2222

 On Wednesday, June 26^th, we received an email requesting our thoughts about, among others, the “Nephilim”. It so happens that they are also mentioned in this week’s Parasha (Numbers 13:33). Some of you may remember that a couple of years ago, I had an ‘encounter’ with Time. The number 333 kept popping up several times during the week, resulting in an article by that name. Not remembering the date I posted it, I opened up the blog site, and the first thing that stood out was the number of postings: 333. When I searched for the article mentioned above, I was surprised that it was posted on June 26^th, 2020. For the past week, the number phenomenon has recurred again, only this time the digits were 222 or 2222.  This begs questions about the Nephilim, and their connection to the reoccurrence of 2’s.   

In recent years, there has been a growing fascination in Christian/Messianic circles with enigmatic-supernatural phenomena, such as extra-terrestrials, the Nephilim (first mentioned in Genesis 6:4), and more… Numerous efforts are being made toward that end. Dreams, visions, and extra-biblical narratives are melded together and presented in a variety of ways in order to satisfy the interest in these topics. As mentioned, the subject of Nephilim, and even their “return”, has been primary. The root meaning of “Nephilim” in Hebrew is “fallen ones”, with the principal consonants being n.ph.l (noon, pey/phey, lamed). Even though we are not about to delve here into the subject of the ancient Nephilim, as such, it’s worthwhile examining the literal meaning of Genesis 6:4 (as translated in the NRS version): “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-- and also afterward-- when the sons of Elohim went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown”. Notice that the children of the sons of Elohim and the daughters of humans are not classified as being the same as the Nephilim. Yet, the former, as well as the latter are all defined as “heroes/mighty men of renown” of that era. However, the text informs us that the Nephilim continued to exist beyond that era. We meet them again in the Promised Land, during the exploratory journey of the twelve spies who were dispatched by Moses (Numbers 13:1ff).

As we know, ten of the twelve spies “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’" (Numbers 13:32-33 emphasis added).

Again, what does this have to do with 222 or 2222?  To find out, I turned to 2^nd Peter 2:22 (2222).   “It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit’, and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire’".  Who are the “them”? I prayed. Going back and reading the whole chapter opened the door to further understanding of today's “Nephilim” (the fallen ones).

In 2^nd Peter 2:20 (222), we read: “For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first”.  These are the same ones who are mentioned in Hebrews: “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of Elohim, and put Him to open shame” (6:4-6 emphasis added).  Paul also mentions “falling” in Galatians: “You have been severed from Messiah, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (5:4 emphasis added).

Peter warns the true believers that: “there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2^nd Peter 2:1). The most dangerous of all the false prophets and teachers are those who have “tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away”. Along the way many of those have gained the status of “men of renown”. 

With all that said, I now understand why the Holy Spirit drew my attention to numbers marking time and to other digits. YHVH was making clear to me how intimately He is involved in every millisecond of our lives. We are warned not to be like the ten spies who saw themselves as grasshoppers compared to the Nephilim (and also imagined that the latter were perceiving them thusly).  Some of the fallen false teachers are extremely intelligent, gifted, and charismatic, so much so that you may feel like a grasshopper by comparison.  Be careful not to be distracted by the ancient unseen Nephilim, while at the same time being deceived by the ones you see, thus getting dangerously close to an impending fall.