Sons Of God - Tumblr Posts
Are the Four Living Creatures of Revelation Alien, Human, or Angelic?
By Author Eli Kittim
——-
Ezekiel’s Account
In the Old Testament (OT), Ezekiel’s book describes the prophet’s “visions of God” (1.1), especially those of four living creatures. Ezekiel recounts it as follows (1.4-5 NRSV):
As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the
north: a great cloud with brightness around
it and fire flashing forth continually, and in
the middle of the fire, something like
gleaming amber. In the middle of it was
something like four living creatures. This
was their appearance: they were of human
form.
What Ezekiel saw were not actual creatures or beasts but rather figures that resembled them. He describes seeing the “likeness” or “similitude” (דְּמ֖וּת də·mūṯ) that resembled four (Heb. חַיּוֹת ḥayyōṯ) living creatures or beasts. Then, the prophet begins to describe their appearance (מַרְאֵֽיהֶ֔ן mar·’ê·hen). Ezekiel 1.5 says that they had the likeness of ’ā·ḏām (i.e. of a man or a human being). Ezekiel 1.6-7 further describes them as follows:
Each had four faces, and each of them had
four wings. Their legs were straight, and the
soles of their feet were like the sole of a
calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished
bronze.
Ezekiel’s narrative doesn't appear to describe human beings but rather some kind of extraterrestrial (or transhuman) creatures or beasts (1.5). Furthermore, no human being has straight legs or “the sole of a calf’s foot” (v. 7). However, with regard to these physical descriptions, including their feet that “sparkled like burnished bronze,” I have tried to show elsewhere that this imagery may be associated with Jesus Christ (cf. Rev. 1.13-15). See my article, “Christ The Terminator: Half Man Half Machine”: https://eli-kittim.tumblr.com/post/653464965934661632/christ-the-terminator-half-man-half-machine
Ezekiel also mentions that “they had human hands” (v. 8). Then, in vv. 10-11 he says:
As for the appearance of their faces: the
four had the face of a human being, the
face of a lion on the right side, the face of
an ox on the left side, and the face of an
eagle; such were their faces.
This symbolism is reiterated in Revelation 4.6-7. As we will see, Ezekiel’s “creatures” of the tetramorph, which are depicted in animal forms, appear to be different portraits of the Messiah, even though in the Book of Revelation they seem to be completely separate from him.
The 4 living creatures are depicted as winged figures, which are archaic symbols of divinity. The lion seemingly represents Christ (Rev. 5.5), alluding to his royal stature as conqueror! The ox appears to illustrate Christ’s sacrifice. In Mt 11.28-30, Christ wants us to heed his warning so as to be equally yoked:
Come to me, all you that are weary and are
carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from
me; for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The wooden yoke or beam that is typically used between a pair of oxen seems to represent the cross of Christ as well as the injunction to take up our cross and follow him, and to unite ourselves to him (Mt. 16.24). Finally, the eagle depicts the divinity of Christ (cf. Rev. 8.13).
An alternative but Christ-based model of the tetramorph is the patristic interpretation, which depicts the four living creatures as symbols of the 4 evangelists’ accounts of Christ. There are different versions but most follow the description of Epiphanius’ (310-403) account:
Matthew’s gospel portrays the man.
Mark’s gospel depicts the lion.
Luke’s gospel represents the ox.
John’s gospel symbolizes the eagle.
Notice the OT description of the four living creatures in which “all four were full of eyes all around” (Ezek. 1.18). Compare this verse with that from the New Testament (NT) concerning the Lamb of God “standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes” (Rev. 5.6). In fact, Ezek. 1.28 clarifies and summarizes the aforesaid vision by making the following declaration:
This was the appearance of the likeness of
the glory of the Lord.
So, from a Christian perspective, this sounds very much like Christ the Lord!
——-
The Apocalyptic Vision of Revelation 4 through 6
In the NT, the four figures of Rev. 4.6 that are “full of eyes in front and behind” (cf. Ezek. 1.18) are called animals or creatures (τέσσαρα ζῷα), not angelic beings. As for the “twenty-four elders” of Rev. 4.4, they are discussed at length in my article “Who Are the Twenty-Four Elders of Revelation Chapter 4?”: https://eli-kittim.tumblr.com/post/117722359047/who-are-the-twenty-four-elders-of-revelation
The Book of Revelation gives us additional information about the function of these four “creatures” and what they actually do. Apparently, they act as models and influencers of worship (Rev. 4.8-11), while crying a triple invocation of holiness:
Day and night without ceasing they sing,
‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.’ And
whenever the living creatures give glory and
honor and thanks to the one who is seated
on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall before the one
who is seated on the throne and worship
the one who lives forever and ever; they
cast their crowns before the throne, singing,
‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to
receive glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will they
existed and were created.’
A major difference between the Ezekiel account and the one in Revelation 4 is that, in the latter, the living creatures are completely separated and distinct from Christ!
The similarities can be explained by the principle of “expositional constancy.” This principle is based on the notion that an image or idiom is employed in the same way (consistently) throughout the Bible. The fact that the same symbols are used both for the Messiah and the living creatures suggests an intimate connection between them. Thus, the images of messianic typology in the OT seem to be related to those in the NT.
Moreover, notice that the living creatures are explicitly described as “animals” (Gk. ζῷα), not as part of the angelic host. Any inference on our part to associate them with the cherubim or any of the other orders of angels is unbiblical because it cannot be substantiated. In point of fact, no angel has ever been described as an animal (Gk. ζῷον) in the Bible! However, a living being, such as a human being, can also be defined as a creature. In fact, in his work entitled “Politics,” Aristotle says that “man is, by nature, a political animal.” Thus, the NT references to ζῷα or creatures may be allusions to human beings, and especially to the humanity of Jesus.
In the Abrahamic religions, the seraphim are considered to be heavenly beings with either two or three pairs of wings and functioning as throne guardians of God. They’re traditionally known as the burning ones who praise God night and day by means of the Trisagion liturgical hymn (i.e. Thrice Holy): “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). In Christian angelology, the seraphim are considered among the highest-ranking heavenly beings, comprising pure light, who seem to have direct communication with God. Some think that they’re an exalted order of angels aka cherubim. But despite the cherubim’s proximity to the throne of God, there are notable differences. For example, the cherubim have 4 wings whereas the seraphim have 6 wings, and the latter fly overhead whereas the former do not. Therefore, these disparate Biblical passages do not seem to depict the same phenomena or the same living creatures. For instance, in Isaiah 6.2 these celestial beings are called śə·rā·p̄îm (Seraphim), not beasts. Similarly, the cherubim are called hak·kə·ru·ḇîm (Gen. 3.24), not creatures (cf. Rev. 19.4 where the 4 living creatures are called ζῷα or “animals”). So, even though the 4 living creatures are, in some respects, reminiscent of the seraph in Isa. 6.2-3, they have vastly different depictions.
Are the Four Living Creatures UFOs?
Given that Ezekiel’s account has sometimes been interpreted as a UFO sighting, the animal-like “creatures” that are neither fully human nor decidedly angelic could therefore qualify as “aliens,” according to the Ancient astronaut theorists. This is the pseudoscientific hypothesis that intelligent, extraterrestrial beings from other planets visited the earth in prehistoric times using technologically advanced spaceships. In this instance, they’re basing their theory on various Biblical accounts, such as the one in Genesis 6.2 in which “the sons of God” made contact with human beings who gave birth to giants (called “Nephilim”). These events occurred “when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them” (Gen. 6.4).
But the Ancient astronaut theorists are especially interested in the extraordinary account of Ezekiel chapter 1. Ezekiel 1.13 seems to be suggesting some type of spacecraft propulsion, including “something like a wheel within a wheel” (v. 16), not to mention various other references to “wheels” and to *flight* (vv. 19-20), as well as “something like a dome” or a sphere on top of them (v. 22). These descriptions seem to indicate some kind of advanced alien spacecraft. Not only are the images reminiscent of a UFO but also the “creatures” themselves appear to be alien in that they’re neither human nor angelic in nature. So, the question of their origin deserves a legitimate biblical investigation.
However, Ezekiel clearly states that he had a vision (1.1), not a close encounter of the third kind. Ezekiel’s account, therefore, comprises a spiritual experience, not a physical contact with aliens. In fact, Ezekiel heard audible voices from heaven and describes the experience as “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord (1.28). As for the “creatures” themselves (based on the imagery that is used), they seem to be identified with Christ to such an extent that it is difficult to separate the two. That’s because the living creatures are the royal emissaries of Christ! As you will see, they’re part of the exclusive elite group that governs heaven. And they’re part of the glorious throne room of God. Here’s an example. In the midst of the throne——between the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders (the inner circle of God)——is Christ (5.6). Revelation 5.8-10 reads:
When he [Christ] had taken the scroll, the
four living creatures and the twenty-four
elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a
harp and golden bowls full of incense,
which are the prayers of the saints. They
sing a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the
scroll and to open its seals, for you were
slaughtered and by your blood you
ransomed for God saints from every tribe
and language and people and nation; you
have made them to be a kingdom and
priests serving our God, and they will reign
on earth.’
Notice, the text doesn’t say that by his blood Christ ransomed for God extraterrestrials from the multiverse, from every solar system, planet, and alien life form. On the contrary, it says that those that Christ redeemed “will reign on earth.”
The 4 Living Creatures Have a Surpassing Knowledge of God Which Raises Them to Divine Status
And when Christ took the book, the 4 creatures and the 24 elders prostrated themselves before the Lamb and sang a new song of praise and thanksgiving. It appears as if these holy congregations are presided over by these high-level government officials, as it were, who appear to be the highest-ranking officers or high priests in God’s inner circle. They have direct access to God. They seem to be next in rank to Christ and are, perhaps, empowered to serve as ecclesiastical authorities in his absence. The 4 living creatures are God’s elite group who lead the myriads of angels in prayer (5.14), who preside over the dissemination of prophecy, including the dispensation of judgment, as in the breaking of the 7 seals in Revelation 6.
Notice the chain of command. Christ opens the seals and the 4 living creatures, in turn, make the official proclamations. For example, during the breaking of the first seal, the first living creature summons forth, “as with a voice of thunder, ‘come’ “ (6.1). The second creature also commands “come,” in relation to the 2nd seal, the red horse (6.3). The same thing occurs with the 3rd seal (6.5). Then, in Rev. 6.6, the 4 living creatures pronounce the judgment! And, once again, the 4th seal is announced by the 4th creature (6.7). Based on their function and position, the four living creatures appear to be the highest order of celestial beings in the upper echelons of God’s government.
But it remains enigmatic why they are referred to as creatures. Given that they are the highest form of life, they might appear to us as strange and, perhaps, even terrifying creatures. Let’s not forget what God says in Exod. 33.20:
you cannot see my face; for no one shall
see me and live.
After all, God, the Son of God, and the four living creatures are all extraterrestrials. They are not human. Christ is the only extraterrestrial who becomes human in order to redeem humanity. But he, too, like Superman, “is not from this world” (Jn 18.36). The Matthew Henry Commentary on Revelation 4 says that by mentioning the many eyes of the living creatures, scripture is denoting their “sagacity, vigilance, and circumspection.” In other words, they seem to possess powers that are close to those of God!
As to the identity of the 4 creatures, John Gill’s exposition of the Bible (Rev. 4.6) mistakenly says:
the angels cannot be intended, because
these four living creatures are said to be
redeemed by the blood of Christ, and are
distinguished from angels in (Revelation
5:8-11).
Although the angels are certainly not intended to describe them, nowhere is there any evidence that the four living creatures were redeemed by the blood of Christ! But Gill’s commentary is correct in refuting the notion that the 4 creatures represent the evangelists, because “it makes John to be one of the four creatures which he saw.” John Gill’s commentary also understands the important administrative functions of the 4 living creatures with regard to Judgment. It says:
and one of them is said to give to the seven
angels the vials of wrath to pour out …
(Revelation 15:7).
John Gill’s exposition of the Bible (Rev. 4.6) correctly states that the four living creatures cannot possibly be the tribulation saints:
these four living creatures are distinguished
from the hundred and forty four thousand
on Mount Zion, in ( Revelation 14:1
Revelation 14:3).
Thus, the four living creatures are neither angels nor men.
——-
Conclusion
According to the Genesis 1 creation account, God’s focus is predominantly on the earth, not on other planets, solar systems, or galaxies. What is more, in Colossians 1.16, the author——most likely Paul, since the letter’s authenticity is still staunchly defended by many credible scholars——gives us a short briefing on “all things in heaven and on earth [that] were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers.” The only other classes of beings that are mentioned, other than humans, are the spiritual beings which have been traditionally grouped into three celestial orders (from highest to lowest): the Seraphim/Cherubim & Thrones; the Dominions/Powers; and the Principalities/Archangels & Angels. No other life forms are mentioned.
In fact, Revelation 21 shows that the destruction of the universe is associated with a recreation of “a new heaven and a new earth” (v. 1). But this is all done with humanity in mind (v. 3):
And I heard a loud voice from the throne
saying, ‘See, the home of God is among
mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be
his peoples, and God himself will be with
them.’
The text doesn’t say that all life forms will eventually unite and live on earth. It only mentions mortals (Gk. ἀνθρώπων). In fact, there’s no Biblical evidence that God created any other alien life-forms. Those who claim that Hebrews 1.2 refers to many worlds are in error because the Greek term αἰῶνας refers to ages or cycles of time, not to physical worlds. It’s a mistranslation. Moreover, Christ redeemed humans, not aliens. He himself became man (Jn 1.14; Phil. 2.7) and will one day resurrect *humans* (not extraterrestrials). God's plan of redemption (Eph. 1.7-14) is exclusively for human beings. In fact, the entire universe will be destroyed and remade so that redeemed humans (not aliens) can inhabit it, according to the text.
At any rate, God “is not from this world” (Jn 18.36), and neither are the 4 living creatures. So, although there is no evidence of physical extraterrestrials roaming around on other planets, the invisible kingdom of God is itself of extraterrestrial origin. And since the four living creatures are deeply identified with Christ, and are neither angels nor men, they might be the highest form of life ever created by God, ranking above the angelic host, second only to the Trinity!
——-
The Genesis 6 Oracle: The Birth of the Gods
By Independent Scholar and Goodreads Author Eli Kittim 🎓📚
The Sons of God Are Not Extraterrestrials: They Are Supernatural Spirits
Erich von Däniken is one of the first figures to popularize the idea that extraterrestrials visited Earth a long time ago and influenced human civilization. And, since then, many authors have picked up this idea and continued to expand on it, using mythologies from around the world, including the Bible. For example, Tim Alberino, Graham Hancock, and many other such writers——who also promote theories on alternative history and ancient civilizations——believe that there was an advanced alien civilization on earth, with very advanced technology, that was wiped out by a comet impact c. 12,900 to 11,700 years ago (aka “the younger dryas impact”).
However, it is important to note that mainstream science refutes the ancient alien-civilization theory. Books on these topics are generally in the realm of science-fiction, pseudoarchaeology, pseudohistory, and pseudoscience. These writings have not undergone rigorous scholarly peer review and have not been published in any credible academic or Biblical journals.
As regards the Scriptures, ancient astronaut theorists typically try to link alien civilizations and extraterrestrials to the Genesis 6 account, when “the sons of God” (called the “watchers” in the apocryphal book of Enoch) had supposed “sexual relations” with human women, whose offspring were said to be giants, the so-called “Nephilim” (cf. Jude 1.6). But this is reading too much into the Biblical story. The Bible is neither a sci‑fi novel, nor a historical treatise. It is a book about an invisible spiritual or metaphysical reality that interacts with our own.
What is more, the Bible has many different literary genres, such as prophecy, poetry, wisdom, parable, apocalyptic, narrative, and history. It is obviously inappropriate to interpret poetry or parable in the same way that we would interpret history because that would ultimately lead to logical absurdities. Alas, the history of Biblical interpretation is riddled with exegetes who have erroneously tried to force **metaphors** into a **literal interpretation,** which of course cannot be done without creating ridiculous effects that you only encounter in sci-fi films. This view creates logical absurdities, such as talking animals, trees of immortality that are guarded by aliens with lightsabers, fruits literally producing evil after consumption, people turning into pillars of salt, mythological beasts with multiple heads that are populating our planet, and the like. Not only does this eisegesis defy the actual interpretation that is given by scripture itself, but it also leads to complete and utter nonsense.
Bible Translations Versus The Hebrew Text
Now if we turn our attention to the original Hebrew text, nothing in the Genesis 6 narrative suggests an advanced alien civilization of extraterrestrials, nor can one adduce that the Genesis 6 narrative should be taken literally as a historical account. Unfortunately, some English Bible versions have mistranslated certain words by inserting their own *theological interpretations* that are not found in the original Hebrew text. For example, The New American Bible renders Genesis 6.4 as follows:
the sons of God had intercourse with the
daughters of human beings.
The NET Bible similarly says:
the sons of God were having sexual
relations with the daughters of humankind.
The New Living Translation also adds words and images that are not found in the original text:
the sons of God had intercourse with
women.
These are not only unfaithful translations of the original Hebrew text, but they are also bad interpretations that suggest interbreeding between spirits and mortals. Biologically, people can interbreed with one another, but people cannot interbreed with animals or spirits. This, then, shows a fundamental hermeneutical error in trying to understand Genesis 6 in purely physical, biological, or historical terms. According to Wikipedia:
Sons of God (Hebrew: בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים,
romanized: Bənē hāʾĔlōhīm, literally: "sons
of the Elohim") is a phrase used in the
Tanakh or Old Testament and in Christian
Apocrypha. The phrase is also used in
Kabbalah where bene elohim are part of
different Jewish angelic hierarchies.
So, the sons of god (οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ LXX) are spirits (see Ps. 82), while the daughters of men are human beings. The Genesis 6.2 account of the sons of god——who supposedly marry the daughters of men——is an allusion to a “spiritual marriage,” not a physical one, as when a *spiritual rebirth* in God (Jn 3.5-7) is like being married to God. That’s why the believers in Christ are said to be the bride of Christ (see 2 Cor 11.2)! Similarly, Genesis 6.2 is alluding to “supernatural beings“ (the so-called “fallen ones”) who entered women and united themselves to them in spirit, thus giving them a sort of Faustian *spiritual rebirth.* In Genesis 6.4, Young’s Literal Translation reads thusly:
The fallen ones were in the earth in those
days, and even afterwards when sons of
God come in unto daughters of men, and
they have borne to them -- they are the
heroes, who, from of old, are the men of
name.
It is, essentially, a *theological* (not a historical) account that tries to explain the origins of evil and how wickedness multiplied on earth (Gen. 6.5):
The LORD saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every
intention of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually.
The Hebrew word וַיִּקְח֤וּ (way·yiq·ḥū) means “they took” (Gen. 6.2). That is to say, the sons of God took נָשִׁ֔ים (nā·šîm) “wives” or “women” (Gen 6.2) in the *spiritual* sense of inhabiting or possessing them. The language of Genesis 6 suggests that they entered them. In Gen. 6.4, the Hebrew term יָבֹ֜אוּ (yā·ḇō·’ū) means “to come in,” or “go in.” But it is not explicitly referring to sexual intercourse, as most people mistakenly assume. Moreover, the Hebrew text in Gen. 6.4 doesn’t actually say that the earthly women bore human children to the sons of God. The text uses the term וְיָלְד֖וּ (wə·yā·lə·ḏū), which means “bore” or “brought forth, but it doesn’t say “children” per se. Readers often assume that the “mighty men … of old” were the “human children” that the mortal women supposedly bore.
But we must be very careful, here, because that’s not exactly what the text is saying. Notice that the *union* between the sons of god and the mortal women is initially spiritual, not biological. This spiritual union ultimately brought forth הַגִּבֹּרִ֛ים (hag·gib·bō·rîm) “the mighty” אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer) “who” [were] מֵעוֹלָ֖ם (mê·‘ō·w·lām) “from ancient times” or “from eternity.” These were אַנְשֵׁ֥י (’an·šê) “men” הַשֵּֽׁם׃ (haš·šêm) of “the NAME” of God (Gen. 6.4). So, this spiritual union between spirits and mortals eventually *brought forth* embodied ancient spirits. These are obviously wicked spirits that deliberately possess human women for the purpose of giving birth to hybrids, such as the “Nephilim” or the so-called “giants.”
But, as I will demonstrate, we should not view these types of accounts as referring to a race of multiple giants but rather to the arrival of the gods, the superpowerful “giants that were from of old, the Heroes of fame” (Gen. 6.4). Therefore, even though this spiritual union will eventually give birth to an evil offspring in human history, the text is nevertheless trying to show the backstory to this event, namely, that what gave rise to it is a spiritual union, not a physical one!
The Births of Two Giants: The Virgin Birth and the Birth of the Antichrist
In fact, Genesis 6 sounds like a *reversal* of the virgin birth theme in which the Spirit of God impregnates a daughter of men, who then gives birth to a *giant,* a spirit from everlasting, namely, to God himself! So, while the gospels *prophesy* about the union of God’s Spirit with a mortal woman, bringing forth an everlasting spirit of God into the world of time and space, Genesis 6 seems to be *prophesying* about the same type of union, but this time between a dark spirit and a woman, bringing forth another ancient spirit, a man of renown, known as the Antichrist, whom the New Testament calls “the son of perdition,” “who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship” (2 Thess. 2.4), and “whose coming is after the working of Satan” (2 Thess. 2.9)!
Here’s an excerpt from chapter 10 (p. 225) of my book, “The Little Book of Revelation”:
The Bible affirms that ‘there were giants on
the earth in those days’! (Gen. 6:4, ‘New
King James’). These figures, which are
beyond human description, represent the
gods that have come down upon the earth
in the form of ‘Christ’ and ‘antichrist,’ to
whom scripture devotes a brief but
noteworthy depiction: ‘the mighty men who
were of old, men of renown’ (Gen 6:4).
Interestingly enough, in the apocryphal ancient text known as the Gospel of Peter, Jesus is said to be resurrected as a *Giant*! This is also alluded to in Rev 1.7:
Behold, He [Christ] is coming with the
clouds, and every eye will see Him.
From an eschatological perspective, the *giant Jesus* coming out of the tomb, in the Gospel of Peter (vv. 38-40), seems to be a *prophecy* which indicates that he will take the form of a *giant* at the end of days! A 6-foot man in the sky obviously cannot be seen by anyone, whereas a *giant* Jesus can be observed from many miles away, thus lending credence to the apocalyptic description in Rev. 1.7. Of all the end-time depictions of Christ, this is probably the most accurate portrayal because it seems to parallel many Biblical passages. For instance, it seems to fit with the *giant* Pauline Christ who will ultimately destroy the Antichrist “with the breath of his mouth” (2 Thess. 2.8). It’s also congruent with another Old Testament verse in which the Lord appears as a *colossal figure* who flies “Like birds” in order to “protect and deliver” Jerusalem (Isa. 31.5). Elsewhere, only a great figure of *immense proportion* can annihilate a giant dragon called Leviathan (Isa. 27.1 cf. Job 41.1; Ps 74.14). That’s precisely why we are told that “There were giants in the earth in those days” (Gen. 6.4). Which days? All the *prophecies* seem to converge on the end of days.
The exodus account is no different. If we compare the series of judgments that Moses inflicted upon “Egypt” to the final judgments in the Book of Revelation, we’ll notice that both descriptions appear to exhibit identical events taking place (see e.g. Ex. 10.1–20 [cf. Rev. 9.3]; Ex. 9.13–35 [cf. Rev. 16.21]; Ex. 9.1-7 [cf. Rev 6.8]; Ex. 7.14–24 [cf. Rev. 8.8; 16.3-4]; Ex. 7.25–8.15 [cf. Rev. 16.13]; Ex. 9.8–12 [cf. Rev. 16.2]; Ex. 10.21–29 [cf. Rev. 16.10])!
Why does Lk 17.30 compare Noah’s flood to the coming of Christ during the day of the Lord? Probably because these earlier Biblical narratives were trying to convey the same apocalyptic messages that we find in the New Testament. Moreover, the *giant* resurrected Jesus in the Gospel of Peter is the only version that seems to accurately portray the image of a towering figure on a white horse who “judges and makes war” (Rev. 19.11), and who can actually be seen from the earth (Rev. 1.7). By comparison, an average human being cannot possibly be seen “coming with the clouds of heaven” (cf. Dan. 7.13-14).
Similarly, the Antichrist also seems to be depicted as a *giant* who is incarnated on earth at the end of days! Case in point. In Revelation 9, the king of the locusts is likened to “a star that had fallen from heaven” to earth in the last days and who turns out to be a powerful figure that holds “the key to the … bottomless pit.” Later on in the chapter, he’s identified as the king of the locusts, “the angel of the bottomless pit” whose “name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek … Apollyon,” meaning “destroyer” (i.e. Antichrist)!
Similar to Genesis 6, there are many prophecies in the New Testament that allude to the future incarnation of Antichrist on earth. For example, the author of Luke 10.18 writes:
I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
This same event——when the sons of god will come down to earth——is *prophesied* to take place at *the end of days* in Revelation 12.9:
And the great dragon was thrown down, the
serpent of old who is called the devil and
Satan, who deceives the whole world; he
was thrown down to the earth, and his
angels were thrown down with him.
Revelation 12.9 is a remarkably similar account of *the sons of god* that we find in Genesis 6! What is more, the future Antichrist will eventually be resurrected from the dead (see Rev 13.3, 14). And it appears that he, too, will be resurrected as a *giant,* causing people to marvel. Rev. 13.3-4 says:
I saw one of his heads as if it had been
fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was
healed. And the whole earth was amazed
and followed after the beast; they
worshiped the dragon because he gave his
authority to the beast; and they worshiped
the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast,
and who is able to wage war with him?’
Thus, Genesis 6, which talks about the giants, doesn’t appear to be historical, but rather prophetic! On the whole, the Bible is pointing to the messianic age——and specifically to the births of Christ and Antichrist——at the time of the end, just prior to the great and terrible day of the lord. Accordingly, Matthew 24.37 tells us that the days of Noah were *types* of the coming apocalypse:
For the coming of the Son of Man will be
just like the days of Noah.
It is also worth noting that Daniel 9.26 referred to the coming destruction as an eschatological flood:
And its end will come with a flood.
In stark contrast to what the authors on ancient civilizations are saying, the pivotal episode in human history concerning the final battle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness is in the future, not in the past. That’s precisely why the Great War between Christ and Antichrist will take place at the end of time! In the context of the end-times, Revelation 12.7 reads:
And there was war in heaven, Michael and
his angels waging war with the dragon. The
dragon and his angels waged war.
Conclusion
Authors on ancient civilizations typically talk about faraway planets, spaceships, and extraterrestrials. They usually don’t provide any credible references, aside from their literary fantasies and wild imaginations, and hence their claims appear to be unfounded. In addition, without any training whatsoever on biblical languages, textual criticism, or exegesis, they nevertheless offer outrageous interpretations based on a superficial reading of the Bible. Unbeknownst to them, many of the Old Testament stories are actually *types* that point to the *anti-types* (or fulfillments) in prophetic literature. Contrary to fundamentalists who read scripture literally, as if Noah’s flood literally happened, a close interpretation of the Bible reveals that the so-called “antediluvian” narrative of Genesis 6 is actually an apocalyptic oracle about the coming destruction during the day of the Lord in the end-times (2 Pet. 3.10)! We also know this because mainstream interdisciplinary science categorically rejects the notion of a global flood in earth’s history. According to Wikipedia:
Proponents of flood geology hold to a literal
reading of Genesis 6–9 and view its
passages as historically accurate; they use
the Bible’s internal chronology to place the
Genesis flood and the story of Noah’s Ark
within the last five thousand years.
Scientific analysis has refuted the key
tenets of flood geology. Flood geology
contradicts the scientific consensus in
geology, stratigraphy, geophysics, physics,
paleontology, biology, anthropology, and
archaeology. Modern geology, its sub-
disciplines and other scientific disciplines
utilize the scientific method. In contrast,
flood geology does not adhere to the
scientific method, making it a
pseudoscience.
——-