RULES & REGULATIONS

Who Were the Nephilim?

The Bible account says that “the sons of the true God began to notice that the daughters of men were beautiful.” (Genesis 6:2) Those ‘sons of God’ were actually spirit creatures who rebelled against God when they “forsook their own proper dwelling place” in heaven, materialized human bodies, and “began taking as wives all whom they chose.”—Jude 6; Genesis 6:2.

The hybrids born from this unnatural union were no ordinary children. (Genesis 6:4) The Nephilim were giant bullies, tyrants who filled the earth with violence. (Genesis 6:13) The Bible describes them as “the mighty ones of old times, the men of fame.” (Genesis 6:4) They left behind a legacy of violence and fear.—Genesis 6:5; Numbers 13:33. b

Misconceptions about the Nephilim

Misconception: The Nephilim are still alive on earth today.

Fact: Jehovah caused a global flood to destroy that violent ancient world. The Nephilim were wiped out along with all wicked people. In contrast, Noah and his family found favor with Jehovah and were the only ones preserved alive at that time.—Genesis 6:9; 7:12, 13, 23; 2 Peter 2:5.

Misconception: The Nephilim were fathered by humans.

Fact: Their fathers are called “sons of the true God.” (Genesis 6:2) The Bible uses this same expression to describe angels. (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) Angels had the power to materialize in human form. (Genesis 19:1-5; Joshua 5:13-15) The apostle Peter spoke of “the spirits in prison, who had formerly been disobedient when God was patiently waiting in Noah’s day.” (1 Peter 3:19, 20) Referring to the same circumstances, the Bible writer Jude explains that some angels “did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place.”—Jude 6.

Misconception: The Nephilim were fallen angels.

Fact: The context of Genesis 6:4 indicates that the Nephilim were, not angels, but hybrid offspring born from sexual relations between materialized angels and women. After the angels “began taking as wives all whom they chose,” Jehovah said that in 120 years he would take action against the ungodly world of that time. (Genesis 6:1-3) The account adds that “in those days,” the materialized angels “continued to have relations with the daughters of men” and that they produced “the mighty ones of old times,” the Nephilim.—Genesis 6:4.

Angels are beings without sexual needs. They are neither male, nor female. Angels do not have gender since gender is a biological function. Angels are not biological.

Humans have a libido (sexual desires) that is influenced by testosterone (men) and estrogen (female). The angels could not therefore feel attraction for women, nor men. A being that is not designed to have sexual desire cannot have sexual desire.

The fact that angels (who have no sexual desire and even less sexual orientation ) were attracted only for females, proves that this story is a mythical story.

TonusOH

I recall that the WTS used to say that the angels who fathered the nephilim gave up their human bodies when the flood began and returned to spirit form, but were rejected from Heaven for having forsaken their duties and loyalty to God. I recall some brothers who claimed that the moaning sounds that people attributed to ghosts was these angels, raging in frustration at their inability to return to a tangible form.

Lots of good stories when you are raised by superstitious people.

punkofnice

Tonus - I recall some brothers who claimed that the moaning sounds that people attributed to ghosts was these angels, raging in frustration at their inability to return to a tangible form.

That made me laugh. I've never heard that before but sounds like a 'watchtower intellectual' view.

I knew a few Jobots that had fantastical ideas about stuff like that. Totally bonkers yet if they were an Elder(tm) or above, some of the R&F would agree with them.

IMHO, the further back you go in the Bible tales, the weirder they get. That's the trouble with these weird religious type cult writers.............full of bloomin' nonsense.

I can't take any of these tales seriously anymore, they're all too hilarious in their silliness.

peacefulpete

The enigmatic mystery of the Nephilim, the Rephaim, and the Titans.

Great thread above regarding the giant stories and how the traditions varied. As a side, I thought the WT teaching was that the angels were allowed back up and were there until 1914. They were "apparently" restrained from making babies anymore. Which of course means those angels were pretty randy for thousands of years. "Apparently" all they could do was play with their ectoplasm.

stan livedeath

i lost any interest i may have had in the bible when i got to the talking snake.

nowwhat?

So God had to destroy all life on earth because he was asleep at the switch for allowing the angels to materialize on earth in the first place!

wozza

So the spirits in heaven were around for the creation of people and yet it took all that time to suddenly " notice " the women on earth ? Sounds like a childs story ,perhaps the groaning the old witnesses heard was the returned spirits playing with each others willies!

Nephilim...Only desired females