1 – What is the Alien Gospel?
2 – Invasion by the Forces of Darkness
3 – Invasion by the Forces of Light? UFOs? Hybrids/Giants?
4 – Apocryphal Works: Old and New
5 – Reverse-Engineering/Embellishment of Artistic Works
6 – “As the Days of Noah. . . Seed of the Woman”
7 – Staying on Track
8 – Where to Draw the Line
APPENDIX 1: “Mingle themselves with seed of men” (Daniel 2:43)
APPENDIX 2: Why the Book of Enoch was not written by Enoch
APPENDIX 3: What’s wrong with the Book of Jasher?
APPENDIX 4: How Canon Scripture Differs from Apocryphal Literature
3 – Invasion by the Forces of Light? UFOs? Hybrids/Giants?
Now regarding the idea of invasion from outer space (mentioned in the opening section), this is not entirely without basis. The Book of Revelation makes it clear that Christ and His followers will invade our earthly realm at the Battle of Armageddon:
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war… And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (19:11,14)
These invaders are not enemies – a lie which the False Prophet’s propaganda machine may well try to propagate in human society; rather, they will be the saviors of our very troubled world. And although people might think they are coming from outer space, in reality, they are spiritual beings who will materialize as they leave their celestial dimension and enter our earthly realm. In this way, they can do double-duty: engage in battle against both the demonic spirits of the Dragon and the earthly forces and weapons of the Antichrist and False Prophet.
What it will look like to see “heaven opened” and to see Christ and His armies descending on white horses is difficult to imagine. Sounds like it will be an absolutely awesome event. Perhaps it could be likened to an invasion from outer space… except of course for the “white horses”.
Now this general picture is really about all we have right now; trying to get more specific about it is difficult. We may speculate about the future, but it is important to recognize what is speculation and what is certain and revealed truth. For prophecies already fulfilled, it is easy to know what they mean. But those still in the process of getting fulfilled require a certain amount of guesswork. There is a vacuum of understanding, so to speak, along with plenty of theories, ideas, and interpretations promoted to try and fill that vacuum.
And so there are different versions of the “alien gospel” scenario for humanity’s future; some of these are plausible enough. At least there is corroboration in the prophetic Word of God (especially the Book of Revelation) for what to our natural minds may seem wildly improbable: the widespread intrusion of demonic angels (12:4,7-10); the invasion of planet Earth by Christ and His armies (19:11,14); the call by demons to gather Earth’s armies to fight against them (16:16; 19:19).
But to project beyond the above scenarios requires a certain amount of speculation beyond what is written in the Bible… much of which should be taken with a dose of healthy skepticism.
Many teachers nowadays seem rather sure that demon materialization will happen on a fairly broad scale. From what we have seen so far, there does not seem to be much corroboration for this in the Scriptures. So that puts it in the “perhaps” category.
And an even bigger “perhaps” are “trans-humanist” theories that these demons will procreate with human beings and thereby give birth to hybrid beings capable of operating in the earthly realm with enhanced abilities and wisdom inherited from their non-earthly parent. Or if they don’t mate with humans, they will manipulate our DNA to create these hybrid beings. These beings, however they come about, will take over the earth and because of their foreign DNA, will corrupt human DNA. This in turn, as the theory goes, might cause the extinction of the human race if it were not for the Lord’s intervention at the Battle of Armageddon.
The question now is, what about these more extreme aspects of what is generally known as the “alien gospel”? Are demons going to materialize on a broad scale into our earthly realm? Will they mate with human beings and produce superhuman offspring? Will they corrupt human DNA to such a great extent that it will threaten the existence of the human race?
Such scenarios sound far-fetched; and well they should. But regarding the possibility of “fallen angels” materializing and interbreeding with human beings, there seems to be reference in the Old Testament to this: “the sons of God (common Old Testament term for ‘angels’) 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.” (Genesis 6:4)
Later on, the New Testament Books of Second Peter and Jude also seem to refer to these “sons of God”; they are called the “angels who sinned… who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode.” And they wound up being “cast down to hell and delivered into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment” in that era when God “did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah… bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.” (2 Peter 2:4-5, Jude 6)
So if these passages have been translated correctly, then there is some precedence in the Scriptures for thinking that the demonic angels, who (according to Revelation 12:8-9) are going to get kicked out of Heaven, could try the same trick that, apparently, happened long ago before the Great Flood.
So that begs the question: Will it actually happen? Will similar unions of demons and humans take place in this final era prior to Earth’s great “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation”? (Daniel 12:1) Perhaps the best answer is to say that it is not impossible, but, as we shall see, there are no prophetic Scriptures giving a definite prediction about it. That stamp of divine authority, which these theories sometimes claim to have, is not there. (More on this matter in upcoming posts.)
Anyway, let us assume that this kind of scenario did take place before (and after) the Flood, and assume also that it will happen again. What then can be said about the aliens-from-outer-space aspect of those theories?
Nowadays, there is some currency along these lines because of scientific discoveries about the vastness of the universe and because of speculations about the possibility of the existence of extra-terrestrial beings and invasion by alien beings from other planets; in addition, popular sci-fi culture has created a certain susceptibility in Earth’s populace towards believing in this kind of scenario.
Most compelling though, are the many reports of UFO sightings – odd-looking “spaceships”, hovering and darting about in the sky. These observed phenomena lend considerable support to the belief that extra-terrestrial beings exist and appear to be keeping an eye on the state of our world. These extra-terrestrial beings and their “ships” may have materialized from the spiritual realm; or they may have come from distant stars.
Whatever the case, this seems to be one of those “secret things” which God has chosen not to reveal yet to mankind – at least not in full. We can trust, though, that whenever we do need to understand, God will make the full reality known. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)
There is a fine line here, and a need to balance the desire to look outward (exploring new horizons like UFOs, outer space, etc.) and the urgent need to look inward, to consolidate and work on the challenges that lie on our doorstep (our planet’s critical state: the possibility of nuclear war, pollution of the environment, upcoming food and water crises, and so on).
But as far as UFOs are concerned, since they obviously are so far removed from our earthly realm and technology, there seems little point in paying much attention to them. No need to start ringing the alarm bells about something that is quite beyond our capacity to do anything about. Whatever their function or purpose is, and whatever mission God wants to use them for, will happen regardless of what we on the earthly level may think or try to do. That factor known as “God’s control” is often overlooked in these UFO speculations.
Now what about the hybrid procreation theories? Recent discoveries in DNA biotechnology and gene manipulation have given some impetus to these ideas about demons trying to intervene in this area in order to corrupt the gene structure of mankind. But it does seem a bit of a stretch to think that this has potential to cause the extinction of the human race.
Jesus did predict that “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved.” (Matthew 24:22) Most likely, this Scripture is referring to mankind’s capacity to destroy himself through warfare and his weapons of war. And we may conjecture too that the expulsion of Satan’s forces from the celestial into the earthly realm at that time makes the possibility of massive annihilation all the more likely.
Regarding the new Age to come, it was prophesied, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3) One gets the impression that warfare is the prime activity from the former Age that is to be abolished in the new Age to come… because that was the evil that came closest to destroying the Creation of God.
Nowhere does the Bible give any hint that humankind ever was, or ever will be, in danger of extinction because of genetic manipulation. It is true that some of the new “advances” in biotechnology have already caused some harm to agricultural crops, livestock, and consequently, to our health. But to extrapolate from there into dire predictions of future worldwide disaster could be one over-hyped aspect of the “alien gospel” that should not be taken too seriously.
But problems arise because teachers tend to propound their theories in overly definite, convincing terms, as if they were established fact. As a result readers or viewers can easily lose sight of the fact that these ideas exist in the realm of speculation. Ephesians 4:14 exhorts believers to “no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth.” (TLB) Teachers can tend to get over-zealous with their pet doctrines. But a degree of healthy skepticism is always in order, especially in that shadowy realm of hypothetical scenarios.
There is enough twisting of truth in the world of commercial advertising without having to contend with the same in the world of religious propagation. Enhancement of the message always helps, it is true, but when proclaiming the truths of God, accuracy is equally important.
Especially when it comes to forecasting the future. It is easy to understand, with the benefit of hindsight, how past events have fulfilled prophetic statements made in the Bible. But for prophecies about the future, since those events haven’t happened yet, it is a difficult exercise to predict with certainty what the future will bring. We may see their foreshadows in the present, but when trying to ascertain what actually will happen, it is always safer to speak in fairly general terms.
Direct revelation, however, as found in the Books of Daniel and Revelation, can furnish a detailed picture. If there is enough proof from the Bible, then that can support an idea or theory that may seem unusual.
For example, Revelation 13:16-18 predicts the arrival of a commercial exchange system whereby people merely have to get a “mark on their right hand or on their foreheads”, along with a “666-number”, in order to “buy or sell”. These words lend a great deal of support to the theory that we are entering this kind of system already: barcodes have a 666-number embedded in them, and they are needed for selling purposes, and for the “mark” the technology has arrived (but not implemented) by which it would be possible to have a “credit card” tattooed on or embedded in the skin, something that could be used for buying purposes.
Such a worldwide, cashless and cardless system of exchange is something we can envision coming about because there is enough corroboration for it in the Bible and in the historical reality of present day technology.
As for the “alien gospel”, although there may be some basis in modern technology, there still remains the question: is there enough Scriptural support for this doctrine, especially its more extreme aspects? The Scriptures cited above from Genesis and 2Peter and Jude seem to support the idea that some form of demonic materialization and hybrid procreation in the earthly realm did happen in the past.
But that doesn’t prove that the same is going to happen now or in the near future. Will God allow it, or have the rules of the game changed? Is there any Scriptural basis for thinking that it will happen again? With this in mind some teachers have tried to buttress the “alien gospel” doctrine with certain Scriptures.
An important one is Daniel 2:43 about the End of the Age. “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.” (KJV) The “mingle themselves with the seed of men” phrase is what some teachers latch onto as a prediction that demonic entities will interfere genetically with the human race. But this interpretation of the phrase yanks it out of the context of the rest of the passage about the future political-economic powers that were to rule over the nation of Israel and much of the rest of the world.
To understand more thoroughly why Daniel 2:43 does not fit the “alien gospel” version of future history requires a lengthy (and somewhat technical) explanation, and for whoever is interested, it may be found in Appendix 1.
Another support often invoked for the “alien gospel” is the Book of Enoch, and other pseud-epigraphical (false title) works, which contain many references to the pre-Flood days when some of the angels are thought to have materialized and mated with women of the Earth. (See Appendix 2 and Appendix 3 about the Books of Enoch and Jasher respectively.) As mentioned, the Book of Genesis appears to support the idea that these “sons of God” did materialize, and they (or their offspring) were “mighty men of old, men of renown” and probably wielded a great deal of influence in that ancient world. (6:4)
The Book of Genesis, however, does not say anything more about these “mighty men… of renown”. The Book of Enoch (along with the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Jasher) elaborates on the subject, saying that the influence of these “mighty men of renown” was responsible for the corrupting of mankind in the pre-Flood Age. In addition, there are sections that imply these materialized angels knew how to mix human and animal genes and thereby create “chimeras” – creatures with mixed gene origins, some of them being part human and part animal, like the half-man, half-goat “satyrs” of Greek-Roman mythology.
These passages in the Book of Enoch (along with the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Jasher) are thought to be descriptions of what happened in ancient times and a foreshadowing of what is happening now in the laboratories of modern biotechnologists who are experimenting with this sort of thing. This in turn lends support to theories of dire consequences for the future of the human race.
But to arrive at this conclusion requires some leaps in logic – jumping from assumption to assumption: that the “men of renown” knew how to manipulate genes; that it became widespread during the pre-Flood age; that it precipitated God’s judgment of the Flood; that such gene manipulation will happen again; that it will threaten the survival of the human race. On top of that, there is reason to believe that these Books, although inspiring to some degree, belonged to the historical fiction genre and were not actual historical accounts. (This subject is covered more fully in the next Post 4.)
According to the Book of Enoch, this sort of activity was responsible for the downfall of humanity before the Flood, which necessitated God’s “bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly.” (2Peter 2:5) The Book of Genesis, however, speaks in more general terms as to why the Flood came: “the wickedness of man was great in the earth… every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (6:5) The blame seems to fall on Earth’s inhabitants, and not specifically on the “men of renown” – although, of course, it is possible they could have influenced humanity to head in the wrong direction.
Genesis 6 goes on to say, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth’.” (verses 11-13)
The “corrupting” phrases here are thought to refer to gene manipulation by the “men of renown”; this may be, but probably, it would be safer to stick to a general interpretation – that it refers to mankind’s departure from the ways and worship of God. That could also describe the state of our modern world, as does the next phrase “filled with violence”.
Were the “men of renown” giants?
In the pre-Flood world giantism was not unusual. People may have been twice as tall, or even more, than human beings of today. It is well known from fossil evidence that plants and animals were much larger than they are now. Because of Earth’s protected atmosphere (with its “waters above the expanse”), and the resulting more compressed and denser atmosphere, all living organisms were sheltered from the Sun’s harmful radiation and were able to absorb oxygen more easily. (Genesis 1:6-7) These factors enabled human beings to live much longer and grow much bigger. Human fossils from pre-Flood times, and tombs from very ancient post-Flood times, show evidence that many, if not most, of our ancestors were originally quite large in size.
Genesis 6:4 states, “There were giants 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.” “Giants” comes from the Hebrew word nephilim, meaning “fallen ones”. So the passage is really saying, “There were ‘fallen ones’ in those days.” These “fallen ones” were the “the mighty men who were of old, men of renown”. They were also “giants”, but in those days that was nothing unusual.
It seems that the word nephilim did not become associated with giantism until much later – in Numbers 13:33, in reference to the giants whom the spies saw on their scouting expedition into the Promised Land. Whether or not these “giants”, whom the Israelites encountered in the Promised Land were also “men of renown” (that is, “fallen ones”, materialized angels or their offspring), is difficult to say. (Moses does not elaborate on the subject in Numbers 13.)
In the post-Flood era the usual word was rapha or rephaim, used 23 times to refer to these giant races who were still lingering in the earth after the Flood. The genetic pool for giantism was still active and had not yet petered out since early post-Flood days.
Because Earth’s atmosphere had become thin in comparison to its pre-Flood days, giants probably lacked stamina because they could not absorb the amount of oxygen their bodies needed. This may be why the word for “giant” (rapha/rephaim, meaning “fearful ones”) is closely related to the word for “weak, faint, feeble” (rapha). As time went on, the giant races died out or were killed off until now the genetic pool for giantism seems to have disappeared.
As mentioned, the Hebrew word commonly used in post-Flood times for “giants” is rephaim. Except for Numbers 13:3, there doesn’t seem to be any other reference to the nephilim, anything to suggest the post-Flood giants were outstanding or superhuman “men of renown”. “Alien gospel” doctrine proposes that these giants in the Promised Land had demonically inherited “seed”, which necessitated their removal from the earth. Perhaps some fell into this category, but it is just as likely that some, if not most, were giant-sized human beings, nothing more.
When the children of Israel invaded the Promised Land, they were supposed to eliminate all the inhabitants of the land, both the small-sized ones and the giant-sized ones. Other than size, it doesn’t seem there was any major difference between them. Biologically, both were natural human beings… except perhaps for a few who may have been actual nephilim.
