Page Content (OCR)
including Jacques Vallee, John Keel, and others—have even suggested that our alien visitors may indeed be fallen angels or demons themselves. To determine whether aliens are part of the angelic or demonic realm we must first examine some of the attributes of angels and demons. It is commonly believed that fallen angels and demons are one and the same. In fact, they are frequently used as synonyms in the Judeo-Christian literature of the last several hundred years. However, it turns out that ancient rabbis and the Early Church fathers believed that they were separate and distinct entities. When we examine the Biblical record, we see that the attributes and activities of angels and demons and angels are different. Angels (literally "messengers") are creations of God that have their own physical bodies. They are able to manifest in time and space, and when they do they are usually confused with men! For example, when God and the two angels appeared to Abraham in the terebinths of Mamre in Genesis 18, they are described as having the appearance of men. In fact, they were so convincingly human that the homosexuals of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to have intercourse with them.*” It is unlikely that the men of Sodom would have been sexually interested in the angels had they been semi-transparent, glowing apparitions with wings and halos! In the New Testament, two angels who were confused with men were at the empty tomb of Jesus after the resurrection. Luke the Apostle stated, "And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments" (Luke 24:4). After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples looked on. "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel" (Acts 1:10). These "two men" were angels with physical bodies who advised the disciples that Jesus would return "in like manner." Finally, in the New Testament book of Hebrews we are told, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2). The nature of demons is entirely different. They are disembodied spirits that seek embodiment. The origin of demons is not commonly known in our time. However, in ancient times it was well understood that demons are the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim. The reader will recall that the Nephilim (the earth-born giants of the days of Noah) were the offspring of fallen angels and the "daughters of men." According to numerous ancient rabbinic and Early Church texts, when the Nephilim died their spirits became disembodied and roamed the earth, harassing mankind and seeking embodiment! This is most evident in the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch was considered by many ancient Christians and Jews to be an authoritative book of Jewish history. It was probably written in the middle of the second century B.C., but compiled from much earlier material. In the early chapters of the Book of Enoch we are told a great deal about the early history of the earth, the days of Noah and the "Watchers." According to the Book of Enoch and other ancient rabbinic writings, the "Watchers" were a specific group of angels that God had placed to watch over the earth. According to the Book of Enoch, 200 of these Watchers lusted and fell into sin when they married the "daughters of men." The result of this ungodly union was the birth of unnatural offspring, the Nephilim. The destiny of the spirits of the Nephilim is described 142