144 | The Nephilim with Trevor Schalow

Special guest Trevor Schalow joins Steve and Sarah for a conversation you won’t want to miss as they dive into the mysterious topic of the Nephilim. This is a subject that’s been gaining a lot of traction in today’s culture. While the discussion is fascinating, Steve makes it clear from the start: this isn’t a “line in the sand” theological issue. Faithful believers have landed in different places on this, and the goal is to explore, not divide.

Before jumping in, Trevor shares his heart behind studying topics like this. Rather than being a distraction, the “stranger” passages in Scripture have actually deepened his passion for the Bible and strengthened his desire to know God more fully.

Steve then lays the foundation by defining key terms from Genesis, “sons of God,” “daughters of men,” used to describe The Nephilim. These figures described before the flood are often associated with great size or strength. This raises a compelling question: could the Nephilim have been part of the reason for the flood?

From there, the conversation clearly walks through three primary viewpoints:

1. The Sethite View (Most Common)
The “sons of God” are the godly line of Seth, and the “daughters of men” are the ungodly line of Cain or corrupt humanity. The Nephilim are human offspring from these unions, with no supernatural element.

2. The Divine Ruler View
The “sons of God” are powerful Kings or human rulers who abused their authority and took multiple wives. Like the Sethite view, this perspective remains naturalistic.

3. The Supernatural View
The “sons of God” are angelic beings who left their domain and had relations with human women, producing offspring described as giants. Steve and Trevor both lean toward this view, pointing to Genesis, New Testament passages, and ancient accounts, highlighting a more active spiritual realm.

As the conversation unfolds, Trevor highlights how easy it is for modern readers to underestimate the role of the supernatural in Scripture, not just in this story, but throughout the Bible and even in how we understand the world today.

There’s far more in this episode than can be captured here, so be sure to listen in, take notes, and come back next week ready to keep exploring the conversation around the Nephilim.

Resources Trevor recommends:

The Unseen Realm by Michael S. Heiser

Michael Heiser's YouTube Channel

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email [e-mail] 

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.