Supernatural Rebellion: The Fall of the Watchers
The sermon examines the biblical "Watchers" - divine beings appointed by God as governors over nations - and their rebellion through key historical episodes, particularly their intermarriage with humans before Noah's flood. Their actions produced the Nephilim and led to increased wickedness that prompted the Great Flood, demonstrating God's supreme authority over all realms. This understanding of supernatural scripture serves to strengthen faith by revealing God's ultimate power and assuring believers that no spiritual forces can separate them from His love.
Synopsis:
The supernatural realm described in biblical texts often includes beings that modern readers might find surprising or challenging to categorize. Among these are the Watchers, a class of divine beings whose actions significantly impacted human history according to biblical and ancient Jewish traditions. To understand these beings, we must first examine their nature and role in God's kingdom.
The Nature of Divine Beings
The concept of divine beings in scripture extends beyond our common understanding of angels. In Psalm 82, these beings are referred to as "Sons of God," a term that emphasizes their divine nature. While they are called "gods" (with a lowercase 'g'), they are lesser deities - appointed by God as governors or judges over the nations of earth. Their original purpose was to direct people toward the worship of the Most High God, but as we see throughout scripture, many of these beings chose to rule according to their own desires instead.
In the Old Testament, these divine beings are referenced by various names and roles, while the New Testament generally simplifies these categories under the term "angels" (meaning messengers). The term "gods" in this context refers to spiritual or divine beings - entities that are not physical like humans but possess supernatural characteristics.
The Watchers: Their Role and Authority
The Watchers represent a specific office or position within God's spiritual kingdom. According to the Society of Biblical Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, they appear prominently in Daniel 4:13-17. The term "watcher" literally means "to awake" or "to awaken," suggesting beings who are constantly vigilant over earthly affairs.
As described in Daniel 4, these beings possessed significant authority. The scripture states: "This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones" (Daniel 4:17). Several key observations emerge from this passage:
Watchers are described as "holy ones" of God, created to do His work
They were empowered to make judgments over the world
They functioned as trusted officials with authority to make independent decisions
They were visible beings, often appearing to humans
Their primary purpose was to make known that the Most High rules over human kingdoms
The Three Episodes of the Watchers
The biblical narrative presents three distinct episodes involving the Watchers. The first appears in Psalm 82, where certain Watchers were judged for their rebellion. The second occurs in Daniel's time (around 500 BC), showing that God continued to employ faithful Watchers even after the earlier judgment. The third episode, chronologically the earliest, takes place before the Great Flood described in Genesis 6.
This pre-flood episode proves particularly significant. According to Hebrew tradition, 200 Watchers descended to Earth, specifically to Mount Hermon, approximately 500 years before Noah's flood. As recorded in Genesis 6:1-2: "When man began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive, and they took as their wives any they chose."
The Nephilim and Their Legacy
The union between these Watchers and human women produced offspring known as the Nephilim. Genesis 6:4 states: "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown."
The term "Nephilim" likely means "fallen ones," and their presence continued even after the flood, as evidenced in Numbers 13:33: "We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
These beings appeared throughout biblical history, often as formidable warriors. In 2 Samuel 21, we read of several battles involving giants, including relations of Goliath, who possessed unique physical characteristics such as extra digits and extraordinary size.
Consequences of the Watchers' Rebellion
The actions of the Watchers led to three major consequences for humanity:
1. The shortening of life spans, as indicated in Genesis 6:3: "My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."
2. The emergence of the Nephilim, whose presence contributed to increased wickedness on earth.
3. Unprecedented human depravity, as described in Genesis 6:5: "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
The Purpose of Understanding Supernatural Evil
Understanding these supernatural aspects of scripture serves several important purposes. Rather than avoiding such topics, awareness of these spiritual realities helps believers recognize and avoid harmful practices. The Apostle Peter uses the example of the Watchers to demonstrate God's power and authority. In 2 Peter 2:4-9, he writes that if God could contain such powerful supernatural beings, He can certainly overcome any evil we face today.
This knowledge should strengthen our faith rather than cause fear. As the Apostle Paul declares in Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Conclusion
The account of the Watchers reveals both the reality of supernatural evil and the supreme authority of God over all creation. While these beings possessed great power and authority, their rebellion led to judgment and containment. This serves as a powerful reminder that God's authority extends over all spiritual and physical realms, providing hope and confidence for believers facing trials and tribulations in the present day.
Through Christ's victory on the cross, believers are freed from the dominion of supernatural powers and transferred into God's kingdom. This understanding doesn't merely satisfy theological curiosity but provides practical hope and assurance for Christians facing spiritual warfare in their daily lives.
