Are Angels the sons of God?

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(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,
(Gen 6:2)  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
(Gen 6:3)  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.
(Gen 6:4)  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.

Now I’m going to put down my anchor for a moment. This passage is one of those “strange” sounding scriptures. It really stands out from the others in the chapter.

It reminds me of the time I first read Genesis chapter five.

“..and so and so begat so and so and he lived for a long time and he died.”

One generation after another generation, then out of nowhere you read this “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

What?

Whether you understand what just happened or not, the statement seems out of place. You want to look at it deeper. It’s the same with chapter six. So let me analyze this more. In chapter six You have the following characters:

• sons of God
• daughters of men
• Noah
• Noah’s three sons
• others

But I have questions that the context may or may not answer.

Question:

• Who are these “sons”? and why are they called “sons of God”?

• If they are ordinary men, then why wouldn’t they be called “sons of men”? I mean the females aren’t called “daughters of God”. Again, I’m speaking as one who is just reading through the Old Testament. I haven’t gotten to the New Testament yet. Though I have not read the New Testament yet (bear with me for a few minutes) there are countless multitudes of OT saints who have not either. Wonder how they were able to understand these passages? (More to come).
• Why isn’t Noah ever referred to as a son? God even calls him a “just” man and “perfect”.
• Why aren’t Noah’s sons called God’s sons? They did marry daughters of men, right?

Now stop for a moment and contemplate what was just stated. No Man of God was ever called a son of God in the OT. Ever! Look through each book of the prophets. If God referred to them as a son, at all, it was “son of man”; Ps 8:4;Ezek 2:1,3,6;2:8;Dan 8:17.

And then we are told that Giants were born to these “daughters of men” after the “sons of God” came in unto them. How do I know that? Look at the verse closer:

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; 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.

Isn’t it interesting that the Holy Spirit placed this information about “boy meets girl and boy and girl get married and have children” right in the MIDDLE of giants and men of renown? It’s as if the middle phrase is connecting the two.

Now I don’t know how big the giants were, mainly because I haven’t gotten to the verses about post-flood giants yet (if post-flood giants are the cursed sons of Ham, where did the pre-flood come from?), but I hear some folks say that they were big. It could be that everyone was bigger back then: They certainly lived a lot longer, so not out of the question. But the fact that giants are listed as such tells me that they were distinct from other “big men”, if indeed, people were taller back then.

It looks like I will have to “pull up” anchor and continue through the OT to try and find out who these “sons” are. As strange as the context of Genesis six seems, maybe there is a clearer answer. Next stop Job.

Job 1:6  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

Job 2:1  Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

Now what makes these “sons of God” interesting is that they are presenting themselves before God along with Satan. Now Satan is a bad guy so the question I have is “Why would he be presenting “himself” to God along with these others”? The chapter 2:1 verse makes it clear that Satan is “presenting” himself. Can the “sons” see him? They don’t say anything to him if they do. We aren’t exactly told one way or the other. Can we assume that they can see him? The only way the “sons” could see him is if they too were spiritual beings.

Job 38:7  When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

I have a question for the older, more mature believers.

As a young Christian who is working his way through the bible, is it against scriptural interpretation to accept an explanation of a question I have, about a subject or character, from the same book?

 Let me ask it this way.

Is it ok to assume that anywhere I see the phrase “sons of God” in the book of Job I can use the definition given in the same book? If the context in chapter 2 is not perfectly clear about who these sons are then shouldn’t I use the meaning in chapter 38?

If I can then I have my answer!

There is no doubt that the “sons of God” in 38 are anything other than spiritual beings because in the context (I’ve been told by more mature folks that context is important and the context, to me, seems to be creation) God had just laid the foundation of the earth; verse 4, when the morning stars and sons of God shouted for joy. Man hadn’t even been created yet (especially if this was the initial pre adamic earth).

Now if I go with this interpretation then I think I have a foundation as to what these “sons of God” were doing when they were presenting themselves, along with Satan, before God. If they truly were angels, or morning stars.

Ok wait! Are angels called “morning stars” or “sons” elsewhere in the Old Testament? This is important because I don’t want to assume this important point.

Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 

Isa 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 

If Lucifer was a son, then who was his father? There are only three options I can think of.

• Man
• Angel
• Jesus/God

Lucifer was called “son of the morning”. How can the “morning” be a father? When I think of “morning” I think of watching sunrises over the eastern sky; the smell of ham and eggs on the stove, and enjoying coffee. I don’t think of “morning” being a person. But I do see, in the scripture, things like “Love”, and “Truth”, and “Life” being a person. Could “morning” be a person as well?

 I’m really trying to reason this out. Lucifer, before he fell, was called a son. Obviously, he isn’t called a son now, he “musta” lost his sonship and above this he was never, ever called a Son, with a capital “s”.

As a matter of fact only one person, that I’m aware of is called the Son. Now before moving into the NT what were the “sons of God” doing in Job when presenting themselves? It is totally conceivable that “angels” would have to present themselves on occasion to God. Even Satan had to do that.

(Psa 82:1)  A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
(Psa 82:2)  How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
(Psa 82:3)  Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
(Psa 82:4)  Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
(Psa 82:5)  They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
(Psa 82:6)  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
(Psa 82:7)  But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
(Psa 82:8)  Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Are angels or spiritual beings also called gods [little ‘g’]?

1Sa 28:13  And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

Is this one of those times, in Job, that the “sons of God” were presenting themselves? I believe so and God is making it clear that He was not pleased by their actions. They were in danger of judgment! Just as a father would tell his children to “straighten up!”, God in His love for his creation, is giving fair warning.

But the argument presented by others are that angels have nothing to do with “Deliver the poor and needy” or “do justice to the afflicted and needy”. Therefore, this can’t be spirits or angels. Does not the scripture call angels ministering spirits? Are not spirits taking part in judgment in our present evil age?

Dan 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. 

Dan 10:20 Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. 21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. 11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

I can’t even contemplate how much the angels (Holy and Unholy) effect the earth and her inhabitants by their involvement. Even now this present world has been put in subjection to higher entities. [See Heb 2:5]

 What if they decide to disobey God and not fulfill their duty? It’s happened before. Or have all the angels that would rebel against God rebelled by now? Is there no future rebellion? What meaneth this verse?

Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth...

Is this version an historical event or is it not future? Is this not a future fulfillment of John 12?

Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Now when we move into the New Testament, we see the “sons of God”. Actually, it is in the New Testament that we learn that Adam is called God’s son.

Luk 3:38  Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. 

The context of chapter three is a list of fathers and their sons. It makes sense that God would be Adam’s father.

In the NT the term “son of God” always refers to men. But not just any man. Men that have experienced the new birth. A birth not made through human intervention or natural, earthly processes. A supernatural creation.

John 3:3-7; A new creature; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15.

Come to think of it, sort of like angels. Angels have no earthly origin. They were created without a mother: They, like Adam, and twice born men, have a heavenly Father but no mother.

Now the case against such an idea as this state that men have the “power” to become “sons of God” but not all born again believers are sons. That is partly true. Actually, it is fully true but some teachers don’t see the division that the scripture speaks so much about; 2 Tim 2:15

The moment you believe and are born again you are a “son of God”.

Gal4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Php2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

1Jn3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1Jn3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

In a sense we are all first-born sons, but many will sell their birth-right and forfeit their inheritance. Sonship is the same in regard to our future reward. We are born sons but there is a dual application because the scripture also makes it clear that there is a sonship that is conditional and future.

Mat5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Another way to try and grasp this concept would be that  the “first born inheritance” is ours to lose. As some teachers have rightly written about dual sonship, I won’t spend any more time on that other than to include verses for the benefit of the reader. Romans 8:14-19

I could go on about the duel meaning of being a son of God for the descendants of Adam but for me the evidence is clear that the term “son[s] of God” refers to that which is born of the Spirit. Whether angels or sons of Adam, it is a supernatural experience that can only happen by the working of the Holy Spirit.

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