The Nephilim, Giants on the Earth

There are two main views on this subject,  whether the angels where interbreeding with the human race or whether these were people who where rebellious bullies and tyrants, and great in their sins. We will explore the texts in question and leave it to the reader as to which to accept.

It is the following verses that have sparked the controversy, 

(Ge 6:1-8) "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 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. 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."

(Nu 13:32-33) "And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature⁴⁰⁶⁰. And there we saw the giants⁵³⁰³, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants⁵³⁰³: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

(Job 4:18) "Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly⁸⁴¹⁷:"

(Jd 1:6-8) "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities."

And what where the sins of Sodom and Gomorrha? Sexual sins!

What does it mean by giants?

According to Strongs  ⁵³⁰³From H5307; properly, a feller, that is, a bully or tyrant: - giant.

⁴⁰⁶⁰Feminine of H4055; properly extension, that is, height or breadth; also a measure (including its standard); hence a portion (as measured) or a vestment; specifically tribute (as measured): - garment, measure (-ing, meteyard, piece, size, (great) stature, tribute, wide.

What does it mean by folly?

 ⁸⁴¹⁷Feminine of an unused noun (apparently from H1984) meaning bluster; braggadocio, that is, (by implication) fatuity: - folly.

^H1984A primitive root; to be clear (originally of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show; to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively to celebrate; also to stultify: - (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (-ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.

Are only angels considered the "sons of God" or also man?

Here are two scriptures that speak of angels as being "sons of God";

(Job 1:6) "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them." 

(Job 38:7) "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" 

The angels having been created by God are rightly called the sons of God as was Adam, the first man having been created by God.

(Luke 3:38) "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." 

Are any others called the "sons of God"?

(Hosea 1:10) "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall (NOT YET) be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God." 

(Romans 8:19) "For the earnest expectation of the creature waits (WAITING FOR THE TRANSFORMATION) for the manifestation of the sons of God." 

(2Corinthians 6:18) "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

(Galatians 4:5-6) "To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (MIGHT BECOME SONS). And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." 

Speaking here of the future, notice the words waiteth, will be,  shall be, and  might receive, to happen after Christ's return when his begotten will be transformed.

The following scriptures are taken out of context and normally used to prove one can be called the "sons of God" prior to the Lords return.

(Romans 8:14) "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. "

What they have failed to disclose is the following verses,

(Romans 7:14-23) "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me... For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: ... But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." 

(Romans 8:18-23) "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God... And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

Until we are transformed at Christ's return our carnal is in a constant battle with our spiritual, thus preventing us from becoming true spirit lead sons of God until our transformation is complete.
Paul explained that, through the sacrifice of Jesus, and the grace of God, all men can, [future tense] become the "sons of God" through "adoption".

Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees From "The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament" state that angels were the Sons of God, this was also the view of Josephus and of Philo.

Angels physically capable?

(Heb13:1) ... of the hospitality be not forgetful, for through this unawares certain did entertain angels;

Angels can appear just as human as any of us.

(Mark 12:25) "For when they shall rise from the dead (speaking of those resurrected at judgment day), they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven."

Get that? "give in marriage".  Note: The angels are not to marry, it does not say they are unable to have sex, only that they are not supposed to. 

As for Jude 1:6-8, it needs no explanation, it is clearly self explanatory! 

They gave themselves over to WHAT?

If they were destroyed in the flood, how could they still be in the land later?

Num. 13:33 :  "there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, which come of the Nephilim". 

The answer is in Gen. 6:4,

 "There were Nephilim in the earth in those days (days of Noah); 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" (renowned for their ungodliness).

So after the Flood, there was a second folly of these fallen angels (angels are not restricted in travel), smaller in number and limited in area, for the most part confined to Canaan, and were known as "the nations of Canaan". 

See also The Antiquities Of The Jews Book I Chapter III

The Church of God Proclaimed