The History of Creation, the Fall of Lucifer, and the Coming Great Deception
Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The word “created” is translated from the Hebrew verb בָּרָא (bārāʾ). It describes bringing something into existence. It is always creation by God’s divine power. This verse describes the absolute beginning. “Heaven and earth” is a Hebrew expression meaning everything that exists. All matter was created in the timeless past, at this beginning. Genesis 1:1 describes creation without pre-existing materials (creation ex nihilo — “out of nothing”).
“Beginning” (bĕrēʾšît) = the first point or commencement of everything God created, the start of the universe and time.
The earth - water, land, air, and living beings were all created in Genesis 1:1. This verse informs of the very beginning of all space and matter.
2 And the earth was (Heb. hayetah = became) without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Verse 2 is not the original bara act of creation. This is the condition of the earth after the initial act of creation in Gen.1:1. In verse 2, matter already exists. (You see the earth? You see the water?) We are not yet to the third day of creation, but there is already water. There became darkness upon the deep waters covering the earth. If it became dark, then there was once light. The earth became void between the initial bara creation in the timeless past, and this new 6-day ʿāsāh re-creation, starting in Gen. 1:2.
Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created bārā the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made ʿāsāh it; he hath established it, he created (bārāʾ) it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
Gen. 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created (bā-rā) (to shape or fashion something new miraculously out of nothing) and made.
Made - (ʿāsāh) Involves arranging, shaping, or ordering what exists.
(‘ă-śō-wṯ) (to attend to or put in order using existing materials)
The First Day of the re-creation/renewal of the earth that we know and live in:
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, (Gen. 1:2) they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. Ps. 104:30
Renewest - (Heb: teḥaddēš - from the root word: ḥādash) The meaning of this word is that God refreshes, restores, and repairs the earth, making it alive and productive again.
In Gen. 1:3-4, God’s light came back into the world. The sun, stars and moon were not created (bara) ex nihilo - out of nothing, in these verses because all matter already existed. Here, God just divided light from darkness. Only darkness was present in Gen. 1:2. The earth had become dark and empty, indicating a cosmic judgment event took place.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
The Second Day: Firmament
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
The word firmament comes from the Hebrew word: (rāqîaʿ) and refers to the stretched-out expanse of the sky or heavens that separates and orders creation. Some ancient interpreters pictured the firmament to be a solid dome-like structure. 1
The Third Day: Dry Ground
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
God moved the waters around so that the dry land beneath the seas which were created in Gen. 1:1 would appear. The land was already there, if it appeared when God moved the water! Verse 1:9 does not say that “God created dry land.”
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
(So the Earth was here and God just moved the water so it could appear.)
11 And God said, Let the earth (dry land) bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
It does not say that God created seeds and trees and plants, because he had already created them in the initial creation, in the beginning. Gen. 1:2 shows the earth in existence, so this is not talking about the bara beginning of dry land in these verses. Seeds remained in the earth from the bara creation. God called on the earth to bring them forth.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
The Fourth Day: Sun, Moon, Stars
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light (the sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night: he made the stars also.
By the way, the moon is a light! We’ve been lied to! Dirt doesn’t reflect light! God’s word says the moon is a light!
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
The Fifth Day: Fish and Birds
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
God commands the seas to swarm with living creatures and the heavens above to be filled with flying creatures.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
The Sixth Day: Creatures on Land
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
This is God’s order: sea creatures from the sea, land creatures from the land.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Made - (ʿāsāh) Involves arranging or shaping what exists.
26 And God said, Let us make (asah) man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created (bara) man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Scripture uses both words, (asah) and (bara), to describe the full reality of man’s origin.
Gen. 1:26 “Let us make (asah) man” -- forming/designing, emphasizing God’s workmanship rather than initial creation. He formed man from materials that existed from his bara creation.
Gen. 2:7 “And the LORD God formed (asah) man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Gen. 1:27 God created (bara) man -- a divine creative act, the absolute beginning from nothing that existed
Gen. 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
God told Adam and Eve to bring the earth to fullness with human life. The earth had become void and uninhabited, but we are not told explicitly why or how.
Gen. 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Gen. 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, (‘ā-śāh,) (accomplished, formed, advanced, or appointed from something that existed) and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Jeremiah 4:27 intimates that God destroyed the original earth, but left materials to re-create it. Let’s see if we can get clues in the bible as to why this happened.
The prophet Jeremiah had a vision of the original creation of heaven and earth, as it was (became) after a cosmic judgment event occurred. Jeremiah’s vision indicates that the original creation was a fruitful place with landscapes, animals, and cities. God made it desolate, but not completely.
Jeremiah 4
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
When God created the earth in the beginning, he intended for it to be inhabited, and whatever God purposes, unfailingly, comes to be! Scripture shows that it indeed was inhabited, probably by angelic beings, and then it became (Heb. hayah) desolate. But why?
The first real information we find in the bible about our earth is in Genesis 1:2. This verse says that the earth was/(became hayah) a waste land. We see that the earth was covered with deep water when Gen. 1:2 creation began, and we will see that there was dry land beneath it, (that God called, “Earth.” There were seeds in the ground for all plant life to be replenished.
Isaiah 45:18
18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
You are going to see in successive verses in Genesis, that Lucifer, the fallen dragon, “that old serpent” (Satan) was already cast out of heaven and dwelling on earth, when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden.
Angels were created before the heavens and earth were (re)made in Genesis 1:2. How do we know this?
Job 38:4-7
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 Where upon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
The time referred to in these verses is at the close of the creation (bara) of the earth. Holy, angelic beings were in existence and present!
God created the earth out of nothing – from his creative words alone, and then he remade (formed) ‘ă-śō-wṯ it out of the materials he had already created.
Gen. 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created (bā-rā) (to shape or fashion something new miraculously out of nothing) and made. (‘ă-śō-wṯ) (to attend to or put in order using existing materials)
Paul, in 2 Corinthians, depicts an analogy of creation as related to salvation. The earth and man were both in darkness and ruin until God turned on the light.
2 Cor. 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Cor. 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Ezekiel 28:12-19
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
This language goes beyond anything described in Genesis.
There are three main interpretations:
A poetic comparison. The king of Tyre is compared to Adam—placed in a privileged position, adorned with beauty, yet cast down because of pride.
An allusion to a heavenly being. Some believe Ezekiel shifts from the earthly king to the spiritual power behind him (often identified as Satan). In this view, "the garden of God" and "the holy mountain of God" refer to God's heavenly dwelling.
Temple imagery. Many scholars see Eden as functioning like the first sanctuary or temple, where God dwelt with humanity. Ezekiel blends Eden, the temple, and God's mountain into one symbolic picture.
Ezekiel 28:15-18
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
There are hints that Eden was more than an ordinary garden.
God "walked" in the garden (Genesis 3:8).
It was where God's presence uniquely dwelt with mankind.
Cherubim guarded its entrance, and cherubim are closely associated with God's throne throughout Scripture.
The tabernacle and temple later echoed Eden with cherubim, trees, gold, precious stones, and God's presence.
Many Reformed scholars describe Eden as earth's first sanctuary - the place where heaven and earth met. It was still on earth, but it uniquely manifested God's presence.
The New Testament also points beyond the original Eden.
Jesus told the thief:
"Today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
And Revelation says:
"To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (Revelation 2:7)
Finally, Revelation 21–22 depicts the New Jerusalem with the tree of life and the river of life. The imagery clearly echoes Eden, but now God's dwelling with humanity is complete. Heaven and earth are no longer separated.
The Garden of Eden in Genesis was a real garden on earth.
It was also God's sanctuary, where His presence dwelt in a unique way.
Ezekiel uses Eden imagery to describe exalted privilege, beauty, and access to God's presence, whether speaking metaphorically of the king of Tyre, a spiritual being, or both.
The final fulfillment of Eden is not a return to the old garden but the new creation, where God dwells with His people forever.
This understanding fits well with the Bible's overall storyline: Eden → Tabernacle → Temple → Christ → Church → New Jerusalem. Each stage reveals God's purpose of dwelling with His people, culminating in the new heaven and new earth, where the earthly and heavenly realms are fully united.
Ezekiel was called by God to prophesy in the early 6th century BC, during the Babylonian exile, to the wicked ruler of Tyrus who said that he was a God. He was wealthy, proud, and influential in trade. Ezekiel condemned his pride and self-deification. His address to this ruler began as speaking to the prince of Tyre and then he continued to address the King of Tyre. There is no doubt that Satan was in view in Ezekiel’s oracle in Ezekiel 28. Satan, the fallen cherub angel, once named Lucifer, was indeed the entity behind the wicked prince Ezeikel spoke to.
Lucifer, in his created role, was once perfect, beautiful, and wise. He reflected brightness from his creator, God. He was so beautiful that his heart was lifted up. According to Ezek. 28, he had his own sanctuaries, (thrones, temples . . .) but he defiled them. He operated his own businesses with a multitude of merchandise. He lived in abundance. This made him proud, sinful, and violent. He was a trafficker. This is the beginning of the sin of human trafficking.
God cast him out of his heavenly dwelling place, and so he was here on this earth, on the ground.
Let’s get back to the book of Genesis where we find the serpent in the Garden with Adam and Eve. In Gen. 1:27-28, God creates Adam and Eve on the 6th day. We see them in the beautiful Garden of Eden. And BAM! The subtle, upright, (standing) and talking serpent, Satan, was already there in the garden! (Gen. 3:1) No explanation! He was just there!
Since we saw in the book of Job that the spirit-world of angels actually observed when God laid the foundation of the Earth, and were shouting for joy, we know that the angels, including Lucifer, were not created with man and beast on the 6th day when God re-created the Earth. They were already in existence! God said that everything he created on the earth in the 6 days of re-creation was very good (Gen. 1:31). Genesis 1:1, in the beginning, is when EVERYTHING that was created, came into existence. This includes inhabitants of the earth, and celestial beings in the heavens.
Let’s look for more clues about the initial creation of all things, including celestial beings, and see if there are any more clues about the first Earth being made desolate in God’s great anger (Jer. 4:27).
Isaiah 14:7-12
7 The whole earth is at rest and is quiet: they break forth into singing.
8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?
11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
What nations? There were nations before our 6-Day created earth? Yes!
Lucifer was a sinful, trafficking merchant ruling these nations, which he weakened! He was cast out of heaven and was dwelling below God’s heaven, with a third of the angels who sided with him. In his dwelling place, he wanted to rise above the clouds and stars. He had a throne and a congregation! (Yes, there were clouds/rain, and stars in existence before Gen. 1:2!)
Isaiah 14:13-15
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
So, Lucifer is below heaven, below the stars and below the clouds. Where does it sound like he is? (Hint: He was cast to the ground - Ez. 28:17.
Satan and the angels are a part of the universe that we dwell in. They are real. We will learn later that some of them are currently locked up in a pit, the abyss, awaiting judgment. Others are rulers of darkness operating in the invisible realm of the earth, and they have great influence on the earth, wherever people give them a place to operate. Their whole aim is to turn mankind against God. Satan’s angels are rebellious, evil deceivers. They are organized into principalities and powers, and they oppose saints (Rom.8:38; Eph. 6:10-18.)
Angels have tangible bodies, with bodily parts like men. They have appeared to men in real bodies and were not detected to be angels. Paul wrote in Hebrews that we may entertain angels unaware (Heb. 13:2). Angels have appetites, feelings, passions, and desires, like humans.
Appetites:
In Gen. 18, three angels appear to Abraham, and he fed them food, “and they did eat.” (Gen. 18: 1-8).
In Gen. 19, two angels visited Lot, and he made them a feast, “and they did eat.” (Gen. 19:1-3)
Feelings, Passions, Desires:
Gen.6:2 “…. the sons of God (fallen angels) saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”
Gen.6:4 “ . . . the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them . . .”
Let’s continue down the trail of clues to learn more about Pre-History and the History of Creation.
Many eschatology teachers and theologians (especially early church fathers, medieval theologians, and even many dispensational writers) have interpreted Isaiah 14 as describing the prehistoric fall of Lucifer. Many later interpreters of Isaiah 14 taught a dual reference, linking Satan behind the Babylon's ruler. Some historians view this chapter as only about Babylon’s earthly ruler and just can’t see Lucifer in the description.
Let’s read it for ourselves again, and see if there is any imagery of a cosmic fall reflected in Isaiah 14:7-11.
Very influential early church fathers connected Isaiah 14 to Lucifer’s fall, and I believe they are correct.
Origen (3rd century)
Saw Isaiah 14 as describing Satan’s fall from heaven.
Viewed it as revealing a cosmic rebellion behind earthly kingdoms.
Tertullian (2nd–3rd century)
Applied the passage to Satan’s original fall.
Connected the text with pride and angelic rebellion.
Augustine of Hippo
Treated Isaiah 14 as describing the devil’s pride and fall.
Also acknowledged the immediate reference to Babylon’s king.
Influenced Western Christian interpretation strongly.
The early church largely embraced the Lucifer interpretation.
Has anyone in ancient history ever written about, or alluded to, any pre-creation nations?
In the 4th century, the writings of Plato introduce us to the story of Atlantis. Plato wrote that Atlantis existed about 9,000 years before his time (roughly 9600 BC). Most scholars view his writing as symbolic or literary rather than historical. But what he wrote is interesting, in light of what we are uncovering from the Bible and other ancient texts.
Atlantis was a ten-kingdom empire. It was a seafaring kingdom that had headquarters. The headquarters had 3 moats around it.
Isaiah 14:14b - Satan said, “I will be like the most High.” Satan wanted his throne to be encircled with 3 secure rings around it, like God’s throne.
Atlantis is a legendary or mythical civilization described by Plato, with headquarters with 3 moats (rings) around it. I wonder where Plato got this idea?
Look up pictures of depictions of Atlantis and you will see it is a similitude of the throne of Jesus in Heaven, (based off biblical references). God’s throne is encircled with three rings around it – Ring 1 -. the four living creatures, representing the entire animal kingdom and all created beings, but not the redeemed church, Ring 2 - the twenty-four elders, representatives of the redeemed church, and Ring 3 -myriads and myriads of angels.
Additionally, many different ancient cultures have stories about a catastrophic worldwide flood, giants, divine beings, and a world before the present human order. Perhaps these stories reflect a shared historical memory. Even the ancient Book of Enoch describes “Watchers” (fallen angels) who taught forbidden knowledge and took women violently, mating with them, producing giant offspring. (Just as we read in Genesis 6!)
Satan, the once cherub angel in heaven, was cast from heaven, because he aspired to be God - and he still wants to be God!! He was cast to the ground. His kingdom was taken away from him.
When God put mankind on our earth that he made in 6 days, Satan was already on this earth, because he had been cast from his previous kingdom. Satan knew he was under God’s judgment. Nevertheless, he was determined to thwart God’s plan to one day depose him. He knew this plan involved Jesus, whose throne he despised and tried to usurp in heaven.
Soon after creating mankind, God told Satan, “I will put enmity between thee and between thy seed (Satan’s people) and her (Eve’s) seed (which is the coming Redeemer and Savior, and all of his redeemed children); it (her seed - Jesus) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (the crucifixion) Gen. 3:15.
So, Satan started immediately to declare war against God and his creation, to turn mankind against God, to join him and his rebellious followers in a war against God. This begins the seed war! Satan’s seed vs. God’s seed!
First, he got Eve to question God. “Hath God said . . .” Then he contradicted what God said: “Ye shall not surely die!” Gen. 3:4. He was successful in getting man to rebel against God. Sin entered the world through the sin of Adam. From that point on, we see Cain kill his brother Abel, beginning a history of human violence.
Satan had succeeded in defiling what replaced him – mankind, made in the image of God. Although Satan is powerful, he is not a creator. He is not all-knowing, nor omnipresent. He devised a plan to corrupt the seed of the woman, who God declared would one day crush his head. He determined to prevent this outcome.
God cursed the serpent, and from then on, he never again stood upright, but upon his belly, in the dust, he was consigned. Gen. 3:14.
Jude 1:6-7
6 And the angels (who joined lucifer in rebellion against God and fell from heaven) which kept not their first estate, (beginnings/origin) but left their own habitation, (GRK: oikētērion - their house, dwelling, their own bodies) he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, (angelic beings going after human beings to have sex) are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
They put on the appearance of human flesh to mingle with human women!! They left their habitation, their bodies, and changed appearance!
2 Cor.5:1-4
1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. (the house is our body, God’s dwelling place)
4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
2 Peter 2:4-6
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
Let’s look at some of the angels in the stories Abraham (Gen. 18) and in the account of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19).
In Genesis 18, three angels visited Abraham. Abraham had prepared food for them and they ate it (Gen. 18:8). Angels can appear as humans and eat food!
Gen. 19:1-3
Two godly angels visited Lot in Sodom. Lot made them a feast and they ate it. While these angels, who appeared as men, were in Lot’s house, old and young men from all over Sodom surrounded his house and asked where those two men were because they wanted to have sex with them! (Gen. 19:4-5). The crowd almost broke Lot’s door down, but the angels pulled Lot into the house, and smote the mob outside with blindness. The angels told Lot to get his family and leave town because God was about to torch the whole city.
Lot escaped with his two daughters, but his wife lingered, having been pre-warned not to look back. She loved her comfy life and possessions in this godless city, and her defiant hesitation put her in the midst of the destruction. She turned to a pillar of salt.
Soon after all this, having escaped the destruction, Lot’s two daughters got him drunk, and both had sex with him. (Gen. 19:32). They both became pregnant by their father. They bare children, Moab and Ben-ammi, out of incest. Lot comes from Shem’s line, therefore the Moabites and Ammonites came from Shem’s line through Lot.
Israel had ongoing conflicts with both the Canaanites (Ham’s line) and Lot’s descendants.
Genesis 6:2-7
2 That the sons of God (the fallen angels – who were directly created by God) saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Mankind got 120 year warning before the flood came.
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
(Their offspring are called Nephilim. The text says that these giants already existed on the earth before the days when they made babies with human women.)
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
These fallen angels were not just corrupting the genetics of humans but were messing with the genetics of animals as well. This is where the mythological images of part man and part beast originated. This is being done again in our day!
These “sons of God” were not “godly descendants of Seth’s line who intermarried with wicked and unfaithful humanity”, as some have taught along the way. (Geneva Bible, Reformation Study Bible, and the ESV Study Bible). Commentary in these bibles reject the angelic interpretation. Nevertheless, “evil boy and good girl” do not make hybrid giant monsters who only think evil thoughts continually. Gen. 6:5.
The book of Job identifies the “sons of God” as angelic beings. The fallen ones were the ones who joined Satan and were on the earth. Job 1:6-7 and 2:1-2
Job 1:6-7
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 2:1-2
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
God asks Job where he was when he laid the foundations of the earth. He told him that the sons of God were present and sang together and shouted for joy. Job. 38:4-7.
He proceeded to tell Job that a time of trouble - a day of battle and war would come in the future (Job. 38:23). In Job 41, God tells Job that everything under the whole heaven belongs to him (Job 41:11). God continues speaking to Job in Job:41.
He tells Job that there is a leviathan power on earth that esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. Arrows can’t make him flee, and sling stones are turned with him to stubble. Darts are counted as stubble, and he laughs at the shaking of a spear. God continues giving Job descriptions of this evil entity on earth. It is Satan. In verses 33-34, God says, “Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.”
Job lived after the flood, somewhere around the time of Abraham (2167-1992 B.C.) He was a righteous man. His family lineage is not told. Many scholars believe he came from the line of Shem. His genealogy was not an important part of the story. The focus was on the message of suffering, righteousness, and God’s sovereignty. The message applied to all humanity, not just one family line.
Some believers are skeptical to believe that the sons of God in Genesis 6 were angelic beings. They claim that Matthew 22:30 teaches that angels cannot have sex.
This is what Matthew 22:30 says: “In the resurrection (in heaven) they (humans) neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”
Let’s break this down to see what Jesus explicitly said:
1. Angels in heaven do not marry.
2. Resurrected humans will be like them in this respect. Jesus was explaining to the Sadducees that marriage is unnecessary in the resurrection state. Jesus did not explicitly say that angels cannot engage in sexual activity. That is an inference people have drawn, but not a direct statement. Jesus specifies angels in heaven.
Fallen angels left (abandoned) their proper state. Therefore the verse doesn’t rule out abnormal rebellion for angels on earth.
By now, you may be wondering if all this is relevant to us today. Believe me, it is! We must go down these rabbit holes before we end up in our own times, and see why the world is the way it is. Stick with me. ALL of this is very important!
Angelic beings in our time have again returned to the earth, appearing as humans! Their goal the first time was to corrupt the DNA of all flesh, mankind and animals. They almost accomplished this but there was ONE family that was not genetically corrupted in their DNA, Noah’s family (Gen. 6:9-13). God destroyed the earth and saved the Messianic covenant line leading to Jesus, when he spared Noah and his family.
The earth was very violent, corrupt, murderous, blood-obsessed, and cannibalistic before the flood. The people sacrificed their children and drank their blood. They ate them. These very things are going on again in our day! The current statistics of the World Health Organization report that about 73 million induced abortions occur worldwide each year. That equals roughly 200,000 per day, about 29% of all pregnancies worldwide. In addition to that, we are uncovering the heinous crimes of Epstein and many prominent political figures and prominent wealthy persons, who rape and sacrifice children and drink their blood, and use corporate industries to process their flesh for consumer products, including food.
Hybrid babies are still being born on earth today. Angelic entities of old, continue coming to earth to create offspring – Nephilim. God did not make these Nephilim children! They are devil-humans. Satan is trying in every way to corrupt man’s DNA once again, hence the vaccines. Stay away from them at all costs! They corrupt DNA! It is important to understand that not everyone who got the CV-19 vaccine got the ones that altered DNA, but many did! That does not mean that they took the mark of the Beast, but Satan is working overtime toward that goal!
We have another credible witness about early creation, Enoch.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam is referenced in Genesis 5:21-24, Hebrews 11:5, and in the book of Jude. He had a close relationship with God. When his time on earth was up, he did not die; God took him.
In the prophecy of Jude, in our bibles, Jude cites Enoch’s non-canonical Book of Enoch. This book was found with the Dead Sea Scrolls. That should be of some importance, because under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Enoch is quoted verbatim in Jude 1:14-15.
Here is what Enoch said: “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
The Book of Enoch is given credibility because Enoch is quoted in our bible. Enoch’s book tells about 200 watcher angels who rebelled against God. These angels created offspring with women and taught the women to use charms and enchantments. He tells that they also sinned against animals and drank blood. These were the days of Noah.
Matt. 24:37-39
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Read that again and meditate on it.
Let’s go to another witness. Did the prophet Daniel have anything to report about these last days? He did!
Daniel 2:43
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Several contemporary prophecy writers suggest that, “They” are non-human beings and that this is prophecy of a future repetition of Genesis 6 - the hybridization or corruption of humanity. Three of the more influential prophecy teachers with this view are Chuck Missler, Jimmy DeYoung, and Jack Kelley. I’m not claiming their theology, because I really don’t know it, but they got this right, in my humble opinion.
Is there any evidence in the world today that there were once highly developed and sophisticated cities and people thousands of years ago?
Yes. Real ancient civilizations existed. These appear to be be pre-history civilizations.
Göbekli Tepe (Turkey, ~9600 BC)
There are massive stone structures that could not have been built by mere hunter-gatherer human beings. These structures are much older than pyramids. The stones are perfectly aligned to sunrise or sunset at solstices and also aligned to lunar cycles. Each of the main T-shaped pillars weighs 10–20 tons (20,000–40,000 lbs.). Some of larger pillars weigh up to about 50–60 tons (100,000 to 120,000 lbs.). These are up to 18 feet tall and are carved from single blocks of limestone,
Mohenjo-daro— Indus Valley (~2500 BC)
A carefully organized and planned city layout with drainage systems and built with standardized construction which was very advanced for its time, the Bronze Age. They had straight grid-pattern streets, standardized brick sizes across the whole city, distinct residential and public areas, and carefully planned neighborhoods. Homes had private bathrooms, indoor wells, drainage systems, and toilets connected to sewers.
The city had covered sewage systems under streets, waste removal infrastructure, and standardized water management. It also had a large watertight pool (the “Great Bath”). Definitely a very unusual, advanced ancient civilization
The Great Pyramid of Giza (~2560 BC)
This pyramid was built with sophisticated engineering and precision stonework. The Great Pyramid is oriented almost perfectly to true north, with less than 0.05° error. The “air shafts” of the Great Pyramid point toward Orion’s Belt, representing Osiris, and Sirius, associated with Isis. Osiris and Isis were two of the most important gods in ancient Egyptian religion.
Stonehenge (England)
Stonehenge is extremely old (older than the pyramids). It was built in stages between 3000–1600 BC. – now roughly estimated to be 4,500–5,000 years old. The massive stones are aligned to the summer solstice sunrise and the winter solstice sunset. The placement of the stones was done with precision on a level surface. The of interlocking stones each weigh 25–30 tons.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu is one of the most remarkable ancient city sites in the world because of its skilled engineering, location, mystery of purpose, and preservation. It was built 8,000 feet above sea level, high in the Andes Mountains. Stones were cut to fit together perfectly, so tight that a knife blade can’t fit between stones. No cement or mortar was used. Windows and temples in Machu-Pichu align with sunrise at certain times of year. They had hundreds of agricultural terraces built into the mountains for controlled soil erosion and food production. They had sophisticated irrigation channels, and fresh spring water was supplied to the city.
The story is going to end one day. Satan shows up at the beginning, and he will be here until his demise at the coming of the Lord, at the end. Meanwhile, he is working hard to battle the seed of God, the saints.
In Revelation 18:11-19 we see the judgment of God fall on wicked Babylon, at the end of time, for the multitude of her sins which include the sin of merchandizing slaves, and trafficking humans - the souls of men. Today we know that once again, Satan is destroying lives by human trafficking and drugs. His sin is perverse, and for his iniquity, pride, and rebellion he was cast out of heaven before Adam and Eve were even created. He lived on the Gen. 1:1 earth and now lives in the Gen. 1:2 earth, our earth.
The antichrist, we read of in the book of Revelation, operates the same way Satan did in the beginning! He will be a wealthy businessman, a merchandiser, and involved in trafficking the souls of men. Human trafficking is Satan’s fingerprint! Satan is the evil agent that empowers and indwells the man of sin.
Babylon, in eschatology, represents a corrupt world system that practices religious, economic, cultural rebellion against God. The final world ruler of Babylon, Antichrist, is called the Beast in Revelation 13 and 17. Under his rule, the world is under utter corruption, deception, rebellion, and opposition to God. A careful study of Jeremiah 50-51 and Revelation 17-18 may make it clear to the reader what national leader may one day represent this Beast.
Rev. 18:11-13
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; (Babylon) for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Footnotes
1. The idea that the firmament (rāqîaʿ) was a solid or dome-like structure appears in several ancient Jewish, early Christian, and Ancient Near Eastern sources. Below are the main historical references where this view appears or is implied.
Ancient Jewish Sources
Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BC–50 AD)
Work: On the Creation (De Opificio Mundi)
Describes the heavens as a solid structure separating waters.
Interprets the firmament as something like a physical boundary dividing upper and lower waters.
Reference:
On the Creation, sections 27–29.
Philo connects the firmament to Greek cosmology, which commonly viewed the heavens as a solid sphere.
Josephus (c. 37–100 AD)
Work: Antiquities of the Jews
Josephus describes the firmament as:
“a firm body… set over the waters.”
He understood the rāqîaʿ as something solid and structural.
Reference:
Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, Chapter 1.
Early Christian Church Fathers
Basil the Great (330–379 AD)
Work: Hexaemeron (sermons on Genesis)
Basil takes the root “hammered out” seriously and describes the firmament as:
a strong structure
capable of holding waters above
compared to a solid surface.
Reference:
Hexaemeron, Homily 3.
He does not insist on metal hardness but treats it as a real structural boundary.
Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD)
Work: The Literal Meaning of Genesis
Augustine discusses whether the firmament is solid and acknowledges that many Christians believed it was.
He writes cautiously:
it might be solid,
but its exact nature is uncertain.
Reference:
De Genesi ad Litteram (The Literal Meaning of Genesis), Book 2.
This shows the solid-dome idea was common enough to require discussion.
Ancient Near Eastern Background (Important Context)
Enuma Elish
(Not biblical, but influential cultural background)
The sky is formed by splitting the goddess Tiamat’s body.
The heavens function as a physical structure holding back waters above.
This shows that surrounding cultures commonly pictured the sky as a solid barrier.
Scholars often reference this to explain why ancient readers might imagine a solid firmament.
Old Testament imagery sometimes cited by scholars
Some biblical texts use language that sounds structural:
Job 37:18 — heavens “hard as a molten mirror”
Ezekiel 1:22 — “expanse… like crystal”
Psalm 148:4 — waters above the heavens
These are not technical descriptions but are often cited in the discussion.
What modern scholars conclude about this view
Most biblical scholars say:
Ancient readers often pictured the sky as structured or solid.
The Hebrew word itself means “spread out/extended.”
Genesis focuses on function (separating waters), not material composition.
So the solid-dome interpretation is historically attested, even if not required by the Hebrew text itself.
My re-worded notes from from, God’s Plan For Man, Finis Jennings Dake. © 1949, renewed 1977
Earth’s First Sinful Era
(Gen. 1:2; Isa. 14:1–14; Jer. 4:23–26; Ezek. 28:11–17; 2 Pet. 3:5–6)
Moses’ Explanation of the Destruction of the Pre-Adamic World
Genesis 1:2 reveals that the earth already existed before the Spirit of God began moving over the waters that covered the planet. The connecting word “and” links together numerous separate acts of God recorded in the first two chapters of Genesis. These actions should be understood as individual divine works, each significant in its own right. Verse 2 therefore stands as a statement distinct from verse 1, just as the other creative acts described throughout these chapters are separate.
Verse 1 records the original creation of the heavens and the earth. By contrast, verse 2 describes a later condition in which the earth is found in a ruined and water-covered state. In this condition the world appears chaotic and flooded, suggesting that life which previously existed there had been destroyed.
The English word “was” in Genesis 1:2 comes from the Hebrew verb hayah, which often carries the meaning “to become” rather than simply “to be.” In many places throughout the Old Testament the word is translated “became,” “came to pass,” or “happened.” Because of this, the verse may be understood to indicate that the earth became desolate rather than being created that way originally.
The expression “without form” translates the Hebrew word tohu, a term that conveys the ideas of emptiness, waste, desolation, or confusion. In other parts of the Old Testament the same word is rendered with meanings such as wilderness, vanity, nothingness, or chaos.
When these passages are considered together, they help explain the condition described in Genesis 1:2. Scripture elsewhere makes clear that God did not create the earth in a condition of ruin or emptiness. Isaiah 45:18 specifically declares that God did not create the earth “tohu,” meaning barren or desolate. Yet Genesis 1:2 describes the earth as being in precisely that condition. If God did not originally create the earth desolate, then the desolation must have resulted from something that happened afterward.
The Hebrew word translated “void” is bohu, which conveys the idea of emptiness, devastation, or ruin. This word appears alongside tohu to describe a state of complete desolation. Together the phrase tohu va-bohu paints a picture of the earth as waste and empty, a place brought into disorder.
This description portrays the world as it existed before the six days in which God restored order to the earth. The text indicates that God did not originally create the planet in a ruined state. Instead, the earth came to be in that condition as the result of events that had previously taken place.
The Earth’s First Period of Ruin
A straightforward reading of Book of Genesis 1:1–2 suggests that the original creation of the heavens and the earth was followed by a condition in which the earth became desolate and uninhabitable. The text states that God created the heavens and the earth, but afterward the earth was found in a state of disorder and darkness, with the waters covering its surface while the Spirit of God moved over them.
These verses appear to describe events spanning an extended period rather than a single moment. During that earlier era the heavens and the earth were created, including the sun, moon, and stars. The six days described later in Genesis therefore concern the restoration and ordering of the earth, preparing it once again to be a suitable dwelling place.
When we examine these verses closely, several facts emerge. The heavens—along with the sun, moon, and stars—were already in existence before the six days of restoration began. Likewise, the earth and its waters existed prior to the moment when the Spirit of God began to move over the deep. This indicates that the celestial bodies and the basic structure of the earth were not created during the six days themselves but were already present before that period began.
Scripture does not specify how long the earth remained in this ruined and empty condition. Neither are we told how long the original creation existed before the earth became desolate. What the Bible does reveal, however, is that the earth at some point came under judgment, resulting in darkness and a catastrophic condition resembling the aftermath of divine judgment seen elsewhere in Scripture.
Throughout the Bible, when darkness and devastation accompany floods or cosmic disturbance, these events are often connected with divine judgment rather than acts of original creation.
Similar descriptions appear in passages such as Book of Exodus 10:21–23, Book of Isaiah 13:10, and Book of Joel 2:30–31, where darkness and upheaval accompany God’s intervention in judgment.
Another indication that the earth may have been inhabited prior to Adam is found in God’s command for humanity to “replenish” the earth.
In Book of Genesis 1:28, Adam is instructed to multiply and replenish the earth. The same wording later appears in Book of Genesis 9:1 when Noah and his descendants are commanded to repopulate the world after the Flood.
Some argue that the word “replenish” simply means “to fill,” not necessarily “to fill again.” Yet when the usage of the Hebrew term is examined in other passages, it does not require the meaning of filling something for the first time. In many contexts it refers to filling something that had previously been occupied. The idea can be illustrated by common expressions: if one fills a container with water, it does not imply that the container has never been filled before.
Because the same expression is used for both Adam and Noah, it suggests that the earth had been populated before the command was given in each case. Thus the instruction to Adam may indicate that the earth had previously been inhabited but had been emptied or devastated prior to the restoration described in the six days of Genesis.
Isaiah’s Teaching About the Overthrow of the Pre-Adamic World
In Book of Isaiah 14:12–14, we encounter a passage that many interpreters understand as describing the fall of Lucifer. The statements found in this passage cannot be fully explained as referring merely to a human ruler. While the king of Babylon may serve as the visible figure addressed in the prophecy, the language points beyond him to a greater, unseen power operating behind earthly authority.
Scripture sometimes speaks in this way, addressing a visible individual while simultaneously revealing the spiritual power influencing him. A similar example appears when Jesus rebuked Peter in Gospel of Matthew 16:23, saying, “Get behind me, Satan.” Christ was speaking to Peter, yet the rebuke was directed toward the adversary influencing him.
For this reason, many interpreters understand Isaiah’s passage to contain a double reference: one to the earthly ruler of Babylon and another to the spiritual being who stood behind that kingdom. When the language of the passage is examined carefully, several details emerge that point to a supernatural figure.
The passage identifies the fallen figure as “Lucifer” and describes him as having fallen from heaven. Such language does not fit the life of an ordinary human ruler. It speaks instead of a being who once possessed a high position but was cast down.
The text also describes his ambition to exalt his throne above the stars of God and to ascend into the heights of heaven. These statements portray a rebellion motivated by pride and the desire to rival the authority of God Himself.
Additionally, the passage indicates that this figure had influence over nations and possessed a throne and a realm under his rule. This implies that he exercised authority over a kingdom prior to his downfall.
From these statements some conclude that Lucifer once held a position of rulership connected with the earth. His fall from that position brought judgment and devastation, which may explain the ruined condition of the earth described at the beginning of Genesis.
According to this view, the catastrophe that left the earth desolate occurred before the creation of Adam. When Adam was later placed in the Garden, dominion over the earth was given to him, indicating that whatever authority Lucifer once possessed had already been lost.
Further Clues and Evidence for a Pre-Creation
1. The Earth Was Created Perfect, Not Chaotic
The earth was not originally created in a ruined state.
Isaiah 45:18
“He created it not in vain; he formed it to be inhabited.”
The Hebrew word translated “vain” is tohu, the same word used in Genesis 1:2 where the earth is described as “without form.”
Argument used:
God did not create the earth tohu
Yet Genesis 1:2 says it became tohu
Therefore something happened between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2
2. Darkness and Flooding Often Indicate Judgment
In Scripture, catastrophic darkness and flooding frequently appear in connection with divine judgment.
Examples:
Exodus 10:21–23 — plague of darkness
Isaiah 13:9–10 — cosmic darkness in judgment
Joel 2:30–31 — sun darkened
Matthew 24:29 — similar imagery
Genesis 1:2 resembles a judgment scene, not the initial act of creation.
3. The Word “Replenish”
In Genesis 1:28, Adam is told to replenish the earth.
The same command appears after the Flood:
Genesis 9:1
Noah re-populated the earth after destruction
Therefore Adam may have been told to restore population after an earlier catastrophe
4. Lucifer’s Fall and a Possible Earthly Kingdom
Isaiah 14:12–15
The passage describes Lucifer:
falling from heaven
ruling nations
possessing a throne
seeking to ascend above the stars of God
Jesus also refers to this very event:
Luke 10:18
“I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”
Bible interpreters have concluded:
Lucifer had authority connected with the earth
His rebellion brought catastrophic judgment
This destruction may explain Genesis 1:2
5. The Fall of Satan Occurred Before Adam
Several passages suggest Satan had already fallen by the time of Eden.
Ezekiel 28:12–17
This passage describes a being:
originally perfect
in Eden
later cast down because of pride
This indicates Satan’s fall predates humanity.
Early Christian and Later Writers Who Held Similar Views
There have been various authors with similar beliefs about a pre-creation. Here are some important ones.
Early Jewish and Christian Influences
Philo of Alexandria – early speculation about cosmic ages
Origen – speculated about pre-human worlds
They did not teach the gap theory exactly but opened the door to such thinking.
Classic Gap Theory Teachers
19th–20th century writers strongly promoted this view:
Thomas Chalmers – early gap theory advocate
G. H. Pember – Earth’s Earliest Ages
Clarence Larkin – dispensational charts
Finis Jennings Dake – God’s Plan for Man
These writers developed the pre-Adamic world interpretation much more fully.
Even scholars who reject the gap theory still agree on two points:
Satan fell before Genesis 3
Satan once had great authority
Pre-Adamic History
The Old Testament preserves three separate giant races and three different Hebrew words for them.
Many readers lump all “giants” together, but the Hebrew Bible actually uses several distinct terms for large or powerful peoples. The three most commonly discussed are Nephilim, Anakim, and Rephaim. Each term appears in different contexts and locations in the biblical narrative.
1. The Nephilim
The Nephilim appear earliest in Scripture.
Book of Genesis 6:4
Book of Numbers 13:33
Genesis describes them as mighty men of old, men of renown. Later, the Israelite spies in Numbers say they saw the descendants of the Nephilim in Canaan and that they felt like grasshoppers in comparison.
1. The Nephilim
The offspring of supernatural beings and humans.
2. The Anakim
A people group living in Canaan when Israel arrived. They were described as:
tall and formidable
feared by surrounding nations
living especially in the hill country of Canaan
Deuteronomy 9:2
Joshua 11:21–22
Joshua later drove many of them out of the land, though some remained in Philistine cities such as Gaza and Gath.
3. The Rephaim
The Rephaim appear frequently in passages describing ancient peoples east of the Jordan. They were remembered as a powerful and unusually large people. One famous figure associated with them is Og king of Bashan, whose iron bedstead is mentioned as evidence of his great size.
Genesis 14:5
Deuteronomy 3:11
Joshua 12:4
The name also survives in geographical terms such as the Valley of Rephaim near Jerusalem.
4. Related Groups
Several other peoples are sometimes connected with the Rephaim or similar traditions:
Emim – mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:10–11
Zamzummim – mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:20
These groups are described as large and formidable peoples who inhabited the region before Israel arrived.
5. What the Bible Actually States vs. Later Interpretations
Although the bible does not provide detailed biological explanations, biblical text clearly says these people were:
unusually tall
feared warriors
remembered for their strength
Both ancient and modern writers have tried to connect these groups with the Nephilim of Genesis.
6. Why These Terms Matter for Biblical Geography
These names often appear when describing the territory Israel conquered. Lists of ancient inhabitants - such as Genesis 15:18–21 show that Canaan was populated by many different peoples before Israel settled there.
Understanding the different terms helps us see that the biblical authors were referring to multiple tribes or ethnic groups, not just a single category of “giants.”
There is a geographic pattern to where these groups lived that stretches from Bashan down through Canaan to the Philistine cities.
That pattern becomes important when studying figures like Goliath and other large warriors mentioned later in the Bible.
A reasonable geographic observation can be made that many of the large warrior peoples mentioned in the Old Testament were located around the edges of the territory Israel eventually occupied. However, it should be stated carefully: the Bible does not explicitly say they were placed there to “surround Israel,” but their locations do form a noticeable pattern.
1. Giant Clans on the East of the Jordan
Several groups described as unusually large lived east of the Jordan River before Israel entered Canaan.
Rephaim in Bashan
– Deuteronomy 3:11Emim in Moab
– Deuteronomy 2:10–11Zamzummim in Ammon
– Deuteronomy 2:20–21
These groups occupied territory east and northeast of Israel’s future homeland.
2. Giant Clans in the Hill Country of Canaan
The Anakim lived in southern and central Canaan.
Joshua 11:21–22
Joshua drove them out of most areas, but some survived in Philistine cities.
3. Survivors in Philistine Cities
After Israel’s conquest, remnants appear among the Philistines.
Goliath of Gath
– 1 Samuel 17:4
Later passages mention several other large warriors from the same region.
This places a remaining concentration along Israel’s western coastal frontier.
4. A Rough Geographic Pattern
When the passages are plotted geographically, the groups appear in a ring-like pattern:
North / Northeast - Rephaim
East- Emim
Southeast- Zamzummim
South-central Canaan - Anakim
Southwest (Philistia) - Giant warriors like Goliath
This creates the impression that large warrior clans were located along the outer zones surrounding Israel’s central territory.
5. What Conclusion Can Safely Be Drawn
A cautious conclusion would be:
Several groups remembered for great size lived on the margins of Israel’s later territory.
Israel encountered them during the conquest period.
Over time they were gradually displaced or absorbed into surrounding nations.
Many of the peoples described as giants were located around the perimeter regions of Canaan.
Israel encountered them in multiple directions during its expansion.
But the biblical text does not explicitly state they were intentionally arranged to surround Israel.
There is a connection between Bashan (home of the Rephaim) and later Jewish traditions about the “realm of the dead.”
That connection actually affects how some scholars interpret the giant traditions in the Old Testament.
1. Satan Fell Before Genesis 3
The basic covenant-theology argument is simple:
In Genesis 3 Satan already appears as:
evil
deceptive
opposed to God
hostile to humanity
already under judgment
Therefore his rebellion must have preceded the temptation of Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3 Assumes a Prior Fall
The serpent is not introduced as morally neutral.
He is:
“more crafty” (Gen. 3:1)
a deceiver
one who contradicts God’s word
one already alienated from God
The text never narrates Satan becoming evil in Eden. He arrives evil already.
The fall of man presupposes an earlier angelic rebellion.
2. Supporting Biblical Passages
John 8:44
Christ says of the devil:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.”
Amillennial writers commonly understand “from the beginning” not as meaning Satan was created evil, but that from the beginning of human history he had already become the adversary.
1 John 3:8
“The devil has been sinning from the beginning.”
Again, this points to Satan already existing as a rebel at the dawn of redemptive history.
Revelation 12:7–9
Amillennial interpreters usually do not see this as a literal prehistoric chronology of Satan’s original fall.
Instead, many (especially Beale) see Revelation 12 as symbolic and Christ-centered:
Satan is decisively cast down through Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension.
Yet the imagery presupposes an older rebellion already in existence.
So Revelation 12 is often viewed as:
not the first fall of Satan,
but the judicial defeat and restriction of Satan through Christ’s kingdom victory.
2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6
These texts are major supports:
“God did not spare angels when they sinned…”
“The angels who did not stay within their own position of authority…”
These passages clearly affirm:
some angels fell,
they abandoned their assigned station,
judgment followed.
Covenant theologians usually connect these passages with Satan’s primordial rebellion before Eden.
3. Satan Once Had Great Authority
This is also widely affirmed in Reformed theology.
The argument comes from:
Satan’s titles,
his apparent heavenly access,
and symbolic descriptions in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14.
Ezekiel 28 as Typological Support
Many Reformed interpreters reject the simplistic idea that Ezekiel 28 is directly about Satan alone.
However, they often argue:
the King of Tyre becomes a typological picture,
reflecting the deeper pride and fall of Satan behind earthly rebellion.
Key language includes:
“You were in Eden…”
“You were an anointed guardian cherub…”
“You were blameless… till unrighteousness was found in you.”
Amillennial/Reformed scholars usually handle this carefully:
immediate referent = King of Tyre
ultimate backdrop = satanic pride and heavenly rebellion
This fits covenant theology’s pattern of earthly rulers reflecting spiritual powers behind them.
Beale especially emphasizes this biblical theme: earthly kingdoms mirror demonic rebellion against God.
Isaiah 14
Likewise, Isaiah 14 primarily addresses the king of Babylon.
But many historic theologians saw a secondary allusion to Satanic pride:
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star…”
Again:
not necessarily a direct biography of Satan,
but an archetypal description of proud rebellion that reflects Satan’s fall.
Evidence of Former Authority
“Prince of this world”
Jesus repeatedly calls Satan:
“the ruler/prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11)
This indicates real—but temporary and derivative—authority.
Amillennial theology stresses:
Satan never possessed autonomous sovereignty,
but exercised immense influence over fallen humanity and the nations.
“God of this age” — 2 Corinthians 4:4
Paul says:
“the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers”
Again:
not equality with God,
but delegated and corrupted dominion.
Temptation Narrative — Matthew 4
Satan offers Christ:
“all the kingdoms of the world”
The temptation only has force if Satan possesses significant influence over earthly kingdoms.
Eden as Cosmic Mountain Sanctuary
Following lines developed strongly by scholars like Beale and Kline:
Eden is viewed as a temple-sanctuary,
cherubic imagery connects heavenly and earthly realms,
Satan’s intrusion into Eden reflects a prior heavenly expulsion and hostility toward God’s kingdom.
Representative Conclusions
Herman Bavinck
Bavinck affirms:
angels were created good,
some fell before humanity’s temptation,
Satan became head of the kingdom of darkness.
Anthony Hoekema
Hoekema presents Satan as:
already fallen before Genesis 3,
possessing significant but limited authority,
progressively restrained through redemptive history,
decisively defeated at Christ’s first coming.
John Calvin
Calvin avoids speculative detail but clearly teaches:
demons were originally created good,
later corrupted themselves through rebellion,
Satan was already apostate by Genesis 3.
Amillennial theology especially stresses:
Satan is real and powerful,
yet already defeated in principle through Christ,
presently restrained from deceiving the nations as before Christ’s coming,
awaiting final judgment.
So while Satan once possessed immense authority among angels and over fallen humanity, his dominion is now decisively broken by Christ’s reign.
Satan fell before Genesis 3 because:
Genesis 3 presents him already evil,
New Testament texts speak of angels who sinned,
the serpent enters Eden as an already-corrupted being.
Satan once possessed high authority because:
he appears connected with exalted heavenly imagery,
Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 typologically reflect satanic pride and downfall,
Scripture assigns him significant dominion-language (“prince of this world”),
yet all authority remained derivative and subordinate to God.
The overall biblical-theological picture is:
a glorious creature rebelled against God,
sought to overthrow God’s kingdom through humanity,
but Christ, the true covenant head, has decisively defeated him.
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