemed. Salvation is only for mankind - it has never been offered to the sons of God. So if all men have been corrupted, there would be no way for God to redeem mankind - and no way for the Word to become flesh.

About Greek and other mythologies, I do believe they originated from fallen angels trying to act as gods. To quote GM: Greek mythology is no myth.

I still have the same questions I asked in my previous post. Unless God created the angels to reproduce in much the same manner as we do, then I can't see where they got the body parts and the sperm with which to impregnate human women. The angels cannot create these things. They can appear as men, but that doesn't make them physical males with the right anatomy. If God didn't make them able to reproduce, then how can they make themselves able to? I've had these questions ever since I first heard about this view of fallen angels having sex with women. I don't know what to believe about this, but as a woman, I find this idea very disturbing.

Ooops.  Never had that happen before.  I'll have to check my work.  Sorry.  Linda

 KM, thank you for posting that. As Christians, it feels like sandpaper grating when we see the ugliness of the world, but the world itself has become so inured to violence, sexual immorality, war, etc. that it seems like it's just business as usual. 

God Bless and Love,

Verna 

Chuck Missler has one of the best studies I have seen on this topic (please be open minded even if you have formed an opionion on the subject/he does a great job of breaking it down for us):

I agree, Shomer Caleb, that Satan's plan was to contaminate the seed of man so that the promised Savior could not be born into the world to redeem us. This part of the Book of Enoch supports this:

“And they took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in to them, and mixed with them, and taught them charms and conjurations, and made them acquainted with the cutting of roots and of woods. And they became pregnant and brought forth great giants whose stature was three thousand ells. These devoured all the acquisitions of mankind till men were unable to sustain themselves. And the giants turned themselves against mankind in order to devour them” (Enoch 7:1-4).

J.R. Church wrote a fantastic article, which actually covers some of the questions on this thread.

http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/mount-hermon-gate-of-the-fallen-angels/

The section entitled, "God Judged the Angels", addresses why there were also nephilim after the flood. The Book of Enoch states that 200 angels were involved in the mingling with the daughters of man. Satan was not among them, and his forces were much larger than these 200 fallen angels.

In the section, "The Danite Antichrist", it's interesting that the AC is to be from the tribe of Dan, whose seed has been mixed with fallen angels after the flood.

I agree with AmyVG--The truth of all this matter, may in fact, be beyond any fiction that we can surmise.