Giants in the Earth
Part xii
The Giants
The Philistines and The Valley of Rephaim
I suggest that you start at the beginning if you have never been to this site or series before. Since this is an on going series you will be totally lost unless you play catch up (or maybe not ). https://thegenesisepic.com/giants-in-the-earth-part-i/
　The Giants
The Philistines and The Valley of Rephaim
The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. (2 Samuel 5:18)
And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. (2 Samuel 5:22)
And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. (2 Samuel 23:13)
Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. (1 Chronicles 11:15)
And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. (1 Chronicles 14:9)
And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:5)
  Of course the word ‘Rephaim’ occurs six times in Scripture with the phrase ‘in the valley of Rephaim.’ Six is the number of sinful man. Notice the words ‘spread,’ ‘encamped,’ and ‘pitched.’ These words emphasize that the Philistines covered the land as a blanket, they branched out, and their presence was felt over a large area. They ‘encamped’ show us their ability to be able to rough it out, as we say. That they ‘pitched’ would indicate that they fixed themselves firmly in place. The Philistines were not an enemy to be lightly confronted. They were purposed, strong, and an adversary prepared for a long drawn out battle. The word ‘Rephaim’ is a plural and means ‘giants,’ ‘the dead,’ ‘the strong,’ and there is another interesting root of ‘healer,’ as in ‘to mend,’ or ‘to cure.’ The valley of Rephaim, the valley of giants, the valley of the strong, the valley of the healers, and could healers denote sorcery? I do not know, and I could find nothing more on this primitive root in the area of healing, so I will not develop this line of research or thinking, but it is very interesting that this root is connected to the giants and also to the dead. Let us move on . . . . Oops, wrote too soon. I did find a nice connection in Isaiah 2:6 – 8 with the reference in the book of Micah. Chapter 5, verse 12 that connects to the Philistines, and is very descriptive of what sort of people the Philistines were as a nation (I use the word ‘nation’ very loosely in this connection).
Side Note: National Characteristics: This is a term that too many argue against, but I will hold strongly to the evidence that nations possess distinct characteristics. There is no shame in this, nor should this be argued against. I find national character is quite proper as it should be. Although nations have a distinct character, they also have the same character as other nations in that all nations have the propensity to sin and to sin abundantly. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
The Philistines
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers. (Isaiah 2:6)
Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots: (Isaiah 2:7)
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: (Isaiah 2:8)
And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: (Micah 5:12)
  Wow, almost missed this description of the Philistines: they were soothsayers, they used witchcraft (here is the healer connection with the word ‘Rephaim’). There is much more . . . they were child-stealers, kidnappers and pedophiles . . . and they please themselves in the children of strangers. The connection is not only to the Philistines and their culture, but we (our age) can relate that this sin has not been stamped out of this world. It is an ongoing condemnation against all of us that pedophilia has not been denounced more, and our laws have not been thoroughly enforced against this travesty committed against the children of this world. Isaiah 2:8 also brings out their idols: the worship of their inventions, and the pride that they had in their skills of idol fabrication. This exactly describes our age: we not only worship our inventions, but we carry around our idols attached to our hands and believe that somehow these i-phones (idol phones) are part of our anatomy.
  Were the Philistines giants? I do not know what their physical makeup consisted of; however, God the Holy Spirit definitely connects them directly to the Rephaims. We cannot deny this close connection. The word ‘Philistines’ has the meaning of ‘wallowing in the dust.’ Animals wallow in muck, drunks wallow in drink, the lowest of the low wallow and roll in their filthy actions; however, notice that in the meaning of the word ‘Philistines’ it is that they ‘wallow in the dust.’ What comes to mind whenever you see the word ‘dust’? Of course, it is the element that God used to create man: dust!
And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 2:7)
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust. (Psalm 103:14)
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. (Ecclesiastes 3:20)
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
  Isn’t it interesting how a single descriptive word can reveal so much about the moral and physical makeup of a person and of a people?
  And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. (1 Chronicles 14:9) And the Wallowers came and spread themselves in the valley of the Giants, in the valley of the Dead, in the valley of the Strong, in the valley of the Pedophiles, in the valley of Idol Worshipers, and in the valley of Witchcraft. I just created another translation! Anyone can be a bible translator, all you have to do is change at least 10% of the words from one translation to another, and you can be approved to sell your new translation (of course, anyone can get approval for another translation, for a price). That’s how its done, even a well-programmed computer can invent another translation. (I’m having too much fun, time to continue on with our study).
  I wanted to connect the Philistines with the Rephaim (the giants), and now I would like to connect Canaan to the Philistines: Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. (Zephaniah 2:5)
The Long Trail of Canaan
  You can follow the trail of the giants through Canaan in this link of a previous article. https://thegenesisepic.com/giants-in-the-earth-part-iii/ God’s plan for the land of Canaan did not begin with Ham, the father of Canaan, but God’s plan began before the beginning: God’s plan of redemption can be compared to seeds that are spread and sown throughout His Word. If you miss the message of God’s redemption in one area then it appears in another form somewhere else in His Word. I hear the message of God’s redemption in the curse of Canaan, the son of Ham. Everything that the house of Ham touched became polluted. (Do not think that it was only Ham and Canaan that had the curse upon them). All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I am only concentrating on one very small seed of sin, and that is the Canaan link, the land of the Philistines, the land of the giants, the Clan of Cain.
  This cursed land spiritually represents mankind in his fallen state and position. God planted His servants: Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac and promised this cursed land to them. God’s plan (enacted through His power) would transform this cursed land to a land of joy, a land of plenty, a land overflowing with the blessings of God. This is the ‘promised land.’ This is the land of promise, of hope, and of a future glory to be centered around the One who would cleanse and redeem, not only the nation of Israel, but also would bring blessings to the nations. From cursed to blessed, from wallowing in filth to standing on the ground of righteousness before a Holy and Righteous God this is God’s redemptive plan in a condensed form, basic, simple, massive, beyond human comprehension, yet, even a child can understand that our God is the Great Planner and the Great Redeemer.
I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. (Leviticus 25:38)
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. (Genesis 17:7)Â And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:8)
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)Â And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. (Galatians 3:17)Â For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (Galatians 3:18)
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)
  Although the cursed land is over run with giants, and the battles are fierce and seemingly endless through the centuries, and millenniums, God has promised, and God has sealed His promise with His own blood on Calvary’s cross. God’s plan neither can be stopped nor impeded by all of Satan’s giants. Do not be discouraged by what may appear to be giant victories by our adversaries, God has promised victory! We often forget the reason why we have adversaries. These enemies are not so much our enemies as they are the enemies of God; therefore, they become our enemies. All giants of sin hate God. All followers of Satan hate God. All outside of salvation hates God. At one time, you (who were outside of the grace of God) hated God.
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10)
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19)
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4) They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. (1 John 4:5) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6)
  From distant ages past to distant ages future the gospel has been preached, and will continue to be preached. As there is One God, there is one gospel, there is one Savior, there is one salvation, there is one faith, and the people of God are one in Christ Jesus.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesian 4:4) One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (Ephesian 4:5) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesian 4:6)
  At this exact moment Christians around the globe are being slain. Let me put in into another frame of reference: those who are not of the religion of murder and hatred are being slaughtered. The attack is not only against Christianity, but against Jews, against all and everything that is outside of the realm of the Giants of Hate. How does this connect with the Philistines in the valley of Rephaim? The enemy may change its size, may identify with other names, they may even alter their methods of operation, but they can never change their end. What is their end? How will the Clan of Cain end?
  The Clan of Cain has interwoven its many tentacles into every aspect of life. That is what sin does. Cain’s clan became recognized as ‘men of renown,’ giants, Hamites, Canaanites, Philistines, etc., etc.
  The first mention of Canaanite is in Genesis 12:6, And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land. When Abraham first entered into the land, the Canaanite was then in the land. (When Noah and his three sons immerged from the ark, spiritually speaking, the Canaanite was in the land). The evil that had penetrated into the peoples in the age of Noah had also penetrated into the land that God had set aside for His own. From this first mention onward we will see that the Canaanite was in the land, solidly planted, firmly taken root as evil always does. Sin is never content to remain static, sin is aggressive, sin needs to find the lowest point that it can fall, sin feeds on itself, sin needs to dominant all that man is: the beauty of man’s body needs to be scarred, the mind of man needs to be controlled and corrupted, and the spirit within man must be extinguished. Since Adam brought sin into the world, sin has controlled Adam (mankind). Since sin feeds on itself, mankind MUST be totally consumed by sin with sin for sin. As frenzied bloody sharks tear into each other so too sin cannot stop, it cannot . . . until nothing remains, but death and blood. This is the Canaanite. The last mention of the Canaanite draws it all together because they are no longer merely in the land, but in the very house of the LORD of hosts. This is where evil works hard to be: in the house of the LORD. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 14:21)
What is their end? How will the Clan of Cain end?
  The end of the clan of Cain (a.k.a. the Canaanites) is found in the prophecy of Isaiah where we have the sixth and last mention of the phrase ‘in the valley of Rephaim.’ And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:5) The key word in this verse is ‘harvestman.’ The time period is future and the action is harvest time. What does Scripture say about the harvest? Let us read what the Lord Jesus Christ said about the harvest in the gospel of Matthew Chapter 13, of course, it has to be Chapter 13.
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: (Matthew 13:34)
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. (Matthew 13:35)
Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. (Matthew 13:36)
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; (Matthew 13:37)
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38)
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. (Matthew 13:39)
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. (Matthew 13:40)
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; (Matthew 13:41)
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:42)
  How perfect is the Word of God? The harvester will gather all, and the tares that corrupted the world will be separated from the good seed. And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:5) The end of the clan of Cain is set, it will happen; however, there is another connection to the meaning of the name ‘Rephaim.’ This name not only has the meaning of ‘giants,’ ‘strong,’ and ‘healer,’ but remember, it also means ‘the dead.’ They are truly the walking and fighting dead. Our spiritual enemies are already dead; however, they face two deaths. They are twice dead. The phrase ‘twice dead’ is only found once and that is in the book of Jude, verses 11 – 13. Notice the connection to Cain.
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 11)
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds [they are] without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (Jude 12)
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. (Jude 13)
  This reference in Jude 11 is the last time that the name of Cain is mentioned, and is associated with ‘twice dead.’ For the unsaved to die once is bad enough, but to die twice is beyond comprehension. For the saved to die is to live eternally because God has promised all those who live in Christ will never die.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:26)
For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Titus 1:2)
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (Jude 21)
The Rephaim the Walking Dead
  Hollywood sometimes (not often, but sometimes) actually builds scripts around the truth, then they proceed to twist the truth into a make believe money making spectacular. Of course, I am speaking about the fad of ‘the walking dead.’ There is a truth in this for there are thousands walking today who are dead. They are dead in sin, they are dead to the Word of God, they are dead to the voice of God, they are dead to the gospel. And even though they live — they are dead. They will face a physical death (as all mankind) and then they will face the second death. What does Scripture say about the second death? The phrase ‘the second death’ is found four times in Scripture because this message is for the whole world, the entire world.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Revelation 2:11)
Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:14)
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:18)
  Even though some of the following references are directly addressed to the people of Israel: the house of Israel, it shows the love and grace of God to His chosen ones who through their rebellious hearts and wayward ways rejected their Creator, their Maker, their God.
Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? (Jeremiah 27:13)
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18:31)
Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; (Deuteronomy 30:15)
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19)
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. (Jeremiah 21:8)
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:6)
Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: (Romans 3:29) Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. (Romans 3:30)
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)
  This ends this article on The Giants — The Philistines and The Valley of Rephaim, but the end of the Giants and the Philistines continue on in Scripture. The next article will be (God willing) Part xiii, Giants in the Earth – The Sons of the Philistine Giant. (And you thought that there were only a few giants in the Bible!). 🙂 🙂
© Copyright 2019, Mary Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)