Genesis 6:4

The Sons of God

What is the scriptural meaning of “the sons of God” in Genesis 6:4? In the beginning, before God created man, He created spirit beings known as “angels.” They possess a higher level of life than humans, as they live forever and are not subject to death. In Job 1:6 & 2:1, “the sons of God” clearly refers to angels. In this case the angels are coming before God—and the chief fallen angel, Satan, appears with them. Though Satan and the demons can come before God, as do righteous angels, they are not called “the sons of God.” Yet, some Jewish occult, mystic, kabalistic authorities interpret the phrase “the sons of God” in Genesis 6:4 to mean fallen angels or demons. They claim that these wicked spirits cohabited with women and their offspring resulted in a race of super human beings or giants— half angel and half man.

On the other hand, God created man from the dust of the earth. Thus, we are physical beings subject to death—and cannot live forever, as do the angels. God created humans male and female in order to bring forth children after their image, after their kind. Subsequently, through procreation, God has created all human beings, though they all die (Gen. 3:19; Rom. 5:12; I Cor. 15:22; Heb. 9:27).

The true scriptural meaning of this verse cannot be understood from the context alone, nor is it disclosed in the Old Testament. The answer is only found in the New Testament—given by Jesus Christ, Who was the Lord God of the Old Testament and Creator of both angels and mankind before He was God manifested in the flesh. When answering a question about the resurrection, Jesus said, “The children of this age [from Adam to the final judgment] marry and are given in marriage; but those who are accounted worthy to obtain that age [the coming kingdom of God], and the resurrection from the dead [to eternal life], neither marry nor are given in marriage; and neither can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels, and are the children of God, being children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:34- 36). Jesus’ answer clearly shows that angels—righteous or fallen—do not marry nor are given in marriage. Therefore, the phrase “the sons of God” can only refer to male human beings “who came in to the daughters of men”— which resulted in “giants.” They were human beings who reproduced after the human kind—kind after kind. They were not half angel and half human—an impossible cross-hybrid of man and angel. Angels are created spirit beings who live forever. They were not created with sexual reproductive organs. Thus, it is impossible for them to physically cohabit with human women and produce offspring.