A critical study on the sons of God "Angel-Human Hybrid" theory.

Genesis 6 King James Version (KJV)

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

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

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.

5 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.

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Understanding Scripture in Context.

The Hebrew phrase "bene ha'elohim" translated "sons of God" in Genesis 6:2, and Genesis 6:4 is a technical construction, which is used in only two other places in the entire Old Testament; Job 1:6 and Job 2:1. While it is clear in Job, that "bene ha'elohim" is being employed in these verses to refer to angels, this is clear from its use in context; not from the phrase itself.

As context is key to understand how "bene ha'elohim" is being employed, scripture alone provides support that its use in Genesis was reffering to humans, not angels; as the Old Testament contains numerous references where the sons of God (sometimes translated at children of God), are human.

Deuteronomy 14:1

14 Ye are the sons of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead

Isaiah 43:6

6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth

Psalm 82:6

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High

Hosea 1:10

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

Exodus 4:22-23

22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

The idea that god-fearing humans of the pre-dulivian error were being recognised by Moses as the sons of God (who subsequently accelerated their moral degeneracy by intermarrying with wicked women), is similar in idea to how God called Israel His son, while Israel's descendants at a later period were no longer called His sons, for having corrupted themselves.

Deuteronomy 32:5-6

5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

6 Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

The scriptures state "that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." The Hebrew verb here, laqah, commonly describes marital transactions, including taking a wife for oneself (Gen 4:19; 11:29; 12:19; 20:2,3; 25:1; 36:2,6; and Exodus 34:16), taking a wife for another (Gen 21:21; 24:4, 40, 48), or taking somebody else' wife (2 Sam. 11:4). Most of the former instances involve polygamy, or potential adultery, but not rape. When indiscriminate rape is described some verb like forced (2 Sam. 13:14) is necessary. These are indications that Genesis 6:2 is discussing consensual marriage between humans, rather than the rape of human women, by fallen angels (who lusted after them).

The classification of the sons of God and daughters of men into two difference categories does not necessarily mean they are a human and non-human group. In other parts of the Old Testament similar expressions are used to mean men. For example, Judges 20:1,2 speaks of all the tribes of Israel assembling for war against the tribe of Benjamin. Therefore a distinction is made between the tribes of Israel and Benjamin. This, however does not exclude Benjamin from being classified as one of the tribes of Israel. Other Old Testament examples are Jeremiah 32:20 where the distinction is made between Israel and among men. Also Genesis 14:16 where we have the classification of Lot, women, and people

The context of Genesis 6 emphasizes the sin of humans, not angels as the reason for the Flood. The sons of God were the ones who initiated this sin through their union with the daughters of men. Why weren't they mentioned in the judgment if they were angels? The fact that God's judgment is directed at man would argue strongly for the fact that the culprits must be mortals. That being the case, this portion of the verse suggests that the ultimate root behind the sins of these sons of God was that they were flesh. Here is man at his weakest, and most vulnerable. This is further supported by scripture as seen in the lives of men such as King David, King Solomon, and Samson, who through the beauty, and weakness of the flesh, turned from seeking the will of God, in order to satisfy their carnal desires.

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

In a parenthetical phrase we are told that the Nephilim were present during this scenario; when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men. While this verse related that the children born from these unions became mighty men, scripture often called human men, mighty, and men of renown.

2 Samuel 10:7

And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

1 Kings 1:8

But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

Joshua 10:7

So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
Numbers 16:2

And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
Numbers 1:16

These were the renown of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.
Ezekiel 16:14

And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.

The Nephilim were on earth both before, and after the marriages, they did not arise after them. Furthermore, Numbers 13:33 uses Nephilim to describe sons of human parents, not angels. In context we can see that neither the sons of God, nor the mighty men, had anything to do with the Nephilim, rather they lived before, and after this scenario.

There is nothing in the context of Genesis which would identify the sons of God with the angelic host. If the sons of God refer to angels in Genesis 6, then the reference is cryptic. Angels have not been mentioned thus far in the Book of Genesis, though they will be named at later parts, always identified as angels - not sons of God. Therefore there is certainly nothing in the story that demands we understand the sons of God as angels, in Genesis 6. The immediate literary context of Genesis 4 and 5 shows the development of the rebellious line of Cain and the godly line of Seth. The focus of Genesis 6 is on the judgment of humans, and no mention is made of angels, therefore, contextual evidence favors that the sons of God were humans.

Can Angels disobey the will of God? Are they free agents with embeded power to manipulate God's creation outside of His laws?

All creation is limited by its creaturehood, whether made by God, in flesh, or spirit. The angels, even those who rebelled in heaven are limited in their actions, and abilities, by the will of God. Nowhere in the scriptures does it anywhere state that fallen angels had the power to fashion for themselves any tangible bodily form, such as that of a human. In fact, when we encounter fallen angels in the New Testament, many have taken residence in the body of a human man, which tormented him. Why weren't they able to simply to created bodies in physical form, if they had this unrestricted ability? They didn't, because they couldn't. They were still limited in their abilities to dwell on earth, by the will of God. This is seen in Matthew 5, as these fallen angels are even forced to comply with the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 5 King James Version (KJV)

1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

As shown above, a legion of demons had taken residence in the body of man. Why weren't these fallen angels able to take on a bodily form? Why has no fallen angel ever been shown to have this ability? Are fallen angels able to circumvent the will of God, and do as they please? No.

The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths" Psalm 135:6

"Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all" 1 Chronicles 29:11-12

So all things are in the hands of God, and he does what pleases him. To allege that God would allow angels to breed with humans, and mutate his creation which he made perfect, just to take vengeance on these unions, goes against the character of God as revealed in scripture.

While angels, like humans, have power to make decisions, humans cannot create hybrids creatures with apes or any lower life form such as monkeys through fornication; as they are subject, and limited by their creaturehood. Therefore there is no reason to believe that God would give this ability to any other members of His creation, which would again contradict the nature of God, as revealed in Scripture.

One of the primary claims made by those who hold to the angel-human hybrid theory is that Satan attempted to destroy the human bloodline, knowing that by doing so he could stop the Messiah from being born, and thus destroy God's plan of salvation. Many of the proponents of this theory believe that this act, if completed, would thwart the promises of God.

While we find in scripture that Satan does make several attempts to defile the promised seed, however, all attempts are done by men, not angels.

We find an example of this in Esther, where Satan has swayed an empire to try and kill the Judahites and Israelites (from where Jesus would descend).

Esther 3:12-14

Then were the king's scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day thereof; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the king's satraps, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king's ring. And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published unto all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.

Here God providentially intervened and saved the nation from annihilation. If Satan would have been able to destroy the nation of Israel, then the promises of God would not be true.

Another example where Satan used men in an attempt to thwart God's plan of salvation for all mankind, was when Herord tried to kill all the newborns of Bethlehem. If Herod had of achieved his aim, Jesus would have been slaughtered before he had the chance to offer himself as the ransom for all mankind.

Here again, God's providence protected Jesus, so that no harm could befall him.

As the Bible never gives Satan (who was one of the most powerful angels in heaven) any indication that he was able to manifest for himself a tangible, physical, human form, we have no reason or indication from scripture to believe that the angels who were not as powerful as him, would have this ability to do so.

Did Jude record that angels had intercourse with humans? No.

When reading the Scriptures, it is important to view the written word according to time it was written in, and to the audience it was written for. Therefore, in proper context, Jude v4 is simply a warning against those who have entered the church, and seek to change the grace of God into a license for immorality. Why be good if you know you will be forgiven? Jude was not alone on this, as this question was also addressed by Paul in Romans 6

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not.

And it is with this same frame of mind, that Jude provides the following examples of those who have committed sin, both against God, and man, and remained unrepentant, in their sin even unto death (or in the case of the angels, bound until judgement).

God's grace is the forgiveness of sins (past, present, and future) under the blood which Jesus shed for us. We treat God's grace with disrespect, and insolence, when we abuse our Covenant with Him, and remain unrepentant in our sin, pining for sin, and continuing in sin.

Jude v8 continues in his previous tone, flow, and frame of mind, as he further writes against these ungodly men, whom he calls filthy dreamers (which) defile the flesh, despise dominion (God's authority), and speak evil of dignitaries (those who are of God).

While the scriptures describe numerous transgressions concerning how our flesh can be defiled by sin, including sexual sin, eating food offered to idols, seeking mediums and spiritualists etc, nowhere does this verse imply that Jude was strictly writing of sexual defilment.

While sexual sin is certainly a way to defile the flesh, verse 6 is not alluding that angels had intercourse with humans. If one were to be presented with isolated verses removed from their context, one might believe that Jude is describing the sexual union of angels and men, however, by reading the verses isolated, and removed from context, one misses out on seeing the true meaning of the text, in light of what was actually being discussed by the early church, with concerns to our new Covenant in Christ, by the grace of God.

By focusing on the flesh, and not on Christ, we can be easily influenced and led astray by the very same men which Jude, and Paul, both preached against. Men who are insolent to God, abuse his grace, and deny our Lord Jesus Christ.

Concerning the anatomy of angels, the scriptures are silent. They are not however silent concerning the reproduction of Kinds after their own Kinds only. As it is the will of God that Kinds should reproduce after their own Kinds, it is illogical to believe that God would will angels with the ability to pervert his creation, for the sake of their own gratification, only to destroy the unions, and children of these alleged perversions. While the bible often speaks of the abilities, responsibilities and even appearances, or angels, it never states that they have the power to reproduce after their Kind, nor have the power to recreate the internal working of human anatomy, including DNA replication. As the bible does not mention this in anyway, it would be unwise to give angels the ability to create, or give life, which belongs to God alone.

Does Peters state that angels fornicated with humans and produced offspring? No. While Peter does allude that their were disobedient angels in the time of Noah, Peter remains silent on their specific sin.

1 Peter 3:19 After being made alive,[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell, delivering them in chains to be held in gloomy darkness until their judgment; 5if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

As the text in Peter does not allude in anyway, that the sin caused by angels was sexual in nature, it is innapropriate, and wrong to import this presumption onto the Word of God.

What is the physiology of angels like? Angels are ministering spirits, and as Jesus stated "spirits do not have flesh and bones". This is supported by the Apostle Matthew who called angels "winds".

In speaking of the angels he says, He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire. Hebrews 1:7

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14

Knowing this, how are angels, being a form of spiritual creature, described?

"As to the nature of angels, they are described, (1) As pure spirits, i.e., immaterial or incorporeal beings. The Scriptures do not attribute bodies of any kind to them" (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Volume, 1, Eerdmans, reprinted 1995, p. 637).

"Since angels are spirits (Heb. 1:14) or spiritual creatures, they do not ordinarily have physical bodies (Luke 24:39). Therefore they cannot usually be seen by us unless God gives us a special ability to see them (Num. 22:31; 2 Kings 6:17; Luke 2:13). In their ordinary activities of guarding us and protecting us (Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Heb 1:14), and joining us in worship to God (Heb. 12:22), they are invisible. However from time to time angels took on bodily form to appear to various people in Scripture (Matt 28:5; Heb. 13:2) (Wayne Grudem, ibid., p. 397).

Luke 24:39

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

"A spirit has no flesh and bones"

This is probably one of the strongest quotes against the belief that the fallen angles had the ability to create for themselves bodies of flesh and bone. Why? Because Jesus has just stated that a spirit has no flesh and bones, and angels were created as ministering spirits. Therefore according to Jesus, angels have no flesh and bones.

While we know from scripture that the fallen angels could appear as deceased men, see Samuel 28:14 - we know that these 'ghosts' must not have had tangible, physical bodies like Jesus had - which is why the Apostles were afraid when they saw Jesus - believing that he was a 'ghost' (without flesh and bones). And it is here where Jesus reassured them, telling them to touch him. "For a spirit hath no flesh and bones" - but they saw that he did. Therefore it is clear, that the physiology of Jesus, having been raised in the Spirit, and clothed in perfection, and in incorruption, is not akin to the physiology of the fallen angels, nor do angels have "flesh and bones".

So while angels have a times appeared in bodily form, this embodiment was according to the will of God, to serve the will of God. Never has scripture related of an angel (righteous, or fallen) having the ability to manifest for themselves a body of flesh, according to their own will and desires.

Judgement

The fact that God's judgment is directed at man would argue strongly for the fact that the culprits must be mortals. That being the case, Genesis 6 suggests that the ultimate root behind the sins of these sons of God was that they were flesh. Here is man at his weakest and most vulnerable, which is why God grieved and stated "that my spirit will not always strive with man", for man had chosen to walk after the flesh, not spirit, and subsequently accelerated his wickedness upon the earth.

5 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.

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Were the sons of God angels? From the literary, and contextual evidence, all indications point towards godly men, not angels, as the sons of God in Genesis 6.

This is further supported by the use of sons of God (and similar language) in the New Testament, pertaining to those who belong to God.

'The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God' Romans 8:16

'He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.' 1 Chronicles 22:10

'Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, "You are not My people," It will be said to them, "You are the sons of the living God."' Hosea 1:10

'"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.' Matthew 5:9

'"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.' Luke 6:35

'Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.' Luke 20:34-36

'But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.' John 1:12-13

'So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God' Romans 8:12-25

'Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus' Galatians 3:24-29

'See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.' 1 John 3:1-3

To those with ears, let them hear.

Peace.