DBowling wrote:...I am all for using extrabiblical historical sources for understanding more about the context of Scriptural historical narratives.
The problem here is there are no historical sources contemporary or even nearly contemporary with the Genesis 6 timeframe that validate the AH tradition. The extrascriptural historical sources that are used to support the AH theory appeared during the intertestamental period which takes place 2000 to 3000 years after the the historical events of Genesis 6.
Therefore, these AH traditions are too far removed in time to actually be viable sources of historical information regarding what occurred during the Genesis 6 timeframe.
Then there is the problem already discussed in this thread that the term "sons of God" is never used in Scripture to refer to fallen angels who are in active rebellion against God.
So from my perspective there are two huge problems with the AH theory.
1. There are no contemporary or even near contemporary historical documents that support the AH theory.
2. The AH theory presumes a definition for "sons of God" in Genesis 6 that is diametrically opposed to how the phrase "sons of God" is used everywhere else in Scripture.
"Even So Come Lord Jesus"
Yes "Come Lord Jesus" !!!
Next point:
Can Genesis 6:2, Genesis 6:4 phrase, "Sons Of God" refer to angelic being? Are there other verses that prove that this phrase is used to denoting angelic beings?
Let’s look: Job 38:7, Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 1:6-12, and Luke 20:36 all certainly point out that this phrase is used to denote angelic beings.
Now, can it imply fallen angels? The answer is yes...
Look at Job 1:6 again: "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD." NASB -
Satan also presented himself. So yes, fallen angels - the head adversary - is included in that phrase.
More on brief history of two views of the phrase "sons of God" mentioned in Genesis 6:1-4
This Brief Linked and quoted summery from Wiki gives a decent historical narrative on this subjects history to note
Sons of God
From Wikipedia
Christian antiquity
Early Christian writers such as Justin Martyr, Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Commodianus believed that the "sons of God" in Genesis 6:1-4 were fallen angels who engaged in unnatural union with human women, resulting in the begetting of the Nephilim.[30]
Modern Christians have argued against this view by reasoning on Jesus' comment in Matthew 22:30 that angels do not marry, although it only refers to angels in heaven.[1] Others saw them as descendants of Seth.[1]
Saint Augustine subscribed to this view, based on the orations of Julius Africanus in his book City of God, which refer to the "sons of God" as being descendants of Seth (or Sethites), the pure line of Adam. The "daughters of men" are viewed as the descendants of Cain (or Cainites). Variations of this view was also received by Jewish philosophers.[31]
Medieval Judaism
Traditionalists and philosophers of Judaism[32] in the Middle Ages[33] typically practiced rational theology. They rejected any belief in rebel or fallen angels since evil was considered abstract.
Rabbinic sources, most notably the Targum, state that the "sons of God" who married the daughters of men were merely human beings of exalted social station.[34] They have also been considered as pagan royalty[1] or members of nobility[35] who, out of lust, married women from the general population. Other variations of this interpretation define these "sons of God" as tyrannical Ancient Near Eastern kings who were honored as divine rulers, engaging in polygamous behavior.[1] No matter the variation in views, the primary concept by Jewish rationalists is that the "sons of God" were of human origin.[34]
Most notable Jewish writers in support for the view of human "sons of God" were Saadia, Rashi, Lekah Tob, Midrash Aggada, Joseph Bekor Shor, Abraham ibn Ezra, Maimonides, David Kimhi, Nahmanides, Hizkuni, Bahya Ashur, Gersonides,[36] Shimeon ben Yochai and Hillel ben Samuel.[37]
Ibn Ezra reasoned that the "sons of God" were men who possessed divine power, by means of astrological knowledge, able to beget children of unusual size and strength.[35]
Jewish commentator Isaac Abrabanel considered the aggadot on Genesis 6 to have referred to some secret doctrine and was not to be taken literally. Abrabanel later joined Nahmanides and Levi ben Gerson in promoting the concept that the "sons of God" were the older generations who were closer to physical perfection, as Adam and Eve were perfect. Though there are variations of this view, the primary idea was that Adam and Eve's perfect attributes were passed down from generation to generation. However, as each generation passed, their perfect physical attributes diminished. Thus, the early generations were mightier than the succeeding ones. The physical decline of the younger generations continued until the Flood, to the point that their days were numbered as stated in Genesis 6:3. It was immoral for the older generations to consort with the younger generations, whereby puny women begot unusually large children. Nephilim was even considered a stature.[31]
Jewish philosophic preachers such as Jacob Anatoli and Isaac Arama viewed the groups and events in Genesis 6:1-4 as an allegory, primarily for the sin of lust that declined man's higher nature.[38]
Summery
This is important to consider that during the time of Medieval Judaism, their religious leaders changed this phrase.
Why? answer, Gen 3:15 reference to Jesus as being the Messiah. They even changed the Shema as well to avoid this too by changing the word Echad (Plural one) to Echid (single solitaire one).
Early church writers and fathers expressed that the Gen 6 1-4 referred to fallen angelic beings as Jude 1:6, 2 Peter 2:4 points out.
Now look at this verse from Luke 20:36-38 NASB: Jesus said this: "...for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37 "But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB.
38 "Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him."
The phrase "sons of God" is explained as any intelligent being who god created - giving them life - can be called a "son or sons of God."
Why -because God gave them life, period. God is the begetter of life. All life comes from him by an act of grace. With grace comes free moral agency to those designed with high intelligence or it would not be grace. With such grace comes responsibility, consequences, and accountability to see to whom one will remain loyal too and by grace comes the "sealing or sealed forever" to whom one is loyal too - either God or the Rebels.
The phrase, sons of God, refers to any being created granted life who has a highly developed intelligence and duty to match granted to take help take care of creation.
It is also a phrase used in the singular "SON" to denote - how one will identify the Messiah as these verses reveal:
Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6,7 and Isaiah 11:1,2,3,4,5 Isaiah 22:21,22, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Zec 6:12,13, and Zec 9:9-10
This phrase in both plural and singular is used in multiple of ways to mean all who God created with high intelligence and duty. It is also used in the singular to identify the true Messiah identifying his task:
God coming to dwell inside the tabernacle of men, who came to reconcile people back to the Lord by means of adopting those who freely come to him, in order to seal these as adopted 'sons of God' forever as his own never to fall away again.
This sort of adoption was not possible in the OT testament until after the true Messiah had come as the bible clearly teaches. This cannot mean at all, that the sons of Seth are the sons of God because redemption by the Messiah had not occurred back in Gen 6 era or before that time. Think about this.
The Son of God came as, one of kind-unique one, to humanity to seal forever his own as his own (no more rebellious) as well as seal those who are not his by means of righteous judgement to the fate they chose for themselves.
Only God can do this, that second person of the Plural One - God - known and revealed throughout the scriptures as delighting in the sons of mankind in various theophany’s. This one would come both as Singular THE SON of Man and THE SON of God to reconcile hostile factions to bring back humanity's prodigals who freely come to their senses thus return to HIM by what HE had done for them by the Cross and Resurrection.
In a nutshell, the phrase 'sons of God' has about four applications and thus can be used in those application to denote the creative work of God and the choice of what to do with the life he "gave."
The four applications the phrase Sons/Son of God can be used as are as follows:
1-Sealed Angelic beings who will never rebel
2-Sealed rebellious fallen angelic beings as fallen
3-Sons and daughters of humanity (per context in NT - sealed and redeemed...)
4-Singular- the Messiah who came to save Humanity whom God gave intelligent life and duty too and uniquely made
The context and continuity with other portions of the bible define which meaning applies.
Hope this helps clarify the phrase sons/son of God and how to identify whom the phrase refers too in the text which they are found
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Notes: Scripture Quoted form NASB for scriptural proof
Eph 1:11,13, Rom 8:29, 30, Jer 3:19 the Lord is speaking here very important verse as is Hosea 1:10,
Note these verses 1 Pe 1:3-4, Isa 64:8, and how it is done Jer 32:38,39,40,41
Verses denoting plural - sons of God -
Gen 6:2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
Gen 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
New Testament after the Messiah's true work was complete is when people can be properly called such
Mat 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Luke 20:36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
Rom 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Rom 8:19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
Gal 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.