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Book Review: Fallen by Tim Chaffey

I’ve recently finished a book by Dr Tim Chaffey called “Fallen”. In it he explores just 4 verses in the Bible. You may be wondering how an entire book can be written on just 4 verses of the Bible - but these are some of the most misinterpreted and misunderstood verses of the Bible. They are found in Genesis 6:1-4 and go like this:

“Genesis 6:1–4 (ESV) When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 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.”

If you’ve never read or seen this section of Genesis, then you are likely confused as to its meaning and relevance. Welcome to a very complicated topic of theological study and interpretation that has been going on for a very long time.

Tim Chaffey wrote his Master of Theology thesis on these verses to bring more of an academic insight into their interpretation. Very often this section of the Bible is used for conspiracy and severe speculation, and from the outset of “Fallen” the author makes it clear that the Bible does not give us a detailed clarity of what these verses mean.

So why study these passages if they are vague and confusing. Great question, here are three reasons:

  1. In Genesis 6:5 directly after these 4 verses, it is said that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth” - it is easy to see that Gen 6:1-4 had a huge impact on mankind. So it is worth knowing about to have a greater understanding of the bigger story of the Bible.

  2. Many authors of the Bible assume that those reading their text know are familiar with these passages and their meaning, as they are referenced to at various times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Themes from Genesis 6:1-4 come up in Numbers and Joshua, the prophetic texts, and even various New Testament letters as well.

  3. This section can be very misunderstood and misinterpreted so it is worth having greater understanding to bring clarity if the opportunity arises, rather than stoking confusion and uncertainty. In the words of the late Dr Michael Heiser, “If it’s weird, it’s probably important”.

What does this book talk about:

Nearly every sentence in Genesis 6:1-4 results in a question:

  • Who are the Sons of God?

  • Who or what are the Nephilim?

  • Who are the “mighty men of old”?

  • What does this have to do with the flood narrative?

This book seeks to explore these common questions (and some not so common questions) through the lenses of historical interpretation in ancient Jewish theology, the early church’s interpretation, and other Biblical references.

What I really appreciate is the respect and effort put into the range of interpretation that has been discussed across both the great traditions of Christianity and recent academic scholarly work.

This includes a lot of references to Dr Michael Heiser’s work who has popularised theological concepts that are paramount in understanding some of these concepts discussed in this book.

Who should read this book?

This is for those who want a more academic and formal approach to understanding this section of scripture rather than hyperbole and conspiracy. If you’re wanting to expand you insight into the wider narrative of the Bible, this helps as well.

It is worth noting that there are some alternative interpretations of secondary topics in this book. None of the areas discussed contradict core doctrine of Christianity, but introduce areas that have only recently started to be written about in academic circles such as the divine council worldview.

What did I learn?

There was quite a lot that I learnt and am still processing. I’d like to somehow turn my notes and quotes into a more helpful infographic of some sort, but at this stage I’m still collating my insights. The areas that had the most impact were:

3 primary historical interpretations.

Amongst all the interpretations there are 3 that stand out:

  1. The Sethite view (one of the oldest interpretations)

  2. The Royal Family view (the more common in scholarship)

  3. The Fallen Angel view (also a very old view that has had a lot more recent academic weight put on it)

It is the author’s desire to promote the Fallen Angel view, and how it fits much better with Biblical theology than the others.

How those interpretations have changed over time.

Not only are those 3 commons views explored, but how they became popular throughout the history if its interpretation (ranging from ancient Jewish writings, to the early church, to more recent studies).

What I found very fascinating is how the early church father Origin had a significant impact with a more “allegorical” interpretation of Scriptures. This influenced now only how Genesis 6:1-4 was interpreted, but the overall supernatural worldview of the Bible shifting to a more naturalist understanding.

Significance of understanding these few verses.

For the longest time I put this section of the Bible into the “too weird to worry about” part of my own studies. Yet the more I’ve learnt about and spent time reading about, the more I’m convinced that it is a part of the wider narrative of the Bible and the significance of Jesus.

Tim Chaffey does not spend a huge amount of time exploring the theological implications of these verses. This is because this book is about gaining a better understanding of these verses. Yet what he implicitly does is creates a foundation for Biblical interpretation as you read the scriptures and encounter these themes.

I genuinely feel better equipped to meditate and study some of the more tricky parts of the Bible such as the conquest narratives of Joshua and the role of the nation of Israel amongst the other kingdoms of the ancient world.

What does this have to do with building my own Bible Roadmap?

The goal of this blog is to help you build tools for building your own understanding of the Bible.

And this book is designed to provide you with tools for not only these tricky verses, but their ongoing themes as well.

Even though there are a few rabbit holes in this book, Tim Chaffey does an excellent job at guiding the reader through some very complex theological ideas and taking you on a journey of interpretation.

Even if you don’t agree with all of the conclusions, the expository tools provided to you are well worth the journey.

There is a great interview on the Remnant Radio podcast with Dr Tim Chaffey if you’re wanting an introduction to this book as well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7pjaYVntr0&t=525s

Praying this helps and blesses you!

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