| The | mutant humans (giants), referred to in Genesis six as symptomatic of the cause of the Great Flood, also occur in later human history in spite of their annihilation in the Flood. This time it is in Moses and Joshua's Canaan and is part of the reason for the compulsory obliteration of that society, apart from their practices of infant sacrifice, homosexuality and bestiality (Lev.18:21-28). |
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The depraved morality which allowed this second occurrence of mutation is what God referred to with Abraham as the iniquity of the Amorites becoming "full" (Gen.15:16). For this very reason no-one was to be spared in obliterating Canaanite society. |
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Obviously this is unjust to many innocent individuals, but the judgments of God within human history always cause suffering to innocents, just as God's blessings in history bring blessing upon corrupt individuals. Therefore God's just judgment for every individual, outside of the mercy of God in Christ, occurs outside of human history in the Last Judgment (Rev.20:11). |
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In the time of Moses and Joshua this human aberration is encountered by Israel in the regions of Kiriath Arba (Hebron), Jebus (Jerusalem) and Bashan (Golan). They were defeated by Moses and later by Caleb. Their refugees settled among the Philistines. Goliath and his brother were descendants of this group. (See 1 Chron.20:6 "...a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son [descendant] of the giants"). |
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The alternate interpretation, that Nephilim or 'giants' (Gen.6:1-4) merely refers to spiritually or socially great persons in preFlood earth, does not accord with the use of the Hebrew term elsewhere in holy Scripture. Sadly, this interpretation most often arises from a sinful subjugation of the meaning of Scripture to acceptable human theology. In this explanation the Genesis 'sons of God' are then read as descendants of Seth (a so-called godly line) who intermarried with the presumed ungodly female descendants of Cain, and this religious miscegenation then triggered the Flood catastrophe. |
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We simply do not know 'how' supernatural beings (fallen angels) could become sexually joined to human women. Our ignorance however must not change our treatment of holy Scripture. What is written is written and it is to be understood in its own context and not the artificial constructs of the human mind. |
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| Though | it should be born in mind that the ultimate purpose of this development is presented to us as "These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown" (Gen.6:4). |
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Whatever genetic manipulation produced such men succeeded in providing much admired role-models to human society which effect resulted in God giving up any possibility of a moral reclamation of that society – |
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"The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart." (Gen.6:5-6).
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Use of the Hebrew term 'nephilim' and its associated terms - 'mighty men', 'giants'
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