Ironically John Macarthur also believes in the Nephilim as a result of spirits mating with humans. He is honored highly in the cessationists camps. He does not teach much on it, but having come from that camp, i had always believed what JD teaches since the 1980’s.
But as i had uncovered quite a bit of difference discerning certain hermeneutical approaches to scitpure from such a well respected church were not accurate, for me it kind of opened up pandoras box. But i believe in a good way.
Pastor JD’s view of Nephilim is strongly supported in the watcher world. Michael Heiser was a scholar respected by Logos Highe End Bible Software who always believe that way.
But after further research, I have changed my view on that. What changed my view was knowing that there were other views. But the sticking point to me is this:
Gen 1:25-28
25 God made the animals of the earth according to [a]their kind, and the livestock according to [b]their kind, and everything that crawls on the ground according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “[c]Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and [d]let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that [e]moves on the earth.”
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If God put boundaries in species (like different species cant mate with each other) and mankind cannot produce offspring from animals for the same reason, how is it that He might have missed that barrier from angels to mankind (created specifically in His image)? The Book Enoch might have become canon. But providentially it did not. So yeah biblically there is no case that angels can mate with humans. The idea, in my understanding, is pretty fantastic. But it is popular in watcher circles today. When something gets to be pop culture popular on TBN, that is likely a good red flag if it becomes too commercialized it is likely good to look deeper into it.
I have heard the argument that angels can take on human form like in the days of Lot. So to impregnate women like that in that argument seems reasonable. But one thing angels cannot do is become the image of God He created through Adam. Their appearance can change. But they don’t “become” created in the imagine of God like man. They don’t have the office to create themselves in God’s image. And provide sperm that can procreate in His image.
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I thing I liked about Heiser is that he said at the time during the second century you can evidence that people were not thought of as heretics if they wanted or did not want to canonize the book of Enoch. It was fairly well understood that it could go either way. In todays climate we often align what we understand about scritpure (in concert often with our favorite pastors) to be practically canon. And if questioned, we tend to feel it is the devil doing that to us. When its really just a different interpretation of mature brothers and sisters that are trying their best to believe correctly too. In some ways, and i mean this tongue-in-cheeck, I feel like these are the Flip Wilson days of end times. The Devil made us do it. But like seeing that in others to justify our strongly held positions. Not saying you are doing that Michael. I just can totally understand why defending something other than amicably can tend to be a way we might see as reasonable today. It can come to become somewhat a norm. We seem to be in a time where if we don’t see something a particular way we might be deceived. Where it might just be we are looking at it differently. Sometimes we might be deceived. But in those cases the gentle wise spirit in Christ (who is also the Spirit of Prophecy Rev 1:9) would have the best shot at changing our perspective likely.
Thanks for bringing up some points good to discuss. As for spirits in prison found in Peter, here is another example of considering to look at the Nephilim issue a bit differently. Blessings.