Invisible Heroes

“God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost”  Heb 2:4

“But He giveth more grace, Wherefore He saith, ‘God resiteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

James 4:6

     There are few in today’s world who understand the actualized potential of Spirit.  Fundamentalist and Conservative branches of Christianity hold that the signs, wonders, and miracles of apostolic times have altogether ceased, that the gifts of the Spirit were valid for but a short season in the early church in order to bear witness to the Lordship of Christ (Heb 2:4).  Charismatic and some Pentecostal denominations, on the other hand, believe that if you do not manifest signs and wonders of the Spirit, such as the gift of tongues, then you are not saved.  So who is right?  Let us explore this question together.

     In the days of the early church, God worked on the principle of bearing visible and conspicuous witness that something incredible had occurred (Heb 2:4)—the resurrection and ascension of Christ.  There were no Bibles back then.  The message had to travel via word of mouth from one believer to another.  The common spiritual phenomena of tongues, healings, and miracles in the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:28, 29) enabled the Christian faith to spread like wildfire, a pandemic contagion that enveloped the Roman Empire.  Slowly, these spiritual gifts faded (1 Cor. 13:8), but not before the establishment of churches and the writing of the New Testament Epistles.

     Nowadays, conversion is typically not associated with the same supernatural fireworks.  It is simply by grace through faith that the Kingdom is born within the heart.  The orthodox sects have gone too far in saying that God is no longer in the business of miracles.  But Charismatics are equally errant in believing that the Holy Spirit is some sort of dog-and-pony show; that much noise and exaggerated emotions are evidence of a spiritual experience.

     The Truth is that God now works from a different principle.  Rather than bearing visible and conspicuous witness to the collective body (Heb 2:4), God works through individual believers, invisible heroes with an enlarged capacity for grace: “But he giveth more grace… unto the humble” (James 4:6). 

     You do not have to speak in tongues or perform miracles to be saved.  In fact, most tongue babbling and so-called tent revival healings are a farce.  I say “most” because I cannot relegate the sovereignty of God.  But I can state that, nowadays, God works His Power (dunamas) through invisible heroes.

     Speaking in toungues is a deeply personal experience between you and the Lord.  It is no longer meant for spectacle.  It is not a scheduled event for the eyes of men.  If the true spirit of wisdom, knowledge, or any of the other gifts have touched you (1 Cor. 12:8-11), then you probably feel out of place in both the church and the world.  But God has not left you marooned on an island.  He calls you to be an invisible hero, reporting directly to the Master.  He expects you to submit yourself as a humble vessel through which His Spirit works.

   An invisible hero gives his or her alms in secret.  An invisible hero influences events from behind the scenes.  An invisible hero understands that the Power of God’s Spirit cannot be harnessed, commanded, or turned on and off at will.  An invisible hero waits for the Spirit to move, for the waters to pour forth.  The family, friends, and professional affiliations of the invisible hero are blessed simply by peripheral association: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee,” was the promise to Abraham; how much more shall the invisible hero receive in Christ!

     The humility of the invisible hero is what enables  super-grace capacity: “But he giveth more grace… unto the humble.” (James 4:2).  But humility does not mean that you have to be timid.  Contrary to popular opinion, the mark of humility is in being able to receive instruction and correction.  The proud exalts himself but the humble is exalted by God.  Humility enables one to develop virtue and character, resulting in the fruits of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” (Gal. 5:22, 23).

     Humility simply means “teachability,” and the Holy Spirit is our private tutor.  A humble man or woman receives conviction from the Holy Spirit, resulting in behavior modification and the continued growth of that new spiritual identity born in the heart, that “new man” of  Eph 4:24.

     So ask yourself, are you an invisible hero?  Has the Lord enlarged your capacity for grace?  Because if you are, then you know that above all else, Love is the highest calling, greater than any spiritual gift or supernatural phenomena (1 Cor. 13:1-4).  The Greek word for this type of Love is “agape,” rendered “charity” in 1 Corinthians 13:1-4 (KJV).  This is the same Love (agape) that describes God sacrificing His only son (John 3:16).  We could better render it “cherish” rather than “charity.”  It is a Love of self-sacrificial giving.

     Invisible heroes sacrifice themselves, submitting their body and blood to the service of the Lord and the betterment of humanity.  They are in effect mini-messiahs, anointed by the Holy Spirit:

“I have said, ‘ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High”

(Psalms 82:6; John 10:34, 35). 

     Invisible heroes have divine compassion on others—they don’t just Love, they cherish.

Larry Word

When Angels Mated With Humans

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation (oiketerion= spirit body), He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day”  Jude 6

“There were giants (nephalim) in the earth in those days (pre-flood); and also after that (post-flood), when the sons of God (fallen angels) 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.”  Gen 6:4

     Early in the history of the universe, Lucifer led a rebellion against God.  He enlisted the support of one third of the angelic hierarchy in an unsuccessful bid to overthrow heaven and overtake the universe.  God put down the mutiny and pronounced judgment upon the traitors.  This resulted in the global cataclysm recorded in Genesis 1:2 (for more information on this, read The Secret History of Earth and the Universe).

     Lucifer appealed the judgment.  He impugned the character of God, arguing that a Loving Creator could not possibly condemn his creatures—he basically called God a liar, implying that God never loved him.

     God granted Lucifer an appeal trial and agreed to put His Word to the test.  The only way Lucifer wins the appeal trial is if he can somehow show that God is a liar, a futile proposition.

     God re-created the earth in the seven literal days of Genesis and renewed it with life.  God created man under the same conditions as the angels, to resolve the appeal trial of Lucifer.  God endowed man with free will to choose either for or against Him.  Humans have the unique opportunity to serve as witnesses for either grace or evil.

     Round one went to Satan (Lucifer’s new name in his fallen state) after he persuaded Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge.    Their disobedience toward God resulted in immediate spiritual death—they were cut off from communion and fellowship with God and exiled from the Garden.  Physical death would eventually follow, and this is the curse we all inherit from birth.  We are all born spiritually dead, cut off from God and in need of regeneration by faith.  We are also destined to die physically.

     But God did not leave us totally without hope.  From the beginning, a redeemer was promised.  God said that a man would rise up, someone born of the “seed of a woman” who would crush the head of Satan and totally destroy his power over death (Gen 3:15; 1 Cor 15:26).  This was revealed immediately after the fall, that a Messiah would be born, a man (seed of the woman) who would defeat the works of the devil.

     Thus began the epic battle throughout time.  Satan would try to prove God a liar by preventing the coming of Messiah.  Since God first said that Messiah would come of the “seed of the woman” (i.e. be a fellow human), Satan and the fallen angels interbred with humans in an effort to pollute the pedigree of the Messiah.  The offspring of humans and angels were giants of supernatural strength, knowledge, and abilities.  Genesis 6:4 records two irruptions, one before the flood and one after: “There were giants (nephalim) in the earth in those days (pre-flood) and also after that (post-flood).”

     The Hebrew word “Nephalim” translates as “fallen ones.”  The first demonic assault was directed at the whole human race “in the days of Noah” (1 Pet 3:20; 2 Pet 2:7).  Only Noah and his family preserved their pedigree pure from Adam.  The rest of the human race had been corrupted with angelic seed: “Noah was a just man and perfect (tamim) in his generations.”  The Hebrew word “tamim” means “without spot or blemish” and is the technical word for bodily and physical perfection, not moral.  Noah and his family were the last remaining “uncorrupted” human bloodlines on the planet (compare Gen 6:9 with Gen 6:12, 13). The flood was necessary to destroy the Nephalim and preserve the human race.

     But a funny thing happens.  We see the Nephalim again in Numbers 13:33—“there we saw the giants (nephalim), the sons of Anak, which come of the giants (nephalim).”    

     How could this be?  If the flood was meant to wipe out the Nephalim, how do we see them in the post-flood era?  Again, Genesis 6:4 speaks of two irruptions of angelic-human offspring, one pre-flood and one post-flood: “there were Nephalim in the days of Noah and also after that.”

     The second irruption was smaller in scope and scale.  It was not directed at the whole human race but at Abraham and his descendents. For God revealed that in Abraham “all families of the earth (shall) be blessed” (Gen 12:3). Satan sought to frustrate the plan of God by occupying the land of Caanan in advance of Abraham’s arrival. 

     The fallen angels polluted the bloodlines of the various peoples in the land of Canaan.  Their offspring go by many names, such as Nephalim from Anak and Raphaim from Rapha.  In Deut 2:10 we see the description: “The Emmims (translated ‘terrible ones’) dwelt therein in times past, a people great and many and tall as the Anakims; which were accounted giants (Rephaim) as the Anakims but the Moabites call them Emmims.”

     A problem arises because various translations of the Bible render “Raphaim” as “giants,” “dead ones,” or “deceased.”  But one must understand that these Raphaim were a branch of the Nephalim, another sect of fallen angel progeny.

     Israel was commanded to “utterly destroy” them without exception (Deut 20:17). Without the contextual understanding that the peoples of Canaan were superhuman giants descended from fallen angels, one might think it cruel of God to tell Israel to kill every man, woman, and child with the sword.  But Israel failed to carry out this command (Josh 13:13, 15:63, 16:10, 17:18; Judges 1:19, 20, 28, 29; 2:1-5; 3:17). This eventually left God to destroy the mongrels on His own (Isa 26:14).

     It was Mark Twain who said that truth is stranger than fiction.  Superhuman giants descended from fallen angels may sound preposterous, but the Bible record is clear.  The Nephalim occupied Canaan in advance of Abraham (Gen 12:6).  The Rephaim were a branch of the Nephalim (Deut 2:10).  They inspired great fear in the ten spies who reported back to Moses (Num 13:28-33).  They were of such large and intimidating stature that the Israelites are compared to as “grasshoppers in their sight” (Num 13:33).

     How big were these monstrosities?  We are provided a partial explanation in Deut 3:11.  King Og, a descendent of the Rephaim, is described as a giant who slept in a bed that was nine cubits long by four cubits wide.  A cubit is the length of a man’s elbow to his middle finger, which works out to approximately 18 inches.  So just imagine, King Og slept in a bed that was 13 ½ feet long by 6 feet wide.  He was about as big wide as a modern man is tall!

     The Rephaim are further mentioned in Isaiah 26:14 and verse 19 as having no resurrection.  In KJV Bibles, the words “deceased” in verse 14 and “the dead” in verse 19 are translations of the proper noun “Rephaim.”

     “…they are deceased (Rephaim), they shall not rise” Isa 26:14

“Thy dead men (Hebrew word methim= Jehovah’s dead) shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise… and the earth shall cast out the dead (the Rephaim)”

Isa 26:19

     The fallen angel progeny receive no resurrection, as God has already, “visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish” (Isa 26:14).  As for the original fallen angel forefathers who interbred with women, they are “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6).

     History becomes quite fascinating with a proper contextual understanding of fallen angel progeny.  Greek and Roman mythologies were no mere inventions of the human imagination but represent a remnant of corrupted truth that grew out of the memories, stories, and legends of these mighty demigods. 

     The construction of the great monuments in Egypt—specifically how giant stones were transported several miles and put together with such great technological precision—has always baffled engineers.  Mysteries such as how the Great Pyramid configures to pi, the magnetic poles, and certain astronomical scales have never been explained.  Many of these feats would be impossible to accomplish even by today’s standards.  A possible solution exists when you consider these creatures of supernatural strength, knowledge, and abilities roamed the earth.  Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid at Gaza, and other megaliths could be their enduring legacy to our modern age.

     To review, recall that Satan’s whole purpose in polluting the human bloodline was to prevent a pure lineage for Messiah’s birth. Genesis 6:9 says that Noah was “perfect (tamim) in his generations.”   “Tamim” is usually rendered “without blemish” or “without spot” in most instances (See Exod. 12:5, 29:1; Lev. 1,3, 14:10; Num 19:2 28:3, etc.).  All other flesh on the earth had been corrupted (Gen. 6:11), so God eradicated the first irruption of angelic progeny with the flood. 

     When it became clear that Messiah would come through Abraham (Gen 12:3), Satan occupied the land of Caanan in advance of his coming.  God later commanded Israel to eradicate the second irruption of angelic progeny with the sword, but they failed in this regard.  Thus God said He would make the angelic progeny a constant “thorn” for Israel (Judges 2:3) until He eventually eradicated the half-breeds on His own (See Isa 26:14; the word rendered “deceased” is the proper noun “Raphaim).

     How far these creatures migrated or how long they lived is unknown.  But we do know that scripture testifies of two irruptions of half-human, half-angelic offspring.  These two irruptions represented attempts by Satan to prevent Messiah’s coming and frustrate the plan of God.  Their purpose was to prevent the fulfillment of scripture, thus showing God as a liar and winning their appeal trial by demonstrating its chief accusation.

     But we already know the outcome of this trial and are blessed with the opportunity to take part, providing testimony for the Lord.  We are endowed with free will and our situation mirrors that under which the angels fell.  Anytime we exercise faith and resist temptation we become witnesses for Christ as the angels gaze at us through the windows of time.

     I hope and pray that this study has been informative, stimulating, and enlightening.  May the Peace and Love of Christ enrich your walk and lead you in the paths to righteous living.

Larry Word

The Secret History of Earth and the Universe

“And the earth was (‘hayah’) without form (‘tohu’) and void (‘bohu’).” 

Gen 1:2

“…God Himself that formed the earth and made it… He created it not in vain (‘tohu’—same word as Gen 1:2)” Isa. 45:18

     A few notes before we begin our study:  the “without form” of Genesis 1:2 and the “in vain” of Isaiah 45:18 are translations of the same Hebrew word, “tohu.”  According to Strongs’ Concordance, “tohu” means to be in a state of “waste” or “desolation.”  Similarly, the Hebrew word “bohu,” translated “void” in Genesis 1:2, means to be “ruined” or totally “empty.”  Finally, the verb “was” in Genesis 1:2, as in the earth “was” without form, is the Hebrew word “hayah.”  The word “hayah” may be translated as “was,” “became,” or “came to pass.”  The translators must decide by context whether “was,” “became,” or “came to pass” is the correct rendering (“hayah” translated as “became” in Gen 2:7, 4:3, 9:15, 19:26, Exod. 32:1, Deut 27:9, etc; “hayah” translated “came to pass” in Gen 4:14, 22:1, 23:1, 27:1, Josh 4:1, 5:1, 1 Kings 13:32, etc.).

     Hebrew does not conjugate the verb “to be.”  Old KJV Bibles render words such as “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “shall be,” etc. in italics to inform the reader that the text does not appear in the original scriptures.  The Revised Version stopped this practice and renders all such words in common type.  But the lesson here is that the Hebrew word “hayah” does not specifically denote verb tense and the lack of a Hebrew word for “to be” leaves it open to interpretation whether “hayah” should be rendered “was,” “became,” or “came to pass” as illustrated in the above examples.

     A better rendering of Genesis 1:2 would have been “became”:  “and the earth became ‘tohu’ (waste)”; We know this because Isaiah 45:18 explicitly declares that God did not create the earth “tohu” (KJV renders “tohu” as “in vain” in Isa 45:18).  Therefore, if God did not create the earth “tohu,” then it must have become “tohu.”

     So what happened?  Before we explore this, a recap of our scriptures with their enhanced renderings:

Tohu= “waste”

Bohu= “desolate” or “ruined”

Hayah= “was” or “became” or “came to pass” depending on context

Isa 45:18—“…He created it not ‘tohu’”

Gen 1:2—“and the earth was/became ‘tohu’ (waste) and ‘bohu’ (desolate)”

Conclusion—Earth not created “tohu” therefore it must have become “tohu” in Gen 1:2—which is exactly what the original Hebrew states—the “was” of Gen 1:2 should be rendered “became.”

     In eternity past, prior to the creation of man, God’s most beautiful and intelligent creature—the anointed cherub Lucifer (Ezek. 28:14)—conspired with one third of the angelic host (Rev 12:4) to usurp the throne of heaven and mutiny against God.  God put down the revolt and sentenced the traitors to eternal torment.  For their insolence and iniquity, they would be eternally damned, cast into the lake of fire, never to see the glorious face of the Creator again (Rev. 20:10).

     Lucifer appealed the sentence.  In his fallen state, he impugned the character of God, arguing that a Loving Creator could not possibly condemn His creatures.  He basically called God a liar by insisting the verdict was unjust and unfair.  This is evidenced in Lucifer’s new name.  After he fell, Lucifer the “Light-bearer” became Satan the “Accuser” or “Adversary.”

     God granted Satan and his cronies an appeal trial.  Execution of sentence is stayed and currently held in abeyance pending the outcome of the trial.  The only way that Satan can win his appeal is if he can prove God a liar, which is both impossible and futile.  God’s Word will be vindicated as true.  And, God will eventually annihilate the entire cosmic system and re-create a new heaven and earth at the conclusion of the trial (2 Pet 3:7, 10; Rev 21:1).

     So if we recap the secret history of earth and the universe, our planet was originally the abode of angels.  Lucifer the “Light-bearer” was God’s most powerful created being.  He had access to heaven and roamed through Eden, the garden of God (Ezek. 28:13).  The angelic revolt resulted in a cataclysm of epic proportion (Gen 1:2).  We do not know when judgment came, but we can conclude that the Bible says that earth became a desolate waste.

     But God regenerated the planet in seven literal days.  He created humans within those seven days, approximately 6,000 years ago.  Man was created in response to the angelic conflict.  We have been endowed with free will to choose either for God or the devil.  We fell just like the angels, but are offered redemption through a Savior, an opportunity to one day be born into a new heaven and earth.  God promises us a way back to Him through faith: “the just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17).

     The Bible also alludes to the possibility of angelic redemption (compare Col 1:16 with 1:20).  The sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to reconcile all things to Himself, both the things in heaven and on earth.  The apparent offer of angelic salvation, if there was one, probably took place in eternity past and is no longer a valid or relevant issue.  The relevant issue now is that man has been created to mirror the exact conditions under which the angels sinned.

     Humans have the unique opportunity to become living testimonies in the appeal trial of the fallen angels.  By Grace, through trusting God, we are promised a position one day that is even more exalted than the angels.  We shall be coheirs and co-rulers in the Kingdom to come, born into the family of God with the likeness of Christ.  For those who receive and respond to this calling upon their hearts, the Kingdom of Heaven is already born within.  One day it shall be made manifest as a physical reality at His glorious appearance in the sky. Amen.

     Fundamentalists cite Exodus 20:11 as proof that God created the heaven and earth during the seven days of Genesis: “…for in six days the Lord made (asah) heaven and earth… and rested on the seventh” (Exod 20:11).  However, the word “made” in this passage is the Hebrew word “asah,” which means to form, decorate, assemble, or put together—exactly what God did after the judgment of Genesis 1:2.  It does not imply original creation.

     Genesis 1:1 uses a different word: “In the beginning God created (bara) the heaven and the earth” (Gen 1:1).  Here, the “created” is the Hebrew word “bara,” which means to create something out of nothing.

     Science does not disagree with scripture as much as we might think.  The earth and universe are of ancient antiquity.  Fossil remains are indeed millions of years old, remnants of a time prior to the great cataclysm of Genesis 1:2.  This cataclysm came as a result of war in heaven, the angelic conflict, and God pronouncing judgment.  Humans were created in response to Satan impugning the character of God, to demonstrate that God is both Loving and Just.  We are given the opportunity to become witnesses at the appeal trial of Satan.  Every time we overcome temptation, every time we walk the life of faith we testify for God and become recipients of His Grace.  Every word that God has spoken will be vindicated as faithful and true, proving that it is Satan, and not God, who is the liar.

     Finally, I am not the first one to come up with this notion about earth and the universe being of ancient antiquity.  What I have argued herein is commonly known as “Gap theory,” and it is supported by many prominent theologians such as J. Vernon McGee, R. B. Thieme, and the Scoffield, Bullinger, and Dake’s Study Bibles.  It is known as “Gap theory” because of the “gap” of unknown time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

     When I first heard about this theory, I thought it nothing more than speculation, an attempt by man to reconcile science with scripture.  However, upon researching the scriptures involved and studying the original Hebrew text, I am now convinced that this is more than mere “theory.”  It is an irrefutable fact expressly declared in scripture.  There is no other way to reconcile Isaiah 45:18 with Genesis 1:2 without rendering “was” (‘hayah’) as “became.” I invite anyone interested to research this matter and judge for themselves.  May the Holy Spirit be your guide, and may the Lord of Glory reveal to you the light of Truth.  Amen.

Larry Word