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To: unlearner
Thank you for that excellent comment, which permits me to clarify my original point.

Heiser points out that Scripture only says that the Genesis 6 Watchers were imprisoned (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). It does not say that all Watchers or all rebellious “sons of God” are chained. In fact, several passages show rebellious divine beings who are still active.

Back to your point, Heiser distinguishes three different groups:

  1. The Genesis 6 angels who are now “in chains” (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). These are, as you say, the specific Watchers who sinned by taking human women. They are imprisoned until judgment.

  2. Demons, which Heiser identifies as the disembodied spirits of the dead Nephilim. These are the beings Jesus describes as wandering, possessing, and acting—through the possessed—in violently self-destructive ways.

  3. The rebellious “sons of God” who remain free, the territorial powers Heiser connects with passages like Deuteronomy 32:8–9; Psalm 82:6–7; Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:20; and Ephesians 6:12. These are the “princes of the nations” and the “rulers of the air”—still active, not imprisoned.

According to Heiser, it is this third group—still intelligent, still active, and not imprisoned—that best fits the intelligences behind the modern so-called “alien” phenomenon.

Addendum: I think it is important to note here that Deuteronomy 32:8 was altered in later Hebrew manuscripts, which is why the KJV and some others incorrectly translate it to say that the nations were divided according to the sons of Israel, not the sons of God. The Masoretic Text says “sons of Israel,” but the Dead Sea Scrolls (older by a thousand years) read “sons of God,” and the Septuagint reads “angels of God.” Israel did not exist at Babel, so “sons of Israel” cannot be original. This passage clearly refers to divine beings allotted over the nations.

59 posted on 11/27/2025 2:38:18 AM PST by RoosterRedux (“Critical thinking is hard; that’s why most people just jump to conclusions.”—Jung (paraphrased))
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To: RoosterRedux

Good summary of Heiser.


60 posted on 11/27/2025 6:33:57 AM PST by OwenKellogg (...if my people, who are called by my name...)
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To: RoosterRedux
I agree 100%.

Years ago I studied this topic beginning with the scriptures only. I came pretty much to the same conclusion you just posted. The Deuteronomy 32 matter came later as I had trouble understanding how the Masoretic text could have this error.

But when I looked into early church writings, commentaries, and non-canon texts like the Book of Enoch, I found that this view is commonly held.

I grew up hearing that demons were fallen angels, but when I studied for myself I found this distinction in scripture between fallen angels and the Nephilim.

Apparently there was a very small number of angels who were involved in this particular rebellion. And I don't think it is unreasonable to think this event may be repeated as a fulfillment of Christ's prophecy about the end times being like “the days of Noah”.

61 posted on 11/28/2025 1:20:31 PM PST by unlearner (See my about page for "God's Promises During Tribulation".)
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