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Understanding the language of the Bible is critical. The language of the N.T. is written in the later Greek, and the writers applied the Greek to subjects on which it had never been used by native Greek writers. The things concerning Jewish affairs, their theology, and rituals. I have committed the work of the Greek dictionary found within, to assist in your personal study, and in repelling those who choose to distort the word. Acquaint yourself with the language of the Greek N.T., you will find it to be of an indispensable importance.
The author of these articles and features quotes verses from the King James Version. We investigate the Bible's original text, examine the Greek, Hebrew, text,
context, symbols, and terminologies. We will continue to make every effort to aid readers to grow in their individual faith. We will also make every effort to assist, and to support those who have vowed to honor our Lord Jesus Christ, and His finished work.
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Part 3, "sons of God." Part 1 and 2 below.
Cain, Adam's firstborn was a murderer; a liar, and cursed by God. We are told Able’s blood cried unto the Lord from the ground. Compare with,“Ps.9:12, “When He (God) maketh inquision for blood, he remembereth them.”
Cain had little sense of value concerning God’s presence, or of public worship; yet to be excluded from its external rites was considered as a heavy punishment for him. But this would be the punishment for Cain, for he said to God, “My punishment is greater than I can bear!” I appear’s that he felt more for his coming misery than for his guilt.
Gen.4:16, Cain said to God, "I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth." Fugitive meaning he had to leave the area of Eden. Vagabond meaning to become a wanderer!
The first thing he did was to build a city in the land of Nod; Nod meaning land of wandering. He called the city after his son, Enoch. I will presume that Cain had a great deal of influence and power in the city built by him.
God punishes Cain, “And now art thou cursed from the earth!” The sentence of death for murder had not yet been proclaimed by God. Gen.9:6 is the first mention of punishment for murder.
The curse of God was on Cain, not Adam.
Cain had to leave the area of Eden, no longer able to reap its fruits; and was driven into the wilderness,
He became “a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth.”
Cain's firstborn was Enoch, than Irad, Mehujael, Methusael, Lamech, Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain. There is not one mention of God (Jehovah) in the genealogy of Cain’s sons. When we compare this with the line of Seth we read,
Eve said when Seth was born, “For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel.” Also in, Gen.5:22, it is written, “Enoch walked with God,” and Noah was a just man and perfect (blameless) in his generations, and Noah walked with God."
Is this important? This is evidence that Enoch was a believer in divine revelation not only that God is, but also “That God is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
The N.T. reveals more about Enoch in Jude 14-15, evidence the Old Testament writers did not possess. These were the words of Enoch before the flood. Jude proves the antiquity of this prophesy in ver.4, where he uses the phrase, “of old.”
Jude 14-15, “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all (by the flood,) and to convince (convict) all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly (in an ungodly way) committed, and of all their hard (harsh things) speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him (Enoch.)”
Enoch’s prophesy was not only for the days before the flood but to all the ungodly, ver.15, “Execute judgment upon all, and to convince (convict) all that are ungodly.”
Enoch by the power of the Holy Spirit saw beforehand the destruction that would come upon the earth immediately after the death of his son Methuselah. In Hebrew, Methui signifies death, and Selah, the sending forth of water, = Methuselah."
Jared, Enoch’s father means descending. Jared guarded against general corruption devoted himself and his descendants to the service of God, we see this in the name he gave his son Enoch which means “dedication.”
Elijah like Enoch were types of Christ, both having been kept from death by God. “He (Enoch) was not,” meaning he was not found, “for God took him,”
The address of Cain’s son Lamech to his wives Gen.4:23, is the most ancient specimen of poetry in the Bible, or in the world. Here it is in poetic form. Gen.4:23,
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
Ye wives of Lamech hearken to my speech:
For I have slain a man because of my wounding;
A young man because of my hurt.
If Cain shall be avenged seven times,
Certainly Lamech seventy and seven.”
Enoch for-told of Jehovah’s coming judgment; Lamech presumes impunity in polygamy and murder, just as Cain seemed to escape with impunity. Enoch was the seventh from Adam seven is the sacred number. In Enoch, freedom from death and the number seven are combined; for every seventh object is highly valued. It may be possible that Lamech’s speech, which is in poetic parallelism to Enoch’s prophesy, and possibly composed to mock Enoch’s prophesy.
I believe the evidence is beginning to build concerning the “sons of God” being the fallen generations of sons that came from the loins of Cain.
Phil LaSpino
Part 2, “sons of God:” Part 1 below.
We have information the early Jewish Rabbi's did not have, that being Luke 3:38, "Adam, which was the son of God." What we know is Adam was a man! He reproduced himself in his first-born son Cain, and his son’s reproduced themselves in their sons and daughters. These are Scriptural facts.
If Adam is called the son of God, would it be logical for us to conclude that his sons and their sons are also the "sons of God?
Now we all know that God is our Father. In this, we are His children, His sons, and daughters. So like Adam, we are sons of God, because He is our Father!
We also know that Satan has his children, these are called the children of darkness, of wrath, and their father is the devil.
We know Cain killed his brother Able. God cast Cain away He said to him "Now are you cursed from the earth. Gen.4:12, "A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth."
Cain was Adam's firstborn who becme a murderer; a liar, and cursed by God. We are told that righteous Able’s blood cried unto the Lord from the ground. Compare with,
“Ps.9:12, “When He (God) maketh inquision for blood, he remembereth them.” Cain seems to have had little sense of value concerning God’s presence, or of public worship; yet to be excluded from its external rites was considered as a heavy punishment for Cain. But this would be the punishment for Cain, for he said to God, “My punishment is greater than I can bear!” I appears he felt more for the misery to come than for his guilt.
Gen.4:16, Cain said to God, "I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth." Fugitive meaning he had to leave the area of Eden. Vagabond meaning to become a wanderer.
The first thing Cain did was to build a city in the land of Nod, Nod meaning land of wandering. He called the city after his son, Enoch. I will assume that Cain had a great deal of influence and power in this city he established.
Ver.19, Lamech, Cain's son "Took unto him two wives."
Ver.23, Lamech said, "Ye wives (plural) of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain (killed) a man." Compare with “The sons of God – took them wives of all which they chose.” This contrary to God commanding a man to have but one wife.
Cain’s wife Adah bare as son called Jabal who was the father of those that dwell in tents, and who raised cattle. Zillah Cain’s second wife had a son Tubal-cain who worked with metals.
From his name Tubal-cain arose the name of Vulcan, the god of smiths. Lamech's sister's name was Naamah. From her may have sprung the character of Venus. Naamah name signifies beautiful! This may also have been the beginning of idol worship. “Every imagination of the thoughts of his (man’s) heart was only evil continually.”
OK, let's see what Scriptures have revealed to us so far.
1. Adam is called the "son of God." Compare to Gen.6:1.
2. Cain was a murder, a liar, was unrepentant, became a wonder, and established the first city."
3. God then cast Cain away from Eden, and also set a mark upon him.
4. Cain had sons.
5. One of Cain's sons Lamech took for himself two women, therefore Lamech was a bigamist.
6. Lamech also was also a murderer.
7. Lamech must have been a powerful and influntial man for he said boastfully, "If Cain (his father) shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold." (Pride!)
8. The name of gods sprang from Naamah, and Tubal-cain, Venus, and Vulcan. (Idol worship)
So here is the pattern I see with Gen.6:6, "Son's of god took for them wives," this beginning with Lamech. If we were to apply, "Like father like son" here, we can only imagine what happened with Lamech's sons, they also became tyrants, and took for themselves wives.
Naaman Tubal-cain’s sister means 'Beautiful." Now I would suppose that many of the other daughters of men would have also been fair, meaning beautiful. Gen.6:2, "The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair, meaning goodly, fair, and beautiful.
Phil LaSpino
Part 1.
I would like to tackle this question one more time. I have several questions for those who understand the term used in Gen.6:2, “Sons of God,” as referring to angels, meaning spirit creatures that manifest themselves into human form, and procreated with mortals.
I will not bring Job 1:6 into this discussion. That’s another matter for another time.
Let’s lay the foundation first.
In this discussion I will stay within the boundaries of the true definations of both the Hebrew and Greek. Sons in the context of Gen.6:2, is an appellation of “sons of God,” and can be applied to both angels, and kings, not just Jewish kings, but to all kings.
Gen.6:2 reads, “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”
Now we have three options concerning this verse, let me list them for you.
1. There is a teaching that was entertained by some of the ancient Jewish Rabbi’s and some Christian fathers, that “the sons of God” in this verse are speaking of angelic creatures, who had the power of taking on human form, then committed lewdness with the women of that age, producing a race of human monsters.
2. Others claim the sons of God point to the race of Seth; but I would have to ask, “Why Seth, and not Cain?” If it were Seth’s line why would they produce a race of giants, destroyers, violent men? Let’s examine the word giant.
Giant’s in Hebrew, nef-ell, or naw-fal, this definition comes from Gesenius Hebrew to English Lexicon; and means, falling on, attacking, warriors, or destroyers, men of violence and blood, those who pray on the weak and helpless, as in the daughters of men. Nef-ell, is of intransitive verb, which means a verb that expresses action, (they took) that is limited to the agent = (the sons of God.)
3. Now we have a third option, that Gen.6 is pointing us to the princes, judges, and chiefs of the pre-flood era. They are in some instances dignified with the name of Elohim, thus rendered plurally “gods.” We find this in Ps.82:1, “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty, he judgeth among the gods.”
The general sense refers to earthy princes. These are accused by God with unjust judgment; and God himself is represented (poetically) as if about to retract his words, in Ps.82:6, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men (like Adam) and fall like one of the princes.”
John 10:35, “He called them gods, to whom the word of God came;” that is, who had an appointment from God as princes or judges. In the Greek from the Hebrew it speaks of kings as the representatives of God. John is quoting from and in allusion to Ps.82:1-6; then compare this with Ps.82:7, “But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”
So I would understand “sons of God” as meaning children, of the Most High,” who became so tyrannical, as to seize upon all the finest, and fairest of women they could find for their palaces; and from these sprang a race of “giants” meaning mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”
Where did the information come from concerning angel’s who took on the form of men, and had children with mortal women? Let's examine this evidence to see if it truly qualifies as evidence.
1. There is evidence that comes from the Rabbin’s or Rabbi's beginning about 200 B.C., they having no Christian influence.
2. From ancient church Father’s, and the pagan nations.
3. From the mythologies of pagan nations.
Concerning the Rabbi’s, I will go back to 200 B.C. What was moral condition of these Rabbin’s and the people during that period of time until Christ, how did they stand with God? We know from Malachi to Jesus birth about 400 years, God had not spoken to the Jews in any way. The prescribed Leviticus priesthood was for the most part abandoned. The Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s were the new appointed priests of the Temple; men appointed by men, and not God.
Concerning Herod’s Temple as beautiful as it was, the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat, eternal flame etc., were absent, therefore in my thinking temple worship for the Jews had no value whatsoever. In my estimation, God had abandoned the Jews for a period of 400 years; from Malachi to the birth of Christ.
So any Jewish literature that came from Rabbi's, or any other Jewish source in that period of time, I would conclude, it was not inspired of God. If this is the case, can this evidence be used to establish a true account of Gen.6, can we give to it any merit? Personally I would not consider any Godly inspiration to be found in them.
Enoch is said to contain some information concerning the “sons of God. The book of the Watchers", believed to be composed about 200-300 BC."
But I have never read the book of Enoch, therefore I cannot comment on it. But again like the rabbinical writings, I feel this book because it is not a part of the Biblical text must be set aside as improper evidence. Concerning the ancient church fathers’ there is an article called Demon semen,” that seems to be well researched. You may read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. See bottom left hand corner, “Demon Seamon.” After I read it, all I could say was, “Wow, it can get confusing!”
Now if we cannot trust the rabbinical writings because we know God was not speaking to them for 400 years; and concerning the early Father’s of the church there is a wide range of options, therefore inconclusive; and naturally I reject any evidence coming from ancient pagan nations. So what do we have left in order to form a correct opinion? Of course, it’s the Bible alone.
Of the three teachings concerning the “son’s of God,” two are false, one is correct. Concerning subjects like this, there should be enough information in the Bible that would clear up this mess; I base this on “God is not the author of confusion!”
We can learn and gather a great deal of Biblical information from a verity of proven trustworthy commentators; word studies are of the utmost importance; and understanding the time, conditions, and the people involved is necessary.
How I have approached this subject in order to draw that proper conclusion was to take Gen.6:2, backward to Gen.1:1, and bring it forward to Gen.6:1-2, in order to fully understand why something like this happened.
We have the Biblical records, but men seem to lack any true understanding of these records, and a lack of understanding has led to some false testimony concerning these records. What were the conditions when the Gen.6:1-2 events occurred; who were the characters involved; what was God’s mindset toward man; why the reason for that mindset; and what was the mindset of man toward God?
It appears the wall's of our church’s have been built much to high. If one was a Catholic theologian more than likely they would come to conclusions that would lean to some established Catholic conclusion; at least in many of its parts. This may not be done intentionally but because of the way that person was taught and trained. This idea can be applied to any and all other denominations, their researches and scholars.
What appears to get in the way most of the time is truth itself! Peer pressure itself! A limited amount of honest research and integrity itself; and last of all, common sense! So the question remains,
“Are we to believe men; or are we to believe the Bible?” At times this choice can be difficult especially when one’s peers are looking over their shoulders.
I would suggest an honest examination of the phrase “sons of God” in the Hebrew, and the Greek. To what person or thing was this phrase first applied? What church’s or cults agree with any conclusion one may draw (friend or foes) and what is the underlying reasons for their continued pushing forth of the two remaining false teaching?
Phil LaSpino
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