Giants and Prophecy: Breaking Down the Ancient Battle Happening Today
When Mondo Gonzales talks about giants in the Bible, he’s not speaking metaphorically. In an interview with Charisma Media, the archaeologist and prophecy expert with Prophecy Watchers deep-dives into the biblical and historical roots of giants like the Nephilim, Rephaim and Anakim—and the modern implications of these ancient beings.
“Let’s go further back in Genesis 14,” Gonzales begins, referencing Abraham’s encounter with the Rephaim after the flood. “It’s the first place that the word Rephaim, which is a synonym for Nephilim, like Anakim… these giants… appears.” These ancient tribes weren’t just myths; they occupied regions like Bashan, east of the Sea of Galilee, and later spread throughout Canaan and beyond.
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Fast forward to the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, and Gonzales paints a vivid picture of a land teeming with giants. “During those centuries, the enemy filled Canaan with giants,” he says, referencing the terror that gripped the 12 spies in Numbers 13:33. But God had already begun clearing the path. “The Zamzummim used to live over there… the Emim used to live over there… God took care of them,” Gonzales recounts, pointing to Moses’ reassurance that Israel would conquer the remaining tribes.
Joshua 11 describes how Israel defeated many of these giants, but not all. “Some of them fled,” Gonzales explains. “Where did they flee? They fled west… to Philistine cities like Ashdod, Gaza and Gath.” And it’s here that the story ties directly to one of the Bible’s most famous giants: Goliath. “Where is Goliath from? He’s from Gath,” Gonzales notes. His archaeological work in Gath uncovered large structures and even inscriptions bearing names similar to Goliath’s.
But Gonzales doesn’t stop at history. He draws a line from ancient giants to modern spiritual strongholds. “The fact that you have this demonic stronghold in the city of Gaza… it’s rooted in this geographic area,” he says, highlighting the region’s continued conflict. “The patterns are undeniable.”
Interestingly, Gonzales observes that after David’s time, biblical references to giants diminish, but demonic activity surges in the New Testament. “If you read the Old Testament and then come to the first pages of Matthew… you’re like, where do these beings come from?” Gonzales asks. “They’re on every other page in the four Gospels.” He suggests this isn’t coincidence but a calculated effort by Satan to thwart Jesus’ mission. “They know their future. They know who He is… but they were there to interrupt.”
Despite the darkness of these accounts, Gonzales sees them as affirmations of God’s sovereignty. “Whether we study Revelation or Genesis, anything that God gives in the Bible always points ultimately to the truthfulness of His Word,” he emphasizes.
Prophecy, he argues, is key: “The Bible is the unique holy book in the entire world… ‘I’m the only one that can speak at 100% accurately,’” he says, quoting from Isaiah 41.
Even as the world grows darker, Gonzales encourages believers to remain hopeful.
“God never told us to be discouraged about it… all things are falling into place,” he says. The ultimate message? “Hope is found in a relationship with Jesus… He holds us in His very hands.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
