Nephilim

Illustration created for “SWITCH magazine” about William Blake, “Nephilim” and the fallen angels, in a report with this theme, that is very used in the Rock Music and Heavy Metal lyrics.
William Blake (1757 –1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake's work is today considered seminal and significant in the history of both poetry and the visual arts.

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According to Old Testament, “Nephilim” is from a root meaning “to fall”. This term was used for a group of strong men who “fell” on others in the sense of overpowering them. The strong men were already in the earth when the “mighty men” and “men of renown” were born, and lived on the earth before the Flood.

We can see in Numbers 13:32-33: "…So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

The descendants of Anak were, in exaggeration, compared to these giants, which led the spies to view themselves as grasshoppers before them.

Another text, in the beginning, is Genesis 6:4 who says: “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”.

The first fallen angel was, obviously, Satan. The words of the prophet Ezekiel against the King of Tyre shows us clearly what happened:

"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him,
'Thus says the Lord GOD,
"You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
"You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
Was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
"You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
"You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
"By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor
I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
"By the multitude of your iniquities,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
"All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever." (Ezekiel 28:12-13)

God led Ezekiel to address the king as the one to be judged, but clearly the power behind him was Satan. All this text must be associated with Satan as one perfect in angelic beauty before he rebelled against God. But, it can also relate to “ perfection” in the same context of Tyre’s enterprise, topmost in its trade to the ancient world, glorious in her seafaring efforts, and the crowning city.


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