Heroes (Nephilim)

Heroes

Who and what are heroes? Heroes are greatly admired individuals – like the random man who pulled a semiconscious truckie out of his jack-knifed rig as it was bursting into flames. However, who or what are ‘the heroes of old, men of renown’ mentioned in Genesis 6:4b? (NIV). These are commonly known as Nephilim, from the Hebrew word which has the core meaning ‘to fall’. We won’t get carried away with speculation if we keep in mind that the same word is used in Numbers 13:33 in reference to the ‘giants’ the Israelites reportedly saw when spying on the land of Canaan. Keep in mind then that there were Nephilim, i.e., heroes or giants, pre-Flood (in which Flood ‘only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water’ (1 Peter 3:20b) and also in Canaan post-Flood (Numbers 13:33). Since the Bible is clear that only Noah and his family survived the global deluge it is prudent to understand the word Nephilim as speaking of mighty yet fallen human beings, ‘men of renown’ or ‘heroes’.

With this understanding in mind let us turn its light upon the verse that has caused some to believe that the Nephilim may be some sort of hybrid humanoids, ie, the offspring of fallen angels who paired up with fallen women. Where do they get this idea from? ‘The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose’ Genesis 6:2 (NKJV). Notice first off that there is no direct mention of angels in this verse. And secondly, keep in mind what Jesus says, ‘In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven’ Matthew 22:30 (NKJV). Therefore, angels of God do not marry!

So, who are these ‘sons of God’ who produced heroic offspring? Job 28:7 mentions ‘morning stars’ or ‘sons of God’ which is a clear reference to angels. However, notice first off what it says about a human in Luke 3:38b, ‘Adam, the son of God.’ And what 1 John 3:1 says about all Christians, ‘…that we should be called the sons [ie, children] of God’ (KJV). Thus, the Bible refers to humans as well as angels as ‘sons of God’. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with these particular ‘sons of God’ being humans, not angels. And secondly, unlike humans, angels are spirit beings without physical bodies. To be sure there have been instances where angels have temporarily appeared on earth in human bodies (Genesis 18:2; 19:2 etc.) However, if these ‘sons of God’ are ‘the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode’ (Jude 1:6a NKJV), then they are most certainly demons. In the Bible demons are known to possess some humans but are not known to materialise themselves with human bodies. When Jesus cast out demons from the ‘Legion’ demoniac, they begged Him to send them into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:12). Why possess humans and enter into swine if instead you could simply materialise as a man, get yourself a wife and start your own family? And who knows? Perhaps your offspring may even become ‘men of renown, heroes’ even!

The ‘sons of God’ marrying the ‘daughters of men’ was simply, in today’s terms, Christians marrying non-Christians! As Ezra said, ‘You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives… separate yourselves… from the pagan wives’ Ezra 10:11. cf. Nehemiah 13:23-27. As Paul said, ‘Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers’ 2 Corinthians 6:14.