GIANTS AFTER THE FLOOD?

Gen 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

Gen 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.

Gen 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.

Gen 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.

It is my understanding that there was not another incident of this sort after the flood. I know that there are a number of different ideas and theories about what Genesis 6:1-4 relates, and that on the basis of what verse 4 says many conclude that there was another incident of “the sons of God” coming in unto “the daughters of men” after the flood. And at one time I used to think that this very well could have taken place. However I changed my mind on that. Briefly put my understanding is that Genesis 6:4 explains what brought about the issue of “the sons of God” deciding to do what Genesis 6:1-2 says that they did with the daughters of men. It also explains the outcome of that ungodly event, which not only precipitated God’s severe judgment of the flood, but which also established the subsequent historical “renown” about the “mighty men” of those days.

2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

2Pe 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Also In connection with this, (and especially in view, for example, of what is set forth in II Peter 2:4 and Jude 6– 7), it is my understanding that at the judgment of the flood God ended the matter of the “sons of God” being able to come in unto the daughters of men any more. For by the kind of judgment that He brought upon the specific “sons of God” who did what Genesis 6:1–2 describes, God completely dealt with the matter, so to speak, and thereby made it so that such an incident would not and/or could not take place again. Moreover in view of what Peter says in II Peter 3 (and in view of what other places also say about them) regarding the present heavens and earth, it is my understanding that God also brought about a change in the condition of the heavens and the earth at the judgment of the flood. This change has resulted in significant limitations being placed upon both man’s capacities and that of the angels, as well as resulting it also resulted in a great restriction being placed upon angelic access to the earth, and vice versa. A barrier, so to speak, was erected between the heavens and the earth in connection with the judgment of the flood. And since that time the ability of the two realms to intermingle is/has been practically non-existent. Only in accordance with specific operations of God do God’s own angels ‘cross the barrier,’ so to speak.

Jud 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.

Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Likewise only in accordance with making specific achievements in his policy of evil does the Adversary have the right to have his angels ‘cross the barrier’ and so be able to employ them in certain ways that are in accordance with how things exist in “the heavens and earth, which are now.” Now a common objection to my understanding is the issue of the reoccurrence of the word “nephilim” after the flood account, with the thinking being that this must mean that there was another incident like that before the flood in order for more of them to exist. Along with this the word “rephaim” comes into play, with the giants described by this name often being said to be the particular ones who are the result of the other subsequent incident with “the sons of God” and “the daughters of men” following the flood.

Num 13:32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

Num 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

However if my understanding is correct, the use of the word “nephilim” after the flood does not necessarily mean that another incident did take place. But rather in view of what Genesis 6:4 states about those mighty men of old becoming “men of renown,” it is my understanding that when we come across the term again this means that those so described are ones who in response to their the “renown” of those former “mighty men” tried to become like those “mighty men which were of old.” In other words, (and very simply put), the “giants” after the flood, (like for example “the children of Anak” and those referred to as “rephaim”), were ones that were produced by men on their own. Specifically they were produced by certain groups of men, who in their desire for the ways of the “old world” that had been destroyed, (but being blocked by the new restraints and limitations that were placed upon interaction between the heavens and the earth, and also upon the Adversary and his policies of evil), worked through their own natural means of breeding to try to duplicate the former “mighty men which were of old,” who had become “men of renown.”

Jos 13:12 All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.

Jos 13:13 Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

So again I do not think that a ‘second incident’ of the ‘sons of God coming in unto the daughters of men’ took place following the flood. But rather it is my understanding that the kind of judgment that God brought upon “the sons of God” who participated in the incident of Genesis 6:1–4 completely dealt with that matter; with God not only preventing that type of incident from occurring again, but also destroying the fruit of it. And with respect to the “giants” that men themselves produced after the flood, it is my understanding that God had them destroyed by the exploits and judgments that He wrought both with and through His nation Israel — beginning with what He did in Egypt when He brought Israel out from the midst of Satan’s stronghold and “great iron furnace”; then by what He had Israel do militarily through Moses; then by what they did through Joshua and Caleb; and then even what was done through David and his servants.

Keith Blades

Enjoy The Bible Ministries