When people ask, “Will the Nephilim return in the end times?” they are usually not starting from Genesis 6. They are starting from Jesus’ words in the Gospels and then working backward.

To understand why some believers expect a “return of the Nephilim,” we need to see how three main strands get braided together: Genesis 6:1–4 and the Nephilim, Jesus’ “days of Noah” prophecy, and New Testament references to rebellious angels.

Genesis 6:1–4: The Starting Point

Genesis 6:1–4 (ESV) says:

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

Three phrases drive the whole later discussion: “sons of God” (Hebrew: bene elohim), “daughters of man,” and “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward.”

Chasing the Giants defaults to the ancient “angelic” or “Watchers” interpretation: “sons of God” are heavenly beings, as in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. They cross a boundary God set, taking human women, and the Nephilim are the hybrid offspring—“mighty men… men of renown.”

This reading is not a late conspiracy. It is the oldest traceable understanding in Jewish and early Christian sources (Philo, Josephus, 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and church fathers like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian). Jude and 2 Peter also echo this background when they talk about angels who sinned and are now imprisoned. For more background on this angelic view of Genesis 6 and the Nephilim, see this overview from Bible Factory’s study on the Nephilim here.

If Genesis 6 really describes an angelic incursion and hybrid giants, it is not hard to see why some people imagine something similar happening again at the end.

Jesus and “The Days of Noah”

The main launchpad for a “Nephilim will return” view is Jesus’ teaching about His second coming. In Matthew 24:37–39, Jesus says:

“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

Luke 17:26–27 repeats the same idea. Here is the key move many prophecy teachers make: “Days of Noah” equals the generation described in Genesis 6–7, that generation includes the Nephilim and the angelic rebellion, therefore, “as in the days of Noah” must include the return of Nephilim-like beings at the end.

Once that step is taken, other passages are pulled in to build an end-times scenario. Ministries and teachers such as those at Overflow Global and other prophecy-focused platforms sometimes explore these connections in more detail (for example, see discussions like this one on Nephilim in the last days).

New Testament Allusions to Angelic Rebellion

Three New Testament texts especially shape this discussion: Jude 6, 2 Peter 2:4–5, and 1 Peter 3:19–20. Jude 6 speaks of “the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling,” now kept in chains for judgment. Second Peter 2:4–5 says God “did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell [Tartarus]… if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah.” First Peter 3:19–20 says Christ “proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey… in the days of Noah.”

Most scholars across traditions agree Jude and 2 Peter are using the Genesis 6 fallen-angel story as part of their warning. In the Second Temple period, that story had been expanded dramatically in books like 1 Enoch (non‑canonical but widely read). There the Watchers descend, mate with women, father giants, and then are bound in darkness until the final judgment.

So teachers who expect the Nephilim to return reason like this: angels once crossed a boundary with human women; their giant offspring filled the world with violence; their spirits may still be active as demons; the end times will see a climax of deception and lawlessness; therefore, something like a renewed angelic–human hybrid program might appear again, perhaps tied to the Antichrist or global deception. Some modern writers, such as those interacting with the topic at sites likeGotQuestions, address these ideas directly and caution readers about building doctrine on speculation (see, for example, GotQuestions on Nephilim today).

How This View Plays Out in Modern Teaching

In the last few decades, this idea has moved from the margins into more popular prophecy circles. Different ministries connect it to different themes. Some connect Nephilim-like beings to the Antichrist’s origin or nature. Some tie it to genetic engineering or transhumanism (Daniel 2:43; “they will mingle with the seed of men”). Others fold in UFO and “alien” narratives, suggesting a future “disclosure” as demonic Nephilim deception.

Not all who hold a supernatural Genesis 6 view follow these speculations, but the path is clear: Genesis 6 plus “days of Noah” plus Jude/2 Peter equals an expectation that hybrids might appear again. For one example of how this conversation surfaces in modern ministry settings, see Mike Signorelli’s discussion with Rick Renner on the Nephilim and end times here.

From my own story (Jake), this was my first exposure to Genesis 6. As a teenager, I discovered the Nephilim through prophecy books and sensational videos that jumped quickly from the Bible to end‑time hybrids. It pushed me to dig deeper, but it also left me a little scared and a lot confused.

Over time, I learned that sober, careful engagement is needed. We need to honor Scripture’s supernatural worldview without racing past what it actually says into imaginative detail it never gives. So why do some Christians believe the Nephilim will return? Because they link Genesis 6, Jesus’ “days of Noah” warning, and New Testament angel texts into one tight system. The question we now have to ask is: does the Bible itself require that conclusion?

What “As in the Days of Noah” Actually Refers To

If Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 and Luke 17 are the key text for this question, we need to pay close attention to what He actually says—and what He doesn’t.

The Focus in Matthew 24 and Luke 17

Read the passage in context. Matthew 24:36–39 focuses on surprise and unpreparedness: people go on with normal life until judgment suddenly falls. Luke 17:26–30 adds the comparison with Lot: eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building—then fire and sulfur come suddenly.

In both Gospels, the explicit parallels to Noah’s days are very ordinary human activities: eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, planting and building. Jesus never mentions giants, hybrids, or the Nephilim.

His point is: people were living “business as usual” lives; they ignored God’s warning; judgment came suddenly and caught them unprepared; so it will be when the Son of Man returns. The comparison is about timing, complacency, and sudden judgment—not detailed duplication of every feature of the pre‑flood world.

How Genesis Describes the Days of Noah

Genesis does show us what life was like before the flood: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence” (Gen 6:11). “All flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Gen 6:12–13).

In a supernatural reading of Genesis 6:1–4, that corruption includes both human evil (every intention of the heart evil, widespread violence) and spiritual boundary-crossing (sons of God leaving their proper place, Nephilim on the earth). So when Jesus refers to the “days of Noah,” we are right to think of deep sin, spiritual rebellion, and coming judgment.

But notice: Jesus highlights normal life continuing up to the moment of judgment. He never tells His disciples, “Watch for Nephilim bodies to walk the earth again.”

What Can We Legitimately Infer?

It is fair to draw at least two conclusions. First, patterns repeat. Scripture often uses earlier events as patterns for later ones. Just as rebellion and violence filled the earth before the flood, so there will be intensifying lawlessness before Christ’s return (Matt 24:12; 2 Thess 2:3–10).

Second, spiritual and human evil go together. The Bible presents human sin and unseen powers working together (Eph 2:1–3; 6:12). The days of Noah show that vividly, and the last days will too. Where we must be careful is in moving from “similar spiritual conditions” to “identical physical manifestations.”

Jesus clearly promises recurring deception and increasing lawlessness (Matt 24:4–5, 11–12). Paul warns of lying signs and wonders (2 Thess 2:9–10). But no New Testament text plainly predicts another wave of angel–human hybrids. In other words, “as in the days of Noah” certainly includes moral and spiritual parallels. It does not, by itself, require a literal return of Nephilim bodies.

Key Bible Passages Used to Argue a Nephilim Return

Beyond Jesus’ words, a handful of other passages are often used to build a case that the Nephilim must return in the end times. It helps to look at each one and ask: what does this text clearly say, and where does speculation begin?

Genesis 6:4 — “And Also Afterward”

Genesis 6:4 says: “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.” That tiny phrase, “and also afterward,” has generated large debates.

After the flood, we read in Numbers 13:33: “And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers…” The spies in Canaan report seeing Nephilim again. How can that be, if the flood wiped out all flesh except those on the ark?

People have proposed several explanations. One is a second incursion: some suggest that after the flood, another smaller group of angels repeated the Genesis 6 sin, producing new Nephilim. This would give a straightforward reading of “and also afterward,” but Scripture never directly describes this second event.

Another is a human clan carrying the name: others think “Nephilim” became a label for certain giant warrior clans. The phrase “sons of Anak… from the Nephilim” could mean they belonged to a known tradition of giant fighters, not necessarily direct hybrids. A third is exaggeration in the spies’ report: Numbers 13 makes it clear the spies are terrified. Some scholars point out that they may be using giant language to dramatize their fear (“we seemed like grasshoppers”). On this reading, the word “Nephilim” could function more as a fearful nickname than a technical description.

Whatever option we lean toward, the text does show that giant‑like warrior groups existed after the flood (Anakim, Rephaim, Og of Bashan; see Deut 2–3), and that Israel remembered them in connection with the Nephilim story. But Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33 are about Moses’ and Joshua’s day—long before the New Testament. They explain the past, not promise a future comeback.

Giant Language in the Conquest Narratives

Deuteronomy 2–3 and Joshua mention several “giant” groups: Anakim, Rephaim, and Og king of Bashan, whose bed is described as huge (Deut 3:11). These passages show that unusually large warriors became symbols of opposition to God’s people and God’s promises. Later writers sometimes see Goliath and other “giants” as echoes of this earlier pattern.

Some modern teachers push this further. They trace an unbroken Nephilim bloodline through these clans. They tie that to prophetic enemies in the last days, then claim the Antichrist or end‑time armies will have Nephilim genetics. The problem is that Scripture itself never makes these steps. It presents giant clans as real historical enemies that Israel, under God’s command, conquered. It does not map their DNA forward into the future.

Daniel 2:43 — “They Will Mingle with the Seed of Men”

Daniel 2 records Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a statue made of four metals. The feet are partly iron and partly clay. Daniel explains: “As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay” (Dan 2:43, ESV; cf. many translations). The phrase “they will mingle with the seed of men” (in some renderings) has attracted a lot of attention.

Two main readings exist. The mainstream reading sees divided human kingdoms. The statue represents human empires. Iron and clay picture a divided, unstable final kingdom. “Mingling” means political alliances, intermarriage between royal houses, or mixtures of peoples that do not truly unite. On this view, “they” are still humans.

A speculative reading sees human/non‑human mixture. Some argue “they” must be non‑human because they are mingling with “the seed of men.” They see this as a hint at hybridization—perhaps angelic, demonic, or even “alien.” This then gets tied to Genesis 6 and Nephilim language: as in the beginning, so in the end.

It is important to notice: Daniel never mentions angels, Nephilim, or giants in this chapter. The whole vision interprets human kingdoms. The clear point is that these empires are brittle and temporary; God’s kingdom will crush them (Dan 2:44–45).

Because the text itself stays with human kingdoms, the hybrid reading rests on inference, not explicit wording. That does not make it impossible, but it does mean we should hold it loosely, not as a certain pillar for predicting Nephilim 2.0.

Other Passages Sometimes Pulled In

Various teachers also bring in other texts, such as Revelation 9 (locust‑like beings from the abyss), Revelation 13 (the beast and false prophet), and Ezekiel’s visions of mighty warriors in Sheol (Ezek 32). None of these passages mention Nephilim.

They do show intense spiritual conflict and terrifying judgment, but to equate every strange creature in apocalyptic visions with Nephilim requires a chain of assumptions Scripture does not make. What we do see, when we let each passage speak for itself, is this: Genesis 6 and Numbers 13 show real spiritual rebellion and real giant‑like enemies in the past. Deuteronomy and Joshua show Israel confronting and defeating those enemies by God’s power. Daniel 2 presents divided human empires, ultimately shattered by God’s kingdom.

What we do not see is a plain, forward‑pointing promise: “The Nephilim will return before Christ comes.” The theme that does clearly carry forward is this: rebellion—both human and spiritual—keeps showing up in new forms, and God keeps judging and overcoming it.

Responsible Study vs. Speculation About the Nephilim

Because Genesis 6 is mysterious, it invites both careful study and wild speculation. The challenge is to stay with the first and avoid the second.

What’s Solid and Well-Grounded

There are several points we can affirm with confidence. The angelic / Watchers view is ancient and coherent. As we saw above, the language “sons of God” and early Jewish and Christian sources support a supernatural reading of Genesis 6:1–4.

Second Temple literature expands the story. Books like 1 Enoch and Jubilees fill in details about the Watchers, their sin, and their giant offspring. These are not Scripture, but they help explain why Jude and 2 Peter talk the way they do. The New Testament uses this background to warn believers. Jude 6 and 2 Peter 2:4–5 assume that there really were angels who sinned in Noah’s day and are now imprisoned.

Yet neither author tells Christians, “Expect these beings to incarnate again as hybrids.” Their message is about false teachers, judgment, and staying faithful. So we can take away a real supernatural rebellion in the distant past, ongoing demonic deception, and a pattern of boundary‑crossing between heaven and earth that God judges severely.

Those points shape how we understand the unseen realm and spiritual warfare today. They also underline why it matters to distinguish biblical teaching from later embellishments or pop‑culture speculation about the Nephilim and the end times.

Where Speculation Starts to Run

Speculation grows when we go beyond what the Bible actually says. That includes detailed stories about end‑time hybrids or Nephilim breeding programs, dogmatic claims that aliens are Nephilim or that certain bloodlines are secretly part‑angel, treating 1 Enoch or modern visions as equal to Scripture, and building entire eschatological systems on a few debated phrases (“and also afterward,” “mingling with the seed of men”).

None of this is necessary to take Genesis 6 seriously. In fact, it can distract from the real focus of the New Testament: Christ’s victory and our call to faithfulness. My own research posture (Jake) has had to learn this the hard way.

Over 20+ years I’ve tried to keep three categories clear: what Scripture states, what historical background can illuminate, and what remains possible but uncertain. When those lines blur, Genesis 6 quickly turns into a playground for the imagination instead of a passage that drives us back to the cross and the kingdom.

What Matters Most for the End Times: Christ at the Center

Even if we granted, for the sake of argument, that some Nephilim‑like phenomenon might happen again, the Bible still would not put that at the center of our end‑times hope or concern. Scripture is very clear about what should occupy us as we think about the last days.

Clear Biblical Priorities for the Last Days

First, watchfulness and readiness. “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matt 24:42). “You are all children of light… so then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober” (1 Thess 5:5–6). The emphasis is not on decoding every detail but on living alert, faithful lives.

Second, endurance in love and holiness. “Because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 24:12–13). “In the last days… people will be lovers of self… having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:1–5). The real danger is not that giants might return, but that our hearts might grow cold and compromised.

Third, proclaiming the gospel. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed… and then the end will come” (Matt 24:14). Whatever strange things may or may not happen, the mission is clear: make disciples of all nations. These are the things Scripture repeatedly calls us to in every discussion of the end.

The Real Battle: Spiritual, Not Biological

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness