Q: For those who don’t know, what is a fallen angel?
A: In Genesis 6:2, we read that in the days before the flood, “...the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”
The phrase “sons of God” is an Old Testament expression that referred to angels. The angels in this verse were those God had assigned to watch over humankind in their fallen state. But these angels became smitten by the beauty of women. Lusting after them, they abandoned their God-given posts to cohabit with women. These angels transgressed boundaries set by God Himself, and they committed the unthinkable. In their rebellion, they of course became “fallen,” and God incarcerated them thusly, as discussed in both Second Peter 2:4 and Jude 6, until a future day of punishment.
The hybrid creatures produced from these illegal unions were called Nephilim, and the earth became filled with violence because of these giants. In fact, everything was so corrupted because of them that God sent the Flood to purge the earth of this evil influence (see Genesis 6:4-13).
Q: How do you interpret the story of the Nephilim, and what implications do these giants have in our understanding of biblical history?
A: Through sexual unions between women and fallen angels, we are told in Genesis 6:4 that “giants” were born to the women, and the word “giants” is translated from the word nephilim, which comes from the verb nephal, meaning to fall. This seems to imply that the Nephilim were fallen ones, or ones who violently fell on people, causing them to fall in fear. Either way, these hybrid beings were monstrous giants that were fallen from God’s original design. They possessed unnatural strength and propagated evil throughout the earth in the time before the Flood.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see the continued mention of giants, and there is much debate concerning how they reemerged after the Flood, which purged the earth of every living thing except eight human souls and the animals God enclosed in Noah’s Ark so that life would continue to be propagated on the earth. One thing we know is that while God Himself rid the earth of these creatures initially by way of the Flood, He enabled and required that His people arise to resist and defeat them after the Flood.
Q: Can you explain the significance of the pre-Flood world in Scripture and how it relates to the overall narrative of God's plan for humanity?
A: Noah and his family escaped the judgment that came upon the earth, and they did it through their trust in God and their obedience to build the Ark while keeping themselves unspotted from the disobedience of those who refused to turn to Him for deliverance from what was to come. Similarly, God beckons people today to faith in Christ, the only name by which they can be saved (see Acts 4:12). Yet just as in the days of Noah, many will refuse the warnings of contemporary “preachers of righteousness” (see 2 Peter 2:5), rejecting the offer of eternal safety through Christ — and they will do so to their own peril.
Q: What lessons can Christians learn from the events and figures of the pre-Flood world, and how do they apply to modern life?
A: Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:37 that events which occurred before the Flood would be replicated at the end of the age. There are many ways in which this will happen, but I especially remind you of the transgression of boundaries that occurred in the days before the Flood. There is a “transgressing” today of boundaries that should never have been crossed. For example, we are living in the day of “trans” in which medical science is crossing God-set boundaries that is resulting in monstrous aberrations that God never intended.
And the word “trans” has emerged in society as people are unthinkably attempting to modify their bodies surgically to become “transgender.” Society is now headed full steam into “transhumanism” with the goal of humans interfacing with computers and technology to become a new breed. This sounds like science fiction, but it is happening right now.
Q: How do you address the skepticism around the existence of giants in the Bible?
A: Moses, Peter, and Jude addressed the subject of fallen angels, and many scholars agree that all these witnesses center around one set of mutinous events. And numerous writers in antiquity, including Church fathers Irenaeus and Tertullian, also wrote in unison concerning these events. The notable historian Josephus corroborates their claims.
Even secular writers across many cultures recorded insights on the fallen angels and their “giant” offspring. Additionally, it’s interesting that approximately 270 ancient stories of a Great Flood and a family of survivors by way of a large ship have also been discovered. One need only do a little digging of his own to realize something reprehensible happened on the earth that mushroomed to the point God had to intervene to preserve an untainted bloodline through which Christ the Savior would eventually come.
Q: In what ways do you think pre-Flood events foreshadow end-time events?
A: In Matthew 24:37, Jesus said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” According to Jesus, if we want to know what will occur in the days preceding the end of this age, we must see what was happening in the earth in the days before the Flood. Jesus prophesied that pre-Flood activities would be replicated again in some way as we race toward the end of this age. Not only do we need an understanding of the mutinous pre-Flood activities on the earth, but we must also understand the corresponding signs of the times in which we live. Yet the Lord has not left us without the answers we need both to understand events in history and to navigate the end-times victoriously.
Q: How do fallen angels and the Nephilim connect to the ongoing spiritual warfare we see today?
A: The plans of Satan to thwart God’s purposes in the Old Testament are fully in play today, and nefarious activities will increase in the days ahead. But God has not left His people just to passively go along with the insanity that is attempting to overtake the world. Amid this ever-increasing darkness and confusion, God has given us the task to shine as His glorious Church and to do the works of Jesus while there’s still time. We must stay the course of righteousness and stand our ground on the absolute truth of God’s Word. However, just as dark activities were occurring before the Flood, similar evil events are being replicated in our time as the end of the age draws near.
This is our moment to share God’s Word and to do our part to rescue those we know who are being swept away in the chaos. Rather than “close the blinds” and hide, we must reach out, divinely empowered by God’s Spirit, to rescue as many as possible. Just as Noah was a preacher in his day, we must do our part to bring people safely into Christ in these last days!
