WHO ARE THE NEPHILIM?
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Who are the Nephilim in the Bible? Were they GIANTS?
a) The Nephilim existed before Noah's flood. The Bible verses that pertain to your question are in the book of Genesis.
i) 1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
ii) 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."
iii) 4 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. (Genesis 6:1 - 4, NASB)
b) Who were the "sons of God" who married women? Some believe they were demons, fallen angels who took the form of human flesh so that they could produce giants. This theory does not make any sense, since there is not place in the Bible where God calls demons his "sons." Could these sons, however, be righteous angels who, through women, produced the Nephilim? Jesus gives us the answer.
c) One day the self-righteous Sadducees came to Jesus with a question they hoped would entrap him and justify an arrest. They asked that if a woman had seven husbands, and no children from any of them, whose wife would she be at the resurrection of the dead. Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy (Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection) answered them with the following.
i) 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." (Matthew 22:29 - 30, NASB)
d) Jesus tells us clearly that those who attain the resurrection of life will not marry (or be capable of having children), but will be like the angels. Angelic being are composed of spirit and are unable to reproduce. Only human beings in the flesh have the gift of marriage and procreation.
e) The Bible informs us, in places other than Genesis, who God considers sons.
i) "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the SONS OF GOD, [even] to them that believe on his name . . ." (John 1:12, KJV)
ii) "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (Romans 8:14, NKJV)
iii) "Beloved, now are we the SONS OF GOD . . ." (1John 3:2, KJV)
f) Only those who exist with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are truly God's sons. The sons who married the "daughters of men" that ultimately produced the giants were righteous men who foolishly married worldly women. Note again that verse 2 of Genesis 6 says, "they took wives for themselves whomever they chose." Instead of relying on God to guide their marital decisions, righteous men before the flood decided to pick mates THEY lusted after. They became, as the apostle Paul states, "unequally yoked" with unbelieving women (1Corinthians 7).
g) In conclusion, giants known as the Nephilim did exist before the flood. They died when the deluge covered the earth.
The End ...
1. Who are the Nephilim in the Bible? Were they GIANTS? a) The Nephilim existed before Noah's flood. The Bible verses that pertain to your question are in the book of Genesis.
i) 1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
ii) 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."
iii) 4 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. (Genesis 6:1 - 4, NASB)
b) Who were the "sons of God" who married women? Some believe they were demons, fallen angels who took the form of human flesh so that they could produce giants. This theory does not make any sense, since there is not place in the Bible where God calls demons his "sons." Could these sons, however, be righteous angels who, through women, produced the Nephilim? Jesus gives us the answer.
c) One day the self-righteous Sadducees came to Jesus with a question they hoped would entrap him and justify an arrest. They asked that if a woman had seven husbands, and no children from any of them, whose wife would she be at the resurrection of the dead. Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy (Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection) answered them with the following.
i) 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." (Matthew 22:29 - 30, NASB)
d) Jesus tells us clearly that those who attain the resurrection of life will not marry (or be capable of having children), but will be like the angels. Angelic being are composed of spirit and are unable to reproduce. Only human beings in the flesh have the gift of marriage and procreation.
e) The Bible informs us, in places other than Genesis, who God considers sons.
i) "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the SONS OF GOD, [even] to them that believe on his name . . ." (John 1:12, KJV)
ii) "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (Romans 8:14, NKJV)
iii) "Beloved, now are we the SONS OF GOD . . ." (1John 3:2, KJV)
f) Only those who exist with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are truly God's sons. The sons who married the "daughters of men" that ultimately produced the giants were righteous men who foolishly married worldly women. Note again that verse 2 of Genesis 6 says, "they took wives for themselves whomever they chose." Instead of relying on God to guide their marital decisions, righteous men before the flood decided to pick mates THEY lusted after. They became, as the apostle Paul states, "unequally yoked" with unbelieving women (1Corinthians 7).
g) In conclusion, giants known as the Nephilim did exist before the flood. They died when the deluge covered the earth.
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