Mixed Breed: Angels & Mankind
The topic for today will most likely bring forth entertainment, interest, and criticism. There will be those which accept it, those which reject it, and those which may never have heard of it, but rest assured this is not an original thought. The idea of how far one may take the supernatural realm is above and beyond for some, yet easily discarded by others, but scripture is indeed filled with miracles and the unexplainable. One only needs to read it.
We have set before us in Genesis 6:1-4:
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 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. 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.
First off we see “when men began to multiply on the face of the earth”, so we can conclude that there were already women (therefore daughters) alive at this time. We may also take note that it says “men began to multiply”.
Secondly we have the mention of “the sons of God”. Take note that the men begat daughters, but it is the sons of God which are looking upon them and taking wives. Also, interestingly, the phrase “sons of God” is only found five (5) times in the KJV: Genesis 6:2; Genesis 6:4; Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7. Every reference in the OT is connected to angelic beings, and it is not until the NT that we find it referring to born again mankind. The only other OT mention is “the son of God” which Nebuchadnezzar is speaking of Christ in the midst of the flames with the three Hebrew children in Daniel 3:25. I realize that this point is debateable, but I use the KJV.
It has been argued that “the sons of God” are the lineage of Seth and “the daughters of men” are the lineage of Cain. Many claim that the idea that angels can/did mingle with man is laughable, but the lineage of Seth and Cain claim is very much a weak biblical argument with no evidence of support whatsoever. For one, if that be the case, one would have to claim that the entire male lineage of Seth were saved; which I highly doubt for the fact that only Noah, his wife, and his three sons and their wives were saved through the flood. And why would the joining of a saved person and a lost person produce giants and “mighty men which were of old, men of renown”?
We have in Jude 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.
We find it interesting that these angels kept not their first estate and are bound, yet there are those which indeed are free to roam and cause havoc as scripture records the casting out of such by Christ and others. Any guess would be speculation, but noticing in the context of Jude follows “Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh” in verse 7 and the mention of “filthy dreamers defile the flesh” and “dignities” in verse 8, an assumption that Genesis 6 and Jude 6 may actually have a connection deserves a look. Especially in the context of 1 Peter 3:18-20, with the mention of the “spirits in prison” “which sometime were disobedient” “in the days of Noah”.
Along the lines of the “spirits in prison” and “days of Noah” in 1 Peter 3:18-20, including what we have seen in Genesis 6 what led up to the flood, we also have Christ, Himself, telling us in Matthew 24:37, “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
If that were not enough, we have the dream of Daniel. In Daniel 2:41-44 we have the toes of the statue which have foretold every great world kingdom that shall be of man. Interestingly here in verses 41-43, before the last kingdom before the return of Christ in verse 44, we find these words:
whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Did you catch that? “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men”. We are the clay, Genesis 2:7, could it not be that the angels are the iron?
As I close, I would like to leave you with one other point for you to consider, for by now I either have your interest or your mockery.
In Genesis 3:15, most, if not all, would agree we have the prophecy of Christ: 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.
We, mostly, agree that “her seed” is a reference to Christ, for Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of a virgin and is not of the seed of man (i.e. Adam). With that in mind, have you missed the two words before it?
“thy seed”. Who is thy here? None other than Satan. One may quickly wish to say, “But that means anyone that is not born again” and you might even quote John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil”.
Okay, now that you have taken that stand, consider this. If “thy seed” is all those which are unbelievers, which indeed we were all at one time, God said, “I will put enmity” “between thy seed and her seed”. Enmity means, “a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.” It must then be God’s fault that we are sinners and rebels toward a Holy God and virtually impossible to come to Him, for He Himself has put it in us to be “hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.” toward Him.
Ouch! Where does that leave you?
We have set before us in Genesis 6:1-4:
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 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. 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.
First off we see “when men began to multiply on the face of the earth”, so we can conclude that there were already women (therefore daughters) alive at this time. We may also take note that it says “men began to multiply”.
Secondly we have the mention of “the sons of God”. Take note that the men begat daughters, but it is the sons of God which are looking upon them and taking wives. Also, interestingly, the phrase “sons of God” is only found five (5) times in the KJV: Genesis 6:2; Genesis 6:4; Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7. Every reference in the OT is connected to angelic beings, and it is not until the NT that we find it referring to born again mankind. The only other OT mention is “the son of God” which Nebuchadnezzar is speaking of Christ in the midst of the flames with the three Hebrew children in Daniel 3:25. I realize that this point is debateable, but I use the KJV.
It has been argued that “the sons of God” are the lineage of Seth and “the daughters of men” are the lineage of Cain. Many claim that the idea that angels can/did mingle with man is laughable, but the lineage of Seth and Cain claim is very much a weak biblical argument with no evidence of support whatsoever. For one, if that be the case, one would have to claim that the entire male lineage of Seth were saved; which I highly doubt for the fact that only Noah, his wife, and his three sons and their wives were saved through the flood. And why would the joining of a saved person and a lost person produce giants and “mighty men which were of old, men of renown”?
We have in Jude 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.
We find it interesting that these angels kept not their first estate and are bound, yet there are those which indeed are free to roam and cause havoc as scripture records the casting out of such by Christ and others. Any guess would be speculation, but noticing in the context of Jude follows “Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh” in verse 7 and the mention of “filthy dreamers defile the flesh” and “dignities” in verse 8, an assumption that Genesis 6 and Jude 6 may actually have a connection deserves a look. Especially in the context of 1 Peter 3:18-20, with the mention of the “spirits in prison” “which sometime were disobedient” “in the days of Noah”.
Along the lines of the “spirits in prison” and “days of Noah” in 1 Peter 3:18-20, including what we have seen in Genesis 6 what led up to the flood, we also have Christ, Himself, telling us in Matthew 24:37, “as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
If that were not enough, we have the dream of Daniel. In Daniel 2:41-44 we have the toes of the statue which have foretold every great world kingdom that shall be of man. Interestingly here in verses 41-43, before the last kingdom before the return of Christ in verse 44, we find these words:
whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Did you catch that? “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men”. We are the clay, Genesis 2:7, could it not be that the angels are the iron?
As I close, I would like to leave you with one other point for you to consider, for by now I either have your interest or your mockery.
In Genesis 3:15, most, if not all, would agree we have the prophecy of Christ: 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.
We, mostly, agree that “her seed” is a reference to Christ, for Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of a virgin and is not of the seed of man (i.e. Adam). With that in mind, have you missed the two words before it?
“thy seed”. Who is thy here? None other than Satan. One may quickly wish to say, “But that means anyone that is not born again” and you might even quote John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil”.
Okay, now that you have taken that stand, consider this. If “thy seed” is all those which are unbelievers, which indeed we were all at one time, God said, “I will put enmity” “between thy seed and her seed”. Enmity means, “a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.” It must then be God’s fault that we are sinners and rebels toward a Holy God and virtually impossible to come to Him, for He Himself has put it in us to be “hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.” toward Him.
Ouch! Where does that leave you?
UPDATE: 3/18/07
Let it be noted that the last paragraph was actually based as a question and not a statement. Although scripture clearly teaches enmity has been put there by God, it is not God's fault that we are sinners; for it was the sin of Adam which is the cause of sin brought to all of mankind. And if indeed "thy seed" refers to all unbelivers, how then shall they come of themselves which have within them such enmity of Christ?
4 comments:
Back in my glory days, in grad school, I did a major paper on Genesis 6. I won't bore you with all the details, but for quite a number of reasons, I concluded that the "sons of God" in question were not angels. Jesus' comments about angels not marrying nor being given in marriage seem very pertinent.
If you have access to any of Walter Kaiser's stuff, I found that he arrived at the same conclusion that I did, that this incident refers to human rulers setting themselves up as "gods" and dominating those around them. Similar use of "gods" is in Psalm 138.
Just an alternative viewpoint. I enjoyed reading your study and agree that the "descendants of Seth" argument doesn't fit the context well.
Grace and peace,
Tim
Thanks for you comments Tim,
I failed to mention that bit about angels and marriage found in Matthew 22 and Mark 12, but not because I have not taken them into account.
The context of those chapters were the Sadducees (which did not believe in the resurrection) asked Christ if a woman was married to multiple brothers as they died, who's wife would she be at the resurrection. His answer was that they are like the angels, they do not get married and are not given in marriage.
The context is not the ability of reproduction of angels, but of marriage. Yes, the idea of marriage takes into account sex, but sex can and does occur outside of marriage.
Also, there are no female angels mentioned, so can I also use these passages to claim there will be no females in heaven, but those which were female on earth converted to male? That should go over well. Hahaha.
Remember Christ also said, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."
Thanks again,
Tim
Tim, It has been a blessing to read your testimony and the article on revival.God bless you bro!
the enmity is placed there because of Adam's sin. its a result of the curse. It's punishment and we deserved it.
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