Fallen Angels

By Chuck Missler, Ph.D.
Koinonia House, Couer d’Alene, Idaho

Fallen angels are first introduced in Genesis 6.1-4. In the Old Testament, the term sons of God is exclusively used of angels: Job 1.6, 2.1 and 38.7. Jesus implies the same in Luke 20.36. The unnatural offspring resulting from their consorting with human wives, daughters of Adam, are called Nephilim or fallen ones from the Hebrew nephal, meaning to fall. So it was understood by many ancient Jewish scholars, the translators of the Septuagint, an early Greek translation of the Old Testament, and the early Church. The translation giants comes from the Septuagint translation of gigantes, which actually means earth-born.

This unnatural offspring was apparently a satanic plot to corrupt the human genealogy in an attempt to preclude a redemptive Kinsman-Redeemer Messiah, Who descended from the line of Seth. This was one reason behind the Flood. Noah was still distinctive in having an unblemished genealogy, Genesis 6.9.

Similar events apparently may have occurred after the Flood, Genesis 6.4, giving rise to the Nephilim, also called Rephaims, Emims, Horims and Zamsummims, all giants, encountered by Israel in the land of Canaan throughout the Old Testament: Numbers 13.33; Genesis 14.5 and 15.20; Deuteronomy 2.10-12,22 and 3.11,13; Joshua 12.4 and 12.12.

An alternative view emerged in the fifth century suggesting Genesis 6 alludes to a failure to keep the faithful line of Seth separate from the worldly line of Cain. This widely held view is built on the assumption the line of Seth was faithful and the line of Cain was not and they were to remain separate, a concept introduced many chapters later. This argument certainly does not explain the unnatural hybrid offspring. If the line of Seth was faithful, why did they perish in the Flood?

Nevertheless, many Bible scholars have held to the line of Seth and line of Cain interpretation of the intermarriages, citing Matthew 22.30 to counter the other interpretations. Certain fallen angels, perhaps those discussed here, are in special confinement, see 1 Peter 3.19,20, 2 Peter 2.4-5 and Jude 1.6-7.

Satan now leads a vast throng of fallen angels, who evidently joined him in his rebellion: Isaiah 14.12-15, Ezekiel 28.11-19, Matthew 25.41, Ephesians 6.12 and Revelation 12.4-9. Fallen angels are not to be confused with the demons of the New Testament. Angels apparently have no problem appearing in our world: they spoke as men, ate meals: Genesis 18.1-9 and 19.3; took people by the hand: Genesis 19.10,16; and were capable of direct combat: 2 Kings 19.35, Isaiah 8.28-34; Mark 5.1-20; Luke 8.26-39. Some suggest the demons may be the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim who perished: Isaiah 26.14.

Our Lord’s allusion to the days of Noah in regard to Christ’s second coming, Matthew 24.37 and Luke 17.26, cause some to anticipate a possible recurrence of the events of Genesis 6. Supernatural deceptions are to be a characteristic of the days prior to our Lord’s return: Matthew 24.4, 23-25; 2 Thessalonians 2.8-12.

The ultimate fallen angel may be behind the antichrist, who comes out of the aboussos or bottomless pit, Revelation 9.11, 11.7 and 17.8; and is the seed of the serpent, Genesis 3.15. The one who now letteth, 2 Thessalonians 2.7, the Holy Spirit Who retains the works of evil among men is presently restraining the forces of Satan far more than we can understand.