INTRODUCTION
Firstly I would like to say that the issue of identifying the sons of God who sinned in Noah’s time is not a salvation issue. No matter what your standing is on the topic, it has no direct bearing on your faith in the saving power of the blood of Jesus, or in the death and resurrection of our Lord. So even if you don’t agree with my understanding of who these sons are, we remain brothers in Christ and when we meet our Lord, he will clarify to all of us who exactly these sons were.
I believe that what happened in Genesis 6, was the devil’s way of trying to hinder God’s plan of salvation, for If he had succeeded, then Christ could not have been born, and would not have been able to save mankind. I will show this as we go on.
THE SCRIPTURE
Genesis 6:1 (ESV) When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,
1. The Hebrew word translated ‘Man’ there is Ha Adam, which simply refers to descendants of Adam or simply human beings. So let me use the New English Translation so it can be clearer.
Genesis 6:1-2 (NET)
1 When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose.
The word translated Sons of God is Ben Elohim, which means sons of God.
So there are two races that have been introduced in this scripture:
- We have the Human Beings (Ha Adam or Descendants of Adam)
- We have the Sons of God.
Thirdly we are told that The descendants of Adam, Human Kind and these Sons of God married and had children, and these children were neither Sons of God nor Human beings, they had another name: Nephilim.
Genesis 6: 4
New International Version
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days–and also afterward–when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
New Living Translation
In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.
These nephilim became the heroes of ancient times. From history you will know that these heroes were considered to be demi-gods, half god half man. Anyways, So we now have three races:
- Humans from Adam and their daughters
- Sons of God from God.
- Nephilim who are children of Sons of God and Daughters of Humans
First point to note is that it’s clear that those sons of God, whatever they were, they were not human beings. There are two groups of creatures, sons of God and human beings.
We should not think that heaven contains only one type of being. For example John sees 4 living creatures by the throne of God, he also sees 24 elders and numerous angels. And we also know there are human beings in heaven. We have Jesus, we have Elijah, we have Enoch. Who knows how many more. This is just to expand our thinking as we dig into this subject.
1. Were the sons of God, descendants of Seth?
Both Cain and Seth were children of Adam. When we look at the genealogy of Christ, in Luke 3, there are only two human beings who are called sons of God: Jesus and Adam. Between Adam and Christ, no human being is ever called a son of God. This is because when Adam sinned, all men fell short of the glory of God. The only time that human beings are called sons of God is after Christ has resurrected from the dead, and those who believe in his resurrection are born of God.
John 1:12-13 King James Version (KJV)
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Young’s Literal Translation
but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God — to those believing in his name,
Before Jesus, no human being had the power, the right or the authority to become a son of God. The right to become a son of God came with Jesus Christ. So Seth and his children, were not born again, and had no right to be called sons of God.
Consider these scriptures
1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
If people could be born again and be sons of God without Jesus, then it would mean Christ died in vain.
So both from the text, and from the rest of scripture, these sons of God could not have been descendants of fallen Adam in anyway.
2. WHAT FORM ARE ANGELS?
The angels of heaven are naturally spirit beings…
Hebrews 1:7 (NET)
And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,”
3. CAN SPIRITS PROCREATE WITH PHYSICAL BEINGS.
No. Spirits have no flesh and bones.
Luke 24:39 New King James Version (NKJV)
39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.Handle Me and see, for *a spirit does not have flesh and bones* as you see I have.”
Matthew 22:30
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
Note: Angels of God in heaven are spirit beings and can not procreate. These two above facts are what have led people to conclude that the sons of God in Genesis 6 were not angels. But what happens if these angels leave their proper residence in heaven and enter into the physical realm on earth. Are there changes that can happen to their bodies?
4. ANGELS IN PRISON
Jude 1:6-7 (NET)
6 You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day.
7 So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in a way similar to these angels, are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
PLEASE NOTE THIS STATEMENT FROM JUDE
…They indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in a way similar to these angels,
So Jude is plainly saying that there is a set of angels who left heaven and came to earth and pursued unnatural desire and indulged in sexual immorality, just as what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah where men pursed unnatural desire with other men.
It is unnatural for angels to desire women, but we are told that there are some angels who pursed unnatural desire and committed sexual immorality.
Let me quote the same verse from the KJV.
Jude 1:6-7 (KJV)
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.
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.
These particular angels, are being kept in a prison of darkness and are bound in chains until judgement day. The angels that fell with Satan, did not leave heaven willingly, they were thrown out. And they are not in prison, they are freely roaming the earth.
Take note of this scripture concerning Satan and his angels.
Revelation 12
9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
So the angels that Jude is talking about, are not part of this gang of angels that were thrown with Satan. Satan and his angels are busy roaming everywhere. They are not yet in Prison.
Satan and his angels will only be placed in Prison at the end of the world. (Revelation 20).
So why was the sin of these particular angels so terrible, that they had to be locked up in judgement, where as Lucifer who has caused so much chaos is still free and running around and having conversations with God.
Christ had to be The Son of Man, Son of Adam. He had to be born of a woman who was a pure blood of Adam and adopted by a father who was a pure blood of Adam. At the time of Noah, the population of the world was still very small, and all mankind could have been polluted such that there was no more pure descendants of Adam thereby blocking God’s plan of salvation.
5. WHEN WERE THESE ANGELS PLACED IN PRISON?
2 Peter 2:4-5 (KJV)
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; 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;
There are angels that sinned in the time of Noah, which led to the flood. So Jude has told us that these angels are in chains waiting for judgement of which Peter used the same description.
He then gets deeper.
1 Peter 3:19-20 (KJV)
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Jesus went and preached to spirits in prison which were disobedient in the time of Noah. The spirits that we have heard are in prison, are the angels who are bound in Tartarus waiting for judgement day.
So, its pretty clear from these scriptures that there are angels who committed sexual immorality, who sinned in the time of Noah, who are now bound in chains as prisoners in hell. We know that angels are spirits, and that spirits do not have flesh and bone, to the extend that Jesus ate fish to prove he was not a spirit.
6. SO HOW COULD SPIRITS HAVE PROCREATED?
Angels are able to transform their nature and come on earth in the physical body as human beings. We see a lot of this in scripture.
Hebrews 13:2 (WEB)
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.
These are angels who come in the physical body as human beings. Let’s see an example from scripture. There are angels who were almost raped.
Genesis 19:1-2 (WEB)
1 The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, 2 and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.”
These two angels who came to Sodom had assumed physical bodies to the extend that Lot could wash their feet and and make a feast for them to eat.
Genesis 19:3 (WEB)
He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Jesus proved he was not a spirit by eating food. The very fact that these two angels ate bread that lot had made shows you that angels can come in physical bodies.
These two angels are initially addressed as Men when they visit Abraham in plains of Mamre along with Jehovah. They even Ate Meat and drank with Abraham. This is recorded in The previous chapter, Genesis 18.
Now let’s continue with them in Sodom.
Genesis 19:4-5 (WEB)
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. 5 They called to Lot, and said to him, *“Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.”*
The danger of these two angels being raped was so real, that Lot was willing to give his daughters in exchange.
Genesis 19:6-8
6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
When Human beings go to heaven, they will become like angels operating in the same way as angels. When Angels leave and come to earth, they also become like us.
It was very possible that if these two angels had fallen in love with Sodom, they would have disobeyed Gods command and decided to live on as human beings. That is what happened with the angels of genesis 6.
They left their first estate and decided to live on in human form.
7. CAN ANGELS BE CALLED A SONS OF GOD?
Let’s go to it. Does scripture say no angel can be called son of God?
Hebrews 1:5 (ESV) For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?
There are many types of sons of God, we have adopted sons, created sons and the begotten Son. The key word is beget. No angel can claim to be a begotten son of God. Adam was a created son. He is a son of God by reason of the fact that God created him directly.
Then we have adopted sons by faith.
Romans 8:15 (ESV) For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Angels like Adam, are created sons. But to no angels has he said, thou art my Son, today I have BEGOTTEN YOU. Never. So does scripture confirm this Are there angels who are referred to sons of God? Lets read.
A being appeared in the fire with Shadrach Misheck and Abednigo. Scripture calls him a son of God, and then calls him an angel.
Daniel 3:25, 28 (KJV)
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
The Hebrew word for God is Elohim. It can also be translated as gods depending on context. So other versions put son of the gods but it remains this son of elohim was an angel.
Daniel 3:25 (RNKJV) He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of Elohim.
Son of Elohim is the same term used in genesis 6.
Genesis 6:2 (RNKJV) That the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Clearly what ever type of being was in the flame with the three boys, is the same type of being that procreated with humans in the time of Noah. They were angels.
8. WHO ARE THE SONS OF GON IN THE Old Testament?
Job 1:6 (RNKJV) Now there was a day when the sons of Elohim came to present themselves before YHVH, and Satan came also among them
We are told of sons of Elohim presenting themselves before Yahweh. The question is… is this event happening in heaven or on earth?
Job 1:7 (RNKJV) And YHVH said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered YHVH, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Satan’s answer shows they were not on earth because Satan says he is coming from walking on the earth. So they were somewhere else and since they were presenting themselves before Yahweh, then they were in heaven. So we had these sons of God in heaven.
These sons of God are not descendants of Adam because they were there before Adam was created.
Job 38:4, 7 (NET)
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding! 7 when the morning stars sang in chorus, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Adam was created last at the very end. Yet ALL THE SONS – ALL the sons of God were there when the foundation of the earth was being laid, clapping hands and shouting for Joy.
COULD THIS HAVE BEEN A PRE EXISTENCE OF US IN SPIRIT?
No. If these sons were a spiritual pre existence of us, then Job would have been among them.
But God is saying…. where were you?
I will end with a statement that Jesus says. Listen carefully.
Luke 20:36 (ESV)
for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
Equal to angels and are sons of God.
What makes us special is that we are not just Sons of Elohim. We are also sons of Yahweh. Angels though they are sons of Elohim by creation, we are sons of Yahweh Elohim by birth and adoption together. But that’s a presentation for another day.
