“‘Not life as we know it’: Aliens, Giants, and the Days of Noah”

Matthew’s Jesus says the coming of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah (Matt 24:37). What will this look like? The late evangelical Christian, Chuck Missler, claims, “UFOs and alien intrusions appear to be a big part of what’s coming” (2003: 234). For biblical scholars, Missler’s suggestion seems non-intuitive. But for an increasingly influential group of “Nephilim researchers,” this conclusion makes sense of the Bible, ancient literature, and current events. In this paper, I examine how Nephilim researchers read Matthew 24 and Luke 17, the process by which they connect these passages with other ancient texts, and the assumptions that guide this process. I also consider which features of the biblical texts can provide justification for the methods employed. I close by positioning their approach within larger discussions of Christian interpretation, asking whether their approach represents a fringe movement or simply one manifestation of common Christian reading practices.