Nephilim

[Katie Wildheart]

I was just thinking what your opinion was on this subject.



The Bible says:

When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth - men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air - for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

- Genesis 6

The question that arises is not weather they existed, but what they were exactly. Were they really a combination between angels and humans, or were they just human? There is a part in here that refers to the "male" as "the sons of God". There is a debate here weather "the sons of God" refer to angels, or simply those who believe in God, which would mean the "daughters of men" refer to un-Christian women. I've heard before that angels don't have a gender, wich would mean such a thing as mating wouldn't be possible.

Are there any Bible passages or other helpful things you may know to shed light on the subject? If not, what are your opinions.  

[Shadows-shine]

I've always interpreted it as the "sons of God" as just being humans, not angels. I don't agree however that angels don't have genders.

The Nephilim are a race of people as far as I know. I can't think of any scripture references off the top of my head, but if I find any I will post them.  

[Azkeel]

Look into the book of Enoch. Scriptures that were taken out of the bible because of Constantine. It explains the fall of angels. They were spiritual beings that mated with the flesh and thus lost their grace.  

[daddinar]

The "Nephilium" are legendary warriors in Jewish tradition. When the Israelites invaded Palestine and found there the tall aboriginal Anakim, they likened them to the Nephilium. Perhaps the huge megalithic structures in Palestine were thought to have been built by a race of giants, whose superhuman strength was attributed to semi-divine origin. The heroes of old: the worthies of ancient mythology.

It all has to do with legend and tradition since most of Genesis is symbolic taken from different religions and cultures around them but still inspired by the hand of God. A lot has to do with the Zoroastrian culture from the time of the Babylonian Exile and occupations of other nations over time.

Try Numbers 13:33

(@Azkeel - what in the world is that?!)  

[Saint Crazy The Follower]

Gotta love Genesis... where the line between scriptures and folktales is blurred.

That sounds really mysterious though. You'd think, that if the actual angels were walking around on the earth and living life with humans, it'd be a pretty big deal and there'd be a lot of writing on it. Was it just so much of a common thing that so few people thought to write about it, or did it really happen at all?
Sounds like the stuff for a very interesting anthropology study.

...oh, my opinions? I don't really have any. xD Just musing.  

[Azkeel]

PhantomHoofbeats

The "Nephilium" are legendary warriors in Jewish tradition. When the Israelites invaded Palestine and found there the tall aboriginal Anakim, they likened them to the Nephilium. Perhaps the huge megalithic structures in Palestine were thought to have been built by a race of giants, whose superhuman strength was attributed to semi-divine origin. The heroes of old: the worthies of ancient mythology.

It all has to do with legend and tradition since most of Genesis is symbolic taken from different religions and cultures around them but still inspired by the hand of God. A lot has to do with the Zoroastrian culture from the time of the Babylonian Exile and occupations of other nations over time.

Try Numbers 13:33

(@Azkeel - what in the world is that?!)

You know the writings of Enoch? He's mentioned in the bible several times even scriptually pointed to look into... His writings are part of the dead sea scrolls. Funny how you guys have this bible thing and it tells you about Enoch but doesn't have his writings in it though he was a man of God. Constantine was a zeus worshipper after all! Satan is alot more clever then you think. Really don't belive he can change the bible to his own needs? Look up the original name of the Messiah.  

[Azkeel]

Saint Crazy The Follower

Gotta love Genesis... where the line between scriptures and folktales is blurred.

That sounds really mysterious though. You'd think, that if the actual angels were walking around on the earth and living life with humans, it'd be a pretty big deal and there'd be a lot of writing on it. Was it just so much of a common thing that so few people thought to write about it, or did it really happen at all?
Sounds like the stuff for a very interesting anthropology study.

...oh, my opinions? I don't really have any. xD Just musing.

There are writings all over the place about angels on earth. Remember angels are demons. The word demon is just an angel that chose against God. And there are stories of a great flood in most major religions.  

[Shadows-shine]

Azkeel

Look into the book of Enoch. Scriptures that were taken out of the bible because of Constantine. It explains the fall of angels. They were spiritual beings that mated with the flesh and thus lost their grace.

I've read the Book of Enoch and found it to be very imformitive. Too bad that it was removed from the Bible.  

[Katie Wildheart]

Well, I looked through my Concordia, and though it had a few descriptions about "Nephilim" and "Sons of God", it never said directly what species the Nephilim originated from. It also gave me the same answer about "Sons of God", saying that this term is used to refer to both angels and humans who believe in God. But again, it never directly stated which creature was being referred to in Genesis 6.

And yes, the Concordia did bring up 13:33


I guess I'll just have to ask God himself when I get to heaven......  

[daddinar]

Azkeel

PhantomHoofbeats

The "Nephilium" are legendary warriors in Jewish tradition. When the Israelites invaded Palestine and found there the tall aboriginal Anakim, they likened them to the Nephilium. Perhaps the huge megalithic structures in Palestine were thought to have been built by a race of giants, whose superhuman strength was attributed to semi-divine origin. The heroes of old: the worthies of ancient mythology.

It all has to do with legend and tradition since most of Genesis is symbolic taken from different religions and cultures around them but still inspired by the hand of God. A lot has to do with the Zoroastrian culture from the time of the Babylonian Exile and occupations of other nations over time.

Try Numbers 13:33

(@Azkeel - what in the world is that?!)

You know the writings of Enoch? He's mentioned in the bible several times even scriptually pointed to look into... His writings are part of the dead sea scrolls. Funny how you guys have this bible thing and it tells you about Enoch but doesn't have his writings in it though he was a man of God. Constantine was a zeus worshipper after all! Satan is alot more clever then you think. Really don't belive he can change the bible to his own needs? Look up the original name of the Messiah.

Where are you getting your sources from? I know about him, duh. I'm talking about your story that goes against everything else mentioned in the books on the subject. It makes no sense at all. Also, Constantine was in no way a Zeus worshiper! *bangs head on desk several times to calm down* Give me specific sources because there is nothing about him being a follower of Zeus... tell me how he was a Zeus worshiper and Constantine had nothing to do with what's in the Bible. Where are people hearing these things? I did not study Church history my whole life to have people throwing things at me that never happened or morphing historical facts for your own use. The next person who says Constantine destroyed the Bible I'll smack over the head with the Bible itself! Seriously, people. No one person can decide what's truth and what's not. It was the entire Christian community that decided - the teachers. The Bible did not exist until 500 years after his death. Not everyone had a bible until 1000 years later. It was oral tradition and, guess what, it never changed. And yet somehow they are liars. You see? It was the council that decided before any splitting of the Church.

Why is that I'm the only one who took the Bible itself and historical fact to tell you what's going on yet no one believes me...? I don't really understand. (Just because something is old and talks about God doesn't mean it's right... since when was that a fact of the universe?)  

[faithful quenga]

PhantomHoofbeats

Where are you getting your sources from? I know about him, duh. I'm talking about your story that goes against everything else mentioned in the books on the subject. It makes no sense at all. Also, Constantine was in no way a Zeus worshiper! *bangs head on desk several times to calm down* Give me specific sources because there is nothing about him being a follower of Zeus... tell me how he was a Zeus worshiper and Constantine had nothing to do with what's in the Bible. Where are people hearing these things? I did not study Church history my whole life to have people throwing things at me that never happened or morphing historical facts for your own use. The next person who says Constantine destroyed the Bible I'll smack over the head with the Bible itself! Seriously, people. No one person can decide what's truth and what's not. It was the entire Christian community that decided - the teachers. The Bible did not exist until 500 years after his death. Not everyone had a bible until 1000 years later. It was oral tradition and, guess what, it never changed. And yet somehow they are liars. You see? It was the council that decided before any splitting of the Church.

Why is that I'm the only one who took the Bible itself and historical fact to tell you what's going on yet no one believes me...? I don't really understand. (Just because something is old and talks about God doesn't mean it's right... since when was that a fact of the universe?)

I am a sinner... "1 John 1:8"

Please do not make any threats or references to them. this may be just the internet, but to say "The next person who says Constantine destroyed the Bible I'll smack over the head with the Bible itself!" is wrong. You may feel very passionate about this subject, but you must try to reply in a calm and collected way. Everyone needs to show respect toward each other.

... Saved by God's grace "Acts 15:11"

 

[Testicular Diabeetus]

How can Constantine be a believer in Zeus when he converted most of the people in Rome into Christians?
rolleyes

 

[Azkeel]

Testicular Diabetes

How can Constantine be a believer in Zeus when he converted most of the people in Rome into Christians?
rolleyes

Politics. He had a problem with this new religion sprouting up(Causing a ruckus) so he figured a way to combine the religions to create more order for his control.