The
Present Day UFO-ALIEN
as
interpreted from a Biblical Precedent
"Hereby
know ye the spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the
world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater
is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (I John 4:2-4)
Table of Contents
Summary
Preface
Chapter 1. The Mystery of Iniquity and the Ultimate Origin of Sin
Chapter 2. The Days of Noah and the "Sons of God"
Chapter 3. A Biblical Precedent: Aliens from Outer Space, or Angels?
Chapter 4. Extraterrestrial Life: Analyzing a Mysterious Project
Chapter 5. The Chupacabra: A Bizarre "New" Creature
References
Summary:
This book represents an examination of what is unquestionably the greatest and
strangest mystery of our time, namely, the mystery of the UFO-Alien Abduction
phenomenon, a subject of increasing public attention, awareness, and interest.
Since the second World War there have been an ever growing number of sightings
of anomalous aerial phenomena which defy explanation. Associated with this are
the growing number of bizarre reports describing experiences by people who claim
to have been abducted by strange beings, allegedly aliens from outer space.
These aliens, or entities, seem to come in order to conduct peculiar genetic
experiments and surgical procedures on their captives, namely humans, often
with terrifying consequences.
This great mystery of our time represents a serious problem to our understanding
and certainly demands a sensible explanation. The two most common historic explanations
offered up are analyzed along with the introduction of a third explanation from
a Biblical perspective which discusses the greater arena of cosmic inhabitants
which were brought into being along with man during the creation epoch several
thousand years ago. An iniquitous subclass of these same beings which are brought
into account for the present afflicted condition of our world and its troubled
humanity are also brought into account for this current mystery, an enigma which
finds its answer in terms of these strange beings.
Written at a popular level this treatise provides the reader with what the author
most fervently believes to be the only solution consistent with the real facts
of the matter and the only solution consistent with Divine revelation, the latter
being the one source able to provide a systematic and reliable result. As revealed
in the context of an obscure, yet most profound portion of Scripture, we find
a most amazing biblical precedent to the present day dilemma, namely the startling
account of a massive "alien" invasion during the days of Noah, as recorded in
Genesis 6:1-4.
"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." (Genesis
6:4)
PREFACE
In the book of Genesis we read that all people of the Earth are descended from
a single human couple, namely Adam and Eve. Even though the Biblical account
states this unequivocally most people living today do not take it seriously.
Interesting enough, although, there is in the Biblical account one curious exception
to this fact which is usually glossed over. Genesis also indicates, clearly
and undeniably, that a second strain was added to the human gene pool - a strain
not of a human order but from a heavenly source. We find in the sixth chapter
of Genesis, immediately before the description of the Flood, a startling description
of this invasive strain. The account is capsulated in a mere four verse statement
but is so profound and strikingly different from the rest of the creation narrative
that it has been a source of many difficulties for translators and theologians.
The infamous episode involving the "sons of God" reads like a piece of fossil
paganism that escaped the careful editing of later generations of devout Jewish
scribes. It could have happily smoldered as a problem of Biblical exegesis were
it an isolated instance. Yet the same strange belief of a bygone period when
beings from heaven descended to take human brides, is found not only in this
obscure passage of Scripture, but present in the well-known Greek myths and
traditions about the amorous adventures of their gods. Just as well, affairs
between mortals and beings from another world feature frequently in the tales,
folklore and traditions of many cultures around the world. Modern science has
no explanation for such stories which are, in the present day, classified among
paranormal phenomena. Many of the world's legends evidence a profound parallel
to the UFO-Alien Abduction stories of our own time. These stories often involve
some kind of sexual encounter with the aliens, a fact which resound with a strange
similarity to the mixed marriages between the "sons of God" and the daughters
of men in the Biblical account.
From the Bible we understand that angels were originally created to be ministering
spirits. Just as well, it is clear from the Biblical account, and an abundance
of extra-Biblical evidence from various cultural traditions around the world,
that some of these members of the heavenly host, early on, broke rank and set
out to be "gods" in their own right, and become vexations to mankind as agents
of deception and iniquity. Compared, in grandeur, to the angels above, man down
on Earth is but a worm, yet it is apparent from Scripture that man was elected
before the angels were created and that angels were created to serve man. It
furthermore appears that a third of the angels would not tolerate such a relatively
light task due to one potential flaw in their divine character; pride. That
the Son of God took the image and nature of man rather than the higher form
and attribute of angels is a most profound element in the Divine economy and
revelation.
Angels presuppose man because they were created to be ministering spirits. Angels
are perhaps the most misunderstood beings in God's order of creation. We do
not understand angels most simply because we do not understand God. There is
a certain symbiotic relationship between man and angels. Angels serve or hinder
man depending upon whether they are benign or malignant. Although they are incorporeal
creatures, angels have the power to take on human, or humanoid, form respectively.
There is a far greater degree of similarity between man and angel than there
are differences. The two differ primarily in their purpose, power, and finite
attributes. Man was created to glorify God, while angels were created primarily
as ministering spirits; Man has procreative power, angels have supernatural
power; the form of man is corporeal, the form of angels is incorporeal although
they can manifest in physical form. Both orders of creatures possess intellect,
emotion, and will. There are other similarities, as well, between angels and
men.
The crises in the western world today is a direct result of its ambiguity regarding
truth and authority. If the grass roots scholar sees something unusual and comes
forth publicly and makes a profound statement, no one listens. Yet should a
"learned" man with an advanced degree, or a renowned world class figure, proclaim
the same everyone listens. Because these are "lettered" and "reputable" people
with "credentials" they are the "voices of authority" for the truth. Nowadays
just about everyone respects, and believes, authoritative, accredited people.
We don't care as much about truth as we do about "respectability" and public
recognition.
There is little regard for how one knows (epistemological awareness) or whether
or not they really have the truth. Thus the western world listens to the "high
priests" of scientific inquiry, not with hearts that love, seek, recognize,
and embrace the truth, but with ears that respect only "authority." The advertising
industry has used this "Madison avenue approach" for years with great efficiency.
"Accreditation" today has become a built-in filter for having truth - ours has
become a culture of educated fools. The Lord said "out of the mouth of babes..."
cometh wisdom (Psalm 8:2; Matthew 11:25; 21:16; Luke 10:21). The Lord of heaven
reveals the truth unto babes and withholds it from the wise. As this whole matter
bears on the UFO phenomenon there has usually been no regard for the documented
case, for instance, of the student Mexican farmer who claims he has seen a UFO,
but when a rocket scientist makes a far fetched claim that he has a potato sized
meteorite from Mars with fossil life forms in it the matter becomes a major
media sensation. As well, an enormous amount of money is eventually tied into
such things. Certainly much of what the public thinks is influenced by this.
God is in the business of revealing Himself not hiding Himself. It is not the
obscurity of revelation that renders man blind and hostile to the truth of God,
it is human sin and perversity. Finite reality cannot be understood apart from
the recognition of the triune God. Apart from this we have only a fractured
understanding. The triune God is not obscure, neither is He hidden in nature,
He is manifest in creation (Romans 1:20).
Observational theology includes those sources by which we can know God's self
disclosure. Valid sources include creation (Psalm 19:1), man, i.e., the prophets
(Hebrews 1:11), and the Scripture itself (II Timothy 3:15-17); invalid sources,
by the same token, include such things as the ouija board, animal intestines,
spiritism, messages from the "space brothers" and so on. The former came from
the breath of God, the latter from the pit. The principle of correspondence
tells us that creation is analogous to God, in other words God is reflected
in creation, and what goes on in creation can only be understood in terms of
the trinitarian God. There is a practical side to every legitimate theological
issue; There are many who have their own theological models of reality, yet
these models often cannot be demonstrated. In other words, they are so abstract
they cannot produce observable evidence. Now when we look at the models of angelic
intervention in creation we see an abundance of observable evidence which fits
the Biblical context. The problem usually arises when "arm chair theologists."
are less concerned with the truth than in "proving" and maintaining their own
long held doctrinal positions. The Bible is never in error, but our understanding
of it often is. We must understand the Bible not with "isogesis" (let self speak)
but with exegesis (let God speak).
When people talk about UFO's, alien abductions, and so on, they are, more likely
than not, reflecting on the reality, not just their imagination. When the true
similarity between angels and men becomes understood, then it will become apparent,
how entirely credible as literal historic fact the mystical account recorded
in the first four verses of the sixth chapter of Genesis actually is. It is
in the Bible alone, no where else, in which we will find the ultimate answer
to this greatest and strangest mystery of our time, the UFO-Alien Abduction
phenomenon.
J. Timothy Unruh
Rocklin California
October 31, 1996
"...I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven..."
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are
subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning
fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you;
but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. -- Jesus Christ
(Luke 10:18)
Copyright (c) 1996. All rights reserved. Published by Ruhe Company P. O. Box
1034, Rocklin, California 95677-1034. No portion of this booklet may be reproduced
in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author. Online edition
January 15, 1997.
Chapter One
A
MYSTERY OF INIQUITY
One of the great mysteries of life is the issue of human suffering. Why does God allow "innocent" people to suffer? Why are there wars? Why is there starvation? Why is there disease, terrible storms, human violence, animal violence, etc., and on and on and on. There is an innate sense in every one of us that none of this is really "normal," and that there is a profound cause behind this condition of the world, other people, and, of course, even our own selves. For, in reality, most of the battles of which we are daily engaged involve our own nature.
The
prophet Jeremiah wrote:
"The
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
- Jeremiah 17:9
Paul the apostle wrote:
"For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," - Romans 3:23.
The
Bible not only reveals the true nature and cause of this agony in the human
condition but also sheds light on how it was brought about; first through angelic
agency, then through human agency, namely in our first parents, Adam and Eve.
The problem of "pain and anguish," be it bodily, emotional, or spiritual suffering,
is such a difficult question for man in general, and even to some extent for
the Bible believer who himself actually holds the oracles of God, that if there
were any "weapons" of consequence against the Christian faith in the arsenal
of the atheist this issue would likely be the big gun. All true science and
history, if rightly understood, support the fact of God. The evidence is so
strong that, as the Bible says:
"The
fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" -
The
infidel faces death in sheer terror because he knows there is a God to whom
He is accountable and with whom he has not been reconciled. Most atheists, therefore,
without any objective evidence on which to base their faith in "no God," must
resort finally to philosophical objections. This problem of suffering is the
greatest of these. How can God permit such things if He is so good?
The
Bible clearly indicates the origin of human suffering as residing in sin. Sin
is the transgression of man against the unity of God's Holy, just, and good
moral legislation (Romans 7:12).
The
doctrine about the mystery lying in the origin and history of sin and its specific
malignity, does not preclude the profound view accepted by many theologians,
of which is presented in the following. Theology, of course, is that edifice
of finite human understanding constructed of the raw materials mined out of
the sacred quarry of Divine revelation, the Bible. Regenerate man is called
to diligently search the Scriptures to "see if these things be so" (Acts 17:11)
and to build his understanding upon that foundation.
Almost
all of what we know about the ultimate origin of sin, even before Eden, is found
within two somewhat obscure but significant passages of Scripture, namely Ezekiel
28, and Isaiah 14. Many other passages allude to it but perhaps none
so evidently as these two. Our "speculations" are thus based primarily upon
these two portions of Scripture, and a few others of lesser extent which relate
to this subject. According to a rather commonly propounded view, the angels,
before their fall, had received a revelation of the future incarnation of the
Son of God. This theory has its finest foundation in the supposition, otherwise
not generally held, that the incarnate Word, who according to the Apostle Paul
is the head of all principalities and powers and the first-born among all creatures,
was from the very beginning predestined in God's plan for the universe to be
the head and king of the angels, and as such was to have been the source of
supernatural grace and glory for them, too. In treating of the mystery of the
incarnation, the speculative merits of this hypothesis will be discussed.
Presently,
the plausibility of this view may be assumed. Then the consequence would necessarily
follow that the angels had to adore, as their God, the Son of man thus presented
to them in human form. Moreover in the bearer of human nature, in a man, they
were obliged to acknowledge and revere the source of the grace and glory intended
for them, just as those among them who remained loyal had later, according to
the Apostle, to adore the first-born upon His entrance into the world.
Of
course, this was potentially a great humiliation for the angels. Elevated as
they were by nature high above man, they had nevertheless to behold him so markedly
preferred to them that human nature was raised above their own in dignity. They
had to acknowledge that in spite of their sublime natural perfections they had
no claim to the divine sonship, and that they could be members of God's household
only as strangers who had been received with gracious condescension. Besides,
they had to rest content that the only-begotten of God, who willed to communicate
His divine dignity to them as the first-born of all creatures, did not take
up His abode among them, but erected the throne of His grace in human nature
which was so far beneath theirs, and would speed forth the rays of His divine
glory to them from that lower stratum. More, they had to thank God for having
united Himself so intimately to mankind, for having located the sun of grace
there, and for having singled it out as the central point of the universe.
Can
the sin of the angels be more naturally explained, and the malice of their insurrection
more profoundly represented, than in this hypothesis? If an angel, especially
the most brilliant of them all, Lucifer, became absorbed in the contemplation
of his glorious nature seeing himself as "the light" rather than a light bearer,
and conceived the idea that God preferred human nature to this lofty nature,
and even made him dependent on a man for his own highest and noblest prerogative,
must he not have held himself scorned by God, must not his natural exaltation
have turned to grievously wounded pride, must he not have been wroth that God
had passed his nature by, must he not have burned with envy of the favored human
race, and above all must he not have been consumed with ungovernable hatred
against the Son of man, to whom he had to pay homage, whom he was bid to adore?
We
need not assert, as some theologians do, that Lucifer in his pride went
so far as to claim the hypostatic union for himself. Such a supposition is contrary
to all likelihood; he would have had to give up his own personality, whereas
pride is wholly immersed in one's own conceit. If, as Scripture indicates, Lucifer
craved in his insane rashness to be like the Most High and to set up an
empire of his own against Him, the simplest explanation is to be found in his
resentment at the thought that any created nature, and especially human nature,
should be exalted above him and that he should be made subject to it. Wrath
at the exaltation of human nature, and at the fancied slight to his own, seems
to have been the original form of his pride, which also included envy of men
who had been preferred to himself and of their head, the Son of man, and rebellion
against God who had contrived this arrangement so hateful to him.
This
theory so proposed by the theologians, who place the angel's sin in envy of
man, can be accounted for only on this hypothesis. For at his creation man otherwise
had received no attribute or privilege capable of arousing the angel's envy
other than possibly his unique power to reproduce which is merely an attribute
man shares with yet lower creatures. Whether in the order of nature or in the
order of grace; nothing could have provoked such fierce resentment except the
fact that a member of the human race had been appointed for elevation to the
dignity of hypostatic union with the Son of God, and hence to headship and kingship
over the angels. This view, although not worked out in detail, can well be regarded
as lending positive support to the theory advanced.
If
such revelation of the incarnation of the Word furnished the impetus to rebellion
against God for Lucifer and his angels, who preferred to subject themselves
to one of their own kind in a war against God rather than submit to a man, even
though He were really God, then sin takes on a new, more terrible and appalling
character of malice than we have heretofore found. Since this pride and this
hatred toward God were occasioned by opposition to the most sublime mystery
of divine love, we have here a doubly unfathomable hell of venomous malice.
The will of the rebel does not merely aim at wrenching itself free from God's
dominion; it strives formally and primarily to slay, to destroy the Son of God
in his mortal, human nature, in the conviction that only thus can redress be
gained for the affront at which it recoils. The most monstrous and the blackest
of all crimes, and at the same time the most inconceivable of all, deicide,
resulted inevitably from the angel's rebellion, and accounts for the frightful
malignity manifested in its purpose.
This
appalling "mystery of iniquity" considered in its origin becomes, in turn, a
beacon which serves to throw light on the entire subsequent course of sin. It
permits us to peer into the depths of hate with which the devil pursues man.
Satan persecutes man not only because man is destined to succeed to the glory
which he himself has lost, but much more because man is a member of the body
of God's Son. He persecutes mankind on account of its head and federal representative,
and in turn persecutes the latter because He has joined himself to men as their
head. He does not rest or halt until he has likewise destroyed the human race,
until he has set up his reign, the reign of death on Earth, until he has treacherously
enticed men to pay homage to him instead of to the Lord's Anointed, to adore
him, to bring him offerings, offerings of death, of ignominy, and deepest degradation.
More fiercely still does he persecute the human race in the person of those
who, after Christ's incarnation, join his colors, and who seek to destroy the
empire of hell in themselves and in others; and since it was a woman, a mere
human being, who as mother of the God-man was to become, in a very real sense,
"Queen of the Angels," hell's hate had to turn especially against this woman,
as well as against her entire progeny.
Do
not the awful atrocities of heathendom, particularly the human sacrifices, and
the cult of fool vice in its most unnatural forms, as also the systematic attack
against Christianity with all the weapons of falsehood and calumny, thus find
their fullest explanation? The passions of men would never, at least on such
an enormous scale, lead them to rage so ferociously against themselves, and
to attack the most exalted ornament of their race; they can be brought to such
a pass only by the craftiness and deceit of him who envies them. But in giving
heed to his promptings they can, and actually do, arrive at such extremities
that once the incarnation of the Son of God is laid before them, and the command
to adore Him as their God, their King, and the source of their happiness is
issued to them, they too break into fury, rise up against their heavenly King
with superhuman malice, vaunt themselves above Him, and seek to destroy Him
together with His kingdom. Thus in their day the Jews joined in with the devil's
schemes for the murder of God and allowed themselves to be used as the devil's
tools. Through the centuries since, hell's agents have been continuing their
venomous subversion in desperation as the incarnate Christ is now beyond their
clutches, they hound His mystical body with diabolical frenzy.
The
scandal which the mystery of the God-man is to the fallen angels and the men
who follow them results in their refusal to accept God's truth with the love
and reverence due to His Word, and in their rejection of faith in the proper
sense of "voluntary" belief. But unbelief that repudiates belief for the sole
reason that its object arouses resentment, does not diminish culpability; it
increases culpability, it lays bare the full range of the malice involved in
persecuting the good that is proposed for belief. Unbelief can partially excuse
only where some uncertainty creeps in. Since the revelation of this mystery
does not force itself upon men with the same clarity as it does upon the angels,
especially when men are deluded by the powers of hell, men's guilt and malice
never come up to the guilt and malice of the angels. Yet men can share in the
malice of the devils to a high degree; in point of fact, modern unbelief is
largely a demonic unbelief.
At
any rate, the conclusion cannot be escaped that the mystery of iniquity has
in the course of time taken shape as formal hatred and conflict against the
mystery of the Incarnation, and hence that the abyss of its malice can be grasped
only in terms of this mystery. Since the malice which it occasioned is essentially
more heinous than any other, and we cannot readily suppose that the prince of
darkness in establishing his kingdom would neglect to lay its foundations on
the bedrock of evil, what is more natural than the assumption that from the
very outset he would have wished to set up his kingdom in direct opposition
to the kingdom of the Son of God made man?
In
whatever way we propose this whole theory about the origin and history of sin
it is offered only for what it is worth, as a serious theological opinion that
is not strictly deducible from the data of revelation, but that has a strong
intrinsic probability. In whatever manner sin first became manifest among the
host of heaven, we know for certain from Biblical revelation that it came from
that realm, and the mystery of iniquity descended from the angels to men, and
through it that mystery has been transmitted to the whole of the human race
with disastrous consequences. Throughout history Satan and his "new world order"
have been trying to keep men from seeing Christ and coming into union with Him
and establishing the Kingdom of God on Earth.
This
chapter has been adapted primarily from a portion of the work The Mysteries
of Christianity, by Matthias Joseph Scheeben, 1951.
Chapter
Two
THE
DAYS OF NOAH
One
of the most fascinating topics to be found in our study of the Bible is that
of its record regarding the early Earth, that first great era in the history
of our world, sometimes referred to as the antediluvian age. It is an age shrouded
in mystery and wonder, an age pertaining not only to a lost world but an age
separated from us in time by a great dividing epoch of catastrophic world changing
events. It is an account of that world of human glory and depravity, and demonic
intervention; a world which was totally destroyed in the great judgment of the
Flood several thousand years ago, a flood which left our world vastly and permanently
different. Even though the evidence of this great event is abundant in the traditions
of many cultures around the world and confirmed in many of the disciplines,
the only direct information that we have of this early period in the Earth's
history is found in the first few chapters of the book of Genesis and a few
other relatively brief references scattered throughout the rest of Scripture.
Because
portions of this subject and related matters touch upon issues of demonology
it has been objected that "we should focus our attention on Christ not on the
Devil." Yet, among things, such an objection would tend to perpetuate the somewhat
obscure understanding of this important passage of Scripture. Furthermore, if
our victory as believers is to be complete, it is incumbent upon us to study
all of the Scriptures, for as in any military engagement a knowledge of the
enemy is necessary. That we will be engaged with this enemy is of a certainty
pointed out most graphically by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18. Finally,
our Lord Himself exhorts us to study the details of that early age, the likes
of which will be repeated shortly before His second coming. Thus, if any ask
whether this question is worth laboring, we can but reply that all of Scripture
is given to us by the love and wisdom of God and it must be of essential value
and importance to accurately understand it if we are to know the full counsel
of His revelation.
Two
days before the crucifixion of Christ, His disciples asked Him, "What shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3) His
reply pointed to a number of "signs," all of which together would occur in that
generation which would see the signs, and which would be the sign they had requested.
These signs were climaxed with the prophetic warning, "But as the days of
Noe were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be, For as in the days that
were before the Flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the Ark, and knew not until the
Flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man
be" (Matthew 24:37-39).
Thus
did Jesus not only verify the historicity of antediluvian culture and the great
Flood, and remind us of the relationship between wickedness and judgment, but
He also encouraged us to study closely the characteristics of the days before
the Flood, because these would also characterize the days just before His return.
The
first great age of human history was brought to its climax and culmination in
the days of Noah. The sin-disease, which began so innocuously when Eve was tempted
to doubt the word of God, which then began to show its true ugliness of character
in the life of Cain, and which came to maturity in the godless civilization
developed by his descendants, finally descended into such a terrible morass
of wickedness and corruption that even the most fertile imagination is defied
in its attempt to grasp the magnitude, and of which a full disclosure would,
without doubt, utterly shock the Christian's sensibilities to behold. The record
notes that even our very Creator Himself was dismayed and grieved to the core
of His being that He had ever made man upon the Earth. Only a global bath of
exceedingly turbid water unleashed from the windows of heaven and from the bowels
of the Earth could purge and cleanse the fevered and festered world. The word
of God clearly and unequivocally declares that the characteristics of those
awful and tragic days, strange as they may seem, are nevertheless to be repeated
in the last days of this present age. As a correlation between Genesis 6:1-4
and Matthew 24:37-39, as well as correlations between other pertinent passages,
will show, it is clearly evident that in the times of both cases corruption
and violence exist side by side with luxury, refinement and high culture. Such
minglings apparently incongruous have not been infrequent in postdiluvian times.
It is thus urgently important, from the standpoint of both understanding past
history and seeking guidance for the future, that we understand the events which
took place in the days of Noah.
As
we can see from Scripture, and as pointed out by our Lord Himself, the sixth
chapter of Genesis contains an important message for us regarding the days of
Noah, a description of momentous interest and importance to us: for our Lord
has declared that a similar epoch of worldliness will at length exhaust the
forbearance of God toward the present dwellers upon the Earth, and cause Him
to come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger
with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire; to plead with all flesh by fire
and by His sword (Isaiah 66:15-16). It becomes, therefore, an obvious duty to
consider the progress of wickedness and corruption among the antediluvians,
so far as it has pleased God to inform us of it; to acquaint ourselves not merely
with the sowing but also with the watering, the growth, and the ripening, of
that hideous crop against which the gleaming sickle of the Almighty at length
flashed forth from heaven; to note the various incentives to evil as they successively
appeared, and to observe the particular influence of each upon the rapidly decomposing
masses of society. For by so doing we shall arm ourselves against the errors
and temptations which are daily multiplying around us, and be able to discern
the threatening signs of our own times. (Matthew 24:37-39; Romans 15:4; I Corinthians
10:11; II Timothy 3:16-17; I John 5:13)
When
men multiplied on the face of the Earth in that primeval age, as in our own
time, so also did the diffusion and intensification of sin. For every form of
evil which exists in thinly populated locales will also be found, but in greater
degree, where men have multiplied; where there are countless vices peculiar
to crowded districts. Consequently, if they are numerous, men support each other
in rebellion, and are prone to become far more daring and defiant of God. Among
ourselves the strongholds of rationalism and atheism are always to be found
in large cities. As the families of the Earth increase in number, so also does
civilization, learning, and technology. Given the longevity of the antediluvians,
coupled with their immense accumulation of knowledge, experience, and skill,
their civilization must have advanced to an almost inconceivable degree. One
recorded specimen of antediluvian industry was the Ark built singly through
the labor, and under the superintendence, of a lone godly Sethite, Noah, guided
by God, along with his modest family. Sad and instructive was the long past
amalgamation of the Cainites (descendants of Cain, the murderer son of Adam
and Eve who slew his brother Abel) and Sethites (descendants of Seth, the godly
son whom Adam and Eve bore after the death of Abel) in a society of leisure
disposed to wickedness. Abject indulgence, self gratification and depraved human
glory seemed to be the residual ungodly religion of the day. A wastefully indulgent
life of vanity and a disregard for the institution of the family in the careless
giving away of their children in frivolous marriages set the stage for the appalling
escalation of evil shortly to follow. No true worshippers of Jehovah were to
be found, save in the single family of Noah, a small remnant connected with
the line of the promised Seed.
Then,
in the days of Noah, a new and startling event burst upon the world, and fearfully
accelerated the already rapid progress of evil, leading to such a tidal wave
of violence and wickedness over the Earth that there was no longer any remedy
but utter destruction. For such, our text in Genesis reads as follows:
"And
it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters
were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they
were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 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. 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" (Genesis 6:1-4).
This
passage contains a detail that is often either ignored, disputed, or outright
rejected - that of literal physical giants on the Earth. Here we have the record
of what evidently constitutes the first great outbreak of demonic "genetic engineering"
through the demonic abduction of women, the result of which was humanoid gigantism.
The second outbreak occurred "also after that" sometime before Israel arrived
in the land of Canaan. For there they encountered the Nephalim or "fallen ones."
The pre-Flood outbreak had been, of course, brought to an abrupt end by the
world wide judgment of the Flood.
During
the time of David, who faced off Goliath, God, through Israel, brought the post-Flood
outbreak to an end. A thousand years after the time of David demonic intervention
occurred again, this time in the form of human corporal possession which waxed
rampant, at the time of Christ. Finally, in our own time we again see evident
trademarks of demonic activity, by the fallen "sons of God," of a different
legion, most probably in the likes of the "UFO" and "alien abduction" phenomenon
of recent years.
As
the record clearly indicates, the offspring of the unions between the "sons
of God" and the "daughters of men" were progeny of the most grotesque sort,
being "giants in the earth," the same being "mighty men which were of old, men
of renown," monsters not only in size but also monsters in wickedness, and they
always, without exception, were disposed to thwart the purposes of God (Genesis
6: 1, 2, 4). In the minds of many readers, the first reaction to this passage
is such that, in spite of its obvious and clear intent, its incredulity begs
for an alternate interpretation. The standard interpretation of the liberals
is to think of the fairy tales of antiquity, the legends of ogres and dragons,
and the myths of the gods consorting with men - and then to dismiss the entire
story as legend and superstition, but a careful examination of the passage will
elicit a far deeper meaning.
Often
the biases and presuppositions we bring into a matter prevent our understanding
and acceptance of its face value and patient meaning. Modern Christians have
often attempted to make this passage in Genesis more palatable intellectually
by explaining the "sons of God" as Sethites and the "daughters of men" as Cainites,
with their union representing the breaking down of the wall of separation between
believers and unbelievers. Another interpretation which avoids the supernaturalistic
implications is that the phrase "sons of God" referred to kings and nobles,
in which case the commingling so described is merely an account of royalty marrying
commoners. This passage is not the first to be met with a naturalistic attitude
as such. The miraculous parting of the deep waters at the Red Sea, in which
God provided a way of escape for the Israelites fleeing Egypt during the Exodus
has been liberally explained as an event whereby "a shallow swampy flood plain
was drained during an unusually low tide accompanied by a particularly strong
hot dry desert wind which dried off the land, thus permitting the Israelites
to walk on dry ground at the shallow extremity of the Sea of Reeds." Yet the
account in Exodus describes something startlingly different; a miraculous and
dramatic division of waters where "the children of Israel went into the midst
of the sea upon dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right
hand, and on their left" (Exodus 14:21-22). In our present age the "scientifically
impossible" is most often rejected outright anyway. In another case, unusually
large and powerful animals, referred to as the behemoth and the leviathan, are
described in Job 40:15-24 and 41:1-34. In the past they have been reckoned by
Bible commentators to be descriptions of the hippopotamus or whale, yet neither
of these creatures even closely fits the careful description of the beasts given
in this passage of Scripture. It was only fairly recently realized that the
behemoth and leviathan were large land animals, namely dinosaurs. Since
the science of dinosaurs in our age is a fairly recent paleontological development,
dating back only to the middle of the last century, most of the early writers
of which our present commentaries are derived had no knowledge of these creatures
preserved in the fossil graveyards of the Earth. Had they taken God's word at
face value and studied the descriptions of Job more carefully our knowledge
and science of dinosaurs might very well have come at a much earlier time. Even
the literal interpretation of the vast longevity of the antediluvians, who lived
to such great age of nearly a thousand years instead of being cut off at three
score and ten, as in our age, is most often brought into question if not rejected
outright by some theologians and Bible students. Regarding Genesis 6:1-4, none
of the naturalistic interpretations, however, explain why the progeny of such
unions would be "giants" or why they would lead to universal corruption and
violence. Although Scripture does teach that believers should not wed unbelievers
(II Corinthians 6:14; I Corinthians 7:39), there is no intimation that this
particular sin is unforgivable or necessarily more productive of general moral
deterioration than other sins. Regardless of intellectual difficulties, it is
clear that something most remarkable, beyond the normal and natural, is described
in Genesis 6:1-4.
The
first matter of understanding regarding this amazing portion of Scripture, beyond
its plain contextual intent, turns quite obviously to the Hebrew meaning of
the phrase "sons of God" (bene elohim). In the New Testament, of course, the
term son of God is used with reference to all who have been born again through
personal faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Romans 8:14; etc.), and the concept
of a spiritual relationship of believers to God as analogous to that of children
to a father is also found in the Old Testament (Psalm 73:15; Hosea 1:10; Deuteronomy
32:5; Exodus 4:22; Isaiah 43:6). However, none of these examples use the same
phrase as Genesis 6:2, 4; furthermore, in each case the meaning is not really
parallel to the meaning given in Genesis. Neither the descendants of Seth nor
true believers of any sort have been previously referred to in Genesis as sons
of God in any kind of spiritual sense and, except for Adam himself, they could
not have been sons of God in a physical sense. In context, such a meaning would
be strained, to say the least, in the absence of any kind of explanation. When
we are told that "men" began to multiply on the face of the Earth, and that
the sons of God saw the daughters of "men," in each case the human race is clearly
signified, in other words the descendants of Cain and Seth alike. Hence the
"sons of God" are plainly distinguished from the generations of Adam. The only
obvious and natural meaning without such clarification is that these beings
were sons of God, rather than of men, because they have been created, not born.
Such a description, of course, would apply only to Adam (Luke 3:38) and to the
angels, whom God had directly created (Psalm 148:2, 5: Psalm 104:4; Colossians
1:16).
The
actual expression "sons of God," bene elohim, occurs explicitly three other
times, all in the very ancient book of Job (1:6; 2:1; 38:7), and in each case
the term refers indisputably to angelic beings. These are the beings whom, apparently,
were created sometime during the first half of the creation week, probably on
the first day (Genesis 2:1; Job 38:4-7; Luke 2:13). Twice in the beginning of
the book of Job we read of the sons of God presenting themselves before Him
at stated times, and Satan also comes with them as being himself a son of God,
though a disobedient, fallen, and rebellious one. In Job 38:7 the morning stars
are represented as singing together, and the sons of God as shouting for joy,
over the creation of our Earth. There are, as well, implicit references to these
sons of God in a number of other passages. There is no doubt that, in these
passages, the meaning also applies exclusively to the angels. A very similar
form bar elohim is used in Daniel 3:25, and refers either to an angel or to
a theophany. The term "sons of the mighty" (bene elim) is used in Psalm 29:1
and also Psalm 89:6, and again refers to angels. The sons of Elohim the mighty
Creator are confined to those creatures made directly by the Divine hand, and
not born of other beings of their own order. Hence, in Luke's genealogy of our
Lord, Adam is called a son of God (Luke 3:38), and, so also Christ is said to
give to them that receive Him power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). For
these are born again of the Spirit of God as to their inner man even in the
present life. This is only possible with man since he is delivered from the
penalty of death and brought into newness of life through a substitutionary
atonement, unlike the angels which, on the other hand, have been fixed in their
position as angels of grace, or damnation, the latter hopelessly lost in their
state of perdition. At the resurrection those of mankind who are redeemed by
the blood of the Lamb, who is Christ, will in their glorified physical bodies,
be clothed with a spiritual body, a building of God (II Corinthians 5:1); so
that they will then be in every respect equal to the angels, being altogether
a new creation (Luke 20:36).
Thus
all reasonable doubt, insofar as the context, language, and plain exegesis of
Genesis 6:1-4 is concerned is removed regarding the intent of the writer to
convey the concept of angels, fallen angels no less, acting in opposition to
God's will. This also was the meaning placed on the passage by the Greek translators
of the Septuagint, by Josephus, by the writer of the ancient apocryphal book
of Enoch, and by all the other ancient Jewish interpreters and the earliest
Christian writers. It is apparent that the first Christian writers to depart
from this understanding and suggest the Sethite interpretation were Chrysostom
and Augustine. Even an appeal to some of the later "fathers" of our present
millenium who abandoned the orthodox view of Genesis 6:1-4 because it is "refuted
by its own absurdity" must themselves then answer their own patient frivolity
of contending that the "giants" were merely individuals of the same race who
were "slightly larger and stronger, and more evil," than the rest of the people.
By the same token they must also answer why the world at Noah's time was "divided"
into Sethites and Cainites, which in reality we know it was not. Furthermore,
those who would interject the Christian Church into the Old Testament economy
to justify the "sons of God" as being simply believers, thus mortal men, distracts
the issue from one of a direct Biblical exegesis to other grounds which are
much the obscure, if not outright fallacious. These men, in spite of their greatness
in doctrine and theory, were still humanly fallible and capable of missing important
elements of Biblical truth in their doctrines. In our own time this opposing
view has been widely propagated by C. I. Scofield in the notes of his famous
reference Bible. To apply the term "sons of God" as such to mere men is to stretch
the matter beyond a reasonable limit, for it can only refer to those sons of
God involved in a second and deeper apostasy of those fallen ones from on high.
Only
a portion of the angels who originally fell with Lucifer committed this atrocity.
These chose to leave their own world and, having broken through God's limits
into another, to go after "strange flesh" (Jude 6, 7) and to exercise an unlawful
influence over the human race. These more devious rebels in particular are no
longer found among the spirits of darkness which now haunt the air. They no
longer retain their position as principalities and powers of the world, or even
their liberty; but may be identified with the imprisoned criminals of whom Peter
tells us that, after they had sinned, God dashed them down at once to His lowest
dungeons as an instant punishment of their impious outrage, and to deprive them
forever of the power of producing further confusion of this particular sort.
"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" (II Peter 2:4).
Jude 6 also mentions their present condition in similar terms, and the context
of either passage indicates with sufficient clarity the nature of their sin.
The demon-possessed men and their progeny, along with all the other godless
inhabitants of the antediluvian world perished in the waters of the Flood. These
waters are now the waters of the present day vast oceans. It is apparent that
those former inhabitants are referred to
Perhaps
the most common of objections to the obvious meaning of the "sons of God" as
representing angels, apart from the supernaturalistic overtones, is, for those
who do not reject the idea of angels, that it would be impossible for angels
to have sexual relations with human women and to father children by them, because
they are "strictly spiritual beings" who, unlike humans, "have no form." However,
this objection presupposes more about angelic abilities than we know. Whenever
angels have appeared visibly to men, as recorded on numerous occasions in the
Bible, they have appeared in the physical bodies of men. Those who met with
Abraham, for example, could not only be touched but they actually dined with
him (Genesis 18:8) and, later, appeared to the inhabitants of Sodom in such
perfectly manlike form that the Sodomites attempted to take these "men" for
homosexual purposes. The writer of Hebrews also makes a pointed comment that,
on various occasions, some "have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2).
The Lord Jesus indeed said that "in the resurrection they neither marry, nor
are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:30).
However, this is not equivalent to saying that angels are "sexless," since people
who share in the resurrection will surely retain their own personal identity
whether male or female. It should be remembered that Christ Himself, even though
in a glorified state after His resurrection, was still recognizable to His disciples,
and others, in His masculine gender. Furthermore, angels are always described,
when they appear, as "men," and the pronoun "he" is always used in reference
to them. Thus angels have the power to assume human form in the fullest sense,
although the Holy angels never opted to exploit this power to their own advantage,
as did the demons. When Jesus said that the angels of God in heaven do not marry,
this does not necessarily mean that those who have been cast out of heaven were
incapable of doing so, or committing some form of sexual act. It clearly was
not of God's design or intention that angels mix in such a way with human women,
but these wicked angels were not concerned with obedience to God's will. It
was probably precisely for the purpose of attempting to thwart God's will that
this particular battalion of the "sons of God" engaged in this illegal invasion
of the bodies of the daughters of men. The activities of these fallen angels
was not only a patent counterfeit of the unique conception by the Holy Spirit,
Who through the virgin Mary gave birth to the God-man Jesus, but an attempt
in desperation to fatally pollute the human race, and in particular those people
through whom the promised Seed was to come, and thus to destroy that Seed.
By
a profound principle of genetic science, discovered only recently, the blood
line, or type, is determined through the male, or father, and thus the blood
of Christ was technically, and truly, not tainted by the curse of Adam as it
is in the rest of humanity, since Jesus did not have an earthly father. The
same sinless blood was poured out at Calvary for all whom are redeemed in Christ.
No other death could have accomplished the substitutionary atonement and the
propitiation of His righteousness unto us. In the same principle, but in a design
which was diametrically opposed to the purpose of God and in almost inconceivable
malignity, Satan through his cohorts began to infest humanity with hybrid offspring
of an appalling characteristic, bearing cursed blood. This heinous deed by the
fallen league thus becomes all the more diabolical. Satan had not forgotten
God's prophesy that a promised Seed of the woman would one day destroy him.
He had planted his own spiritual seed in Cain and his descendants, but God had
preserved the line of the true seed through Seth. When Noah was born and Lamech
was led to prophesy that "comfort" concerning the Curse would come through him
(Genesis 5:29), Satan and his angels must have reckoned that their opportunities
for victory in this cosmic conflict were in jeopardy. Desiring, if possible,
to completely corrupt mankind before the promised Seed could accomplish Satan's
defeat, it is evident that they opted to utilize the marvelous power of procreation,
which God had authorized and given only to the human family, and to exert their
own power to corrupt it to their own illicit advantage.
In
the days of Noah, men were rapidly multiplying on the Earth, and by implanting
their own "seed" in humanity these malignant beings might be able to enlist
in only one generation a vast multitude as allies against God. It was an ingenious
way to effectively contaminate and make filthy the entire human race so that
God's seed, Messiah, could not come to offer eternal salvation. So these "sons
of God" saw the daughters of men and "took them wives (or, literally 'women')
of all which they chose." With the demoniacal ungodliness of the antediluvians
in general, coupled with the irruption of the Serpent's seed directly into large
numbers of the human race, and then with the thrusting forth of hordes of the
monstrous offspring of these unlawful unions, conditions in the world became
finally intolerable even to a God of compassion and long-suffering. Thus, such
a scenario made the necessity of the catastrophic judgment of the Flood all
the more sensible and necessary.
Another
objection to the bene elohim, or sons of God, actually being angels is the contextual
assumption that they actually have male reproductive systems, which leads to
the even graver question of the nature of the progeny that would result from
their sexual intercourse with human women. Fallen angels have no possibility
of salvation, but fallen men and women do have at least this possibility. What,
then, would be the case with "people" who were half-angel, half-men? It is a
situation that is so grotesque that it would seem extremely doubtful that God
would have allowed it to happen at all, even if it were physiologically a realistic
possibility. Yet, as already indicated, it would do violence to the actual text
of the passage if we were to make it merely mean that the sons of Seth began
to marry the daughters of Cain. If this were the meaning, why did not the writer
simply say so, and thus avoid all the confusion?
Furthermore,
why the Giants, and why the universal violence? The sons of Seth were surely
not all Godly men; so why should they be called sons of God? It should be remembered
that they all perished in the flood. Adam had many sons in addition to Cain
and Seth; were they spiritual "sons of God" too? Not very likely, at this period
of history. Furthermore, why stress only the union of godly men with ungodly
women? What about the "daughters of God"? Were they being married to "sons of
men"? The naturalistic interpretation is so forced and awkward that it seems
to do disservice to the doctrine of Divine inspiration to suppose that this
is what the writer meant to say. He surely meant to convey to his readers the
idea that, in those days of Noah, such an awful irruption of abnormality and
wickedness burst forth on the Earth that it could only be explained by a demoniacally
supernatural cause.
The
apparent dilemma of the theologically paradoxical and grotesque nature of the
progeny of such unions is resolved when one realizes that these children, even
though true human children of truly human fathers and mothers, were all possessed
and controlled by evil spirits. That is, these fallen angelic "sons of God"
accomplished their purposes by something equivalent to demon possession, indwelling,
or taking on, the bodies of human men, and then also taking, or "possessing"
the bodies of the women as well. The men whose bodies they possessed were evidently
thereby made so attractive to the careless and rebellious women of the age that
they could take over and use any of the women they chose. The seductive beauty
of the women, probably enhanced by various artificial cosmetics and allurements
developed by that time, was itself sufficient to induce men to constant obsession
with sex, assuring a maximum rapidity of multiplication of the population. Thus,
the "sons of God" controlled not only the men whose bodies they had acquired
for their own exploitation, but also the women they took to themselves in this
way, and then all the children they bore - veritable children of the damned.
I Kings 22:19-23 and Psalm 82:1-8 sheds some light on the fate of these progeny
in that unlike their demonic progenitors they die an earthly death. The "sons
of God," et. al., were warned that if they proceed with the evil which God condemns,
and withhold their powers on behalf of the needy and afflicted, they shall "die
like Adam (men), and fall like one of the princes." Now if the children of Adam
were the persons addressed, it would be superfluous to warn them as such, for
their death would be a matter of course; hence it is quite evident, again, that
these are "sons of Elohim," not of Adam.
The
fearful phenomenon of demonic "taking" and "habitation" of human bodies has
often been repeated in history, though apparently never again on the global
scale which Satan attempted in the days of Noah. Many such cases of demon possession
are noted in the New Testament, and missionaries still testify to its common
occurrence in heathen lands today. The association of extreme violence with
demon possession is well noted in Mark 5:13 and Acts 19:13-16. Even in modern
"Christian lands" where the influence of the Gospel has until now kept it to
a minimum, this form of Satanic activity is evidently rapidly increasing. Spiritism,
witchcraft, and other forms of occult belief and practice - even Satanism itself
- are captivating the minds and bodies of multitudes today, especially among
young people. A closely related phenomenon is the tremendous recent upsurge
of interest in the "host of heaven" - in terms of astrology, the so-called "chariots
of the gods" and "gods from outer space," the various unidentified flying objects,
and their strange occupants. Although scientists have pointed out many fallacious
assumptions and interpretation involved in these there remains a stubborn residuum
of scientifically inexplicable yet apparently well-verified phenomena attached
to these highly unusual types of data, including the more recent "alien abduction"
phenomenon. All of this should be a reminder to us that there does indeed exist
"principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual
wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12) and that Satan is the "prince
of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). Evil angels as well as God's unfallen
Holy angels, apparently on certain occasions have the ability both to appear
in material forms of various sorts (even as "ministers of righteousness" - II
Corinthians 11:15) and also to innhabit and control the bodies of human beings.
Furthermore Jesus warned that, in the last days, "fearful sights and great signs
shall there be from heaven" (Luke 21:11). It may be that this particular feature
of the days of Noah is beginning to be repeated in the modern proliferation
of this great complex of unexplained and spiritually intimidating occult phenomena,
the purpose of which appears to be to gain direct Satanic control over the minds
and bodies of hosts of human beings before Christ returns.
The
children of the unlawful connections before the Flood, as recorded by Moses
in Genesis 6:4, who became the "mighty men which were of old, men of renown"
no doubt gave rise to the countless legends of the loves of the Gods; and no
doubt the subsequent repetition of the crime after the Flood reinforced these
traditions. These explain the numerous passages in the Classics, as well as
in the ancient literature of other languages, in which human families are traced
to a half divine origin.
Doubtless
many of the mighty labors accomplished by the earlier descendants of Noah, such
as the pyramids of Gaza, may be considered to have sprung from reminiscences
of pristine grandeur, and fragments of lore, handed down by forebears who had
lived a portion of their existence in the previous age. Thus reams of mythology
have been generated which is taught in public schools to this very day. Now
mythology enshrines the remembrance by man of the earliest actings and teachings
of these fallen angels and their hybrid offspring of super human vitality. Such
had come from the heaven and became gods and they were worshipped as such. They
had imparted "life" to humans, they had performed spectacular miracles, and
revealed great truths, never before imagined. They had returned to the stars
according to Satan's delusion but not before they left a promise to come again!
Such are the themes of so many stories and beliefs around the world that the
masterful counterfeit of Christian truth is startling.
The
Biblical account of the doom of these grotesque creatures in hell as recorded
in II Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 is closely paralleled in the Greek classics where
Tartarus was a dark abode of woe, as far beneath Hades as Earth is below Heaven
(Hom. I1. viii. 16), a description which fairly corresponds to Peter's "pits
of darkness." Very significant, too, is the fact that it was thought to be the
prison where Zeus hurled Cronos and the rebel Titans. The mythology of the past
is a startling disclosure, albeit twisted, of the uncontrolled behavior of both
spirit beings and rebellious man. The Almighty had to destroy the ancient world
because it had become completely unsalvagable.
One
of the most amazing facts revealed by paleontology (the study of fossilized
remains of creatures which inhabited the Earth in bygone ages) is that nearly
all modern animals have larger ancient counterparts. Among these have been found
fossils of mammoths, large bears, giant insects, sea creatures, and huge reptiles
like the dinosaurs. Along with these are occasionally found giant human footprints,
suggesting that indeed, "there were giants in the earth in those days." Not
only in the Bible, but in numerous other ancient books, are preserved traditions
of giants. With such a uniform testimony from ancient tradition, and with paleontological
evidence as well, it is a superficial sophistication which ignores the possibility
that these data may contain primitive reflections of the real events and characters
described historically in the Genesis record.
As
to why children born of demon-controlled parents should grow into giants, a
reasonable supposition can be made. The modern science of genetics has shown
that there are two basic causes of variations in physical characteristics among
men, namely mutations and recombinations. In the genetic system a tremendous
number of factors for different characteristics exist. Some are dominant in
a particular population and some are latent or recessive. These can be "recombined"
in various ways to allow for an almost unlimited variation in physical features.
Mutations can introduce new features formerly not present through a response
to external influences whose energies effect random changes in the genetic system.
It is now known that such features can be brought about by design in the case
of controlled manipulation of the genes by breeders understanding enough about
the genetic process to do so. Today geneticists appear to be on the verge of
breakthroughs in "genetic engineering" which would permit them to accomplish
such things on a practical basis, including cloning, and gigantism. Given the
intelligence and supernatural powers of angels (and demons) such a possibility
in Noah's time is not only credible but all the more likely. With their power
over the minds and bodies of antediluvian parents, through these secrets, the
evil league of the "sons of God" could by genetic manipulation, cause their
progeny to become a race of monsters.
Although
our text in Genesis 6:1-4 also includes an assertion of a secondary outbreak
of demonic hybridization after the Deluge, this episode was not of the magnitude
and scale of the first but nevertheless equally as diabolical. As we read that
there were giants "also after that," it is to be remembered that when we come
to the days of the Canaanites in the Biblical account we find encounters with
giants in the land when the Israelites arrived there. When they beheld these
people in the new land they felt, as it seemed to themselves, like mere grasshoppers
in comparison. This agrees with a passage in Numbers which mentions the sons
of Anak who are said to have been known as, among other things, the Nephilim,
or of the Nephilim (Numbers 13:32-33). Even though the English rendition of
the word is "giants" the Hebrew form meant "the fallen ones," hence the fallen
angels. The term later transferred to their offspring. The Greek rendering signifies
"earth born" and was used of the Titans, or sons of Heaven and Earth - Coelis
and Terra. Humanly speaking, the Nephilim in Canaan were descended from Anak,
and so were also known as the Anakim. The Anakim as well as the Emims, Rephaims,
and Zanzummims were all a race of giants existing in Canaan at the time of Israel's
arrival. Among them were warriors of exceeding stature, including Ishbi-Benob
(II Samuel 21:16), Og (Numbers 21:33; Deuteronomy 3:11); and the famous ten-foot-plus
Goliath, a great champion of Gath who defied the Israelites and who was slain
by David (I Samuel 17:21-29). Goliath was probably descended from the old Rephaim
of whom a scattered remnant took refuge with the Philistines after their dispersion
by the Ammonites (Deuteronomy 2:20, 21; II Samuel 21:22). Tradition has it that
by David's time there were only five great warrior "kings" left in the land,
represented by the five stones in David's satchel (I Samuel 17:40), one of which
he used to slay Goliath, while the other four stones were marked for the other
remaining giants slated to be destroyed (I Samuel 17:1-54; II Samuel 21:15-22).
After the time of David the giants were extinct and the Philistines were no
longer such a formidable adversary to Israel. From then on the nation of Israel
was beset with different problems. Interesting enough, that these beings were
real and not an impossible phenomenon is confirmed by the discovery by archeologists
in Palestine of human skeletons of similar stature and of roughly the same period.
These people were, of course, known to Moses and it was probably he who editorially
inserted the phrase "and also after that" into Noah's original record here in
Genesis 6:4. Moses probably also inserted the information that these were the
"mighty men of old, men of renown," men whose exploits of strength and violence
had made them famous in song and fable in all nations in the ages following
the Flood. To rebellious men of later times, they were revered as great heroes,
hence the heroes of mythology who have their basis in historical fact; but in
God's sight they were merely supra-ungodly men of violence and evil.
Before
the foundation of the world God had ordained a particular people of the human
race to bear the special oracles and testimony of Divine revelation. He also
chose these people to be the bearers of the Chieftest of God's manifestation,
Jesus Christ, who would come to redeem a people of His own from the bondage
of Satan and his kingdom. It was the land of Canaan, the crossroads of three
continents, into which God had led his people from Egypt to dwell in and to
establish a theocracy through which the entire world would be blessed. At the
time of the arrival of the Israelites into this specially "promised" land after
40 years of wilderness wanderings they found it to be already inhabited. It
was these indigenous inhabitants who proved to be great adversaries to the people
of God. They, of course, included the Philistines, after whom the land was later
called Palestine, hence the current rival faction of the Palestinians often
heard about in the news media today in association with the continued conflict
in Israel. The ancient Philistines should be of interest to the student of the
Bible in terms of understanding why God was so "harsh" in dealing with them.
Satan himself was behind the circumstances of the Canaanites and the certain
jeopardy into which they placed the Israelites. Already well known was Satan's
agenda to bring the entire human race to ruin. God's particular people were
targeted above all other peoples because of their unique mission. All of this
makes it the more obvious why a "cleansing" of the land was necessary when Israel
arrived. In spite of God's command to do so, the Israelites did not "utterly
and completely drive the Canaanites from the land" (Judges 1:28; 3:5-7). The
small residue of these people allowed to continue in the land was sufficient
to inflict a considerable degree of tragedy upon the people of Israel. Nevertheless
by the providential superintendence of God the messianic line was preserved.
It is impossible to imagine what our world would be like today otherwise.
When
the Israelites first arrived in the promised land they thus encountered the
Nephilim, that progeny of the second recorded outbreak of demonic conceptions.
In reality the population of the land was literally infested with these strange
beings and their families, and as if by higher design they were "pre-planted"
there, in place, waiting for the arrival of the Israelites in order that they
might be a vexation to them. In consideration of the promised Seed who was to
come out of the Israelites the ominous presence of the Nephilim makes all the
more sense, and all the more strategic, as well, that the Israelites obey fully
the command of God that the whole race of the Canaanites be totally extirpated.
Some of the Biblical accounts of their destruction at the hands of the Israelite
warriors are most graphic. One specific account illustrating the means whereby
the Israelites were to carry out God's mandate is found in I Samuel 15:3: "Now
go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not;
but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."
Such descriptions of wholesale slaughter from, of all things, the Holy Bible,
often breach the sensitivities of the reader, if not his very sensibilities.
Even some of our learned expositors literally squirm in the pulpit as they dare
give even a brief treatment for this description of abject carnage, and it is
usually delivered in a timid and almost apologizing manner, lest there be in
the congregation before him a tender footed believer who might stumble at the
hearing of this "harsh posture and abject atrocity" on behalf of our benevolent
and loving God. Often nothing more is said than "well uh, we may not understand
all of these things, but we can rest assured that God is still a just God in
spite of this, and uh..." Hence the matter is usually left at that with no one
really grasping the deeper significance of the passage. Indeed it is true that
God, of a certainty, is consistent in His righteous integrity, judgment, and
loving kindness. Yet, when the hideous and treacherous nature of the Canaanites
is truly comprehended then the purpose in the movement of God and His people
against these enemies, and the wholesale destruction of the same, takes on a
whole new meaning, significance, and justification. The utterly ungodly identity,
nature, and purpose of these exceedingly depraved murderous inhabitants becomes
chillingly authentic when their origins and heredity is realized.
When
Genesis 6:5 is compared with Matthew 7:11, Romans 5:7-8, I Timothy 5:25, and
I Peter 3:16 a remarkable and most revealing contrast becomes evident in the
essence of evil in man. Whereas Scripture concurs that there is at least some
"good" in every man, even in the unbeliever, the same discloses that there has
been "exceeding" evil in the nature of certain particular classes of effected
individuals at various epochs in the Biblical record. In the days immediately
preceding the Flood the inhabitants of the Earth are described as being "only
evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). This passage discloses that there was something
deeper and more profound occurring at that time than human sinfulness alone.
It was once said by a famous evangelist that if God does not wipe out San Francisco
he owes an apology to Sodom and Gomorra. There is, although an important distinction
that needs to be brought to light here. It is evident that the inhabitants of
Sodom and Gomorrah, for instance, were demon possessed and controlled, and,
like those before the Flood, were characterized by "exceeding" wickedness and
violence (Genesis 13:13). Violence is a well documented characteristic of demon
possession (Matthew 8:28-32; Acts 19:13-16). Noteworthy is the rather anomalous
preference for "the men" (the visiting angels at Sodom) rather than the women,
or Lot himself, by the sexually deviant men of the city of Sodom (Genesis 19:1-11).
It is apparent in the context that the men of the city who "desired" the visiting
angels over earthly men, were themselves rather odd to say the least, as if
they were possessed. In other words, the peculiar preference of the men of the
city for these angelic visitors betrayed something important about themselves,
namely that they had some previous cardinal knowledge as adversaries of God
and His Holy angels, and that they were demonically influenced or possessed.
Those sexually devious "sodomites" in our own day are certainly engaged in an
evil and ungodly practice that anticipates the curse of God, and they are indeed
humanly sinful yet they are not necessarily possessed and controlled by demonic
agents. They can still repent and believe on the Lord. It is those demonic agents
which have vexed man from the beginning, and, were it not for the grace of God
they would have brought mankind to complete ruin already. If it were not for
the fact of demonic adversaries operating behind the scenes in these important
historical episodes God would have a lot of explaining to do in His seemingly
indiscriminate policy toward sinners. What is at stake here is the categorical
and consistent nature of God, and that this is upheld can be clearly seen in
the careful analysis of the targets and administrations of Divine judgment.
Thus
the tenure of God's longsuffering toward sinful man can be directly correlated
with the nature and rabidity of the perpetrators. In other words Divine judgment
is always accelerated and intensified in the presence of demonic intervention,
as the Flood, the fire and brimstone at Sodom and Gomorrah, and the coming judgment
at the end of the age patently indicate. The leagues of fallen angels, bent
on destroying humanity, are a class of creatures God has emphatically warned
man to shun lest he be taken up with them and perish in the ensuing judgments.
It just goes to show, it pays to avoid bad company. The fall of man in the Garden
of Eden, the account of Noah's Flood, the destructions of the Canaanites with
the arrival of the Israelites in the promised land, and those transactions during
the time of Christ bear this out. These are facts consistent with the integrity
of God and His benign superintendance over His people, as well as the nature
of His revelation. Human depravity brings grief enough to the Almighty but the
exceedingly heinous products of demonic activity He finds intolerable. This
is consistent with the fact that God did not destroy ancient Nineva or the Roman
Empire in such a fashion, and likewise our own nation today, at least so far.
The account in Genesis 6:1-8 is much deeper and pregnant with significance than
the immediate problem of human ungodliness and sensuality. In and of itself,
the human heart is "desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 11:33), but certainly not
(normally) "only evil continually." The latter is clearly a distinct trademark
of a demonic invasion, which did indeed occur prior to the Flood and which precipitated
the necessity of the destruction of the world that then was, with its mutant
ravaging giants. The evidences from the correlations and inferences of Scripture
bear this out. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"
(Genesis 6:5). "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord
exceedingly" and their sin was "very grievous" (Genesis 13:13; 18:20).
Just
as world conditions in the days before the Flood pre-staged that early catastrophe,
so will world conditions in the last days of this age foreshadow a potentially
greater catastrophe. In that age there was a tendency to regard God as merely
the Creator and Benefactor rather than as the covenant God of mercy, dealing
with transgressors who are appointed to destruction, and finding a ransom for
them. Some of the more notable characteristics of that age which will also attend
the times prior to the second coming of Christ include the following: preoccupation
with physical appetites (Luke 17:27), rapid advances in technology (Genesis
4:22), grossly materialistic attitudes and interests (Luke 17:28), uniformitarian
philosophies (Hebrews 11:7), inordinate devotion to pleasure and comfort (Genesis
4:21), no concern for God in either belief or conduct (II Peter 2:5), an undue
prominence of the female sex, and a disregard for the primacy of the marriage
relation (Matthew 24:38), rejection of the inspired Word of God (I Peter 3:20),
population explosion (Genesis 6:1,11), widespread violence (Genesis 6:11,13),
corruption throughout society (Genesis 6:12), preoccupation with illicit sexual
activity (Genesis 4:19; 6:2), widespread words and thoughts of blasphemy (Jude
15), organized occultic and Satanic activity (Genesis 6:1-4), promulgation of
systems and movements of abnormal depravity (Genesis 6:5,12), and a preponderance
of extraterrestrial or trans-dimensional demonic intervention (Genesis 6:2;
I Timothy 4:1).
In
the case of the last effect in the previous list, it is apparent that this same
basic activity of demon possession is occurring again, today, "as it was in
the days of Noe," but in a somewhat varied form under the guise of "UFO's and
aliens from another world" who are abducting humans and conducting genetic hybridization
experiments on them against their will, in a godless deception perfectly tailored
to our modern technological age. The interest and popularity of the UFO-alien
enigma has become so great in the last few years that television, radio, and
the printed media are rife with features about these occurrences. The whole
affair is very real but, in reality, it is not what it is purported to be and
is not what most people think it is. The anatomy of sin is deception and much
deception is released by Satan and his cohorts into the mainstream of humanity
for consumption. It is compatible with human nature to believe it. This modified
variety of demonic intervention, and possession, is nothing more than a deceptive
attempt by demonic advocates of a fallen angelic order to supplant the body,
soul, and spirit of man as a dwelling place of God and to pervert and turn man
against God, thus doing Satan's "dirty work" for him, in overturning God's created
order on Earth. The solemn fact is that the essential doctrines of the old pagan
philosophers are even now subtly and widely permeating the western world, in
spite of its education and scientific progress, and are captivating multitudes
who would boast of intellectual superiority to the "poor heathen." For even
some who would call themselves Christian today the Scriptures say "Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (I Timothy 4:1). Now
that much of mankind is laced with drugs, the occult, and the "new age-new world
order" deception, the human race is ripe for the greatest conspiracy and deception
of all time, a great "public disclosure," perfectly fitted to our time, that
"we have made contact" and are being visited by "aliens from outer space." Many
who claim to have had encounters with UFO's have reported that these objects
seem to be more alive and intelligent than just mechanical craft. Given that
our atmosphere is literally swarming with advocates of "the prince of the power
of the air" (Ephesians 2:2; 6:12) it should come as no surprise that there might
be an occasional visible manifestation of such a presence. The fallen angels
have shadowed humanity ever since Satan deceived our first parents in Eden.
Meanwhile God's Holy angels, in even greater numbers, continue as ministering
spirits on behalf of God's people (Hebrews 1:14), and signal the ultimate victory
of good over evil.
Even
though the so called "extraterrestrials" may appear as "benevolent brothers"
the messages derived from and through them consistently conflict with Biblical
Christianity. There is nothing in the UFO phenomenon that leads to belief in
the one true God. The "visitors" appear to be in tune with what has been known
as "New Age" religion, including eastern mysticism, astral projection, and harmonic
convergence, and so on. None of these are in harmony with Jesus Christ. They
are more interested in steering us away from the one who said, "I am the way,
the truth, and the life," to fool mankind about Bible prophecy, and even to
falsify His coming in the very era of Christ's return. All of this can be none
other than preparation necessary to the events surrounding the rise of Anti-Christ.
A
matter of increasing significance in our ever closer knit world culture is the
attention given by the airwaves (radio and television) to the UFO activity and
the "alien abduction phenomenon," as reflected by the many programs touching
upon these topics. It is already evident that much of this can be directly associated
with the preparatory new age mentality and the occult, if not outright demonic
enterprise. The potential for confusion over these effects within the Christian
community is not to be underestimated. It is known that most of those involved
in the "new age" movement do not "buy off" on the theory of evolution to any
reckonable degree, as even they appear to see the loop holes in this decadent
philosophy. Yet, neither do adherents of this movement embrace the Biblical
account of creation and Earth history. A third "option" which has been taking
increasing prominence in the cultural arena of our civilization, if not its
overall "religious" characteristic, is the idea that humanity was "planted"
here on Earth by aliens form outer space. More and more the "proof" of this
idea is seen in the UFO and alien abduction phenomenon. The new age movement
is a quiet cancer in society that began in the mid to late 1960's that has now
become a well defined world and life view with its own "theology." Advocates
of this movement have well prepared answers for almost any question one could
ask. The vigilant Christian's only safety, counter measure, and protection against
this monstrous deception is his charter, the Holy Bible. In Scripture the astute
Bible student will see the intimate connection between the past and the present,
for every evidence indicates we are witnessing a major repeat of a bygone epoch.
It is quite possible that we will be seeing much more on these themes along
with their "signs and wonders" in the years that follow, all preparatory to
an ultimate judgment.
Since
the 1960's, and especially since the Apollo Moon landing in 1969, the mind set
of our culture, particularly among the youth and even among some "Christian"
people, has been ever more preoccupied with outer space. Popular television
programs like Star Trek and Babylon Five, and the increase in the number of
paranormal features, bear this out. Since the influence of Erich Von Daniken
in the 1970's the extraterrestrial origins of human life has become an ever
more popular theme. Unless the Christian community remains abreast of this rapid
development, Christians, to a large degree, may be, in a manner of speaking,
"left in the dust" insofar as a certain understanding of, and remedy for, what
is "up and coming" today. Noteworthy is the fact that many new age "disciples"
express no surprise at the evidence that humans and dinosaurs once coexisted
in our world. This evidence, of course, should already have come as no surprise
to the Bible believer. With evolution found lacking and defeated, and with the
Bible rejected, many are looking elsewhere, and they find no better place to
look than to the stars for the source of our origins, religious inspiration,
and destiny. It is most evident that a new "Goliath" has arrived, in the form
of a major paradigm shift which is taking place in the minds of the masses.
Even our government may soon be forced to take action with some kind of a said
"disclosure." There is simply too many people being drawn into this phenomenon,
either through direct involvement or indirect influence, for this to be ignored
any longer. Certainly something big and decidedly evil is coming down on us
in these latter days and it is becoming an inescapable obsession for many, because
at the heart of this present day fascination with UFO's is the prospect of an
"alien contact."
UFO-alien
abduction encounter groups and "scientific congresses" are springing up all
over the world today to discuss the experiences of people who have been kidnapped
by "little green men" and placed on operating tables in space ships where these
strange beings conduct surgical procedures on them. Many of these "witnesses"
involve world class personalities. Ten years ago such reports would have been
dismissed out of hand. At one recent conference hosted by a major university
one reputable author expressed astonishment at the quality of stories told by
literally hundreds of men and women. These people had hesitantly and reluctantly
come forth to reveal their truly amazing and utterly convincing accounts of
having been abducted and then examined aboard extraterrestrial spacecraft by
spindly limbed, telepathic gray creatures with oversized foreheads dominated
by huge, compelling, tear-shaped black eyes. A common cry often heard among
abductees about these creatures is "they are not people." Equally astounding
are the similarities found again and again in these accounts and the consistency
of their chilling details. These stories involve people who are well educated,
well dressed, middle and upper class types who themselves wonder what is happening.
The evidence of this activity has become so widespread that the burden of proof
to the contrary now rests squarely on the skeptics. It is often concluded that
if something is "out of sight out of mind" it is not occurring. As for this
UFO - alien abduction phenomenon, nothing could be further from the truth, and
it is not something that is going to go away.
A
sequence recently aired on national television showing alleged U.S. government
technicians conducting an autopsy on strange corpses from a crashed alien space
ship has captured a great deal of attention and generated much controversy.
The cement binding this phenomenon to a status demanding a reckoning is the
undeniable fact that, whether one believes it or not, reports of "close encounters
of the fourth kind" are on the increase.
Already,
the voices of tormented millions world wide are heard through the media describing
their previously inexplicable experiences. In the U.S. alone, experts estimate
that close to one million people claim to have been abducted by aliens. These
are not cases of individuals vying for attention or about individuals experiencing
some unknown aspect of themselves, this has every manifestation of a real effect
that has its precedent in, and is decidedly akin to that which resulted from
the invasion of the "sons of God" as the Biblical record reveals in Genesis
6:1-4. There are many today who are not taking spiritual warfare seriously,
if they are not outright mistaking it for something else.
Unless
readers recognize the patent intent of this strategic passage of Scripture the
full impact of the present day crises will ever elude them.
According to a recent survey of several hundred people, who claimed to have been abducted by aliens, there were no true Bible believing Christians found among the interviewees. Thus, we find another "red-flag" indicator that this phenomenon is decidedly demonic. A single point is clear and that is, the most important issue in our day is one's own relationship with Jesus Christ and his or her preparedness for the upcoming spiritual warfare with this "new age theology" with its accompaniments and effects.
Dear
reader, are you a born again Christian, according to the Scripture? One of Christ's
great comforts to the believer is the Biblical declaration that
All
of the aforementioned conditions prevailed in the days of Noah and they are
all now increasingly evident today. There is good reason, therefore, to believe
that these present times, however long they may endure, are those which immediately
precede the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scriptures clearly tell us
that the judgment in Noah's time presaged the personal advent of Christ in judgment
at the end time. The Satanic triad (the Dragon, Beast or Anti-Christ, and the
False Prophet), in all its malignity is already at work to carry out the fullness
of the mystery of iniquity. This is the ultimate antithesis and corruption of
the Holy Triune God of creation Himself, the Father, Son (Christ), and Holy
Spirit. Only God, and Him alone, through Jesus Christ can save us from the judgment
to come.
"For
true and righteous are his judgments..." - Revelation 19:2a.
Now
if we receive the word of God "with all readiness of mind," and "search the
scriptures daily" to see "whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11), not "adding
unto the word," nor "taking away from it" (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19),
"comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (I Corinthians 2:13), "knowing this
first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation,"
(II Peter 1:20), and knowing we follow not "cunningly devised fables" (II Peter
1:16), and most of all, realizing that there is a blessing for them that readeth,
heareth, and keepeth the word of God (John 20:31; Revelation 1:3), then we shall
find, as Enoch's knowledge of God's appearing some five thousand years ago showed
him, that the secrets of God are ever with them that fear Him.
"But
without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
(Hebrews 11:6)
Chapter
Three
A
BIBLICAL PRECEDENT
Back
in the 1970's a major sensation was brought about by a television show entitled
"In Search of Ancient Astronauts." The source of this program watched by millions
of people was the book Chariots of the Gods?, authored by Erich von Daniken.
Needless to say, the presentation stimulated, shocked, excited, and even enraged,
but surely did not leave any thinking person uninterested.
The
television show and the book postulate that extraterrestrial intelligent life
landed on Earth one or more times in the distant past intervening in the affairs
of early man. According to von Daniken the evidence demonstrating this contact
between beings from outer space and humans is found in the vast reservoir of
Earth's unexplainable historic and prehistoric phenomena.
Challenging
most of the classical archeological and anthropological explanations of ancient
human history, von Daniken boldly reinterpreted the artifacts, the myths, the
"prehistoric" drawings, the ancient documents, the monoliths, the ruins of antiquity,
and so on, as evidence indicating a time millennia ago when beings from other
worlds descended to Earth making contact with earthinians and changing the course
of history. Since many undoubtedly viewed the program without having read Chariots
of the Gods, or its sequel, Gods from Outer Space, which expanded upon the author's
original premise, many were no doubt confused by the viability of his interpretations.
Regardless of the controversial nature of von Daniken's writings they have captivated
a very large audience and have had an enormous influence on the thinking of
many in regard to extraterrestrial life.
For
the Bible believing Christian the first question that comes to mind, and appropriately
so, is the issue of how such ideas square with Christianity and Bible doctrines.
In
other words, can believers accept these profound suggestions without doing violence
to Biblical truths?
Many
other ideas along the lines of von Daniken have since been popularized to one
degree or another since the early 1970's. It is in light of this phenomena that
the following discussion seems to be in order. Even though this analysis is
not intended to be exhaustive it should be sufficient to shed light on some
very interesting and important distinctions between some of von Daniken's tenets
and certain statements in the Bible.
The
following two paragraphs, briefly quoted from Chariots of the Gods?, summarize
von Daniken's basic thesis:
"Dim,
as yet undefinable ages ago an unknown spaceship discovered our planet. The
crew of the spaceship soon found that the Earth had all the prerequisites for
intelligent life to develop. Obviously the 'man' of those times was no homo
sapiens but something rather different. The spacemen artificially fertilized
some female members of this species, put them into a deep sleep, so ancient
legends say, and departed. Thousands of years later the space travelers returned
and found scattered specimens of the genus homo sapiens. They repeated their
breeding experiment several times until finally they produced a creature intelligent
enough to have the rules of society imparted to it. The people of that age were
still barbaric. Because there was a danger that they might retrogress and mate
with animals again, the space travelers destroyed the unsuccessful specimens
or took them with them to settle them on other continents. The first communities
and the first skills came into being; rock faces and cave walls were painted,
pottery was discovered, and the first attempts at architecture were made.
These
first men had tremendous respect for the space travelers. Because they came
from somewhere absolutely unknown and then returned there again, they were the
'gods' to them. For some mysterious reason the 'gods' were interested in passing
on their intelligence. They took care of the creatures they bred; they wanted
to protect them from corruption and preserve them from evil. They wanted to
ensure that their community developed constructively. They wiped out the freaks
and saw to it that the remainder received the basic requirements for a society
capable of development."
Such
a history seems shocking indeed to our sensibilities. Yet, it has had an inestimable
influence on modern thinking. Certainly it demands investigation, especially
in a Biblical light.
At
the outset, von Daniken assumes the correctness of evolution and constructs
his ideas around that premise. The theory of evolution, although, stands
in direct contradiction to Biblical truth as well as scientific laws such as
the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
Thus
his premise is untenable from either a Biblical or scientific perspective.
Equally
important as von Daniken's underlying presupposition of evolution is his statement
that the aliens interbred with the earthinians. Repulsive as it may sound, von
Daniken records legend upon legend from one civilization to another whose records
tell of the 'gods' interbreeding with humans. The reasonable question is where
did such a universal idea come from? It came from actual historic fact!
Von
Daniken is correct in some areas, i.e., that the Earth was indeed visited by
beings from outer space. Furthermore, these beings did, in fact, arrive on at
least two different occasions; and their visitation truly did significantly
influence the course of human history, and they did interbreed with humans.
These beings, however, were angels, not "aliens from outer space". The specific
account involving them is recorded in the sixth chapter of Genesis.
From
the account in Genesis 6:1-4 reams of mythology have been generated. The New
Testament also makes note of this event in three key passages: I Peter 3:19,
20; II Peter 2:4-6; and Jude 1:6-7. The facts of the case are simple and the
supporting arguments are too many and varied to detail each one in this writing,
but the event may be summarized as follows:
1.
Angelic beings ("sons of God") came to Earth, lustfully desiring the attractive
daughters of men (Genesis 6:2).
2.
They took whomever they chose as wives (Genesis 6:2).
3.
This angelic intervention occurred not only before but also after the time of
Noah's Flood (Genesis 6:4).
4.
The offspring from these unlawful unions were physical giants (Nephalim - "fallen
ones" - in the Hebrew) (Genesis 6:4).
5.
The fallen angels who committed this sin were incarcerated in Tartarus where
they now await judgment (II Peter 2:4 Greek).
Arrogant
Goliath, who challenged David and was slain by the latter (I Samuel 17:49-51),
was one of the Nephalim ("fallen ones"), a giant offspring from an unlawful
union between a fallen angel, or demon, and a human. Goliath was among the second,
or post-Flood, outbreaks of such giants. He stood nearly 10 feet tall.
6.
Only a portion of the angels who originally fell with Lucifer committed this
atrocity, since all who thus sinned were imprisoned, but there are other fallen
angels who are not bound (Jude 1:6).
7.
The sin of the angels was the same as that of Sodom and Gomorra; i.e., they
gave themselves to fornication, specifically going after a different kind of
flesh (Jude 1:7).
There
are many who have fought against or tried to refute the "angelic" interpretation
of Genesis 6, but the supporting lines of argument throughout the Scripture
are too tightly woven to allow any other interpretation to be so reasonable.
In addition to the Bible itself there are extra-Biblical evidences of giants
among the historic traditions of various cultures in the world. Furthermore,
there has been found confirming evidence in the fossil record of "human" giants
at various places in the world in the past. Some have argued that angels have
no flesh; they are spirits. Indeed they are, but from the Old Testament to the
New, angels have had the ability to materialize into a variety of human forms
when they were called upon to deal with mankind. The passage in Genesis 18 and
19 is a classic example. The two "men" who accompanied the Lord to visit Abraham
had feet to be washed (18:4), bodies to rest (18:4), mouths and stomachs with
which to eat food (18:5,8), faces (18:22), and legs on which to stand and walk
(18:2,22). By the time they had traveled from Abraham to Sodom to find Lot,
they still had feet - which, by the way, needed washing again (19:1,2), they
were hungry enough to eat another meal (19:3), and their bodies appeared sufficiently
like humans that the men of the town desired to have them for the purpose of
homosexuality (19:4-5)! Yet these were angels (19:1,15); they had simply taken
on a human body, which they later cast aside, for the job they were given to
do. The author of Hebrews also makes a pointed comment about angels in human
form: "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
For thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:1,2). One will
search in vain for any indication that this ability to materialize a human form
does not apply to the fallen angels as well as the good angels.
Another
popular argument against the angelic view has been gleaned from verses such
as Matthew 22:30, construing them to teach that angels have no sex. Such a statement
is, although, never made. It is only said that they do not marry; it comments
neither on their ability to marry, nor specifically on the status of fallen
angels, since only the good angels are mentioned.
Dr.
Scofield's note on Genesis 6:4 in the Scofield Reference Bible has caused much
unfortunate misunderstanding on this passage and is replete with careless oversimplifications.
His note reads as follows:
"Some
hold that these 'sons of God' were the 'angels which kept not their first estate'
(Jude 6). It is asserted that this title in the Old Testament is exclusively
used of angels. But this is an error (Isaiah 43:6). Angels are spoken of in
a sexless way. No female angels are mentioned in scripture, and we are expressly
told that marriage is unknown among angels (Matthew 22.30). The uniform Hebrew
and Christian interpretation has been that verse 2 marks a breaking down of
the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain,
and so the failure of the testimony to Jehovah committed to the line of Seth
(Genesis 4:26). For apostasy there is no remedy but judgment (Isaiah 1:2-7,
24,25; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-31). Noah, 'a preacher of righteousness,' is given
120 years, but he won no convert, and the judgment predicted by his great-grandfather
fell (Jude 1:14,15; Genesis 7:11)."
Some
of the mistakes in this note need to be recognized. First, the precise term
"sons of God" is used only of angelic beings in the Old Testament, Isaiah 43:6
notwithstanding. It does not occur there. Adam, a direct creation of God and
not a derivative creature such as through birth, is singularly referred to as
a "son of God" in the genealogies of Luke (Luke 3:38). Secondly, angels are
not spoken of in a sexless way; the fact that angels are consistently masculine,
and never feminine, is one proof that is too obvious. Thirdly, the uniform Hebrew
and Christian interpretation was not the Sethite view which Scofield claims.
On the contrary, the historical interpretation of Genesis 6 was uniformly that
the "sons of God" were angels until the fourth century A.D. when heresy regarding
angelic beings brought about a shift to the Sethite view. Josephus and many
of the early Church fathers record a consistent testimony at this point. The
Sethite view, which Dr. Scofield and many others have favored, just does not
hold up under a sensible analysis. The following list, for example, clearly
bears this out:
1.
If the Sethites were so godly, why did they choose to marry the "ungodly' Cainite
women?
2.
Genesis 4:26 does not state that Seth's line was godly, and Cain's ungodly (by
silent implication).
3.
Why did physical giants result from these spiritually "mixed" marriages?
4.
Why were the giant offspring always evil?
5.
Why don't evil, physical giants result today from the marriage of a saved man
and an unsaved woman if they did then?
6.
Why should all the Sethite men be godly and all the Cainite women be ungodly?
What about the Sethite women and the Cainite men? Weren't there any?
7.
God says the whole Earth was full of men's wickedness (Genesis 6:5). Where is
the godly line here?
8.
Why does the corruption extend to "all flesh" even including the animals if
only Cainites and Sethites were involved?
9.
Why does the same problem recur after the Flood when there are no Sethites and
Cainites to intermingle?
10.
Why are the giants not human beings, as testified by the fact that twice God
says they will never be resurrected (Isaiah 26:14, Psalm 88:10), yet all human
beings, both saved and lost, will be resurrected by Jesus Christ (John 5:28,29)?
The
answer is clear. Genesis 6:1-4 records a unique intervention of certain fallen
angels into the affairs of humanity. They intervened by inbreeding with women,
and their horrendous offspring - part-angel and part-human were doomed to genetic
failure and judgment. This was an attempt on the part of Satan to pollute the
"seed of the woman" (Genesis 3:15) so that no conqueror could eventually come
and defeat him. The elaborate plan almost succeeded, but God spared Noah, keeping
him unpolluted, "perfect in his generations" (Genesis 6:9), thereby preserving
the way for Jesus Christ to be the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.
Though
this most strategic aspect of Satan's agenda was foiled, the angelic interbreeding
wrought havoc to this Earth. Wickedness became so widespread, even into the
animal world, that God had to send the judgment of Noah's flood. The actual
existence of the "mythological" figures of the satyr (goat-man) and centaur
(horse-man), for example, are monstrosities which likely have an historical
basis in fact. Demonic meddling in animal genetics could very well have brought
about the grotesque assemblages of the "gods" that we read about in ancient
mythology. When the outbreak occurred again, after the Flood, God imprisoned
the wicked spirits in Tartarus and omnipotently brought the outbreak to an end.
The
darkened heart of the unbeliever, nevertheless, was a ripe place for Satan and
his demons to sustain the memory of these fallen angels. The angels had become
gods. They were to be worshipped. They had come from the stars. They had imparted
"life" to humans. They had performed spectacular miracles, and revealed great
truths, never before imagined. They had returned to the stars (according to
Satan's delusion), but not before they left a promise to come again! Such are
the themes of so many stories and beliefs around the world that the masterful
counterfeit of Christian truth is almost frightening. A perfect example of all
this is recorded in Acts 14:8-13 where Paul and Barnabas are assumed by the
Lycaonians to be human manifestations of their gods who had come down to do
miracles. God's work was attributed to demons.
This
is the event von Daniken interprets as ancient astronauts from outer space.
As was said before, he is right about beings coming from other worlds to interbreed
with humans, and the legacy of mythology he records or alludes to is a most
impressive display of the universality of this belief in the ancient world.
His assertions, though, are at best, part truths, and they only succeed as a
masterful counterfeit of the real truth of the Bible. In contrast to von Daniken's
concepts the following list shows what the Bible teaches regarding such matters:
1.
The aliens were fallen angels, not other men from a technically advanced civilization.
2.
The forced interbreeding was evil and brought degenerating consequences. It
was not beneficial for accelerating evolution.
3.
The aliens were intelligent but depraved beings on a mission of destruction
and opposition to God; they were not beings of superior morality who desired
to impart their concept of godliness to a struggling, embryonic world.
4.
The learning and wisdom which these evil angels imparted to men doubtless took
many forms - art, science, architecture, etc. The revelations of these beings
primarily served to elevate them into the place of receiving worship as gods.
Their intervention directed men away from the true God; it was not designed
to facilitate social development.
5.
According to von Daniken, the aliens destroyed humans who "reverted" to such
evil practices as cohabiting with animals. The fact may well be that the aliens
taught men to do this by example! In any case, why should the aliens condemn
and kill men for doing the same thing that they themselves did with humans?
6.
Legends recorded in Chariots of the Gods? say that these ancient astronauts
promised to one day return from the stars, as they came the first time...a perfect
counterfeit of the second coming of Christ.
7.
In preparation for their return, the gods taught men to prepare for corporeal
rebirth, i.e., that their physical bodies would be awakened from death unto
new life by the gods when they returned. The counterfeit of Biblical life after
death and the uniqueness of Christ's power to resurrect is evident. From this
demonic doctrine we understand the elaborate preparations of the Egyptians and
others for restored physical life after a long death.
8.
The angels evidently directed the attention of men to the stars - not as a demonstration
of the glory of the true God (Psalms 19:1), but because that was their home.
Specific deities became associated with certain astronomical bodies, their motions
became important, and thus their influence over humans would always be remembered.
Today, it is called astrology.
9.
According to von Daniken, the aliens returned to the stars. According to the
Bible, the aliens were imprisoned in Tartarus, in the center of the Earth, and
will have no more activity until they are released for judgment after the Millennium.
10.
Mythology records that the aliens came to Earth in "spaceships" of various designs:
and why not? It would seem that spirit beings would not need such crafts to
reach Earth, but what better way to counterfeit such Biblical events as Elijah
and the fiery chariot, Isaiah's vision (Isaiah 6), Ezekiel's "air transportation"
from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8), Daniel and the Ancient of Days (Daniel
7), Paul's trip to the third heaven (II Corinthians 12), John's trip to heaven
(Revelation 4), and others.
In
summary it must be said that von Daniken has done a good service in compiling
such a long list of the world's puzzling phenomena. How accurate his facts are,
how careful his translations of various texts, legends and myths are, etc. cannot
be readily known, since most of his specific assertions are undocumented. Nevertheless
he records a stimulating and exciting list of oddities.
From
a Biblical perspective, though, the interpretations von Daniken proposes in
both his books can only be regarded in one way - as a subtle and elaborate counterfeit
of the truth. He has succeeded in turning the treacherous and abominable demonic
activities in the days of Noah into a respectable, exciting, and intellectually
feasible explanation of ancient human history. Multiplied pages of his books
are filled with anti-Biblical, anti-God ideas. Sometimes they are guised in
intellectual hypothesizing; sometimes they are so blatant that the God of Israel
is nothing more than a loudspeaker on an electrical communications box designed
by the astronauts (the Ark of the Covenant). Such teachings can only rank as
"doctrines of demons" (I Timothy 4:1).
Indeed,
intelligent alien beings did come to Earth from outer space. Yes, they did breed
with human women. Yes, they did give birth to a new kind of offspring - not
homo sapiens - but a part-angel, part-human, freak hybrid strain of giants;
and yes they did change the course of mankind in this world. In the wake of
their activity, they left a legacy of unrestrained wickedness so intense that
people the world over seem to have effaced its horror from their history by
remembering it only as fanciful mythology of bygone golden ages. For this, "...God
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them into chains of darkness to
be reserved unto judgment" (II Peter 2:4).
This chapter has been adapted from a transcription of a radio program broadcast in 1973, entitled Spacemen or Angels, by Reverend Richard A. Steeg, B.S., M. Div.
Chapter Four
EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE Analyzing a Mysterious Prospect
What is life?
Put
this question to a biologist and he responds: Ask me another. Ask a chemist
and he might provide the inquirer with an obtuse mathematical equation. Ask
an astronomer about the source of life and he might point to the stars. There
is documented evidence that Earth has in fact been visited by beings from beyond
our world. Even though this evidence is of a superior quality, it is not the
kind of evidence for life among the stars that is taken seriously or sought
after by public promoters and researchers who have spent countless millions
of dollars in their search for extraterrestrial life. Furthermore, there is
not even a qualitative consensus among scientists as to what, by definition,
life truly is. In the Bible, which tells us much about life, God is clearly
revealed as the giver of life.
Dissenters will argue that this is not the kind of life that should be discussed.
Notwithstanding, all life does indeed come from the Creator, thus it has a definite
source, abode and purpose.
Probably the greatest and strangest mystery of our present time is that of UFOs
("unidentified flying objects") and related phenomena. By definition UFOs include
phenomenon found among reports of aerial objects, lights, beings, or physical
effects that are regarded by witnesses as anomalies because of their peculiar
behavior. Included in these are the infamous "flying saucers." Certainly these
phenomena present a serious challenge to our understanding. After years of studying
case reports and eye-witness accounts involving these anomalous occurrences,
leading researchers have admitted they have no truly adequate explanation. Since
the modern era of UFO sightings began after World War II, reports of unidentified
flying objects have steadily increased in numbers. Until only recently such
reports were usually discounted as natural phenomena or explained away as erroneous
sightings due to poor observations. Because of the enormous increase in the
numbers of these reports in the past five years there has been a major shift
in public awareness, interest, and opinion about these strange apparitions,
so much so that even the skeptics are now left with the burden of proof for
their insistence that UFOs do not exist. Rather than just being relegated to
obscure and incredulous fringe groups of eccentric followers whose sanity was
often questioned, the UFO phenomenon has gained such widespread popular interest
that people from all walks of life and social classes are involved, including
quite respectable middle and upper class professionals. Furthermore, UFOs have
reportedly been spotted by a number of our cream-of-the-crop American heroes,
the astronauts. Even former presidents have filed reports. Such seemingly incredible
sightings have caused many to believe that Earth is being visited by aliens
from a distant planet. As a cultural reflection of this belief, theatres now
abound with motion pictures carrying themes of UFOs and alien visitations, mutilations,
peculiar geographical markings, strange vampire like creatures, and other paranormal
topics. Television and radio is rife with entire programs and features presenting
evidence of these extraordinary UFO occurrences. Meanwhile, workshops, encounter
groups and major conventions are springing up in many places offering a forum
for the exchange of information and for the consolation of people who have been
directly or indirectly affected or victimized by these bizarre occurrences -
occurrences often accompanied by terrifying consequences. This world wide fascination
with UFOs and related phenomena has reached an all-time high in our present
day. A UFO sighting occurs somewhere on Earth every three minutes. Recent surveys
indicate that approximately half of Americans believe UFOs are real and that
they represent alien space craft. Many millions claim to have seen a UFO at
one time or another, and, according to a recent estimate, nearly one million
Americans claim to have been abducted by aliens. It is evident that something
very significant is occurring and that it is a serious problem which is not
going to diminish soon. Like every other "new thing" that confronts us it certainly
demands an explanation.
Since
all truth, authority and power rests in the Almighty, it is clear that only
the discerning Christian community, equipped with the resources of Holy Writ,
has the ability to provide a systematic, sensible, and truly Biblical solution
to this perplexing dilemma of UFOs and alien visitations now so widely reported.
Since God created all things, it is obvious that His word must apply, either
directly or indirectly, to all of life's concerns. Hence, this must include
our present inquiry into this intriguing matter. It is increasingly clear that
the prevalent rationalistic world views held by modern science, astronomy, politics,
and other involved disciplines are not able to provide a satisfactory answer
to this perplexing question. The inability of even our government to make a
definitive diagnosis of the UFO phenomenon has led to a variety of hypothesis.
Two interpretive models, although, dominate as a public explanation: the
Naturalistic-Technologic Hypothesis, (NTH) and the Extra-Terrestrial
Hypothesis (ETH).
Following a brief evaluation of these two hypotheses, a third, or Biblical Hypothesis
is described.
The NTH explains UFOs as being produced by natural effects or man-made
objects. Until recently, this has been the predominate view in the scientific
community. Natural effects may include unusual cloud formations and atmospheric
phenomena, mirages, bright stars and planets, meteors, inversions, "swamp gas"
and so on. Technologic effects may include satellites, rocket launchings or
reentries, airplanes or obscure and unusual aircraft, weather balloons and other
types of IFOs (Identified Flying Objects), and the likes. Closer examination
of these explanations, which have long been offered up as "official," have consistently
betrayed very serious deficiencies. A case in point is the well documented account
of an experienced pilot and survivor of many World War II missions who flew
in pursuit of "an enormous metallic object" moving at great speeds and up to
great heights. The object was fruitlessly chased by several other pilots as
well. The war veteran died in a crash as a result of his pursuit. The public
explanation given was that the pilot had been pursuing the bright planet Venus,
lost consciousness at great altitude, and then perished in the crash of his
plane. The fallacy of this explanation became apparent when it was pointed out
that this incident occurred, during broad daylight, when Venus was so obscure
that it would have required a careful search of the skies in the right area
by an experienced observer with acute vision in order to see the starlike point
of light. One suggestion offered for such habits of misinformation is that of
policies surrounding issues of national security and the protection of classified
projects. Many nations around the world have officially or secretly engaged
in serious UFO investigations at the governmental or military level, yet the
United States government has consistently denied the existence or danger of
UFO's and extraterrestrials. Secret government projects involving bizarre and
exotic experimental technologies have often been suggested as an explanation
for UFO reports. These may exist to some extent, yet even these possibilities
inherently leave a trail of unanswered questions.
Hoaxes have played a part, as well, in the case lists of sightings. Of interest
is the fact that many falsified photographs have been made of UFOs, and in particular,
flying saucers. Some of these have been very convincing and when they are dumped
into the information channels it only makes for greater difficulty in separating
the wheat from the chafe. There is, although, something important to be remembered
about such falsifications; whenever one finds counterfeits that in itself is
a vital indication of a real and authentic original counterpart. As in any discipline,
if it were not for the original there would be no idea for the derivative imitation.
Anything worth an imposture is almost certain to exist in its ultimate reality
as a genuine fact. This is the often overlooked principle of imitative correspondence,
since imitations are inherently subsidized by the real. This is just as likely
in the UFO arena as in any other pursuit. One interesting observation about
UFO photographs is that there are often complaints about the poor quality of
the images, that they are "always blurry and out of focus" or not well defined.
Yet, at the same time, when detailed good quality high resolution photographs
are obtained, the same critics contend that they are phony and staged.
One just can't win!
The ETH explains UFOs as representing alien spacecraft occupied by beings
conducting an exploration of our world and its life forms. There has been a
dramatic shift in popular opinion in recent years from the NTH to the ETH. There
are, although, serious inherent deficiencies in the ETH just as there are in
the NTH. At the outset, it should be noted, there is an intimate and traceable
connection between the expectation of life in outer space and the theory of
evolution. Also significant is the fact that the physical structure or appearance
of observed aliens is usually quite "humanoid" rather than strictly "alien."
This should stand out as a conspicuous coincidence and strange effect, considering
the unique adaptations of life within an alleged evolutionary construct, especially
in a context cosmic in scale. Given the narrow parameters required for the development
of life in outer space, coupled with the exceedingly harsh environments encountered
there, there is an inherent statistical unlikelihood of any planet capable of
producing life which could develop intergalactic travel.
Even the distance of the nearest star to Earth would represent an 80,000-year
round trip journey given our present technology. One highly respectable source
reported that it is unlikely that any star within 100 light years from Earth
is stable enough to support biochemical evolution. The vast distances between
improbable candidates would seem to negate the possibility of extraterrestrials
visiting our world from outer space. The hard fact is that recent "discoveries"
of planets in space and "life" on Mars, for instance, remain unconfirmed and
speculative at best, if not downright unprovable. Furthermore the number and
variety of alien encounters being reported far exceeds that required for a sensible
exploration of our Earth.
Noteworthy is the fact that leading UFO researchers admit that there seems to
be no evidence that these strange effects originate from outer space.
Even though the UFO phenomenon remains largely unexplained, it has become a
well established and very credible phenomenon accompanied by very real and measurable
physical effects as substantiated by a great number of reliable witnesses and
investigators. The question then remains, if UFOs are not natural or technically
induced illusions and if they are not extraterrestrial in origin, then what
are they? A few researchers have offered up a rather vague, somewhat para-psychological,
if not downright mystical suggestion that the present phenomenon is a "physical
manifestation of an interdimentional paranormal consciousness that has the ability
to manipulate the collective human consciousness and perception, as well as
matter and energy." This suggestion, difficult to make sense of, only contributes
to the problem. UFOs are characterized by their ability to violate the known
laws of physics when maneuvering in the atmosphere, and they are usually very
elusive. Unless they are the products of some long standing well kept technological
secret, they seem to represent an intervention by unseen intelligent powers
who can manipulate or transcend the laws of nature at will. The former seems
incredible given the improbability of human nature, en masse, for maintaining
secrets in the aggregate for any length of time. The latter possibility, although,
seems much more likely based on the observed facts, and especially on what we
know from Scripture. As said before, many who claim to have had encounters with
UFOs have reported that these objects seem to be more alive and intelligent
than just mechanical craft. Given the obvious deficiencies by which both the
NTH and the ETH are plagued, we have yet another model with which to explore
this problem, a solution which has been largely overlooked if not simply ignored,
namely, the Biblical Hypothesis.
The
model demonstrated here is not only consistent with the known facts but has
a sound Scriptural basis as well. Thus it becomes rather ostensible that the
"aliens" are none other than the fallen angels or demons mentioned in Scripture.
As pointed out previously, one of the greatest enigmas of life is the issue
of human suffering. It is, although, well known that the scriptures make an
ultimate connection between suffering and original sin. It is also evident from
Scriptural implications that the mystery of iniquity started with an insurrection
among the ranks of the host of heaven. This iniquity was soon transferred to
man at his fall in Eden. Satan had the power to intervene and modify physical
reality from the beginning, hence his appearance to our first parents in the
form of a serpent.
It is evident that throughout history he has repeatedly demonstrated this power
through his agents, those diabolical leagues of demons, who share this supernatural
power to materialize in a variety of formidable apparitions and manifestations.
The most atrocious historical incidence of this invasion was the earlier quoted
episode of extraterrestrial or "alien" visitations to Earth as recorded in the
sixth chapter of Genesis which we again quote in the following because of its
importance to our understanding of this vital issue and its relevance to our
present day:
"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth,
and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of
men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 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. 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." (Genesis 6:1-4 )
From this account as recorded in Genesis 6:1-4 we know that a great amount of
ancient Babylonian, Greek, and Roman mythology have been generated, traditions
of roving god-beings, lustful orgies, and promiscuous, fickle, and insatiable
offspring who were hard to please. It is these same beings whose amorous propensities
for members of the human race led to births of half human and half divine demonized
offspring, as we saw earlier. The New Testament also makes note of this event
in at least three other key passages: I Peter 3:19, 20; II Peter 2:4-6; and
Jude 1:6-7. The facts of the case are simple and unequivocal and the supporting
evidence is too great to deny and too varied to detail it all here, but suffice
it to say, angelic, or, rather, demonic beings ("sons of God" by direct creation)
did come to Earth and did "abduct" human beings and did actually interbreed
with them. The vicious offspring of these unlawful cohabitations were demon
possessed grotesque sub-human physical giants whose animated purpose was to
thwart the plan of God and pollute the human race, hence destroy the Seed, that
is, Jesus Christ. There is a wealth of extra-Biblical evidences of giants among
the historic traditions of various cultures of the world. Furthermore there
has been found confirming evidence in the fossil record of "human" gigantism
at various places in the world of the past. The result of this genetic travesty,
the hybridization of astral and terrestrial beings, was exceeding wickedness
and only evil continually. Violence was so rampant that it "repented" God and
"grieved him at his heart" that He had made man upon the Earth (Genesis 6:5-7).
Thus the judgment of the great Flood was accelerated not only because of man's
sin but because of this supra-demonic evil. This incident recorded in Genesis
6:1-4 seems to have a strange parallel and similarity to what is being reported
today in the UFO-alien abduction phenomenon.
It
is therefore apparent that there is a much deeper, more profound, and diabolical
meaning to what is occurring in the UFO phenomena today than what is being suggested
through semi-scientific explanations. The evidence is undeniable that this phenomenon
is an important aspect of what the Bible discloses as spiritual warfare. Given
that our atmosphere is literally swarming with advocates of "the prince of the
power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2; 6:12) it should come as no surprise that there
might be an occasional visible manifestation, or materialization, of such a
presence and perversion of God's created order. It is increasingly evident that
there is a strong connection between the UFO phenomenon and the culting of our
modern world. Christian UFO researchers have noted a very high incidence of
prior involvement in the occult by individuals who have been contacted or abducted
by UFOs. It is also evident that UFOlogy - the fascination with UFOs and alleged
space creatures - has precipitated squarely into the midst of the New Age movement
of which advocates increasingly deny man's evolutionary ascension from an elementary
organism in a primordial soup in favor of his supposed regal origin in the stars.
Many of these people claim that "we are not alone" and that extraterrestrials
have visited Earth in the past. Some even advocate that we were "planted" here
and that these creatures have returned to further "cultivate" us. The "proof"
of this is seen in the current alien abduction epidemic. The "aliens," which
are often described as insect like creatures with almond-shaped eyes, thus engage
themselves through weird nocturnal kidnappings during which they conduct crude
and grotesque "examinations" and surgical procedures, often sexual in nature,
and reminiscent of medieval tales of encounters with demons. Many people have,
through hypnosis and other means, claimed to receive revelations or messages
from extraterrestrials, the so called "space brothers." These messages typically
come through occultic means such as channeling (spiritism), automatic handwriting,
or other paranormal means. It is also apparent the aliens seem intent on accelerating
human evolution into the "Aquarian Age" when there will be ultimate human "unification
and harmony." There is, although, nothing in the UFO phenomenon that leads to
belief in the one true God. The "visitors" thus appear to be in tune with what
has come to be known as New Age religion, including eastern mysticism, astral
projection, and harmonic convergence, and so on. None of these are in harmony
with Jesus Christ. They are more interested in steering us away from the one
who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," to fool mankind about Bible
prophecy, and even to falsify His coming in the very era of Christ's return.
The messages seem to be a counterfeit parallel to Christianity and their agenda
seems to include, at one point, a massive evacuation or "rapture" of sorts for
the "qualified" and "in tune" element, or remnant, of the population prior to
a disastrous armageddon-like epoch which, in turn, is to be followed by a blissful
New Age. All of this has the potential of a monstrous and unprecedented deception,
of which the paradigm shift in our own day is but a preparation. The Bible tells
us that the fallen angels have shadowed humanity ever since Satan deceived our
first parents in Eden. Even though this fact is discounted by modern day rationalists
who reject the supernatural, the Christian must not forget that the creation
of the heaven and the Earth was a supernatural beginning, that the inspiration
of the Word of God was a supernatural process, that the coming of Christ was
a supernatural event and finally, the Christian's own personal salvation is
a present and ongoing supernatural act of God in the fullest sense. It is clearly
an odd contradiction, especially for the believer, to discount the supernatural
quality of his or her faith. By the same token, the supernatural element of
reality is a dynamic ingredient within the heinous activities of the fallen
angelic host as well. It is a comfort for the believer to know that meanwhile
God's Holy angels, in even greater numbers, continue to engage themselves as
ministering spirits on behalf of God's people (Hebrews 1:4). The same also signal
the ultimate victory of good over evil. It is thus evident that the paranormal
attributes, especially of the visiting abductors, seem to correspond to those
of angelic beings, particularly fallen angels or demonic agents, whose abilities
to effect physical reality are already established in Scripture.
Many, if not all, of the UFO cases involve sinister activities and messages
which are decidedly anti-Christian. In light of these messages it is virtually
senseless to think that alleged extraterrestrials would travel millions of light
years simply to teach New Age philosophy, deny Christianity, and promote the
occult when there is already a preponderance of such activity already occurring
in our world. The UFO apparitions appear intelligent in themselves if not controlled
by some mysterious intelligence. Discerning Christians have suggested that those
involved with these apparitions are not in contact with extraterrestrials but
with demonic spirits intent on driving people away from Christ. It is evident
that the same entities who operate in haunted houses are likely the same agents
that are at work propagating the UFO and related phenomenon, with some likely
technical assistance from misguided and depraved humanity, quite possibly a
demon possessed segment of human collaborators. Again, considering the issue
of possible intelligent life on other planets is the question of how unfallen
beings, assuming that "aliens" are unfallen, could share the same universe with
fallen creatures, i.e., humans, considering that the effects of original sin
seem to pervade the entire universe (Roman 8:19-22).
Regarding it as too incredulous some theologians have argued that the original
Hebrew rendition of Genesis 6:1-4, "doesn't allow" for actual demonic interbreeding
or "marriage" with men (women). It is instead declared that the "sons of God"
were godly "Sethites" who intermarried with the ungodly "Cainites" (The mere
consideration of the "godly" marrying the "ungodly" is a patent practical contradiction
in itself), or that angels "have no flesh," they are spirits. Yet we find that
the Hebrew does allow for it, the Sethite argument does not hold up, and that
angels can indeed assume human form of which a classic example is given in Genesis
18 and 19 where angels took on human form in its fullest anatomic sense and
undoubtedly with complete human bodily capabilities. A popular argument which
construes that angels have no sex is taken from Matthew 22:30. Such a statement,
however, is never made in the passage. The verse only says that they do not
marry; it comments neither on their ability to marry, nor specifically on the
status of disobedient fallen angels, since only the good angels are mentioned.
Genesis 6:1-4 records nothing less than a profound and startling intervention
of certain fallen angels into the affairs of humanity before the flood and once
more in the land of Canaan pending the arrival of the Israelites to that promised
land. These had the audacity to fabricate a false "virgin birth" in the most
preposterous manner imaginable. Thus we can see an historic precedent to the
current alien abduction invasion in their unlawful tamperings with mortal man
in these last days. "And, as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also
in the days of the Son of man." -Luke 17:26
Many false prophets have arisen to proclaim the imminent end of the world and
their word has gone without effect. With the advent of the turn of the millennium
there undoubtedly will arise a similar sensation. Yet, it is quite likely that
Satan has already long effected our calendar to where even the year 2,000 is
obscure. If the awe of that imminent year comes and goes without the sensation
they sought it is likely that many will "go back to fishing" saying "Where is
the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue
as they were from the beginning of the creation" (II Peter 3:4) for it is written,
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but
my Father only" (Matthew 24:36).
The fearful phenomenon of demonic "taking" or "abduction" and "habitation" of
human bodies has been repeated many times throughout history, although never
on the global scale of which Satan attempted in the days of Noah, with one possible
exception, now. Just as world conditions in the days before the Flood pre-staged
that early catastrophe, so will world conditions in the last days of this age
foreshadow a potentially greater disaster. This would also include a preponderance
of the occult and of extraterrestrial or trans-dimensional demonic intervention
(Genesis 6:2; I Timothy 4:1; Revelation 9:1-11). We see clear evidences of this
today in a varied form under the guise of "UFOs" and "aliens from another world"
who come to deceive, kidnap and possess humans in a godless deception perfectly
tailored to our modern technological age. Evidence from the Bible indicates
that it is very real but, in reality, it is not what it is purported to be and
is not what most people thing it is.
"...in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils." (I Timothy 4:1)
It is apparent that UFOs represent an intelligence that has interfaced with
humanity and has assumed varied forms from the beginning. It is doubtful that
these intelligences come from outer space. Giving no hint of "life" existing
elsewhere, Scripture points to the centrality of the Earth in the creation account,
the work of God's salvation, and in the promises of future cosmic restoration.
On Earth God presents Himself in solemn covenants and Divine appearances. On
Earth the Son of God became man, and on Earth stood the cross of the Redeemer.
Even the physical centrality of the Earth is implicit in the creation account
from the fact that God created the Earth before he created the Sun, Moon and
stars.
Reckoning the principle of correspondence, of which the Scripture is abundant,
even the astute cosmologist must ask himself, what was the station of the Earth
"revolving" around before the Sun was created days later.
All of the factors surrounding the UFO and related phenomenon corresponds with
warnings issued in the Bible against these very "principalities, powers, rulers
of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places" who "left their own habitation."
They along with their unchained cohorts have left a trail of deception and atrocity
throughout history. Against these, our only reliable answer, recourse, and sanctuary
is God's Holy word of truth and righteousness. His glorious Person and finished
work constitute the only but all-sufficient ground of deliverance from the baleful
power of supernaturalism. He is "the Way," leading out of darkness; "the Truth,"
protecting from error; and "the Life," delivering from death (John 14:6). In
Him there is full redemption; apart from Him, unalleviated woe.
According to a recent survey of several hundred people who claimed to have been
abducted by aliens, there were no true Bible believing Christians found among
the interviewees. Thus we find another "red-flag" indicator that this phenomenon
is decidedly demonic. Dear reader, are you a born again Christian? One of Christ's
great comforts to the believer is the Biblical declaration that
"...greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" ( I John 4:4).
In due process Earth has proven to be unique as an abode of living creatures
and a most suitable place for such inhabitants including man, as it is written:
"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the
earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain (waste),
he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord and there is none else" - Isaiah
45:18. Thus the Earth is disclosed in Divine revelation to be a unique place
insofar as human, animal, and plant life is concerned. It is God Himself with
his angels, fixed and fallen, not "men" from another planet who represent life
in outer space and which are often associated with the stars in Scripture, and
who have their probable habitation among the stars (planets) and who are the
visiting advocates of Earth. These beings, as examined in the light of man's
definition are not even alive. The very author of life Himself does not metabolize,
reproduce, or even grow. Then, of course, the ultimate visitation from that
realm "not of this world" was Christ Himself who died at Calvary. Amen.
Chapter Five
THE
CHUPACABRA A Bizarre "New" Creature
Is it a myth, is it a legend, or is it a hoax? Whatever the creature is, scores
of reports have come forth from many places around the world since initial descriptions
in 1995 of a mysterious creature ravaging the countryside on the island of Puerto
Rico, killing small animals and making local rural dwellers and farmers uneasy.
As big of a news story as this is, oddly enough one will not hear details about
it from Tom Brokaw or Rush Limbaugh. Almost all of the accounts about the chupacabra
have come either through the variety of specialty programs on cable television
dealing with the paranormal and a few local radio and newspaper reports, or
through the internet.
Where ever it is being covered although, it has indeed become "big time." Mysteriously
enough, however, in spite of its newsworthyness and journalistic potential,
the "mainstream," clearly has not exhibited much effort to cover this unique
phenomenon.
The big question everyone has been asking is, just what is the chupacabra and
why its sudden rabid appearance?
One fact seems consistent; the creature strikes at night and has a thirst for
blood. Initially the creature was known for stalking small animals, namely goats,
on farms in Puerto Rico, hence the name chupacabra, which, in Spanish, means
"goat sucker." The earliest accounts of the recent outbreak, which apparently
began in 1995, included details of attacks where goats were found dead, with
their blood drained, apparently through peculiar puncture wounds on their necks.
There have been some reports of particular organs missing from some of the victim's
bodies, without any visible way for those organs to have been removed. Since
initial attacks owners of animals say hundreds of chickens, rabbits, sheep,
cats and dogs, and even larger animals including pigs and cattle have died in
a similar manner, even when "secured" inside locked cages that seemed undisturbed.
Sightings have increased with the passing months, fueling paranoia and fear.
Most witnesses of the creature, or its effects, have described it as a half-man,
half-beast vampire like predator that roams the countryside terrorizing farm
animals, and, indirectly, people. A description of the creature based on the
fairly consistent reports by observers provides us with the following composite:
"The chupacabra stands about four or five feet tall, is grayish in color with
skin like that of a reptile, and spikes from the top of its head down its back,
although there is no tail. It has a web-like film hanging beneath short pudgy
forelegs, or arms, that end in claws, and large powerful hind legs. Ugly as
a demon, it has huge bright red eyes the size of hens eggs, long fangs, and
an odd long slimy pointy tongue which continually glides in and out of its mouth."
This thing exhibits intelligent behavior and possesses the ability to evade
detection and capture at will. Thus instances of close contact with people,
so far, have been few. It is thought to dwell underneath the soil in cave-like
structures, the origins and nature of which remain mysterious and obscure. The
monster is also described as having wings and, in one account, "flew at two
human subjects who fled for their lives." The creature reportedly "hops around
like a kangaroo and exudes such a pungent sulfur-like stench that one close
encounter left an individual coughing for days. It should be noted that there
is nothing that would negate a variation of manifestations in the chupacabra
entity.
Reactions to this recent phenomenon have varied considerably, from the resolute
insistence of those who say they have actually seen the chupacabra first hand,
to skeptics and reporters in the media who discount these accounts by writing
and publishing falsifying and ridiculing stories against these people and their
reports. It seems that some have found the human aspect of the chupacabra phenomenon
even more interesting than the creature itself saying that even though this
creature is fast it can never catch up with the folklore, rumors, and hoaxes
that seem to rush out ahead of it. Thus chupacabras have both alarmed and amused
residents in such widely scattered places as Mexico, South America, Florida,
Texas, Southern California, and even Oregon, to the point of inspiring theories,
satire, mugs, T-shirts, and rap songs. Regarded as a phenomenon as strange and
mysterious as cattle mutilations, crop circles, UFO's, and alien abductions,
the chupacabra enigma baffles authorities, especially in light of the irrefutable
widespread popular accounts the phenomenon has elicited.
Because of the skillfully elusive nature of the chupacabra organized parties
which have gone out to search, photograph, or capture the creature, have met
with limited success and have been able to produce little except for the dead
animal victims albeit with their strange puncture wounds, after which individuals
in these groups usually lose interest and go back to fishing or knitting until
the next inexplicable attack occurs. Most government officials and veterinarians
who have followed the "official line" or policy statements, and who have refused
to reveal autopsy data about the dead animals, often relegate the reports to
hysteria and mischief.
Some, although, have honestly conceded that they are up against something which
appears to be very real yet difficult to define rationally. There are, however,
a few prudent individuals who are taking the matter quite seriously. The mayor
of one Puerto Rican town of 40,000 people has been paying close attention, especially
since some of his constituents have lost animals. In his jurisdiction there
is nothing humorous about the situation because of the widespread concern that
people could be next.
Some of the theories raised to explain the Chupacabra include the idea that
they represent the appearance of "living fossils," in other words prehistoric
dinosaurian animals which were thought to have been long extinct but actually
existing undisturbed and unnoticed in some remote or inaccessible area until
modern times, and which have now migrated into populated areas for the first
time. Some have suggested that the Chupacabra is a human-reptile-insect hybrid
product of a highly sophisticated top secret genetic manipulation project gone
awry.
Another popular idea is that they are alien in origin, that is, creatures from
outer space which are presently initiating a world wide mass invasion of Earth.
A more sensible explanation which draws from a purely Biblical interpretation,
suggests that these creatures are decidedly demonic in their origins. One strong
evidence of this possibility is their uncanny ability to come and go in and
out of our physical world virtually undetected.
This is indeed a power repeatedly demonstrated by angelic beings as recorded
in the Biblical record. In other words the chupacabra evidence themselves to
be interdimensional beings which can easily evade detection by their ability
to enter into and appear or exit out of and vanish from physical reality in
an instant. Thus, in the Biblical context, the chupacabra represent the apparitions
of transdimensional entities, or fallen angels, or, more specifically, demons.
There is also evidence that this odd manifestation of paranormal activity in
our era is not unique in history.
There are recorded incidences in ancient times and in medieval days, as well,
of strange occurrences involving half-man half-beast like creatures ravaging
the countryside at night. For the Bible student this should come as no surprise
since Satan and his legions, which occupy the air in vast numbers, have supernaturally
effected such diabolical invasions into human affairs ever since Adam and Eve
were tempted in Eden by the apparition of Lucifer as a serpent. Much of these
traditions have been memorialized in the literature and the arts through the
ages, right up to our modern time.
For instance, a close inspection of some of the architecture during a walk through
one of the larger metropolitan districts will reveal a wealth of peculiar ornamentation
embedded in the sides and roof lines of buildings. These likenesses characterized
in the gargoyles and other masonry entities of ornamented buildings inescapably
suggest the reality of strange and bizarre creatures of another time, if not
our own. Many are stone likenesses that seem to sneer, grin, and snarl.
They instill a sense of horror that may not necessarily be precisely physical
or mental. Since these things are almost always above human sightlines, and
because people in the cities rarely look up they are virtually unnoticed. We
don't see these "architectural demons" but they "see" us as they constantly
stare down at us with their evil stone faced countenances. Unless we are a conscientious
churchgoer with some innate sense of their ultimate meaning we go on about our
busy lives not giving a thought to the fact they are actually there. This seems
most significant, being a parallel to the reality of which the Bible speaks,
and that is that our own finite world is infested with powerful invisible principalities
which seek our ruin (Ephesians 6:12. Our head does not know much about these
creatures but our nerves do once we notice them and learn of their historical
significance.
So should it be when we see what Holy Writ reveals about our great mortal and
immortal enemy. Many of these building details depict grotesque and frightening
creatures who patient origin could be none other than the sulfurous bowels of
hell itself. These features have been present in the architecture of various
civilizations since ancient times.
When we encounter the word gargoyle we intuitively envision monsters, goblins,
and other obscure terrors, and rightly so for the practical origins of the device
is just so. The word gargoyle itself which has Latin roots means "drain" or
"gutter" or "gullet" for routing rainwater from a roof. Hence on some buildings
drainpipes become gargoyles, those hideous faces of fury spitting dirty water
out of fanged jaws. So also does Satan and his cohorts, insane with rage, issue
forth filth upon our broken world. The word gargle, which we do when we have
a sore throat, has a similar etymology. Interesting enough, the term gargoyle
is often incorrectly used in reference to all sculptures of grotesque beasts
on buildings with medieval style motifs. When not used for drains, such creatures
are more properly called chimeras. For one who is aware of the life force tradition
behind these strange figures which is strong enough to carry over into their
usage as architectural motifs the question become more practical: What is the
interpretation and my response to them? The answer depends upon the individual.
The Bible believer realizes that these images have far reaching implications
dealing not only with the immoral but the immortal of which the world at large
is unaware. Most simply put, these things represent entities which seek to deceive
and destroy our immortal souls if not our physical bodies. Like the world wide
traditions of mythological figures, a great Flood, and dragons, all of which
have been confirmed in the Biblical record, the Gargoyles and chimera just as
well have a sound basis in historical fact.
All of this brings us back to the chupacabra. It now seems sensibly apparent
that this is yet another creature with a strong basis in historical fact and
which has made a strong impression upon the human conscientiousness. In other
words, the "chupacabras" as reflected in the cultural traditions world wide
as manifested in their building ornamentations have evidently been here before
and are arriving again in greater numbers, and perhaps as only a small part
of the greater agenda of events prior to the last days.
Perhaps the biggest reason the chupacabra phenomenon is so incredible to most
in our present day is that it is incompatible with our modern western rationalistic
thinking. If any thing is not "scientifically possible" it is disregarded. By
and large twentieth century man interprets reality psychologically and rationally
but not theologically. Even among those who proclaim themselves as believers
in God, they reject the supernatural beyond that basic tenant. Yet the supernatural,
of which the chupacabra phenomenon appears to be but one minor element, and
the supernatural aspect of angelology which is an integral part of the economy
of divine revelation, is outright rejected. Just as well, the reality of the
busy legions of angels, fixed and fallen, active in our world is similarly rejected.
The question that should be asked of such folks is this: If one believes in
God at all, why is belief in any of this, the lesser matters, such problem?
Even though the Word of God came out of eastern culture and prospered in the
western world, it is neither eastern or western, it is Biblical and Christian.
Today most Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals are thinking "western,"
not Biblical. It is not good enough to believe in the Bible, it must be understood.
Today there is too much isogesis (the reader's own notion) often instilled by
the "party line" of the particular "fathers" he has been trained and versed
in, rather than good exogesis (God's notion) which comes from a sensible and
right division of the patent intent of Scripture. Otherwise a truly Biblical
theology of demons is misunderstood. I should be remembered that Satan came
to our first parents metamorphosed in the form of a serpent (Genesis 3:1-7).
In the days of Noah Satan's agents breached their own realm and committed unlawful
acts with human women (Genesis 6:1-4) producing offspring heinous, if not more
so, as the chupacabra is perported to be. In Pharaoh's court Satan again demonstrated
a clear interference with and a paranormal manipulation of physical reality
in the imitations of Moses' miracles. It is thus clearly evident that demons
have the ability to alter material reality and influence the behavior of their
victims, and make physical appearances, even though they themselves by nature
are incorporeal. Again, that fallen angels have assumed physical bodies and
have interbred with humans and spawned grotesque beasts, as clearly indicated
in Scripture, is a fact outright rejected by many theologians who have been
heavily influenced by the rationalists. For Satan himself, the master of deception,
masquerades as an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14. When witnesses talk
about cattle mutilations, crop circles, UFO's, alien abductions, and chupacabras
it is most likely that they are reflecting on not just their imagination or
the reality of tradition but on historical reality. Twentieth century man has
a distorted view of the supernatural realm of Biblical revelation, and until
this deficiency in his thinking is rectified he is going to believe a completely
erroneous interpretation of such strategic events of our time.
"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth:
and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless
pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace;
and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And
there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given
power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (Revelation 9:1-3)
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