Remembering Solomon’s words that there is nothing new
under the sun, we have to wonder about the strange ideas of the walking dead
and where that started. While we can trace some ideas of zombies to Haitian superstitions,
we have a group of beings in the Bible whose names mean: the dead that were
mended by stitching, but still loose. What does that describe? Lack of muscle
control, but stitched to fix yet dead; sounds like zombies. While the Rephaim were actual alive beings, they
were thought of as alive, yet dead, giants. While Haitians believe zombies were
dead people that were made alive through necromancy, the Rephaim were alive but
later killed. There is a reason we don’t know too much about them, God wanted
it that way. There are other races of giants, the Anakim (Canaanites and sons
of Anak south of Palestine), the Zuzim, Emim (also the Canaanites), and the
Zamzummim. Let’s keep in mind Abraham married a Canaanite (Anakim) and had six
sons with her, which means mixing with humans. And through the course of time
we see the height of these individuals shrinking until they resemble the rest
of humanity. Solomon writes:
Wisdom 14:6 For in the old time also, when the proud
giants perished, the hope of the world governed by thy hand escaped in a weak
vessel, and left to all ages a seed of generation. KJV
At the time of Noah there were angels that took off their
spiritual housing [bodies] and took women for themselves, and produced a race
of beings called the Nephilim. While the Nephilim are the first recorded group of
beings on earth that were different than humans, there were others after the
flood. Moses tells us that there were giants in the earth in those days and
after that. The word for giant is nephil
which means, “feller, a bully, or tyrant”, but translators translated it “giant”
when truly it means one who fell. These Nephilim are called “mighty men, men of
renown”. That is where we get our mythology of gods and demi-gods. “Mighty men
of renown” means they were powerful tyrants with authority. While they may have
been known to be very tall, the word gibbor
really indicates that they were tyrannical leaders. However, the Rephaim were
very tall beings. While we can’t be sure, the Rephaim were most likely
descendants of the Nephilim. We don’t know how the various “tall beings” ended
up on earth after the flood, whether more angels fell after the flood or
whether some Nephilim survived, but we do know that they were on the earth
after the flood. However the Rephaim are interesting because all Bible translations
describe them differently. All descriptive translations use varying words so to
gain perspective. Let’s look at the descriptive verses before we go into the actual
verses that show the wars they endured.
Job 26:5-6 “The ghosts of the dead (1) writhe under the
waters along with those who live there with them. 6 Sheol (2) is naked before God
and Abaddon has no clothes. ISV
Job 26:5- 1 Lit. Rephaim;
i.e., souls of the dead 2 i.e. the
realm of the afterlife ISV
Job 26:5
|
5
|
<ya!p*r+h*
Dead 7496 H¹r¸¹°îm |
things 9999 |
Wll*ojy+
are formed 2342 y®µôl¹lû |
tj^T^m!
from under 8478 mittaµa¾ |
<y]m^
the waters, 4325 mayim |
|
.<h#yn}k=v)w+ and the inhabitants thereof. 7931 w®šœ½nêhem. |
|
6
|
is 9999 |
<oru*
naked 6174 ±¹rôm |
loav=
Hell 7585 Š®°ôl |
oDg=n\
before him, 5048 neºdô |
/ya@w+
and hath no 369 w®°ên |
tWsK=
covering. 3682 k®sû¾ |
|
./oDb^a&l* destruction 11 l¹°»addôn. |
(Interlinear Transliterated Bible (TR
Edition). Copyright © 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved. [For more
detail see the full copyright page.])
OT:7496 rapha' (raw-faw'); from OT:7495 in the sense of
OT:7503; properly, lax, i.e. (figuratively) a ghost (as dead; in plural only):
KJV - dead, deceased.
OT:7495 rapha' (raw-faw');
or raphah (raw-faw'); a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e.
(figuratively) to cure: KJV - cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, thoroughly, make whole. See OT:7503.
OT:7503 raphah (raw-faw'); a
primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative):KJV -
abate, cease, consume, draw [toward evening], fail, (be) faint, be (wax)
feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still,
be slothful, (be) weak (-en). See OT:7495.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:2342 chuwl (khool); or chiyl (kheel); a primitive
root; properly, to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), i.e.
(specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear;
figuratively, to wait, to pervert: KJV - bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to)
calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great,
grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained,
rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow (-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain),
tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded. (Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:8478 tachath (takh'-ath); from the same as OT:8430;
the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional
prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.: KJV - as, beneath, flat, in (-stead), (same) place (where ...
is), room, for ... sake, stead of, under,
unto, when ... was mine, whereas,
[wherefore-], with. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:4325 mayim (mah'-yim); dual of a primitive noun (but
used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine,
semen: KJV - piss, wasting, water (-ing,
[-course, -flood, -spring]).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:7931 shakan (shaw-kan'); a primitive root [apparently
akin (by transmission) to OT:7901 through the idea of lodging; compare OT:5531,
OT:7925]; to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively): KJV -
abide, continue, (cause to, make to) dwell (-er), have habitation, inhabit,
lay, place, (cause to) remain, rest, set (up).
OT:7901 shakab (shaw-kab');
a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any
other purpose): KJV - at all, cast down,
([lover-]) lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with),
lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:6174`arowm (aw-rome'); or `arom (aw-rome'); from
OT:6191 (in its original sense); nude, either partially or totally: KJV -
naked.
OT:6191`aram (aw-ram'); a
primitive root; properly, to be (or make) bare; but used only in the derivative
sense (through the idea perhaps of smoothness) to be cunning (usually in a bad
sense): KJV - very, beware, take crafty
[counsel], be prudent, deal subtilly. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:7585 she'owl (sheh-ole'); or sheol (sheh-ole'); from
OT:7592; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including
its accessories and inmates: KJV - grave, hell, pit.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
OT:5048 neged (neh'-ghed); from OT:5046; a front, i.e.
part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial,
especially with preposition) over against or before: KJV - about, (over)
against, aloof, far (off),
from, over, presence, other side,
sight, to view. (Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:369 'ayin (ah'-yin); as if from a primitive root
meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative
particle: KJV - else, except, fail, [father-] less, be gone, in [-curable],
neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought,
past, un (-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare OT:370. (Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:3682 kecuwth (kes-ooth'); from OT:3680; a cover (garment);
figuratively, a veiling: KJV - covering, raiment, vesture.
OT:3680 kacah (kaw-saw'); a
primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover
(for clothing or secrecy):KJV - cladself, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self),
(flee to) hide, overwhelm. Compare OT:3780.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:11'abaddown (ab-ad-done'); intensive from OT:6; abstract,
a perishing; concrete, Hades: KJV - destruction. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
A literal translation could be as follows: “The Rephaim
writhe in fear below urine, lodging there. The place of the dead is exposed in
front of [God] Abaddon is not veiled or clothed.” The Rephaim live under urine,
which indicates that they are under the ground, but that they are conscious. These
are beings that cannot be fixed or stitched, and are let go or left to stay
broken. They spin and writhe in fear or pain, or they spin and wait to pervert.
They are living below urine or semen, as compared to the living who urinate on
them. God sees the place of the dead, Sheol, just as he sees the place of the
living. Abaddon is not hidden or clothed. We studied Abaddon or Apollyon,
someone opens the bottomless pit and locusts come out. The locusts have a king
over them, Apollyon or Abaddon. Here Job says God sees Abaddon, just like he
sees the living.
Brown Driver & Briggs define Rephaim as follows.
OT:7496 rapha' —ghosts of the dead, shades, spirits
OT:7497 rapha' or raphah —giants, Rephaim; an old race of
giants
OT:7498 Rapha' or Raphah —Rapha = "tall" 1)a son of Binea and a descendant of
Saul 2)a son of Benjamin (from The
Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew
Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed
from the Institute for Creation Research.)
Rephaim are considered the spirits or ghosts of the dead,
which is what they are now. While alive, they were an old race of giants, and
they were tall. Being that they are now spirits, they are desperate spirits. If
we remember according to the Book of Jubilees, the spirits of the Nephilim were
on the earth and Noah asked God to take them away, otherwise they would consume
Noah’s descendants.
Jubilees X. 1 And in the third week of this jubilee the
unclean demons 2 began to lead astray †the children of† 3 the sons of Noah; and
to make to err and destroy them. 2. And the sons of Noah came to Noah their
father, and they told him concerning the demons which were, leading astray and
blinding and slaying his sons' sons. 3. And he prayed before the Lord his God,
and said: God of the spirits of all flesh, 4 who hast shown mercy unto me, And
hast saved me and my sons from the waters of the flood, And hast not caused me
to perish as Thou didst the sons of perdition; 5 For Thy grace hath been great
towards me, And great hath been Thy mercy to my soul; Let Thy grace be lift up
upon my sons, And let not wicked spirits rule over them Lest they should
destroy them from the earth.4. But do Thou bless me and my sons, that we may
increase and multiply and replenish the earth. 5. And Thou knowest how Thy
Watchers, the fathers of these spirits, acted in my day: and as for these
spirits which are living, imprison them and hold them fast in the place of
condemnation, and let them not bring destruction on the sons of thy servant, my
God; for these are malignant, and created in order to destroy. 6. And let them
not rule over the spirits of the living; for Thou alone canst exercise dominion
over them. And let them not have power over the sons of the righteous from
henceforth and for evermore." 7. And the Lord our God bade us to bind all.
“The Watchers” were the fathers of these unclean spirits
that bring destruction to the living. However satan contended with God to keep
some of the demons:
8. And the chief
of the spirits, Mastêmâ, 2 came and said: "Lord, Creator, let some of them
remain before me, and let them hearken to my voice, and do all that I shall say
unto them; for if some of them are not left to me, I shall not be able to
execute the power of my will on the sons of men; for these are for corruption
and leading astray before my judgment, for great is the wickedness of the sons
of men." 9. And He said: "Let the tenth part of them remain before
him, and let nine parts descend into the place of condemnation." http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/jub/jub24.htm
Here we have the understanding of where demons come from.
As we have studied this in the past, the demons that are on the earth are the
disembodied spirits of the offspring of the fallen angels and earth women.
While, in the time of Noah, ten percent remained under satan’s domination, that
number may have increased as other giants died. Remember what Jesus told us
about unclean spirits?
Matt 12:43-45 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a
man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.44 Then he
saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come,
he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.45 Then goeth he, and taketh with
himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and
dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so
shall it be also unto this wicked generation. KJV
They have intelligence, they walk through dry places,
they like wet bodies, they seek, actively think to find a body to rest in. They
make decisions to return to their previous place, they notice how clean the
body they inhabited has become, and they invite other unclean spirits to join
them as they are social. This is what Jesus told us regarding a spiritual look
at zombie spirits. They want to inhabit the living. They have friends and
probably like to hang out with others of their kind that inhabit other
humans.
Getting back to the Rephaim, the same verse in Job is
rendered differently in the Septuagint, the Amplified, Young’s Literal
Translation, and the American Standard Version.
Septuagint, Job 26:5 Shall giants be born from under the
water and the inhabitants thereof? 6 Hell is naked before
him, and destruction has no covering.
Job 26:5-6 The shades of the dead tremble underneath the
waters and their inhabitants. 6 Sheol (the place of the dead) is naked before
God, and Abaddon (the place of destruction) has no covering [from His eyes]. AMP
Job 26:5-6 The Rephaim are formed, Beneath the waters, also
their inhabitants.6 Naked [is] Sheol over-against Him, And there is no covering
to destruction.YLT
Job 26:5-6 They that are deceased tremble Beneath the waters
and the inhabitants thereof.6 Sheol is naked before (God), And
Abaddon hath no covering. ASV
We can see
the variation in translations in Job. To be clear, there are human deceased and
Rephaim deceased. Both end up in Sheol, and God sees both earth and Sheol. This
is a dimension we don’t see but we know it exists. People today try to cling to
life because of fear of the unknown at death. Earth is the place to determine
where we go after death. The righteous dead don’t go to the same place as the
unrighteous dead, Jesus rectified that.
Isaiah
tells us about the Rephaim as well. Isaiah says that the Rephaim are called “the
dead”, and they wake up to meet Lucifer along with the kings and princes of the
earth when Lucifer goes down to hell. The Rephaim and the former kings and
princes will be surprised that Lucifer has become as weak as they are.
Isa 14:9
Sheol beneath hath been troubled at thee, To meet thy coming in, It is waking
up for thee Rephaim, All chiefs ones of earth, It hath raised up from their
thrones All kings of nations. YLT
Isa 14:9
Hell below was in an uproar to meet thee at thy coming, it stirred up the
giants for thee. All the princes of the earth are risen up from their thrones,
all the princes of nations. Douay-Rheims
Here we see the Rephaim along with kings
and princes in Sheol when Lucifer will be bound for one thousand years. That
tells us that while some are wandering earth looking for bodies to inhabit,
others are in Sheol and will be there through the one thousand years Jesus is
ruling on earth. Isaiah tells us more.
Isa 26:14
Dead — they live not, Rephaim, they rise not, Therefore Thou hast inspected and
dost destroy them, Yea, thou destroyest all their memory. YLT
Isa 26:14
Let not the dead live, let not the giants rise again: therefore hast thou
visited and destroyed them, and best destroyed all their memory. Douay-Rheims
Isa 26:14
The dead won’t live,and the departed spirits won’t rise—to that end, you
punished and destroyed them,then locked away all memory of them. ISV
This tells
us two significant things; 1) That the dead Rephaim will not live again,
meaning they won’t come back to live on earth. 2) God has locked or destroyed
all memory of them. In the America’s we find the skeletons of giants but we
don’t know anything about them. Some people believe that the large earth
structures we have remnants of, which we cannot duplicate today, were built by
giants. However, I would like to point out that these large earth structures
have doors that are about five feet high, along with windows about the same
level. Giants, between ten and twenty feet tall would not build structures they
could not get into. That is simply silly. Original Americans have many stories
of six fingered, very tall, races of human like beings. Yet because God erased
the memory of them, all we really have today is bones and some structures we
can’t explain. One thing of note, their skull plate structure is different than
human skulls. Humans have two parietal plates but these skulls which are twenty
five percent bigger and sixty percent heavier only have one parietal plate.
Some people
suspect giants will be back on earth in the last days. If a race of giants will
come to exist on earth again, they will be new, not raised from the dead as
Isaiah says. In other words, there won’t be a resurrection of old Rephaim. If
we are thinking of humans being intentionally mutated with genetic engineering,
it may be that the spirits of the Rephaim that are on the earth would inhabit
those engineered human bodies. The theory that more angels will fall and create
a race of giants during the tribulation is also unlikely as that will only be a
seven year period. Instead, there would have to be a significant period of time
prior to the tribulation that cohabitation and domination would have to happen.
I would think it would be noticeable to the rest of humanity if a group of
fifteen or twenty foot tall beings started dominating the world. While the
Rephaim had occupied certain places in Israel they did spread out all over the
world. Yet at the time of human resurrection, the land of the Rephaim will
finally be overthrown.
Isa 26:19
'Thy dead live — My dead body they rise. Awake and sing, ye dwellers in the
dust, For the dew of herbs [is] thy dew, And the land of Rephaim thou causest
to fall. YLT
Isa 26:19
Thy dead men shall live, my slain shall rise again: awake, and give praise, ye
that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is the dew of the light: and the land of
the giants thou shalt pull down into ruin. Douay-Rheims
Isa
26:19-21 Your dead shall live [O Lord]; the bodies of our dead [saints] shall
rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For Your dew [O Lord]
is a dew of [sparkling] light [heavenly, supernatural dew]; and the earth shall
cast forth the dead [to life again; for on the land of the shades of the
dead [Rephaim] You will let Your dew fall]. [Ezek 37:11-12.] 20 Come, my
people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for
a little while until the [Lord's] wrath is past. 21 For behold, the Lord is
coming out of His place [heaven] to punish the inhabitants of the earth for
their iniquity; the earth also will disclose the blood shed upon her and will
no longer cover her slain and conceal her guilt. AMP
The dead
redeemed rise on the day of redemption. The dead in Christ rise first and those
who are alive on earth will join them in the air. Then they are hidden for a
little while, they are all in their chambers with the doors shut. Once the
wrath of the Lamb and the wrath of God has passed, the Lord comes out of heaven
with his army, his bride, to rescue Israel. But look closely at verse 19. The
land of the Rephaim, the land they lived in, will be brought to ruins. We will
see where they lived shortly.
The sons of Korah wrote a song with a
rhetorical question regarding the Rephaim.
Ps 88:10 To
the dead dost Thou do wonders? Do Rephaim rise? do they thank Thee? Selah.YLT
No, the
Rephaim don’t rise, even at the day of redemption, the day Jesus gathers
together his redeemed. The Rephaim don’t thank God, instead they seem resistant
to God, and if demons are a reflection of the Rephaim, they seem to want to
encourage humans to sin. It is safe to say that fallen angels have bred a
rebellious race. The seductress of Proverbs leads people to the Rephaim.
Septuagint Proverbs 2:18 For
she has fixed her house near death, and guided her wheels near
Hades with the giants.
Prov
2:18-19 For her house hath inclined unto death, And unto Rephaim her paths.19
None going in unto her turn back, Nor do they reach the paths of life. YLT
Prov 2:18
For her house leads down to death, and her paths down to the realm of the dead.
ISV
The
seductress leads humans to the place of Sheol, the place the Rephaim reside,
and no one who follows the seductress turns back or regains life. Yikes, that
is the finality of being seduced rather than following wisdom. The way of folly
is the same as Proverbs 9 tells us. The foolish woman who entices the simple to
drink stolen waters, her prey end up with the Rephaim.
Prov 9:18
And he hath not known that Rephaim [are] there, In deep places of Sheol her
invited ones! YLT
Prov 9:18
And he did not know that giants are there, and that her guests are in the
depths of hell. Douay-Rheims
Again
Solomon reminds us that if we wander away from righteousness, we will end up
with the Rephaim.
Septuagint Proverbs 21:16 A man
that wanders out of the way of righteousness, shall rest in the congregation of
giants.
Prov 21:16
A man who is wandering from the way of understanding, In an assembly of Rephaim
resteth.YLT
Prov 21:16
A man that shall wander out of the way of doctrine, shall abide in the company
of the giants. Douay-Rheims
While we
are warned not to behave foolishly or else we will end up with the Rephaim in
Sheol, and the spirits of the Rephaim who were left on earth are here to lure
us away from godliness, we have authority over those evil spirits. Let’s keep
perspective of who we are in Christ. All men have authority over demons, saint
and sinner alike. This brings us to the wars of the Rephaim.
Bar 3:26-28
There were the giants famous from the beginning, that were of so great stature,
and so expert in war.27 Those did not the Lord choose, neither gave he the way
of knowledge unto them:28 But they were destroyed, because they had no wisdom,
and perished through their own foolishness. KJV
Remember
when Lot was captured during the war of the nine kings and Abraham had to save
him? This is the first look we have of the Rephaim, the Zuzim, and the Emim.
Chedorlaomer went to war with them, amassing a large army.
Gen 14:5
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings who [are] with him,
and they smite the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the
Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, YLT
Ashteroth
Karnaim — Ashteroth of the two horns, the abode of the Rephaim (Gen 14:5). It
may be identified with Ashtaroth preceding; called "Karnaim", i.e.,
the "two-horned" (the crescent moon). The Samaritan version renders
the word by "Sunamein," the present es-Sunamein, 28 miles south of
Damascus.(from Easton's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic
database Copyright © 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Shaveh-Kiriathaim
— plain of Kirja-thaim where Chedorlaomer defeated the Emims, the original
inhabitants (Gen 14:5). Now Kureiyat, north of Dibon, in the land of Moab.(from
Easton's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database
Copyright © 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
The Wisdom
of Sirach (Joshua ben Sirach) or Ecclesiasticus says this:
Ecclus
16:6-8 In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled; and in a
rebellious nation wrath is set on fire.7 He was not pacified toward the old
giants, who fell away in the strength of their foolishness.8 Neither spared he
the place where Lot sojourned, but abhorred them for their pride. KJV
Just for
some perspective, the Rephaim were possibly first living 28 miles south of
Damascus. There were also Rephaim south and west of the Jordan river as well as
east of the Jordan river in Moab and Edom. But notice some interesting things
regarding the Rephaim. They were in a place they called Ashteroth. This is also
where Og king of Bashan was. Og was a Rephaim. This area was given to the tribe
of Manasseh.
Gen
15:18-21 In that day hath Jehovah made with Abram a covenant, saying, 'To thy
seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Phrat,19 with the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,20 and the
Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim,21 and the Amorite, and the
Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.'YLT
Abram was
promised the land that giants lived in. While Moses and the Israelites were in
the desert, God tells them not to take Moab because that land was for Lot and
his descendants, which was where the Emim used to live.
Deut
2:10-11 'The Emim formerly have dwelt in it, a people great, and numerous, and
tall, as the Anakim;11 Rephaim they are reckoned, they also, as the Anakim; and
the Moabites call them Emim. YLT
When the
Israelites were to cross over the boundary of Moab, God reiterates for the
Israelites not to bother them because that land is for Lot’s descendants. But
look what God says in Deuteronomy.
Deut
2:20-22 'A land of Rephaim it is reckoned, even it; Rephaim dwelt in it
formerly, and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim;21 a people great, and
numerous, and tall, as the Anakim, and Jehovah destroyeth them before them, and
they dispossess them, and dwell in their stead,22 as He hath done for the sons
of Esau, who are dwelling in Seir, when He destroyed the Horim from before
them, and they dispossess them, and dwell in their stead, unto this day.YLT
God says He
drove them out for Lot, just as he did for Esau’s descendants in Seir.
Sometimes we think God is only “for” Israel, but it seems that God is “for”
others as well. Technically, the descendants of Shem, who Lot and Easu were
both of, were to inherit that land which was east of the Jordan River, and
somehow the Hamites as well as the giants lived in the area. So, God drove them
out. They probably went westward over the Jordan and south of Judah, as the
Canaanites lived in the Jerusalem area. As Moses and the Israelites were moving,
they had to engage in a few battles; one was with Og, king of Bashan.
Deut
3:10-13 all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto
Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan,11 for only Og king of
Bashan had been left of the remnant of the Rephaim; lo, his bedstead [is] a
bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the sons of Ammon? nine cubits its
length, and four cubits its breadth, by the cubit of a man.12 'And this land we
have possessed, at that time; from Aroer, which [is] by the brook Arnon, and the
half of mount Gilead, and its cities, I have given to the Reubenite, and to the
Gadite;13 and the rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I have
given to the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, to all that Bashan,
called the land of Rephaim. YLT
Og’s bed
was thirteen feet by six feet. I’m sure he was about twelve feet tall to have a
thirteen foot long bed. Now when Joshua brought the children of Israel into the
Promised Land, he had to get rid of the giants. While he cut off the Anakim,
there were still some giants left and it would seem that those places still
have strong holds for Israel today.
Josh
11:21-22 Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim [large in stature]
from the hill country: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the
hill country of Judah and the hill country of Israel. Joshua destroyed them
utterly with their cities. 22 None of the Anakim were left in the land of the
Israelites; only in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod [of Philistia] did some remain. AMP
Something
we have to understand is that the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim at the
time of Noah were sent to Sheol, but the ten percent left for satan and the
newly disembodied spirits of the Rephaim are territorial. They want to keep
their land. Therefore, there are spiritual strongholds, wherever those giants
had lived. Joshua reiterates the battle with Og that Moses won.
Josh 12:4
And the border of Og king of Bashan (of the remnant of the Rephaim), who is
dwelling in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, YLT
Josh
13:12-13 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in
Edrei; he was left of the remnant of the Rephaim, and Moses doth smite them,
and dispossess them;13 and the sons of Israel dispossessed not the Geshurite,
and the Maachathite; and Geshur and Maachath dwell in the midst of Israel unto
this day. YLT
Josh 15:8
and the border hath gone up the valley of the son of Hinnom, unto the side of
the Jebusite on the south (it [is] Jerusalem), and the border hath gone up unto
the top of the hill-country which [is] on the front of the valley of Hinnom
westward, which [is] in the extremity of the valley of the Rephaim northward; YLT
Now that
the area had been established, Manasseh and Ephraim complained that they only
received one portion of land, and that they had too many people for only one
portion.
Josh 17:15
And Joshua saith unto them, 'If thou [art] a numerous people, go up for thee to
the forest, then thou hast prepared for thee there, in the land of the
Perizzite, and of the Rephaim, when mount Ephraim hath been narrow for thee.' YLT
Joshua told
them to also drive out the Canaanites (more giants) since they were strong and
there were a lot of them. Interestingly the Canaanites had chariots of iron.
Then the borders for the tribe of Benjamin were established.
Josh 18:16
and the border hath come down unto the extremity of the hill which [is] on the
front of the valley of the son of Hinnom, which [is] in the valley of the
Rephaim northward, and hath gone down the valley of Hinnom unto the side of
Jebusi southward, and gone down [to] En-Rogel, YLT
To further
understand this, the valley of Hinnom in Jesus’ day was a garbage dump where
the fires were always burning. Jews practicing idolatry had burned their
children there. Again a spiritual stronghold existed in this place, so
eventually making it a garbage dump “like hell” was one way to handle the
spiritual aspect of that place.
Long after
David killed Goliath, he had to go back to battle the Philistines in the Valley
of the Rephaim, the Hinnom Valley, southwest of Jerusalem. Goliath was from
Gath, a city in Philistia, and Goliath had brothers and children.
2 Sam
5:17-25 And the Philistines hear that they have anointed David for king over
Israel, and all the Philistines come up to seek David, and David heareth, and goeth
down unto the fortress,18 and the Philistines have come, and are spread out in
the valley of Rephaim.19 And David asketh of Jehovah, saying, 'Do I go up unto
the Philistines? dost Thou give them into my hand?' And Jehovah saith unto
David, 'Go up, for I certainly give the Philistines into thy hand.'20 And David
cometh in to Baal-Perazim, and David smiteth them there, and saith, 'Jehovah
hath broken forth [on] mine enemies before me, as the breaking forth of
waters;' therefore he hath called the name of that place Baal-Perazim.21 And
they forsake there their idols, and David and his men lift them up.22 And the
Philistines add again to come up, and are spread out in the valley of
Rephaim,23 and David asketh of Jehovah, and He saith, 'Thou dost not go up,
turn round unto their rear, and thou hast come to them over-against the
mulberries,24 and it cometh to pass, in thy hearing the sound of a stepping in
the tops of the mulberries, then thou dost move sharply, for then hath Jehovah
gone out before thee to smite in the camp of the Philistines.'25 And David doth
so, as Jehovah commanded him, and smiteth the Philistines from Geba unto thy
coming to Gazer. YLT
It seems
the Philistines keep showing up. Just as there are still contentions in Israel in
those places today. David once again had to go to war with these giants.
2 Sam
21:15-22 And again have the Philistines war with Israel, and David goeth down,
and his servants with him, and they fight with the Philistines; and David is
weary,16 and Ishbi-Benob, who [is] among the children of the giant — the weight
of his spear [is] three hundred [shekels] weight of brass, and he is girded
with a new one — speaketh of smiting David,17 and Abishai son of Zeruiah giveth
help to him, and smiteth the Philistine, and putteth him to death; then swear
the men of David to him, saying, 'Thou dost not go out again with us to battle,
nor quench the lamp of Israel.'18 And it cometh to pass afterwards, that the
battle is again in Gob with the Philistines, then hath Sibbechai the Hushathite
smitten Saph, who [is] among the children of the giant.19 And the battle is
again in Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim, the
Beth-Lehemite, smiteth [a brother of] Goliath the Gittite, and the wood of his
spear [is] like a beam of weavers.20 And the battle is again in Gath, and there
is a man of stature, and the fingers of his hands [are] six, and the toes of
his feet [are] six, twenty and four in number, and he also hath been born to
the giant,21 and he reproacheth Israel, and smite him doth Jonathan son of
Shimeah, brother of David;22 these four have been born to the giant in Gath,
and they fall by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.YLT
This was a
hard battle for David it is also spoken of in 1 Chronicles 11 when giving
account of David’s mighty men. What we see here is that there wasn’t complete
eradication of the Rephaim, and there was mixing with humans, as with Abraham.
The walking dead, or those inhabited by the spirits of the Rephaim, are more
fierce and tyrannical. They also are territorial. Tyre, Sidon, and Gaza were
places in Palestine. Caphtor was an Island off the coast that was also part of
Philistine territory. Ashkelon was a place of commerce and trade in Palestine,
part of Philistine occupation.
Jer 47:4-5
Because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines and to cut off
from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains. For the Lord is destroying the
Philistines, the remnant [still surviving] of the isle or coastland of Caphtor
[where the Philistines originated]. [Amos 9:7.] 5 Baldness [as a token of
mourning] will come upon Gaza; Ashkelon will be cut off and be dumb. O remnant
of their valley and of the giants, how long will you gash yourselves [as a
token of mourning]? AMP
It seems
that the Rephaim have been erased from memory; as today we cannot seem to
imagine giants roaming the lands and some of their spirits antagonizing humans.
The Rephaim are writhing and twirling in the grave underneath human urine. The
spirits of the Rephaim that roam about the dry places look for a place to
inhabit. There are places on earth where these beings dwelt that seem to be
more dark and contentious today. And while zombies have been popularized in
culture, the root of the walking dead seems to stem from the Rephaim, roaming
the earth looking for bodies to inhabit. The Rephaim were a culture that
inhabited the Middle East and were driven out because they were inhabiting the
land that Shem’s descendants were given. While we know nothing of their culture
and practices today, the Rephaim, Zombies, were a part of human history.
