Who were the beneha’elohim? Were they Fallen Angels?

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Who were the beneha’elohim? Were they Fallen Angels?

A close reading of Genesis indicates that the term (????????????????, beneha’elohim) is not referring to human beings. The contrast is drawn between bene haelohim and benot haadam. The early church fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Lactantius, Eusebius, and Ambrose all accepted the angel view.

Witness of the Septuagint sons of god = Angels of God

Philo (1st c. A.D.) also has ?? ??????? ??? ???? (the angels of God). Job 1:6: ?? ??????? ??? ???? (the angels of God) Job 2:1: ?? ??????? ??? ???? (the angels of God

Timothy Carter [11/04/2015 10:23 AM]
Good question

John Kissinger [11/04/2015 10:25 AM]
Justin Martyr gives the answer https://books.google.com/books?id=x_sJAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA199&lpg=PA199&dq=justin+martyr+on+the+giants&source=bl&ots=YthW8hTf1w&sig=HQKJEHw4coj-1w_OLPQQGQV7DUc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEoQ6AEwB2oVChMI0ZjXtof3yAIVDNgeCh3rNQ3b#v=onepage&q=justin%20martyr%20on%20the%20giants&f=false

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 10:25 AM]
Yes there is no other explanation. Believing that genesis 6 is talking about fallen angels and human women will change your whole understanding if the bible if you just apply it

John Kissinger [11/04/2015 10:27 AM]
“But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by love of women, and begat children who are those that are called demons; and besides, they afterwards subdued the human race to themselves, partly by magical writings, and partly by fears and the punishments they occasioned, and partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense, and libations, of which things they stood in need after they were enslaved by lustful passions; and among men they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and all wickedness. Whence also the poets and mythologists, not knowing that it was the angels and those demons who had been begotten by them that did these things to men, and women, and cities, and nations, which they related, ascribed them to god himself, and to those who were accounted to be his very offspring, and to the offspring of those who were called his brothers, Neptune and Pluto, and to the children again of these their offspring. For whatever name each of the angels had given to himself and his children, by that name they called them“. Justin Marty Second Apology

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 10:30 AM]
Its amazing to me but everyone in my church believe that the sons of god are a godly line of seth.

John Kissinger [11/04/2015 10:31 AM]
This is the Catholic view by Augustine who rejected the concept of the fallen host having committed fornication with women. In his early fifth century CE book The City of God, he promoted the theory that “the sons of God” simply referred to the genealogical line of Seth. Wonder how they reproduced in giants then? Rick

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 10:41 AM]
I have no doubts that the sons of god were angels. I have always believes that. I was raised on the dakes annotated bible. However i am the only one at my church who believes that and people wint even discuss it because they believe it’s irrelevant. I feel that it actually explains much about gods nature and treatment of old testament races. Plus it brings clarity to many old testament passages that otherwise make no sense.

John Kissinger [11/04/2015 10:46 AM]
only problem is then you run into this here hypothesis: http://www.pentecostaltheology.com/is-heiser-the-source-of-jesus-and-yhwh/

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 10:51 AM]
I dont really understand what that articles implies.

John Kissinger [11/04/2015 10:52 AM]
they start with beneha’elohim and ending up with Jesus being one of the original beneha’elohim – go figure Rick Wadholm Jr

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 10:58 AM]
Well many people say silly stuff life that. Perry stone teaches that god had so much love that he divided himself into three parts essentially creating jesus and the spirit?

John Kissinger [11/04/2015 11:00 AM]
heard that thou this is NOT exactly what he said – but also about the beneha’elohim in Pt. 2 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUgPbOmy9cQ

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 11:33 AM]
This is the video where stone says that god splits himself into three. https://vimeo.com/83551959

Brian Crisp [11/04/2015 12:53 PM]
There should be no doubt that these were fallen angels having relations with human women that produced the nephilum aka the giants mentioned in Genesis 6.

Rick Wadholm Jr [11/04/2015 12:54 PM]
The Hebrew text does not have “giants” in Genesis 6.

Brian Crisp [11/04/2015 12:55 PM]
It uses nephilum which are giants. There were many different breeds of them especially later on.

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 1:25 PM]
Lol yes it does. Goliath? Anak, og of bashan. “We are grasshoppers in their sight. Men as tall as cedars?

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 1:30 PM]
The hebrew uses nephilim and rephaim and gibborim. Why get bogged down in semantics. They were bigger than us and not entirely human whatever u call them.

Rick Wadholm Jr [11/04/2015 1:32 PM]
They were entirely human. Nothing in the accounts of entering the Promised Land suggests otherwise. And for the record semantics is all about proper use of words in their context. So…

Brian Crisp [11/04/2015 1:34 PM]
The giants who were half human and half fallen angel were the main reason for the flood.

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 1:38 PM]
Please enlighten us in what genesis 6 actually says.

John Kissinger [11/04/2015 2:31 PM]
haha no giants Rick ? LXX sure decided they were ????????

Ricky Grimsley [11/04/2015 2:57 PM]
Yeah the 70 decided gigantes

18 Comments

  • Reply July 25, 2017

    Varnel Watson

    One great question for Ricky Grimsley to explain for us

  • Reply July 25, 2017

    Ricky Grimsley

    Ask me the question and i will explain it for you.

    • Reply July 25, 2017

      Randy Buchanan

      I think the question is “Who were the beneha’elohim? Were they Fallen Angels?”

    • Reply July 25, 2017

      Varnel Watson

      That’s 2 questions

    • Reply July 25, 2017

      Ricky Grimsley

      The sons of god are all the angels. The ones in genesis 6 are fallen.

  • Reply July 26, 2017

    Dan Irving

    The book of Enoch seems to provide the full explanation.

  • Reply July 26, 2017

    Brian Crisp

    The book if Enoch contradicts the Bible in area so I won’t trust it. The sons of God are angels

  • Reply July 26, 2017

    Dan Irving

    Enoch is more than one book, which the experts accept as a collection of various writers. Portions of the broader work have been confirmed as authentic to at least the 1st century, and it is quoted by the Bible in the book of Jude. True, I would not base fundamental doctrine upon it, but a study of those portions regarded as likely authentic reveals that the apostles seem to have quoted from it or made identical allusions to it several times in scripture.

  • Reply July 26, 2017

    Varnel Watson

    Enoch was the 7th after Adam and was taken by God in a rapture. Explains greatly the pre-Trib rapture doctrine of the Pentecostal church today

  • Reply July 27, 2017

    Scotty Searan

    Why do we keep drawing angels with wings? How could we entertain them unaware if they have wings. Why they say ladies are angels when they are referred to as men?

  • Reply July 27, 2017

    Varnel Watson

    I see one of the 4 beasts. Why do you call a zoe an angel?

  • Reply March 21, 2019

    Varnel Watson

    Philip Williams here is the ACTUAL discussion we had back in the day on Heisers beneha’elohim – Were they Fallen Angels? Not sure IF Link Hudson was part of it back then but I am pretty sure he’s seen it Perhaps it will be best to post White’s expose here as well This is what I said back then (a few years ago)

    A close reading of Genesis indicates that the term (beneha’elohim) is not referring to human beings. The contrast is drawn between bene haelohim and benot haadam. The early church fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Lactantius, Eusebius, and Ambrose all accepted the angel view.Witness of the Septuagint sons of god = Angels of God

    • Reply March 21, 2019

      Philip Williams

      Troy Day agree, and how can the OT sons of God be anything but!

    • Reply March 21, 2019

      Varnel Watson

      You may consider the Catholic view by Augustine who rejected the concept of the fallen host having committed fornication with women. In his early fifth century CE book The City of God, he promoted the theory that “the sons of God” simply referred to the genealogical line of Seth. Wonder how they reproduced in giants then?

    • Reply March 21, 2019

      Philip Williams

      Troy Day Yes, I know. I hardly agree with Augustine on anything. ?

    • Reply March 21, 2019

      Varnel Watson

      the good Arminian in you has spoken 🙂

    • Reply March 21, 2019

      Philip Williams

      Anyone more “Calvinist” than my friend Norm Geisler is apostate, and definitely an apostate Pentecostal. James White wrote a whole book against Norm. Norm just ignores him. ?

    • Reply March 21, 2019

      Link Hudson

      I thought you were

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