Last time we looked at the arguments surrounding Matthew 24:37 as proof text for the return of the Nephilim in the end times. Today, I would like to look at another verse. Daniel 2:43. The verse reads:
“And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” ~Daniel 2:43~
Pro-End Times Nephilim
The first time I heard this theory was from Chuck Missler. I was blown away. I felt as if something was terribly wrong with modern day Biblical scholars for ignoring such crucial information. Essentially, the argument is that the “they” are the fallen angels or the sons of God who will end up “mingling themselves with the seed of men.” The argument is compelling. This is where Daniel is describing the final kingdom as described of the statue in the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. The final kingdom is shown in the imagery as the feet and the ten toes of the “image.” But does this theory hold up under context and textual scrutiny? Let’s examine.
Anti-End Times Nephilim
The other side of the argument is that the “they” do not refer to fallen angels or the sons of God but rather simply an higher class of men, or royalty of some sort. This is derived from the study of the phrase “seed of men.” Barnes Notes suggests the following looking at the word “men” es described in Daniel 2:43:
“The word rendered “men” (אנשׁא ‘ănâshâ’) is employed in Hebrew and in Chaldee to denote men of an inferior class – the lower orders, the common herd – in contradistinction from the more elevated and noble classes, represented by the word אישׁ ‘ı̂ysh…It is further to be remarked, that this would exist to a degree which would not be found in either of the three previous kingdoms. In fact, in these kingdoms there was no such intermingling with foreign nations as to destroy the homogeneousness of the empire. [1]”
~Barnes’ Notes on the Bible~
So as you can see, this concept of the “seed of men” being an inferior class is drawn from the words used. Other commentary seem to reflect on this notion and suggest that the idea is that a royal class will breed with the lower class but they will not stay uniform because of the affliction of the higher class.
COMPARISON
So without getting too deep into the exegetical study of the verse, it seems to be that the Anti-End Times Nephilim does have a point here. However, it is still compelling that the verse does bring to light a contrast between two groups that will essentially “mix” with each other. Whether it’s referring to fallen angels, the sons of God, and the possibility of Nephilim being on the earth in the last days is mere speculation. To suggest so might be treading in the realm of sensationalization. While this was a very short look at this verse and it’s only appropriate to look at current events and see how it might apply to a far fulfillment of this prophecy. This is of course a place where we “Understand the world through the lens of Scripture.”
IRON MIXED WITH CLAY
Most scholars see this as a mere metaphor for the reality that whatever “they” are, it doesn’t go over too well when “they” mix with the “seed of men.” But it is not until the recent decades and really some groundbreaking news that shed light to possibility that this verse could have been talking about something much different.
A recent report has come out saying that scientists have created lifelike cells out of metal![2] Now the article does state that they’re not sure if these cells are “alive” but that it might change the very definition of what it means to be alive. I’m sure many of us have seen Terminator 2, with the villain T1000 which was a cyborg made out of liquid metal who would take on several shapes and forms. This could be where all of this is headed.
While, we don’t know for sure, it’s interesting to speculate the possibility of metal based life forms. Many questions would arise. What if we are able to reproduce? Could this be what God was trying to tell us about “they” would mingle themselves with the “seed of men”? And certainly, if there were to arise a metal based life form to the point of intelligence of humanity, then there would certainly be a class difference. They would be the ruling class, and the “seed of men” would be the underling class.
This all fits as well when we consider what Rob Skiba speculates as the definition of Nephilim. According to Rob, the Nephilim could be simply a word that defines a being that is an abomination to God. The word Nephilim comes from the root word “Nephal” which means “to fall, lie.” And in that sense, a fallen entity, or a lying entity would be a description of any creature that violates the boundaries of kinds set by God. Thus, if this is the case, then the prophecies God revealed to us thousands of years ago in Daniel, could very well be of a time when “they” (higher class metal based biological beings) mingle themselves with the “seed of men” (us).
[1]http://biblecommenter.com/daniel/2-43.htm
[2]http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/scientist-creates-lifelike-cells-out-of-metal
