Question:
In Genesis 6:4 who are the Nephilim? Are they angels or did God create other beings beside men and angels?
Answer:
There is much speculation, and the Bible does not answer directly.
As sensational as it sounds, they were probably a race of men who were birthed by women who cohabited with demon possessed men. If Satan could corrupt the seed of humankind, he could thwart, in his thinking, any chance a sinless Savior could be brought forth from “the seed of woman”.
We get hints of this because there were demons from that phase of history who were exiled to “the pit” for violating their natural domain. The most sensible conclusion is that they engaged in human affairs that violated the boundaries God had set for them.
For those Christians who believe in the Tribulation in the last days, those demons will be released for a short time to torment sinful mankind who has rejected God. This is also a sensible conclusion because it clearly defines that God banished the demons for a reason that would come in handy later and further demonstrates that texts of this nature are literal, and not symbolic.
Think about it… if God is going to pour out His wrath on a world that has rejected Him, what better way than to unleash some really hacked off demons who have been penned up in the dark for several thousands of years.
There are some who find the possibility of a semi-demonically originated race of giants too fantastic to believe… but there is no reason textually to doubt that is a very possible, in my opinion probable, explanation and definition of “Nephilim”.
If you believe in an allegorical or symbolic interpretation of either Genesis or Revelation, you will most likely not accept this view.