Opinion/Current Events/Biblical History

By Summer Lane

Photo: Deposit

PART THREE: MYSTERIES AND PUZZLES

One of the biggest mistakes that the church today makes is failing to acknowledge just how supernatural our world is right now.

Not yesterday. Not a thousand years ago. But right this very second.

Our existence is supernatural – we are sentient, self-aware beings walking on a planet suspended in the vastness of an unfathomably eternal universe. The order and function of every particle of this universe, from the consistency of sunrise and sunset, to the cycle of the seasons, is inexplicably perfect.

Where do we come from, and where are we going?

These are the questions that mankind has asked for millennia, prompting anguish, anger, and terror among even the most esteemed philosophers.

Interestingly, as our society moves farther away from acknowledging both the authority and even the existence of God, culture seems to have simultaneously embraced the possibility of extraterrestrial life and amplified Satanism and witchcraft in popular media. It’s a strange phenomenon indeed to see the escalation in self-worship and recklessness, but from the Biblical perspective, it makes a lot of sense:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

(2 Timothy 3:1-5)

In the previous installment of this series, I touched on Jesus’s warning in Matthew 24:36-37, where he foreshadows the end of days: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” We discussed the presence of Nephilim on the Earth in the environment that preceded the Flood, as well as who exactly the “Sons of God” were, based on a Biblical definition.

The Bible tells us that the Sons of God were angelic beings (see the previous article for all verses related to this), and that they had children with human women. The Bible is very specific in how it relates this information to us. It does not say that the Sons of God possessed the bodies of mere mortals to procreate with humans. It says that they themselves took humans as their wives, which clearly paints a grim picture: the Sons of God shirked their heavenly duties to take up residence with mortal women, and the result of that union was not pretty (Genesis 6).

The question we keep asking in this series is, “Did the fallen angels escape the Flood? And if they did, does that mean that Nephilim existed in a post-Flood world? Are these supernatural beings, somehow, connected to today’s alien and UFO phenomena?”

Genesis 6 says this:

“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”

In my opinion, the Bible answers the question clearly. As I did in the previous article, I know there is some debate about the concept of Nephilim – this is my opinion on the matter. Feel free to share your thoughts with me if you have a different perspective!

Based on these Biblical passages, I believe it’s clear that there was Nephilim on the Earth in those days and afterward. This lends heavy credibility to the claim that because the fallen angels (the “Sons of God”) were not bound by the same physical, human restraints that mortals were, they did likely escape the Flood. My guess is that they made a hasty retreat when the Flood hit, and while the Bible doesn’t say where they went or what happened to them, there is a historical account from Enoch (who would have been Noah’s great grandfather and the father of Methuselah), that speaks exactly to this question.

The Nephilim, being a hybrid race of giants and all, were wiped out, along with all life on Earth. What happened to the fallen angels is anybody’s guess, although some ancient texts seem to assert that these angels were bound and punished by God until the “day of judgement,” as the Book of Enoch claims. This is not something we can know for certain.

I’ll add the disclaimer here that the Book of Enoch is NOT a Biblical text. It was not divinely inspired. It is a historical document. Like I said in my previous article, Enoch’s account is generally considered by many to be a legitimate historical account of what was happening on the cultural side of things in the leadup to the Flood, and it provides some interesting insight into just how bad things were. Studying this text is no different than when we engage in research related to the ancient texts of Josephus or the philosophical interludes of Socrates. We do not take historical texts to be absolute truth, but they can offer some breadcrumbs and clues when we’re hungry for more information.

Let’s look at some descriptions of the fallen angels and their relations with human women in the Book of Enoch, and notice how it perfectly corroborates what the Bible says in Genesis 6:

7.1  And they took wives for themselves, and everyone chose for himself, one each. And, they began to go into them, and were promiscuous with them. And they taught them charms, and spells, and they showed them the cutting of roots and trees.
7.2 And they became pregnant and bore large giants. And their height was three thousand cubits.
7.3 These, devoured all the toil of men, until men were unable to sustain them.
7.4 And the giants turned against them in order to devour men.
7.5 And they began to sin against birds, and against animals, and against reptiles, and against fish, and they devoured one another’s flesh, and drank the blood from it.
7.6 Then the Earth complained about the lawless ones.

None of this is shocking. The Bible tells us that the days of Noah were filled with great evil, and so it makes sense that the fallen angels would be the ones to introduce witchcraft, divination, and even spellcasting to humans – all things that the Bible warns strongly against engaging in (Leviticus 19:26, Deut. 18:10-13, Isaiah 8:19, etc.).

I fully believe that there was something sinister and supernatural going on in pre-Flood days. However, despite the distress that these nasty angelic beings had inflicted upon God’s creation (per the Book of Enoch), the Bible makes it clear that the entire Earth was completely evil and corrupted (Genesis 6:5). The Book of Enoch seems to lay the blame of Earth’s wickedness at the feet of the fallen angels, but clearly, humanity was deeply entrenched in sin right alongside them.

This is important. While the fallen angels may have been eternally damned, men and women in those days also eternally damned themselves by partaking in the wickedness of the culture that was developed during this time.

The Book of Enoch records that 200 “Watchers” or fallen angels ultimately rebelled against God in their quest to live on Earth with human women, and some of their names are even recorded, including the two most infamous, Semyaza and Azazel.

However, just for the sake of theorizing, if these fallen angels were bound and punished, as the Book of Enoch claims, then how did giants reappear in a post-Flood society? Nephilim themselves were clearly the product of forbidden relationships between angels and human, so how come there are so many giants mentioned in the Bible after the Flood?

Pesky Pyramids

In the conversation about aliens, I believe that many (although not all) unexplained phenomenon or UFO sightings can be chalked up to either spiritual activity in the night sky or governmental testing. Much of the talk surrounding aliens and UFOs is hopelessly overinflated and over-dramatized, all for the sake of making a buck or selling a book.

photo: pixabay

However, there are some interesting things to note and some important connections between the umbrella category of “aliens” and fallen angels.

Let’s talk about pyramids, because that’s the first thing people think about when it comes to ancient mysteries. Pyramids have been erected all over the world in many ancient cultures. The question is: WHY? And more importantly, how in the world did the ancient people build them? There is no record of how they accomplished such a giant task – and perhaps that’s exactly it. There are countless legends and myths that speak about giants, demigods, and exceptionally powerful or strong supernatural beings. Egypt, for example, has a large assortment of rather demonic-looking gods and goddesses (Anubis, anyone?). Has anyone ever stopped to ask themselves if these deities were not merely hieroglyphic renderings, but rather, actual demonic entities? The ugly truth that many Christians don’t care to face is that demons, and even Lucifer himself, are very, very wise and very influential over the fallen, earthly realm. Of course, they’re very, very wicked, too.

The question is: did fallen angels influence ancient post-Flood cultures around the globe and teach them secret knowledge, spellcasting, and divination? My opinion is that this is exactly what happened, based on the evidence most of these cultures have left behind.

We cannot explain why or how the ancient world had access to technology that we cannot seem to replicate. What we do know is that the ancient world engaged in ritualistic idol worship, bloody human sacrifice, and celebrated everything from religious prostitution to bestiality. Sounds like the same kind of stuff that the fallen angels were promoting back in the days of Noah! Huh!

Gosh-Darn Giants

Giants in the Bible were extremely terrifying. They weren’t just tall dudes with mean-looking faces. These were towering, massive warriors who scared the living daylights out of the average men who crossed their paths. For example, when the Hebrews were nearing Canaan, Moses sent Caleb and several spies to scope out the area (Numbers 13). Everything in the land of Canaan was giant – even the food. “And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there.” (Numbers 13:23-24)

I don’t know about you, but if one cluster of grapes was so big that you had to get two grown men to carry it…those are some seriously big grapes.

But wait, it gets better. Scripture says that the spies’ report was troubling – they found fortified cities, great warriors, and even suggested that cannibalism was taking place in the Canaanite culture.

Oh, and guess what else they found? Nephilim.

“Then the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.’ So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.  And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.’” (Numbers 13:31-33)

The Hebrews existed in a post-Flood world. The Nephilim were still causing major trouble. They were tall, strong, terrifying, and apparently, they struck complete terror into the hearts of the Hebrew people.

This is where I think churches heavily overgeneralize this passage. I was often given the impression that the Hebrews were basically a bunch of whiny children who were too afraid to face a rudimentary, ancient Canaanite civilization of tall people.

What a bunch of wusses.

The Bible presents a totally different picture. The Hebrews were terrified to go into the land of Canaan because there were literally giants with the blood of demons running through their veins (Numbers 14:1-4).

These aren’t my claims, either. These are the Bible’s own words.

Giants had constructed a powerful and fortified culture in Canaan, and the Hebrews were, obviously, looking at the nightmare that had been laid before them and thinking, “No, thank you!”

The book of Numbers says that the spies described themselves as “locusts” compared to the Nephilim’s staggering size. Wouldn’t you be scared, too? I’m not making excuses for the Hebrews’ fear, but I am saying: try to put this into context.

In fact, when you begin looking at the historical context (which is a part of the Biblical context, by the way), the emotions and the depth of what people in Scripture were going through begins to make a lot more sense.

And, it is through this lens of context that I believe we can begin to understand the alien and UFO craze setting our contemporary culture on fire.

The Last Days

To be perfectly clear, the moment when Jesus ascended into heaven to be with His Father after his resurrection was the moment when the “last days” began. The moment Christ followers started anticipating the return of their Savior, the End Times were upon us.

Knowing that we are living in the last days – whether that means we have 10 more days or 1000 more years – makes the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Himself so much easier to understand!

Chaos, war, famine, and “great signs and wonders” will increase on the Earth during that time. In Matthew 24, Jesus describes the tribulation of the final chapter of Earth’s history like this:

 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. (Matt. 24:21-28)

Preceding this statement, Jesus discusses how lawlessness, hate, and betrayal will increase upon the Earth in the final days. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14)

Jesus also describes how, in the end, the sun will be darkened and the moon will cease to give light. The stars will fall from the sky, and the heavens will be shaken (Matt. 24:29-30).

In other words, the world as we know it will eventually end, and preceding its annihilation, we can expect a lot of deception.

I would also like to point out that the term “alien” is a very modern term. In fact, the word itself is derived from the Latin word “alienus,” which refers to an outsider or a foreigner from a different land.

According to an article from Inverse, the first recorded use of the word “alien” being used to refer to extraterrestrial life was in 1920, and the public’s fascination with the mystery surrounding Area 51 really took off.

The word itself is contrived, and before the 20th century – it didn’t even exist.

What does exist, however, is the supernatural realm. The ancients were in touch with this realm in a dark and forbidden way. Scripture states this many times, and historic evidence, along with textual evidence, backs this up.

The ancients worshipped demonic entities and created myths and legends surrounding “giants” and “demigods;” the men of renown, as Genesis itself states.

Pyramids were built curiously around the world, and, interestingly, some of the UAPs that the Pentagon released footage of were in the shape of a pyramid, too.

Strange indeed.

So, are aliens real? I don’t believe so.

However, I do believe that people today would be easily duped by a supernatural experience with, say, an angelic being and write it off as an alien encounter. I also think that the concept of aliens themselves lay the groundwork for a secular and dogmatically scientific approach to explaining away supernatural signs and wonders that will be coming our way as the birthing pains to the Great Tribulation heat up.

I don’t think aliens exist, but I know that angels exist – both the good and the bad.

How do I know this? Because the Bible tells me so. The Bible is the inerrant and divinely inspired Word of God, and therefore, I know that everything it tells me is true (2 Timothy 3:16, John 17:17, Psalm 119:160, etc.).

Interestingly, there is a verse in the book of Job that refers to the “morning stars” singing for joy when God laid the foundations of the Earth:

“When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

(Job 38:7)

Most believe that the terms “morning stars” and “Sons of God” are both referring to angelic beings. Is it possible that the stars themselves are supernatural in nature? For centuries, man has looked to the stars to attempt to decode the secrets of the universe, for good or for bad:

4“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy? (NIV uses the terms “angels” instead of “Sons of Man”)

(Job 38:4-7)

Aliens may not be real, but our Creator is. Aliens may not be flying around in saucers in search of cows to devour, but we can be certain that our adversary, the Devil, prowls the Earth like a lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

The alien encounters of this world are a prelude to a much bigger – and much scarier – encounter that will knock the socks off an unbelieving world who both denies the existence of God but elevates the mystic, the magical, and the darkness of sin.

Be aware of Earth’s past, but fix your eyes to the future, because it is coming soon.

He is coming back soon.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

(Mark 13:32-37)

6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:6-14

If you would like to share your perspective or thoughts on what YOU think the Biblical connection to UFOs and aliens are, please feel free to contact me @SummerEllenLane on Twitter and Truth Social. You can also fill out my contact form at summerlaneauthor.com.

Only respectful and kind conversations, please!

The opinions in this article are specific to its author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Counter Culture Mom team. This specific article was written by Summer Lane, and may not be reproduced, except to quote for reviews or interviews, without the express permission of the author. 

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Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 30 books, including the hit Collapse Series and Resurrection Series. She is an experienced journalist and columnist who reports on news within the U.S. and abroad. She is the Associate Editor for Right Side Broadcasting Network. Additionally, she analyzes politics and policies on The Write Revolution.

Summer is also a mom and wife who enjoys rural country living, herding cats, and gardening. She is passionate about writing about women’s issues, parenting, and politics from a theologically-grounded perspective that points readers to the good news of the gospel.

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