Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them...

Death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them...
Death and hell (already emptied) were cast into the lake of fire...
Whosoever was not found written in the book of life

Rev 20
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Please help me understand this passage better.

Q1. If the casting of death and hell into the lake of fire is the second death, what then is the first death?

Q2. In what way are those whose names are written in the book of life affected by that first death?

Q3. Is death and hell delivering up the dead who were in them good news to any one?
   Is the casting of both death and hell into the lake of fire good news to anyone?

Q4 The pronoun "whosoever" in verse 15 - what's the context, i.e. the "whosoever" of which group of people in the paragraph from verse Rev 20:11-15?

Q5. Does Rev 20:15 necessary imply others whose names were found written in the book of life - among those mentioned in the paragraph of Rev 20:11-15?

Q6. Why is the book of life opened (v12)?

Q7 What is the ONE cause that saves a man from the lake of fire? 

I would be grateful for some considered thoughts.
Thank you. Good night.

Leave your thoughts here:
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Vast and Subtle Perversion Decoded

The Vast and Subtle Perversion Plainly Stated.

Gal 2:
15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

If the subtle perversion by the Gentiles that has taken place is spelt out plainly, the translation would have to be like this:

Gal 2
15 We who are Gentiles by nature, and not the justified of the Jews, 
16 Believing that a man is justified by the works of the law, and not by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by our own faith in Christ, and not by the faith of Jesus Christ: for by the works of the law shall the condemned be justified.

This would be closer to who they are saying, their justification before God by their faith in Christ Jesus, and not by the faith of Jesus Christ.

"Are ye so foolish?" asked Apostle Paul.

Are you so foolish, acting in self-injurious manner?
Apostle Paul was no doctrine monger, wasn't he? 

"Are ye so foolish?" asked Apostle Paul.

That was asked so long ago... because some children of God did really foolish thing... they obey not the truth of the gospel. Having heard, and embraced the truth of the gospel, they later turned away from it.

Please note that one does not need to know the truth to become God's children; but because he is a child of God, he is under obligation to know and believe the truth of his eternal salvation by God's free grace.

Many children of God have only heard of fables and embraced them as the truth of the gospel. When the truth of the gospel delivered to us be the Apostles of Christ is presented to them, they believe not! Worse still, they hate it because their mind have been poisoned by the fables masquerading as truth.

This makes the question, "are ye so foolish" ever relevant in every generation, especially the present one. How would you feel if you were queried, "O foolish ones, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth...?" Fools do despise being told of their folly.

Surely the momentous issue raised and dealt with is not restricted to the foolish Galatians.

Gal 3

1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3 Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Apostle Paul has demonstrated in Galatians 2 that those believing their justification is by their faith IN Jesus Christ have departed from the truth of the gospel. They are foolish... as demonstrated by those few rhetorical questions posed to them in Gal 3:1-5.

Take a look at this link: 
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2012/10/the-doctrine-of-justification-as.html                

Now the serpent was more subtil...

"Now the serpent was more subtil
than any beast of the field
which the LORD God had made..."

Gen 3:1a

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made..."

2Co 11:3

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Can you imagine, the devil having perverted and twisted a fundamental gospel truth and turned it into a lie in such a subtle manner that few among the multitudes of God's children are aware of the horrid thing that has happened. Worse still, the great scholars among the children of God actually exert their great minds to vigorously defend the lie of the devil, but reject the plain truth of God.

You ask, “what is it?” It is what Apostle Paul deals with in Galatians 2.

It is THE truth of THE gospel. It has been substituted with a subtle lie, and that lie has been received, and defended, and is propagated as the truth of the gospel. Is there a greater tragedy than this?

The truth of the gospel: a man is justified by the faith OF Jesus Christ.

The lie of the devil: a man is justified by his faith IN Jesus Christ.

The Mother Harlot teaches:

- a man is justified by BOTH his faith and his works.

She anathematizes those who believe otherwise.

The Harlot’s daughters and their followers rebelled, and have been teaching, and defending:

- a man is justified by his faith ALONE.

The Spirit of Christ revealed to Apostle Paul:

- a man is justified by the faith OF Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2

5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but BY THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be JUSTIFIED BY THE FAITH OF CHRIST, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live , BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Righteousness comes by the faith of Christ, i.e. Christ’s faithfulness in His work of redemption for His people.

The justification of a condemned sinner before God is by the faith of Jesus Christ; it is NOT by his faith in Christ. A man's faith in Christ is a work of righteousness; the act of believing in Christ is an act of obedience rendered to a command of God by one ALREADY justified. An unjustified man, in his native state of condemnation and death cannot possibly believe!

Rom 3:23 "Being justified FREELY by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Isn't this a clear as the noon day sun! Man's faith, i.e. his act of believing, is not in the equation of his justification before God. His justification is FREELY by God's grace (i.e nothing is required of the unjustified, i.e. condemned, man), and it is SQUARELY and SOLELY and WHOLLY through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:28-29. Believing in Jesus Christ is a work commanded and required by God of His children. It is true of them, and the law requires them to believe it.

Your justification before God is by the faithfulness of Christ in His work of redemption, the faithfulness that secured the righteousness needed for the justification of His people. "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" John 17:4. "And behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True," Rev 19:11

You frustrate the grace of God if you believe that the righteousness necessary for your justification comes by the law, i.e. by your obedience to God's law/command to believe in Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul spells out the necessary implication of such idea, aptly, "then Christ is dead in vain."

You are saying that Christ's righteousness and blood are redundant, unnecessary!

The truth of the gospel... the faith OF Jesus Christ

"That we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,
by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

Gal 2:5
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

The truth of the gospel... the faith OF Jesus Christ.

Does this truth continue with you? 
Or has it been  hijacked without you even knowing it?
Is the truth of "the faith OF Jesus Christ" found in the Bible translation you are using?

Let's see what it is to Apostle Paul.

Galatians 2
5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Apostle Paul fought like a mother bear to preserve the truth of the gospel that it may continue with the Gentile believers.

Apostle Paul declared that the gospel is this: "a man is justified by the faith OF Jesus Christ," and therefore KNOWING that truth, he believes IN Jesus Christ, by whose faith he has been justified before God. Apostle Paul DID NOT say, "knowing that a man is justified by faith IN Jesus Christ, even I have believed in Jesus Christ."

Apostle Paul repeated that glorious gospel truth, "that we might be justified by the faith OF Christ." Note carefully, Apostle Paul did not say, "that we might be justified by faith the faith IN Christ."

He said it again, "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

He did not say, "I live by the faith IN the Son of God," but "the faith OF of the Son of God.

A glorious and precious gospel truth has been hijacked by a slight twist and perversion of "the faith OF Jesus Christ" into "my faith in Jesus Christ."

Very few are even aware of this great deception and robbery, and embrace the LIE as the truth! By the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, many have been deceived, robbed of the truth of the gospel. 

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Eph 4:14.

Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of THE truth

A famine... of hearing the words of the LORD." Amos 8:11

2Tim 3:7
"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of THE truth."

2Tim 4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from THE truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

There will still be abundance of pulpiteering, and much attendance to such preaching BUT such are "NEVER able to come to the knowledge of THE truth" - because NO TRUTH of God's gospel proceeds from such pulpits.

In places where the truth of the gospel of grace - sound doctrine - is preached, many will not endure or remain under such faithful preaching. They will flock to places where their itching ears are tickled, and their lust for sound bytes - fables - is attended to.

Fables are now embraced as the truth and sound doctrine. None is not exempted from such folly.

Is this true of you, "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of THE truth"? Drinking from a bad fountain will poison and corrupt your mind with errors and fables.

Mighty men... men of renown - Gen 6:4

The same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

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.

Who were those giants? 

Where did they come from? 

When did they start appearing? 

What is the reference to "in those days"? 

What was the giants' relationship with the union between the sons of God and the daughters of men? 

How were those giants related to the "mighty men which were of old, men of renown"?
What were they mighty for? What were they renowned for?

These are some questions that need plain answers. More is asked below.

What are your answers to them?

Does the union between a man and a woman, of whatever religious mix, produce giant offspring, man of enormous size? Is that what the passage says?

Verse 3-5
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.

"And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man..."
These words indicate that the LORD was completely aware of what the sons of God had done even before any evil effects of their activities have manifested themselves. The Spirit of God had been contending and restraining the evil effects of the fall in the garden of Eden - for more than 15 centuries. The union between the "sons of God" and the daughters of men had set into motion a completely new epoch of moral degeneration. The time for that divine providence of restraining men in their depravity is ending. The effects of the strange union will be left to manifest themselves. The result is stated plainly in Gen 6:5 - the universal, and total moral corruption of man, "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Man's end has been determined. Destruction will come.

"... for that he ALSO is flesh": he STILL is flesh despite the union with the sons of God, the spirit beings that took upon themselves flesh. The lifespan of man, which was considerably longer, was divinely shortened and reduced to a hundred and twenty years! Union with these sons of God (the spirit beings that took upon themselves flesh) brought destruction. 

It's only through union with the only begotten Son of God - the eternal Word made flesh, Lord Jesus Christ -  that the descendants of Adam are turned into the children of God and received eternal life. 

The sons of God brought destruction BUT the Son of God brought redemption.

The sons of God were spirit beings who took upon themselves human nature, who trespassed and left their own habitation, they kept not their NATIVE ESTATE in the spirit realm, in their rebellion against God.

The Son of God was the eternal Word (also spirit Being) made flesh by God; He took on human nature according to God's purpose, in order to execute the work of redemption of His people.

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.

"There were giants in the earth in those days.... when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men."

Who were those giants?
Where did they come from?
When did they start appearing?
What is the reference to "in those days"?
What was their relationship with the union between the sons of God and the daughters of men?
How were those giants related to the "mighty men which were of old, men of renown"?
These are some questions that need plain answers. What are your answers?

Men had been procreating for more than 1500 years and there were no giant offspring, zilch! There was no abnormality recorded for us. However, in those days when the "sons of God" came into the daughters of men, there were giants. The fallen angels who took upon themselves human flesh were no ordinary humans. They were giants, perhaps their physique was like that of Saul described in 1 Sam 9:12. Were they giants in a literal sense because of their superhuman size, or giants in a figurative sense because of their unusual power and immense influence? The Scriptures describe them as "mighty men which were of old, men of renown." In other words, they were giants because of their exceptional power and immense influence upon that generation. I read this at the Blue Letter Bible, נְפִיל nᵉphîyl, nef-eel'; or נְפִל nᵉphil; from H5307; properly, a feller, i.e. a bully or tyrant:—giant; thus powerful and intimidating.

There were also giants after that - after what? AFTER those days when the "sons of God" had come in unto the daughters of men. There were no giants BEFORE those days came to pass. The union of the sons of men and the daughters of men for 1500+ years had not produced any giants. The connection is obvious, the giants AFTER those days were the offspring of the union of the "sons of God" (who themselves were giants) and the daughters of men. Giants beget giants, and they universally and wholly corrupted the whole human race in that generation. All those "giants" were destroyed in the flood. The offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men were the giants "AFTER THAT" - and THE SAME" became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5. And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that, every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

This is God's own diagnosis and assessment. He speaks the truth, the exact truth. He is not given to exaggeration like men do, nor understate the fact of the situation.

In what sense were they mighty men, men of renown? The effect of the immense influence by those giants - mighty men which were of old, men of renown - is stated in these words, "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen 6:5. Many attempts to dismiss the enormity described by these plain words and insist that the world in the 21st century is like that! No matter how one wants to EXAGGERATE the evils of the present 21st-century generation and UNDERSTATE the condition in Gen 6:5, there is just no way to equate the condition described there to another period in the history of man. Take note of the universality (affecting the whole human race), and the completeness (the evil continually) of the moral corruption described.

Many choose to believe that it is the union between godly men of the elect line and the ungodly women of the non-elect line that produced literal giants! Horrid mutation took place, they explain. In addition, such a union produced mighty men, men of renown. Perhaps they may like to explain themselves a bit.

These sons of God brought destruction upon the world BUT the Son of God brought redemption for His people.

The sons of God were spirit beings who took upon themselves human nature, who trespassed, who left their own habitation, they kept not their NATIVE ESTATE in the spirit realm, in their rebellion against God.

The Son of God was the eternal Word (also spirit Being) made flesh by God; He took on human nature according to God's purpose, in order to execute the work of redemption of His people.

Read here for Gen 6:1, and Gen 6:2.
1 http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2016/02/and-it-came-to-pass-after-15-long.html
2 http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2016/02/they-saw-that-daughters-of-men-were-fair.html

Rooted, built up, and established in the faith...

You see, if you are deep-rooted, the devourer
will have a hard time dislodging you!

Rooted, built up, and established in the faith...

Brother KY led the service this morning (7th Feb) and read from Col 2:1-8.

He spoke on the grave dangers of being deceived, and the defence against them.

4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

To be rooted and built up and established in the faith is the effect and fruit of being faithfully TAUGHT the truth of Christ. There is no other way. It is the only defence against enticing words of philosophies and vain deceit.

If you are not rooted then you are in grave danger like the children spoken of here:

Eph 4:14 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

It is certainly humiliating to be treated like that, kicked around like a ball on a field.

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By the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness...

"..... by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive."

The thieving and enslaving politicians and preachers

Romans 16

18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Galatians

2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Ephesians 4

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

2 Timothy 4

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

Politicians and preachers alike are ever ready to tickle your ears to fleece you, and bring you into bondage!

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To save that which was lost

For the Son of man is come 
to seek and to save that which was lost.

Who are the lost?

Christ Jesus came to save the lost, THE lost, and not anything else.

The word lost implies ownership, the "lost" has an owner. That which does not have an owner can never be said to be lost. Only that which is separated from its owner is lost.

Christ came to save His own, i. e. those chosen and given to Christ by God the Father, those that belong to Him. They are His but are separated from Him because of sins, that is, lost. Christ came to save HIS people, every one of them in the whole wide world.

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21.

He shall save HIS PEOPLE from their sins.

"As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." John 17:2.

"As many as" means the exact number; not one more, and not one less! To each one of them - all in their native state of sin and death - Christ freely gives them eternal life, at God' s own appointed time.

The possession of this eternal life enables them to perform spiritual duties required of them.

They saw the daughters of men that they were FAIR

It came to pass that the sons of God
saw the daughters of men that they were fair

Verse 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.

a. "That the sons of God..."
Who were they? There are two main opinions on this: the popular one, they were the godly men from the elect line, and the unpopular one, they were fallen angelic beings who have taken upon themselves real human flesh, thus indistinguishable from men.

It is my opinion that the former is not only woefully inadequate to explain the hard facts presented in Gen 6, it also involves many inconsistencies and contradictions. We will discuss these as we go along. I have alluded to some of them in the commentary on verse 1 of Genesis 6. See here:
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2016/02/and-it-came-to-pass-after-15-long.html

The term "sons of God" like the term "daughters of men" simply indicates the origin of both, the former from God, the latter from men. Adam is said to be the son of God (Luke 3:38) because he came directly from God, i.e. of God, and not of men. The two terms say nothing about godliness or ungodliness. Such ideas are read into the passage, necessitated by the prior presupposition that the passage speaks of mixed-marriage. In Job, angels are called sons of God.

In Genesis 19, the two men sent by God to do His errands were angelic beings who had taken upon themselves human flesh. Did Lot know that the two men were actually sons of God?  “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Heb 13:2.

That the angelic beings have the ability to take on human flesh and interact as real men with men and women of Adam's race is an established fact. What could prevent some fallen angels to do the same in Gen 6, against the will of God, with the ultimate intention of corrupting the human race in order to have it destroyed, and to circumvent the appearance of the Seed of the woman who will crush Satan's head?

Supposing the "sons of God" were godly men indeed as many imagined, how did they end up doing such ungodly things, lusting after and marrying the women of the ungodly line?  Do the Scriptures ever ascribe such a lofty term to designate people of such ungodly character? Some avoid this obvious difficulty by proposing the ingenious idea that "sons of God" indicated sonship only without any reference to godliness, i.e. they were God's children but manifest no godliness, which explains their lusting after and uniting with the ungodly women of the non-elect line! Do the Scriptures ever waste and squander such title on men of such character? I seriously doubt it.

b. "The daughters of men..."
Who were they? As explained before the term simply means the female offspring of men. The context clearly requires that. But the popular and common idea is that these were the ungodly women of the non-elect line. What's the basis of such idea? None, but the presupposition that the passage speaks of mixed marriage with the necessary idea that the daughters of men must be women of the ungodly line since the "sons of God" have been taken to mean men of the godly line.

This idea implies that verse 1 is describing the procreating activities of the so-called ungodly line, producing ungodly female offspring. The ludicrous nature of this idea has been indicated above. Gen 6:1 is the continuation of the long account in Gen 5, making such an idea more ludicrous!

c. "The daughters of men that they were fair..."
The "sons of God" saw something in the daughters of men, that they were fair. What does that mean?
The common and popular idea is that those ungodly women of the ungodly lines were beautiful and attractive and seductive, and the supposedly godly men ("sons of God") lusted for them and took them as wives. If fairness was the only thing about those women of the ungodly line that attracted the "sons of God", it begs a question, "weren't there similarly fair women among those of the godly line? Were fair women born and raised in the ungodly line only? I speak as a fool!

Did the fairness have anything to do with the outward beauty of the daughters of men? Was it the outward beauty of the daughters of men that drew the attention of the sons of God towards them? Did that kind of thing happen in the prior 15 long centuries? Maybe there were no fair women among the ungodly line then, so that it didn't happen. Suddenly after 15 centuries fair women were born in the ungodly line, and attracted the godly men of the godly line!

The word translated "fair" has several other distinct meanings apart from the idea of outward beauty. Take a look at this link, and take careful note of the various meaning of the word translated "fair" in Gen 6:2.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2896&t=KJV

This includes the idea of goodness as being beneficial, useful, appropriate, and valuable. In what sense were the daughters of men beneficial, useful, appropriate and valuable to the sons of God? What about them, the FEMALE offspring of men, were seen as beneficial, useful, appropriate and valuable to the sons of God? The answer is very simple: it is the FEMALENESS of the daughters of men that is perfectly suited, useful, and valuable for the evil scheme of the sons of God to multiply themselves among men, with the specific purpose of corrupting the whole mankind and have it destroyed by the righteous God.

When it is suggested that the sons of God are angelic beings, everyone knows enough to rightly retort, "but angels neither marry nor are given in marriage." But they fail or refuse to acknowledge the simple biblical fact that angelic beings are capable of becoming real men, taking upon themselves human flesh, and having real interaction with sons and daughters of men. Take a look at the angels/men in Gen 19.

When elect angels took flesh and became men, they did so temporarily, and at the will of God, running divine errands. But when the fallen angels did the same, it was against God's will, and they left their own habitation and intruded into the human habitation. They SINNED for doing so. They kept not their first estate - the estate ordained for them in the spirit realm. Read 2Pet 2:4-5 and Jude 6 - do they make some sense to you now?

2Pet 2:4-5

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

Jude 6. 

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.

Peter informed us of the fact that those angels sinned; Jude disclosed the nature of the sin committed by those angels. Both spelt out the divine judgment that came upon those angels that sinned in the manner stated.

Please note also that verses 4 and 5 are mentioned in the same breath by Apostle Peter. They are related.

d. So, what is described in Gen 6:2? 
Fallen angels saw that the daughters of men were fair, i.e. they were useful and suited for executing their grand scheme. So they took upon themselves human flesh and became real men, as real as the two angels became men and visited Lot. They probably became some of the most attractive dazzling men of the time, thus making themselves attractive and irresistible to the daughters of men. This is implied in the words, "and they took them wives of all which they chose." They did so with great ease, probably picking daughters of prominent and influential households to produce offspring that were described as "giants... mighty men... men of renowned." In what sense were they giants, mighty men and men of renown? Just read the effect they had upon Noah's world.

Did the people of Noah's generation know what happened? No, none of them.

Did the LORD see it? Read Gen 6:3. Nothing caught God by surprise.

Did the Jews know it? Peter and Jude knew the incident, and they took it for granted that the recipients of their epistles knew it. They stated that ANCIENT event in a matter-of-factly without further explanation. Read 2Pet 2:4-5, and Jude 6.

Do you know it? You can, and you should. The Scriptures has revealed it to us, to instruct us about the glorious grace of God. Grace triumphed AGAIN, Satan thwarted again. Grace was shown in a completely hopeless situation. 

Read here for Gen 6:1 and Gen 6:3-5
1 http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2016/02/and-it-came-to-pass-after-15-long.html
3 http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2016/02/mighty-men-men-of-renown.html

"And it came to pass..." after 15 long centuries!

"And it came to pass... " after those 15 long centuries uneventful process,
something out of the normal intruded into that ancient living process.

Some recent exchanges with a few good brethren on Genesis 6 has been profitable. It is found here: https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10205679279196739?pnref=story

Any attempt to study the Scriptures is good for me - any traditions I have inherited and any fables I have imbibed will be dispelled, and the truth will be recovered and learned. Of course, it may also have the adverse effect of hardening me, such that I become more entrenched in erroneous views. May the Lord save me from that! I pray the same for you too!

Let us visit Gen 6 again. Take another look if you will. Just consider the few words, "And it came to pass..."

Some facts we may wish not to overlook, and some questions we may wish not to ignore.

Gen 6:1 "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them."

a. "And it came to pass...": 
What had been happening in the history of men before that event came to pass? 
The procreating activities of men [אָדָם, 'adam] had been going on for a long time before the incident recorded in Gen 6:2 came to pass. The flood came in the year 1656 since the creation week, see the link here for the figure:http://www.letgodbetrue.com/reference/biblechronology.pdf].

We need to move back 120 years to account for the period mentioned in Gen 6:3, which seems to mark the beginning of what is described in Gen 6:2. Therefore, when "it came to pass" around the year 1536, the race of Adam had been happily procreating for more than 1500 years, in simple obedience to the LORD's plain command to His creature man to be fruitful and multiply. Marrying, and giving in marriage were happening for more than 15 centuries, then the activity described in Gen 6:2 came to pass. Everything was usual during those 15 long centuries of human procreating. But when the "sons of God" entered into the equation, they set off a process that necessitated the destruction of the old world by God.

Sons of men and daughters of men, i.e. male and female offspring of men, had been coming together as husbands and wives during those 1500-plus years, begetting more sons and daughters. The Scriptures give no indication whatsoever of any distinction, eg. race, colour, genealogical line, etc., involved in all those unions for 15+ centuries. This simple fact has not restrained many sincere Bible students from reading all kinds of fantastic ideas into those 15 centuries of men's procreating activity. 

For example, many imagine that men in those long centuries were distinctly divided into the godly line and the ungodly line; that the two lines were clearly segregated and with no intermarriage between the two lines. Those of the godly line married ONLY those of the godly line and those of the ungodly line married those of the ungodly line - as though such distinction existed at all during those times. And that the status quo was maintained for 15 long centuries. But after 15 centuries of such neat and strict segregation, the distinction began to break down because "it came to pass" that the so-called "sons of God" (by which they meant the men of the godly line) began to lust after the daughters of men, whom they imagined were women of the ungodly line. And they conclude the union of the godly man and the ungodly women brought forth very special children, "the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown." These offspring of the so-called mixed marriage corrupted their world and called forth the universal judgment. 

Others suggest that those of the godly line kept themselves separated from the ungodly line because of their conscious knowledge of the plain commandment given to them by God, forbidding them to intermarry with those from outside the line during the first 15 centuries. They also add that those of the godly line had entered into a covenant with God, and vowed to marry only those of the godly line. That explains how the so-called godly line was kept pure and unadulterated for 15-plus centuries. But after 15 long centuries, that godly resolve broke down, and the men of the godly line began to lust after the fair women of the ungodly line and united with them. (Maybe there were no more fair women of their own line! I speak as a fool!)

[Before moving further, let me state here that the "godly line" of the Scriptures - a biblical truth but grievously misunderstood by so many - consists ONLY of those specific individuals who were links in the thin and narrow chain that joined the first Adam the son of God to the second Adam, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There is no godly line apart from that. Even then, there was little godliness found in many of the links that formed that genealogical line. There was little godliness even in that thin line, check the Genesis account for the first 1500+ years. The simple truth is that God's elect was conceived and born among all the descendants of Adam, including the lines represented by Cain and Seth; Adam had MANY other sons (and daughters), which of the two lines, do you put them? God's children, whether men or women, were found among them all the descendants of Adam. There was a godly line only because the seed of the woman had been promised, and that genealogical line is carefully traced and recorded for us.]

Moreover, this idea of the godly and ungodly lines necessarily assumes that all those born into the respective line are godly and ungodly too, i.e. the godly beget the godly, and thus perpetuate the godly race, and the ungodly perpetuate the ungodly and continued that line, i.e. they beget their own kind! Without this ludicrous fable, how could there be two distinct lines, the godly in contrast to the ungodly? How could that even be possible? Maybe some would glibly retort, "nothing is impossible with God"!]

b.  "When men began to multiply" : 
Chapter 5 has shown repeatedly the plain fact that when men do multiply, they beget "sons and daughters."  This is true of all men, regardless of whether they are from the so-called godly line or the ungodly line (fictional, as indicated above). When men procreate, sons of men and daughters of men come together and beget "sons and daughters - OF MEN" Their male offspring are called "sons of men" and the female offspring are called "daughters of men." The terms "sons of men" and "daughters of men" simply refer to the male and female offspring OF MEN, respectively, without any other distinction attached to those terms. They apply equally to the offspring of both the so-called (imagined) godly and ungodly lines. They simply indicate their origin - of man, not of God.

 "... when men began to multiply" :- to whom does the noun "men" refer? One's answer to this simple question has serious implications. The mixed-marriage view necessarily implies that the men here refer to those of the so-called (fictional) ungodly line. This is because they insist that the "daughters of men" mentioned in Gen 6:2 are the offspring of the men mentioned in Gen 6:1, and since they insist that those "daughters of men" were ungodly women of the ungodly line, thus the necessary implication is that the men, the procreators of those "daughters of men" were of the ungodly line.
- The noun "men" and the pronoun "them" is co-extensive. "Men" procreated, daughters were born to those men (them), and the "daughters of men" were their offspring. The obvious connection cannot be denied.

Also, the fact that Gen 6:1 comes right after the long account in Gen 5 of men multiplying themselves begetting "sons and daughters" is enough to dismiss that notion.

c. ".. when men began to multiply on the face of the earth..."
"On the face of the earth" indicates the extensiveness of the spread of men over the face of the earth, and this is quite in line with the fact that the procreating process had been going on for more than 1500 years, beginning with Adam, and his multitude of offspring. Adam and Eve, the first parents, started multiplying on a little spot on earth, but after 1500 of such procreating activities, men were doing it on a much wider scale, i.e. "on the face of the earth."

d. "...and daughters were born unto them,"
I have endeavored to show that Gen 6:1 is a general description of the procreating activity of the human race. In such procreating activities, "sons and daughters are born." Read the continuous refrain "... begat sons and daughters" in Gen 5. But the focus is now shifted upon the female offspring of man's procreating activities, thus "daughters" were born to them. It was not because only daughters, and no sons, were born to such unions. They were daughters of men, the female offspring of men in general. They, the female offspring of men, became the centre of attention because the "sons of God" saw them as "fair", and united with them. That union started the chain of events that finally necessitated the divine judgment by the universal flood.

The "daughters of men" were simply female offspring of the procreating activities of men, when men and women come together as husbands and wives. 

What happened in Gen 6:2 is distinct from what was happening in Gen 6:1. It was NOT a procreating activity involving the union of the SONS OF MEN and the DAUGHTERS OF MEN, the activities stated in Gen 6:1. It is the procreating activity involving the "SONS OF GOD" and the "daughters of men" - that is the reason for the emphasis on the daughters in the previous statement.  The sons of men - the male offspring of men - whether of the so-called godly men or ungodly line, were not involved. 

All the procreating activities between the sons of men and daughters of men prior to this had gone on ordinarily during those 15 long centuries until the "sons of God" entered the picture. When the "sons of God" entered the picture, it set off a chain of events and consequences that eventually brought the total and universal moral corruption that necessitated the destruction of the old world.

Many trace this catastrophic moral degradation and corruption to men of the godly line lusting and itching after the women of the ungodly line as the cause that led to the universal and total moral corruption stated in Gen 6:4. This notion also presupposes that such mixed union did not happen before in the previous 15 centuries, as noted earlier. Or perhaps it had never happened in such a widespread manner, but by the time of Gen 6 the vast majority of the so-called men of the godly line became devil-possessed and acted the evil way they did! 

Read here for Gen 6:2, and Gen 6:3-5
2 http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2016/02/they-saw-that-daughters-of-men-were-fair.html
3 http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2016/02/mighty-men-men-of-renown.html

On godly-line and ungodly-line, take a look here:
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2012/08/godly-and-ungodly-lines-in-gen-6.html