The book of Revelation tells us that during the coming seven year tribulation period, people will have to take what is called the "mark of the beast" in order to buy and sell. This is found in Chapter 13 "16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."
There is one big problem with agreeing to and receiving the "mark of the beast". This act will doom your soul to hell for all of eternity as this verse from Revelation Chapter 14 tells us: "11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
What is it that makes the "mark of the beast" such a deadly decision for a person's spiritual well being? Doesn't God understand that without this "mark" you couldn't feed your children, hold a job, or even have a place to live? Is God that heartless? How could the God who sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for the sin of all mankind be so judgmental against those who receive the "mark of the beast"?
Concerning this time period, scripture reveals to us that those who refuse the "mark" will be hunted down and killed. The tribulations period will have all of mankind having to make a decision between two choices: A. take the "mark" and be allowed to prosper for a very short period of time but then suffer an eternity in hell or B. refuse the "mark" and suffer for a relatively short period of time but then spend an eternity with God in heaven.
If a person receives the "mark of the beast" then why can't that person decide later that it was not such a good idea and repent of the act and have the mark removed? What is it about this mark that pronounces your doom if you become one of the foolish ones to accept it? Bible scholars such as L.A. Marzulli and Chuck Missler have a theory about this and it involves the return of the Nephilim. I will present their case and you can draw your own conclusions.
Who or what is the Nephilim and how does it connect to the coming 666 mark?
Before the flood of Noah, scripture tells us fallen angels took a physical form and breeded with human women. They had children which we could call a hybrid race. These children would be full of sin by their nature being a child of both fallen angels and fallen man. The Bible calls them giants in the King James Version but the original Hebrew word is "Nephilim" which means "from the sky".
Here is the scripture from Genesis Chapter 6 "1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of 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. 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. 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."
The theory is that mankind became completely corrupted by this interbreeding of the "sons of God (fallen angels) and daughters of men (human women). The Bible does not expound on this but I get the feeling the women weren't willing participants. From what I have read, the new "Noah" movie completely left out this aspect of the flood. God saw that man was becoming so corrupted by the fallen angels He would have no choice but to destroy the world. Noah and his family seem to be the only people that were unaffected by the violence that then filled the Earth.
In verse 4 it states that there were "giants in those days; and also after that." The theory is that these half human/half angel beings were destroyed by the flood but their disembodied spirits became the "unclean spirits" spoken of in scripture that desire to habitate a human body once again and is the source of demonic possession as fallen angels have too much power to desire this. It is an interesting theory.
How could there be Nephilim or half human/half fallen angel beings after the flood, as the scripture states, if the flood destroyed them? Fallen angels are interdimensional eternal beings and they could have come on the scene sometime after the flood and repeated their hybridization program. The theory is the current so called alien abductions is really the same thing happening all over again resulting in fallen angel/human hybrids but we now call them alien hybrids.
Is there Biblical evidence of "giants" after the flood? Everyone knows about the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was almost ten feet tall and a champion of the Philistines. Scripture also tells us that Goliath had a brother who carried a very large spear indicating his brother was also a giant. We also have King Og of Bashan who slept in a bed that was thirteen and half feet long and six feet wide. (Deut. 3: 11) Not only were these men giants, but they were mighty leaders as well.
Research by the bible scholars L.A. Marzulli and Chuck Missler have found records of battles between ancient Indian tribes and a race of giants. They claim many skeletons have been found of these giants which have a human appearance but do not have the DNA of human beings. It is also claimed the Smithsonian Institution has some of these skeletons but will not reveal them to the public for whatever reason. I can neither verify nor deny these claims.
How does the so called return of the Nephilim relate to the "Mark Of The Beast"? The theory is that when a person receives the "mark" it begins to alter that person's DNA transforming a human being into something more than a human making that person unredeemable which is why a person will be unable to repent of this act.
Modern day so called alien abductions seem to be connected with this. The theory is that the fallen angels who corrupted man before the flood of Noah are trying to do it again. Men lived a long time before the flood which seems to indicate they had a much healthier DNA system. Noah was six hundred years old when God sent the flood. After the flood, the life spans of man have shortened considerably. I have always thought it was because a protective layer from the sun's radiation had been removed when God sent the flood but could the reason for mankind's shortened lifespans be to prevent the fallen angels from repeating the experiment they started before the flood? Very few people live to be a hundred years old anymore while before the flood it was common for a man to live for several hundred years. What changed? It is theorized that man's DNA system has degenerated so much it is foiling the plans of the fallen angels to produce another hybrid race.
An ideas connected to the "after that" phrase in Genesis is that when God commanded the Israelites to destroy every man, woman, and child in the pagan tribes of Canaan it was because those tribes had become corrupted by the Nephilim with Og and Goliath being two examples of this Nephilim race. It is theorized that man's DNA system has degenerated so much it is foiling the plans of the fallen angels to produce another hybrid race.
The conclusion of the Nephilim-Mark Of the Beast connection theory is this: the fallen angels get it right and do produce a hybrid race. In modern day terms, man is calling them alien-human hybrids Again man becomes so corrupted that God has no choice but to send judgment to the Earth again but this time more selectively. We know this period of time as the Tribulation period. There is no question many supernatural events will occur during this time period but is there really a connection between the mark of the beast and the Nephilim of Genesis 6?
What are my thoughts on this? I find it to be an interesting theory but I also believe events could play out much differently than what has been outlined here. This theory does sound like something right out of a good science fiction novel but look at the incredible advances technology has made in the last one hundred years. A person living during the civil war period would view all of the technology we enjoy today as something for science fiction writers. The book of Revelation itself sounds like a science fiction novel.
Concerning His return, Jesus said, "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt 24:37 Jesus Himself said that conditions on Earth will be very similar to what they were before the flood came. What do we know about the preflood days?
A. Man was being corrupted by fallen angels. We know scripture tells us that Satan roams about the Earth seeking whom he can devour. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Pet.5:8
B. According to Jesus man was eating and drinking just like they are now. Matt. 24:38
C. In the same verse, Jesus stated man was marrying and given in marriage as they do now. This implies man was not expecting any kind of judgment from God and the flood took them by surprise even though Noah had been building a very large boat for 120 years and warning them of the coming flood.
D. The world was filled with violence. Gen. 6:11 In studying history, I wonder if there ever was a time when the world was not filled with violence after the flood.
E. The world was corrupt from the same verse. We know man, by his own sinful nature, is corrupt. This could also be a reference to the corruption of the bloodlines of men by the union of fallen angels with humans.
F. Every thought of man was only evil continually from verse 5 in Genesis 6. Most people today have evil thoughts even those who have been saved by the grace of God. How degenerate can man get to have nothing but evil thoughts? There are people like that but this is easy to see happening when the fathers are evil beings.
Is this verse from Genesis 6 connected with the "mark of the beast"? 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."
I believe these children were the source of the gods of Greek and Norse mythology but that is my theory. These giants were great leaders and we see that after the flood with Goliath and King Og. Is the person who becomes the Antichrist and institues the "mark of the beast" a hybrid human being? We simply don't know and won't know until the events play out. We do know if you take the "mark of the beast" you will suffer an eternity of torment.
The Nephilim-Mark Of The Beast is an interesting idea but I am fully convinced that prophetic events culminating in the tribulation period and the return of Christ can unfold completley apart from any Nephilim connection. The sad fact is most people reject Christ and will be not be ready when He returns.
Copyright 2014 by Gary Goodworth