"For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." (Luke 21:22)
Posted on 09/22/2008 8:07:20 AM PDT by topcat54
"For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." (Luke 21:22)
gnip
bump for later
“Crazy” Bible Prophecy stuff seems to have its place in America. The highest selling nonfiction title of the 1970’s was Hal Lindsay’s “Late Great Planet Earth”. It was hard hitting and it changed my life. Judging from the numbers sold, that probably happened to millions of people.
Let's look at the context for a minute, because the article misses the entire context and does not address WHY the term “sons ofgGod” is even mentioned. It has been said that any very taken out of context, is a pretext. In this case, we are not told the whole story by the author. So let's look at it and ask why the “sons of God” is even there...how it relates to verses surrounding it and who the other characters are in the story. Just to parse the phrase without context misses some other important issues. because God didn't just put this confusing phrase “sons of God” in Genesis 6 for us to ask what it meant, but use the phrase to convey a larger point to the story told in Genesis 6. And when we look at the context, logic says that these “sons of God” must have been something other than mere normal men, or even really holy men. No, something sinister is described in the first part of Genesis 6. For even after the fall in Genesis 3, God never expressed any desire to wipe out all men! Yes, He cursed the man, the woman, the serpent and even the very ground, but NEVER said He wanted to destroy all men.
Only after describing the activities of these “sons of
God” does God want to wipe out ALL men.
So something really evil happens in the first part of chapter 6. Something MUCH worse than the very fall of man!
What was it? Who did it? And why did “they” do it?
So...here goes context...
Here's a summary of the chapters leading to chapter 6...
Gen 1&2 the Creation
Gen 3 the fall & the curses related to it
Gen 4 the generations from Adam and Eve through Enos, including the telling of Cain and Able.
Gen 5 the generations until Noah's sons.
As an interesting aside, I challenge deeper dig, to look up the names of all of Adams descendants from Adam through Japeth, then put the names together end to end, forming a sentence, and see how these names are actually a followup to the proto-evangelian found in Gen 3...declaring the coming Messiah. You'll be blessed. But that is on your own, as I'd rather stick to the topic at hand in this thread. If anyone is interested, lemme know and I'll post the info later.
Back to the topic...
Preceding Genesis chapter six, we have the creation the fall, and the generations of Adam.
Then in chapter six, we have a new event being described. These “sons of God” come to the “daughters of men” and apparently have sex with them...or marry them...or something happens between these two groups of people. Whatever happens is not good in God's eyes.
Here are the exact verses from he KJV...
6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
6:3 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.
6:4 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.
6:5 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.
6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
6:7 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.
6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
6:9 These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.
6:10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
I know this is a lot to copy paste here, but it is important.
It appears that the story in Gen 6: 1-3 is not directly related to the chapters beforehand other than time line placement.
The characters in the first part are
“men”
“daughters”
“Sons of God”
“Daughters of men”
the LORD
“giants”
“Men” seems fairly obvious to be “people”...people living on the earth. Who multiply and have daughters. It would logically be that these “daughters” are the “daughters of men” that is referred to in v2. Kinda simple so far.
Then, here comes the first real question...
If the “sons of God” is to be ordinary men...born of men...as are the “daughters of men”...why are they not simply called “sons of men”? It seems obvious that they are NOT sons of men at all, but something different. The difference seems to require a completely different term that the one employed to described the normal human female descendents of normal men employed din the context of the same thought. Stated plainly, if these “sons” were normal humans, why does the verse not simply read; “That the sons of MEN saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose”?
Also, if the term “sons of God” meant really really holy dudes who worshiped and interceded on the behalf of others, then why is whatever these dudes were doing so wicked that God repents that he made men (vv3&5-6)? If it were merely men marrying women, and/or having sex with them, what's the real problem? Why would that be more sinful than what happened in Genesis 3:6?
No, there is something highly sinful going on in the first part of Genesis 6.
Furthermore, these “giants”...what's up with them? Why are they even mentioned? They must have some context to the story, or they wouldn't be there. Furthermore, note the “when”...they were there then “in those days” and also “afterward”, when the “sons of God” procreated with the “daughters of men”. So it appears that the “giants” are related to the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men and were the offspring of this union between the two.
So, it appears that the sinful stuff that angers God has to do with this union between these daughters of men and these “sons of God”. Also, it appears that this offspring are an odd byproduct...that the offspring are a real problem. Why? Because they were taller than they should be? Doubtful.
After all these descriptions about the activities between women and these “sons of God” making these unusual offspring (unusual because they are described completely differently than any other generation’s offspring to this point) we have the description of Noah.
Noah is also descried in an unusual manner...
“But Noah...These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.”
Did you catch the “perfect in his generations”?
Whatever the thing that angered God, it is contrasted with the description of Noah and the WAY he is described. First, the link between the two is the conjunction “but”. We're told God is angered, “But Noah...” links the contrast.
So, when we look at Noah and the description of him we get a real good insight as to what made Noah different and what what was so angering the LORD.
Noah was “pure in his generations”...and by describing his sons, we see that the term generations is meant to be his offspring, his bloodline, “...Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
So...Noah was different from the thing that angered God, in that his offspring were “pure”, uncorrupted, by whatever is the huge sin that God finds in all other men.
Summary...
It is clearly seen that there was some unholy offspring created when these daughters of men had relations with these “sons of God”. Whatever it is, it cannot be accepted that we're talking about normal gals marrying and having children with really holy guys, normal humans. No, whatever was happening was creating an unusual race of giants (AKA nephilim) that God found to be highly unholy and worthy of destroying all of creation. Noah however had a pure blood line and was saved.
So who were these sons of God?
I tend to agree with the fallen angels theory.
Since the dawn of creation Lucifer has attempted every manenr of usurping God's plans. I believe that this was his futile attempt to thwart the coming Messiah by corrupting the blood line. God a gave the proto-evangelian in Gen 3:15. Satan knew of the coming messiah and throughout the OT the story is told of the countless attempts to destroy the Jews completely, corrupt the blood line to thwart God's plans at Calvary.
The idea that the “sons of God” were normal guys, falls short. Furthermore, if the term “daughters of men” means gals born to men, why is is such a strecth to assume that “sons of God” is not sons created by God...angels? And if angels went to have sex with mortal women that would, by definition be a fallen angel, who gave up his first abode.
It is amazing how those who believe in the supernatural, ie things that exist and happen outside our natural laws of nature (physics), by expressing belief int he Creator of all, can jump through so many hoops to try and explain away the supernatural when it happens in real life, or is described so plainly.
As a followup...
It is fascinating that the “giants” are were on the earth in those days...”and also afterward”
When do you suppose “afterward” happened...or is happening...or will happen?
The philistine that as felled by one smooth stone was a giant. There are other hints in the OT that these mutants walked the earth after the flood.
A mystery. For now.
peace!
SDG
The sons of God were the God-fearing descendents of Seth, while the daughters of men are the iniquitous descendents of Cain.
The giants were the Nephilim , see Numbers 13:33, an actual race of men.
Noah was "perfect in his generations" as he was the most righteous man among all the evil ones.
I was listening to a coattocoastam the other night and they were talking about 2012, when a caller called in a made the point that 2008 is in fact 2012. Due to the Gregorian calender changes. Does anyone one know if this is true? How far off from the C.E. calender did the Gregorian calender adjust the A.D.?
What’s the deal with the 2012 year, is that when Hillary the beast gets elected. </ sarcasm>
How does an angel have a “bloodline”?
Gen. 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.,
Here God plainly says that there will be a seed of the serpent. How that happens God knew.
Indeed the closer we get, the more desperation we see.
Then why is it in the bible? Who is the seed of the serpent?
Jesus says that unbelievers are the seed of the serpent. He is talking spiritually, not physically
——For what it’s worth to ya, from the Appenixes of the Companion Bible by E. W. Bullinger. ——
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 (2Cor. 5:17. Eph. 2:10) can be, and are called “sons of God” (John 1:13. Rom. 8:14, 15. 1John 3:1). (*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.). (*2) We have no authority or right to take the expression in Gen. 6:2, 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. This word occurs only in 2Cor. 5:2 and Jude 6, where it is used of the spiritual (or resurrection) body.
The nature of their sin is stated to be “in like manner” to that of the subsequent sins of Sodom and Gomorrha, Jude 7.
The time of their fall is given as having taken place “in the days of Noah” (1Pet. 3:20. 2Pet. 2:7), though there may have been a prior fall which caused the end of “the world that then was” (Gen. 1:1, 2. 2Pet. 3:6).
For this sin they are “reserved unto judgment”, 2Pet. 2:4, and are “in prison”, 1Pet. 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 (2Sam. 7), that was the next selected for assault. Satan’s first assault was in the union of Jehoram and Athaliah by Jehoshaphat, notwithstanding 2Chron. 17:1. Jehoram killed off all his brothers (2Chron. 21:4).
The Arabians slew all his children, except Ahaziah (2Chron. 21:17; 22:1).
When Ahaziah died, Athaliah killed “all the seed royal” (2Chron. 22:10). the babe Joash alone was rescued; and, for six years, the faithfulness of Jehovah’s word was at stake (2Chron. 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 sepulcher 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 (2Chron. 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 were attacked.
And when “the Seed of the woman” Himself came, then the storm burst upon Him.
(*1) The word “offspring” in Acts 17:28 is quite different. It is genos, which means merely kin or kind, our genus as being originated by God.
(*2) In Hos. 1:10, it is not beni-ha-Elohim, as here, but beni-el-chai.
Doesn't make sense, since human giants, known as the Nephilim were alive both in Joshua's day and in David's, and who knows until when.
Jewish commentary is vague on what the term means even, as the Hebrew doesn't really define it positively.
Joshua himself, was " a fallen one", ie, a great soul with a clear mission. He too was a man of renown and certainly not evil.
Further, the book of Acts 17:26 says And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
One bloodline, not two. .
1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
If you do a word study of the Greek for estate and habitation it give the connotations that they left their first form of being and left heaven.
I’m not saying they didn’t. But they did not procreate with humans. They bedevil humans for they are legions under Satan. They would still be mating and producing offspring if this were possible. They are spiritual evil.
Galatians 3:26
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise
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