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The Nephilim (No. 154)
(Edition 2.0 19950303-19991108)
The Nephilim are first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 6:4
as the offspring of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men". This is a general theme found throughout the ancient world
and is not confined to the Bible. This paper examines ancient records, the titans, the raksasa of the Ramayana, the Dead Sea
Scrolls, the Genesis Aprocryphon, the Gibbowrim and Rephaim. Using a variety of reference works, particularly the Companion
Bible, conclusions about the Nephilim are drawn.
Christian Churches of God
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(Copyright ă 1996, 1999 Wade Cox)
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The Nephilim
The subject of the Nephilim is quite complicated. It is a general
theme found throughout the ancient world and it is not confined to the Bible. It is an extensive subject which transcends
the nations, i.e. is found amongst most or all of the nations from what we have of their records. We will deal with the first
instance of Genesis 6:4.
Genesis 6:1-22 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply
on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were
fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for
that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those
days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them,
the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy
man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air;
for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Verse 9 goes on to say (almost as a separate group, but it
is joined because Noah is referred to in both verses):
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just
man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold,
it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come
before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee
an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15 And this is
the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth
of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou
finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories
shalt thou make it. 17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein
is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. 18 But with
thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives
with thee. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them
alive with thee; they shall be male and female. 20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every
creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. 21 And
take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee,
and for them. 22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. (KJV)
The structure of Genesis 6 is not divorced. It takes you from
verse 1 right through to the end at verse 22. The reason God decided to destroy the earth was because of the activities of
mankind and the fallen Host up to the flood. We will look at this concept in Genesis 6:4. In Genesis 6:4, the words for giants
in the text there were giants in the earth in those days, is Nephilim.
Genesis 6:4 There were Nephilim in the earth in those days
and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bare children to them, the same became
mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
These mighty men of old were the Gibborim or Gibbowrim. If
we look at Green’s Interlinear Bible it says (reading the literal words): the giants were on the earth in days those
and even afterwards when came in the sons of God (the word for God there is haElohim, i.e. sons of the God)
to the daughters of men (the word there is haAdam, i.e. the Adam) and they bore to them, they were heroes (the
word for heroes is haGibborim, i.e. the heroes) who existed from times ancient, the men of name or renown.
There are a series of concepts in these words used and it is
translated by Green: the giants were in the earth in those days and even afterwards when the sons of God came into the
daughters of men and they bore to them. They were heroes which existed from ancient time, the men of name.
The Septuagint translates the sons of God as the
angels of God. The Good News Bible renders it as the angels of God and many other texts deal with the concept of
the sons of God as the angelic Host. It says on page 518 of Volume 3 of the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on the
article Nephilim:
the etymology of nephilim is uncertain, the following
explanations have been advanced with mixed reception. First, it may derive from the niphal of the verb p pălă , meaning "be
extraordinary", i.e., "extraordinary men". Second, it may be derived from the verb n năpal, "fall," in one of the following
senses: (1) the "fallen ones" - from heaven, i.e., supernatural beings; (2) morally "fallen men"; [the accepted meaning of
Nephilim, from napal to fall, in the sense of the fallen Host. This is seen from the DSS and the Ethiopic Book of Enoch as
well as the biblical texts. They are the fallen ones. Hence the word fellow or feller in our language comes from nephilim,
to fall. It is a slang word meaning the fallen Host. The concept, therefore, is of the fallen ones from heaven, i.e. supernatural
beings, the first meaning above. The second meaning above is attendant upon the first and does not exclude the first].
The ISBE goes on
(3). "those who fall upon," in the sense of invaders or hostile
or violent men; (4) "those who fell by" the sword cf. Ezk. 32:20f.); (5). "unnaturally begotten men" or bastards from (cf.
nepel, "abortion" or "miscarriage").
None of these satisfies all scholars, and some consider naphilim
an unexplainable relic of an ancient, now forgotten language. Contextual information is unfortunately limited to two enigmatic
passages.
It goes on to say the Nephilim were apparently people of impressive
physical stature compared to the smaller Hebrews, from Numbers 13:33. This particular reference is glossed by a statement
which implies that the offspring of Anak in Canaan were descended from the renowned Rephaim or Nephilim of Genesis 6:4. The
latter had gained a reputation as notable heroes in the antediluvian period and apparently persisted after the flood. This
could have occurred through migration on the basis of a local Mesopotamian deluge, in which case they would be counted as
descendants living in Canaan. The Midrash has a tradition that Og of the Nephilim stowed away on the top of the ark. But certainly
the concept of a localised flood is some way of trying to explain the flood away by modern scholars and this International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia is no different in that concept. The contextual information is not confined to two enigmatic passages.
The information is extensive and clear. The Nephilim were considered to have been the offspring of the fallen Host that interbred
with human females. This was the understanding behind the Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythologies, as well as that of the near
east.
The ISBE goes on and says of Genesis 6:1-4:
while meaningful to the original recipients, has become obscure
with the passing of time. It is impossible to be certain whether the Nephilim were the same as the "mighty men" (g i b b gibbôrim)
that you find at the end of verse 4 or a separate group that overlapped chronologically.
That conjecture is quite incorrect. From a simple reading of
Genesis 6:4 it is quite obvious that the Gibbowrim or mighty men were of the same grouping as the Nephilim.
That concept was the accepted concept at the time of the flood and afterwards, and at the time of Christ.
After the flood it was accepted that the earth was under the
guidance of the angelic Host who were called the holy ones or watchers. When you look at the concept of the
watchers from Daniel, you will see from Daniel 4:13,17,23 and Daniel 2:11 that the watchers are the holy ones, the angelic
Host, who have responsibility for the earth and their dwelling is not with flesh (Dan. 2:11). But they do control the affairs
of man and they are called watchers and holy ones. That tradition, or view, went right through the Judaic world.
In the Greek world the Nephilim were referred to as the Titans. The Universal Oxford Dictionary definition of Titan is that:
[it is a Latin name for the elder brother of Kronos; also in
poetry, the Sun-god; the Greek singular is Titan the plural is Titanes].
1. [It is] used (chiefly in poetry) as a name for the Sun-god
the grandson of Titan, or for the sun personified.
2. a. [Greek Mythology] In [the singular] The ancestor of the
Titans, the elder brother of Kronos. In [plural] a family of giants, the children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth), who
contended for the sovereignty of heaven, and were overthrown by Zeus. ...
These Titans or giants (Nephilim) also appeared in the traditions
or legends, of the Indo-Aryan peoples and they were called, from India through to Asia, the giants in the Sanskrit which is
raksasa. They appear in the Ramayana and the epics of the Indian world as raksasa (giants) and they are
seen to be in conflict with men. There is no doubt that this tradition was common throughout the world up until the time of
Christ. We find from the Dead Sea Scrolls that they had uncovered a number of texts. One of those writings is the Genesis
Apocryphon. A translation of the Genesis Apocryphon is found in Geza Vermes The Dead Sea Scrolls in English, Pelican,
1985, on page 216, section II. It is useful to refer back to this Genesis apocryphal story and look at what the understanding
was at the time of Christ covering the period up through and until the time of the flood. The Genesis Apocryphon develops
a conversation which refers to the birth of Noah and his father. Lamech suspects that his wife had consorted with one of the
angels who descended from heaven and had married the daughters of men (Gen. 6:1-4). An emphatic denial does not convince him
and he asks his father Methuselah to find his own father - the wise Enoch - who lives in Parwain the site of paradise,
in order to discover the truth from him. A story parallel to this appears in the book of Enoch. In the book of Enoch you will
find that the fall of the angels is dealt with in detail. These texts are referred to simply to explain what is understood
as happening in Genesis 6:4.
The Genesis Apocryphon says:
behold I thought then without my heart that conception was
due to the watchers and the holy ones and to the giants, (i.e. the Nephilim) and my heart was troubled within me because of
this trial. Then I, Lamech approached Bathenosh my wife in haste and said to her, ‘... by the Most High, the Great Lord,
the King of all the world and Ruler of the Sons of Heaven, until you tell me all things truthfully, if ... Tell me [this truthfully]
and not falsely... by the King of all the worlds until you tell me truthfully and not falsely.’ Then Bathenosh my wife
spoke to me with much heat [and] ... said ‘O my brother, oh my lord, remember my pleasure ... the lying together and
my soul within its body. [And I tell you] all things truthfully. ...
... Then she mastered her anger and spoke to me saying: oh
my lord and my brother, remember my pleasure, I swear to you by the Holy Great One the King of the heavens, that this seed
it yours and this conception is from you, whose spirit was planted by you and by no stranger or watcher or son of heaven.
The Genesis Apocryphon exemplifies the understanding in the
first century of what was happening in this Genesis story in 6:4. The story relates also to the purity of Noah and his lineage
and says: Noah was perfect in his generations. The reason for this text is that the Israelites saw that it was necessary
that Noah be perfect in his generations.
In Genesis 6:9, the Hebrew word tamim means without
blemish, as perfect, without blemish in his generations, and is the technical word for bodily and physical perfection and
not moral perfection. It is not a moral issue, but a physical concept being dealt with and you will find that Bullinger has
dealt with that in The Companion Bible at Appendix 26.
The Companion Bible, Appendix 26
The Heb. word tamim means without blemish, and
is the technical word for bodily and physical perfection, and, not moral. Hence it is used of animals of sacrificial
purity. It is rendered without blemish in Ex. 12.5; 29.1. Lev. 1.3,10; 3.1,6; 4.3,23,28,32; 5.15,18; 6.6; 9.2,3;
14.10; 22.19; 23.12,18. Num. 6.14; 28.19,31 29.2,8,13,20,23,29,32,36. Ezek. 43.22,23,25; 45.18,23, 46.4,6,13.
Without spot.
Num. 19.2; 28.3,9,11; 29.17,26.
Undefiled:
Ps. 119.1
This shows that Gen. 6.9 does not speak of Noah’s moral
perfection, but tells us that he and his family alone had preserved their pedigree and kept it pure, in spite of the prevailing
corruption brought about by the fallen angels. See Ap. 23 and 25.
Those concepts are also then dealt with in the Companion Bible
in Appendix 23 and 25. Those concepts had continued on through from pre-flood and that the sons of God there were the angelic
Host.
The Companion Bible, Appendix 23
"The Sons of God" in Gen. 6.2, 4.
It is only by the Divine specific act of creation that any
created being can be called " a son of God ". For that which is "born of the flesh is flesh". God is spirit and that which
is "born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3.6). Hence Adam is called a "son of God" in Luke 3.38. Those "in Christ" having the
"new nature" which is by the direct creation of God (2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 2.l0) can be, and are called "sons of God" (John 1.13
Rom. 8.14,15. 1 John 3.1).
This is why angels are called "sons of God" in every other
place where the expression is used in the Old Testament. Job 1.6; 2.1; 38.7. Ps. 29.1; 89.6; Dan. 3.25 (no art.). We have
no authority or right to take the expression in Gen. 6.4 in any other sense. Moreover in Gen. 6.2 the Sept. renders it "angels".
Angels are called "spirits" (Ps. 104.4. Heb. 1.7, 14), for
spirits are created by God.
That there was a fall of the angels is certain from Jude 6.
The nature of their fall is clearly stated in the same verse.
They left their own oiketerion [abode]. This word occurs only in 2Corinthians 5.2 and Jude 6, where it is used
of the spiritual (or resurrected) body.
The nature of their sin is stated to be "in like manner" to
that of the subsequent sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jude 7.
The time of their fall is given as having taken place "in the
days of Noah" (1 Pet. 3.20. 2 Pet. 2.7), though there may have been a prior fall which caused the end of "the world that then
was" (Gen. 1.1,2. 2 Pet. 3.6). For this sin they are "reserved unto judgment", 2 Pet. 2.4, and are "in prison", 1 Pet. 3.19.
Their progeny, called Nephilim (translated "giants"), were
monsters of iniquity; and, being superhuman in size and character, had to be destroyed (see Ap. 25). This was the one and
only object of the Flood.
Only Noah and his family had preserved their pedigree pure
from Adam (Gen. 6.9, see note). All the rest had become "corrupt" (shachath) destroyed [as Adamites]. The only
remedy was to destroy it (de facto), as it had become destroyed (de jure). (It is the same word
in v. 17 as in vv. 11,12). See further under Ap. 25 on the Nephilim.
This irruption of fallen angels was Satan's first attempt to
prevent the coming of the Seed of the woman foretold in Gen. 3.15. If this could be accomplished, God's Word would have failed,
and his own doom would be averted.
As soon as it was made known that the Seed of the woman was
to come through Abraham, there must have been another irruption, as recorded in Gen. 6. 4, "and also after that" (i.e.
after the days of Noah, more than 500 years after the first irruption). The aim of the enemy was to occupy Canaan in advance
of Abraham, and so to contest its occupation by his seed. For, when Abraham entered Canaan, we read (Gen. 12. 6) "the Canaanite
was then (i.e. already) in the land."
In the same chapter (Gen. 12. 10-20) we see Satan's next attempt
to interfere with Abraham's seed, and frustrate the purpose of God that it should be in "Isaac". This attempt was repeated
in 20. 1-18.
This great conflict may be seen throughout the Bible, and it
forms a great and important subject of Biblical study. In each case the human instrument had his own personal interest to
serve, while Satan had his own great object in view. Hence God had, in each case, to interfere and avert the evil and the
danger, of which His servants and people were wholly ignorant. The following assaults of the great Enemy stand out prominently:-
The destruction of the chosen family by famine, Gen. 50. 20.
The destruction of the male line in Israel, Ex. 1. 10, 15,
&c. Cp. Ex. 2. 5. Heb. 11. 23.
The destruction of the whole nation in Pharaoh's pursuit, Ex.
14.
After David's line was singled out (2 Sam. 7), that was the
next selected for assault. Satan's first assault was in the union of Jehoram and Athaliah by Jehoshaphat, notwithstanding
2 Chron. 17. 1. Jehoram killed off all his brothers (2 Chron. 21. 4).
The Arabians slew all his children, except Ahaziah (2 Chron.
21. 17; 22. 1.).
When Ahaziah died, Athaliah killed "all the seed royal" (2
Chron. 22.10). The babe Joash alone was rescued, and, for six years, the faithfulness of Jehovah’s word was at stake
(2 Chron. 23.3). Hezekiah was childless, when a double assault was made by the King of Assyria and the King of Terrors (Isa.
36.1; 38.1). God’s faithfulness was appealed to and relied on (Ps. 136).
In Captivity, Haman was used to attempt the destruction of
the whole nation (Est. 3.6,12,13. Cp. 6.1).
Joseph's fear was worked on (Matt. 1.18-20). Notwithstanding
the fact that he was "a just man", and kept the Law, he did not wish to have Mary stoned to death (Deut. 24.1); hence Joseph
determined to divorce her. But God intervened: "Fear not ".
Herod sought the young Child’s life (Matt. 2).
At the Temptation, "Cast Thyself down" was Satan's temptation.
At Nazareth, again (Luke 4), there was another attempt to cast
Him down and destroy Him.
The two storms on the Lake were other attempts.
At length the cross was reached, and the sepulchre closed;
the watch set; and the stone sealed. But "God raised Him from the dead." And now, like another Joash, He is seated and
expecting (Heb. 10.12,13), hidden in the house of God on high; and the members of "the one body" are hidden
there "in Him" (Col. 3.1-3), like another Jehoshaba; and going forth to witness of His coming, like another Jehoiada (2 Chron.
23.3).
The irruption of "the fallen angels" ("sons of God") was the
first attempt; and was directed against the whole human race.
When Abraham was called, then he and his seed were attacked.
When David was enthroned, then the royal line was assailed.
And when "the Seed of the woman" Himself came, then the storm
burst upon Him.
There is a footnote in The Companion Bible at Appendix 23 which
says:
The word "offspring" in Acts 17.29 is quite different. It is
(genos), which means merely kin or kind, our genus as being originated by God.
There is a distinction. The reason this had to be made is because
in the fourth century the philosophical writer Augustine of Hippo had dealt with this concept of the angelic Host as the sons
of God and a concept of their committing fornication with the daughters of Adam and he decided that concept was not right.
He wanted to change it to say that the sons of Adam through Seth were the sons of God and the sons of Cain were the sons of
men and he tried to trivialise the problem by saying that the sons of Seth had simply interbred with the sons of Cain and
that was the intermingling of the blood lines. Augustine was to produce a scenario which was to last up until the twentieth
century and completely destroyed the capacity of the Church to deal with anthropological finds, to explain what was happening
and to explain the biblical positions. The New Testament is quite clear in its writings that this view of the angels is that
they had somehow committed fornication. The letter of Jude which is attributed by most as being written by James, the brother
of Jesus, is canonised in Scripture. Jude 6-9 says (Interlinear Bible).
Jude 6-9: 6 And those angels not having kept their first place,
but having descended their dwelling-place, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of a great Day;
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, committing fornication, and going away after
other flesh, laid down an example beforetimes, undergoing vengeance of everlasting fire. 8 Likewise, indeed, also those dreaming
ones even defile flesh, and despise rulership, and speak evil of glories. 9 But Michael the archangel, when contending with
the Devil, he argued about the body of Moses - he dared not bring a judgment of blasphemy but said, Let the Lord rebuke you!
This whole concept is that the angels had left their first
estate and committed fornication. The Interlinear Bible says in its transliteration:
Jude 6-9: 6 angels and those not having kept the of themselves
first place, but having deserted the own dwelling-place, for (the) Judgment of a great Day in chains eternal under blackness
He has kept: 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah and the around them cities, in the similar to these manner committing fornication and
going away after flesh other. laid beforetimes an example of fire everlasting vengeance undergoing. 8 Likewise indeed also
these dreaming (ones) flesh even defile, lordship and despise, glories and speak evil of. 9 But Michael the archangel, when
with the Devil contending, he argues about the of Moses body, not he dared a judgment to bring of blasphemy, but said, Let
rebuke (the) Lord.
The New Oxford Annotated RSV Bible deals with Jude 6 in this
way:
the angels that did not keep their own position but left their
proper dwelling have been kept by him in eternal chains in the nethergloom until the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom
and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities which likewise acted immorally and indulged in unnatural lusts, served as an example
to undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
God’s New Covenant - a New Testament Translation by Heinz W. Cassirer published by Eerdmans, Michigan, 1989, in its translation of
Jude says:
Moreover there were angels who were not content to keep to
the sphere of influence assigned to them but who have abandoned their proper domain and the way the Lord dealt with these
was that he confined them to a dark place binding them with everlasting chains and reserving them to receive the judgment
of the great day. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah and with them their neighbouring cities how they made themselves guilty of the
same debauchery as the angels had pursuing their own natural lusts. Now they lie before our eyes serving as a warning and
suffer the punishment of being consumed by an everlasting fire.
The Cassirer Bible translation is quite clear. The New English
Bible translation is also more clear, perhaps not as clear as Cassirer, but shows absolutely that Jude 6 holds that the angels
left their first estate and committed fornication. Paul also held that to be so in the text written in 1Corinthians 11. In
this text Paul dealt with the concept of the position of women. In 1Corinthians 11:10 he says:
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head
because of the angels. (KJV)
The whole basis of the covering and the position of woman in
relation to man in the text of 1Corinthians 11, was placed in relation to the activities of the angelic Hosts and the interaction
with female humanity. That is why Paul says it was because of the angels. That has been an enigmatic statement to many,
but you can’t understand it unless you understand Jude and the interrelationship with what is happening in relation
to this Genesis story.
The Genesis story deals specifically with what had happened
in this interbreeding and the consequence. Noah had been perfect in his generations. The flood was caused to deal with and
eliminate the Nephilim and the Rephaim or Gibbowrim.
The concept of the Rephaim is examined also in Isaiah 26.
Isaiah 26:12-21 12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for
thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but
by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased,
they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. 15 Thou hast increased
the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the
ends of the earth. 16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was
upon them. 17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth
out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were
brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. 19
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust:
for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy
chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21
For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall
disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. (KJV)
Note the text at verses 13-14
13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had
dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 14 They are dead, they shall not live;
they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to
perish.
The text here deals with the resurrection. This is evident
also from a comparison with verse 19. Note also that the world is not converted by Israel.
The resurrection is, however, confined to the one species and
not the others. The Nephilim or Rephaim have no resurrection. The word for deceased in verse 14 should not be translated as
deceased; it is a proper name, i.e. Rephaim.
The concept of the offspring of the fallen Host or the gods
is not pantheistic. The theoi or elohim are all sons of the Most High. They are Sons of Heaven or Sons of the God.
The concept is that by their physical sin the angels produced
a race of humanoids which was inferior and violent. The intent appears to have been to sabotage the plan of God by the production
of a product which would interbreed with and pollute the Adamic system. This concept is virtually universal. They were often
considered to have been of superior stature and power and, hence, mighty. The word gibberish in our language is a reflection
of the speech of the gibbowrim. (The question of the resurrection is detailed in the paper The Resurrection of the
Dead (No. 143)).
The Companion Bible deals with this concept and is unequivocal
in its position on the Nephilim. The position of Augustine of Hippo in The City of God is thus quite false as we now
know from archaeological evidence.
The Companion Bible, Appendix 25
The Nephilim, or Giants of Gen. 6
The progeny of the fallen angels with the daughters of Adam
(see notes on Gen. 6, and Ap. 23) are called in Gen. 6, Ne-phil'-im, which means fallen ones (from naphal,
to fall). What these beings were can be gathered only from Scripture. They were evidently great in size, as well as great
in wickedness. They were superhuman, abnormal beings; and their destruction was necessary for the preservation of the human
race, and for the faithfulness of Jehovah's Word (Gen. 3.15).
This was why the Flood was brought "upon the world of the ungodly"
(2 Pet. 2.5) as prophesied by Enoch (Jude 14).
But we read of the Nephilim again in Num. 13.33: "there
we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, which come of the Nephilim". How, it may be asked, could this be, if they were
all destroyed in the Flood? The answer is contained in Gen. 6.4, where we read: "There were Nephilim in the earth in
those days (i.e. in the days of Noah); and also AFTER THAT, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they
bare children to them, the same became [the] mighty - men (Heb. gibbor, the heroes) which were of old, men of renown"
(lit. men of the name, i.e. who got a name and were renowned for their ungodliness).
So that "after that", i.e. after the Flood, there was a second
irruption of these fallen angels, evidently smaller in number and more limited in area, for they were for the most part
confined to Canaan, and were in fact known as 'the nations of Canaan". It was for the destruction of these, that the sword
of Israel was necessary, as the Flood had been before.
As to the date of this second irruption, it was evidently soon
after it became known that the seed was to come through Abraham; for, when he came out from Haran (Gen. 12.6) and entered
Canaan, the significant fact is stated: "The Canaanite was then (i.e. already) in the land." And in Gen. 14.5 they were already
known as "Rephaim" and "Emim", and had established themselves at Ashteroth Karnaim and Shaveh Kiriathaim.
In ch. 15.18-2l they are enumerated and named among Canaanite
Peoples: "Kenites, and the
Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites,
and the Rephaims, and the Amorites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites (Gen 15.19-21; cp. Ex. 3.8,17; 23.23; Deut. 7; 20.17.
Josh. 12.8).
These were to be cut off, and driven out, and utterly destroyed
(Deut. 20.17. Josh. 3.10). But Israel failed in this (Josh. 13.13; 15.63; 16.10; 17.18. Judg. 1.19,20,28,29,30-36; 2.1-5;
3.1-7); and we know not how many got away to other countries to escape the general destruction. If this were recognised it
would go far to solve many problems connected with Anthropology.
As to their other names, they were called Anakim, from
one Anak which came of the Nephilim (Num. 13.23), and Rephaim, from Rapha, another notable one among them.
From Deut. 2.10, they were known by some as Emim, and Horim,
and Zamzummim (v. 20, 21) and Avim, &c.
As Rephaim they were well known, and are often mentioned:
but, unfortunately, instead of this, their proper name, being preserved, it is variously translated as "dead", "deceased"
or "giants". These Rephaim are to have no resurrection. This fact is stated in Isa. 26:14 (where the proper name is
rendered "deceased" and v. 19, where it is rendered "the dead").
It is rendered "dead" seven times (Job 26.5; Ps. 88.10; Prov.
2.18, 9.18, 21.16; Isa. 14.8, 26.19). It is rendered "deceased" in Isa. 26.14.
It is retained as a proper name "Rephaim" ten times (two being
in the margin). Gen. 14.5, 15.20; Josh. 12.15 (marg.); 2Sam. 5.18,22, 23.13; 1Chron. 11.15, 14.9, 20.4 (marg.); Isa. 17.5.
In all other places it is rendered "giants", Gen. 6.4, Num.
23.33, where it is Nephilim; and Job 16.14, where it is gibbor (Ap. 14. iv).
By reading all these passages the Bible student may know all
that can be known about these beings.
It is certain that the second irruption took place before Gen.
14, for there the Rephaim were mixed up with the five nations or peoples, which included Sodom and Gomorrah, and were
defeated by the four kings under Chedorlaomer. Their principal locality was evidently "Ashtaroth Karnaim"; while the Emim
were in the plain of Kiriathaim (Gen. 14:5).
Anak
was a noted descendant of the Nephilim; and Rapha was another, giving their names respectively to different
clans. Anak’s father was Arba, the original builder of Hebron (Gen. 35.27; Josh. 15.13; 21.11); and this Palestine
branch of the Anakim was not called Abrahim after him, but Anakim after Anak. They were great, mighty,
and tall (Deut. 2.10,11,21,22,23; 9.2), evidently inspiring the ten spies with great fear (Num. 13.33). Og king of Bashan
is described in Deut. 3.11.
Their strength is seen in "the giant cities of Bashan" today,
and we know not how far they may have been utilized by Egypt in the construction of buildings, which is still an unsolved
problem.
Arba was rebuilt by the Khabiri or confederates seven
years before Zoan was built by the Egyptian Pharoahs of the nineteenth dynasty. See note on Num. 13.22.
If these Nephilim, and their branch of Rephaim,
were associated with Egypt, we have an explanation of the problem which has for ages perplexed all engineers, as to how those
huge stones and monuments were brought together. Why not in Egypt as well as in "the giant cities of Bashan" which exist,
as such, to this day?
Moreover, we have in these mighty men, the "men of renown",
the explanation of the origin of the Greek mythology. That mythology was no mere invention of the human brain, but
it grew out of the traditions, and memories, and legends of the doings of that mighty race of beings, and was gradually evolved
out of the "heroes"’ of Gen. 6.4. The fact that they were supernatural in their origin formed an easy step to their
being regarded as the demi-gods of the Greeks.
Thus the Babylonian "Creation Tablets", the Egyptian "Book
of the dead", the Greek mythology, and heathen Cosmogonies, which by some are set on an equality with Scripture, or by others
adduced in support of it, are all the corruption and perversion of primitive truths, distorted in proportion as their origin
was forgotten, and their memories faded away.
The Companion Bible Appendix is thus useful for looking at
the story of the Nephilim in relation to the actual reading of the Bible texts. The Dead Sea Scrolls referred to above were
not available when much of the above work was done. The major problem with so-called Orthodox Christianity over the centuries
is that the interpretation of the Bible has been anthropomorphic. God and the angelic Host, His sons, have been made to conform
to the image of man within his limited understanding of the time. It is only now that we are able to explore the possibilities
of DNA and the complex genetic structure of the creation that we begin to see the actual reality of the past. The directionality
of time has made us view other aspects previously considered impossible as within the realms of understanding. The myths of
the ancient world imperfectly describe a powerful spiritual creation beyond our physical capacities to see and measure. The
stories describe a war that was waged and is still being fought out for the control of the creation and its ultimate purpose.
The rejection of the Nephilim as the offspring of the fallen Host originated in the fourth century CE. It was not questioned
within ancient Israel as a reality. The New Testament treats the immoral and sexual behaviour of the fallen Host as fact.
It stands to reason that if a spiritual being can manifest
itself as a male and wrestle with a male there is little to prevent the same process occurring with a female. The capacity
to create humanoids must have resided with the Host from the sheer evidence we now have. The presence of humanoids on this
planet cannot be the product of the creation of God alone.
The logic of an imperfect creation impugns the nature of God.
The process is simple.
Premise 1. God created previous humanoids.
Premise 2. From Isaiah 26:14 the resurrection is denied to
them.
Conclusion 1. They were imperfect.
Conclusion 2. God desired that imperfect beings would be present
and hence be able to corrupt His plan requiring a destruction of the planet; or
Conclusion 3. God experiments.
If God experiments then God does not know the outcome of His
activity and hence He is not omniscient. If His plan is deliberately flawed, then he is not perfectly Good.
If God is not omniscient or perfectly good, then He cannot
be God. A being that does not know all the future cannot be God. God is omniscient, omnipotent and perfectly good.
Conclusion: God delegates the power of creation and of choice
to the elohim Host.
Thus, an inferior Host can and did err without impugning the
nature of God. Thus, there is no conflict between the actual biblical texts properly understood and archaeological evidence.
The Nephilim are held to exist as a humanoid form akin to, but not, Adamic. That species is not confined to the time frames
attributed to Adam and can precede Adam by millennia and be blatantly discontinuous.
It is probable that there were a series of attempts to create
an intelligent life form by the Host in order to pre-empt the plan of God. Modern science seems to indicate that intelligent
mammalian life is only possible within a window of opportunity of plus or minus a few million years in the life of the star
systems. The previous creation such as that of the dinosaurs seem to indicate an attempt at another type. The humanoid record
is blatantly discontinuous and as such could not have evolved. The eventual intervention of God through the loyal Host in
the creation has ended a war that has seen a physical and spiritual violence that has destroyed entire systems. The story
of this conflict is contained in the mysteries themselves and will be unfolded over the ensuing months. The stories of the
War in the Heavens when told will make the world stand in amazement.
NOTE: In this paper, extensive quotes are taken from E. W. Bullinger’s
The Companion Bible (KJV), Kregel Publications, PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501, USA.
Christian Churches of God
PO Box 369 Woden, ACT 2606 Australia
PO Box 45 Rockton Ontario LOR 1XO Canada
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