Question: Dear Mr Luginbill, Thank you very much for all the information in your web site, it has all been extremely useful. There are however, quite a few things that I don't understand. Could I just ask you how the Nephilim had babies with human women if they did not have physical bodies (but angelic bodies)? Thanks in advance,
Response: Thanks for your e-mail. It's a good question. Your are right that angels do not have physical bodies as we do. Knowing this, were it not for the Bible, we would probably assume that demon possession (both the fact of it and their desire to do it) was unlikely. Similarly, were it not for the Bible, the whole notion of angelic cohabitation with human kind would seem impossible. It is monstrous, but it did happen. Angels have powers and abilities far beyond those of human beings (as detailed in part 1 of the Satanic Rebellion series). One thing they can definitely do, that, as spirit beings, we would not logically expect them to be able to do, is to appear to human beings in human form (to such a tangible degree that "some have entertained angels unawares": Heb.13:2; there are many example of this in scripture). In short, angels have the ability to manipulate the material world in ways we find remarkable, even unbelievable (they can transport people [Philip], roll huge stones [Christ's tomb], open locked gates without keys [Peter]; etc., etc.). Inherent in the case of the Nephilim is the ability not only to cohabit with human women but also to have children by them. Now since angels do not have children (Matt.22:30), we have to assume that this activity involved the production of a material seed that would be a human match - a supernatural act, though an evil, unauthorized one. So the seed is "human" (there is no angelic seed per se) in the sense that it sufficiently matches human genetic parameters to produce offspring, but it is at the same time different as well. We know that these offspring were extraordinary, and no doubt are behind much of mythology. In a similar way, I suggested that in the pre-judgment phase of earth, Satan and his minions were manipulating the genes of the animal life on the original earth (the probable origin of the dinosaurs - which makes Satan's choice of the serpent all the more understandable). Humans are on the point of (and already involved in) horrendous and astounding acts of genetic manipulation - anything we can do, the angels are capable of doing better (i.e, more horrendously in the case of the devil and co.). When we read about what happened in Genesis 6, we should shudder and give thanks to God that Satan is not being allowed to do all that he COULD do if there were no divine restraint on the use of his powers. This is one of the reasons why the Tribulation will be so terrible: the removal of restraint (2Thes.2).
For more on this subject please see the following links:
The Origin and Fate of the "Giants" of Genesis Chapter Six.
Dinosaurs, the Nephilim, Noah, et al.
I hope this helps with your question.
Yours in Christ,
Bob Luginbill