Dwellers

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." ~ Genesis 6:4 (NIV) "We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." ~ Numbers 13:33 (NIV) In this fantastic tale that blends science-fiction and Biblical fact, Elwood creates a story that is not only entertaining, but also very thought-provoking. The author takes the mystery of the ancient Biblical race called the Nephilim and tries to theorize who these remarkable people were and what they would be like if they were alive today. Were they really a sinister plot by Satan to create his own race to control or something much more? If they are, in fact, born of demons, then do they have souls that can be saved by the blood of Christ or are they doomed to a state of oblivion after death? The story follows the adventures of a modern-day pastor who, while running away from his own past, is forced into interaction with these mysterious creatures that are now called "Dwellers." In no time at all, Rev. Kindred becomes a strong ally to the creatures and learns a great deal of their long and tragic history. He is shown many wonders of the world that no human has ever seen. However, the most profound and disturbing revelation that Rev. Kindred learns is the fact the the Dwellers do not believe they have souls that can be saved since they do not believe they were totally born of God. How could creatures that are so human-like and, in many ways, more advanced not have the opportunity to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ? This is one of the questions that Kindred is determined to resolve. However, there is a sinister side of the Dwellers that could explode at any time if Kindred is not careful. I've read this book a couple of times and it's still amazingly "fresh." Elwood has a way of writing that takes you into another world and leaves you wanting more when you're done. My only complaint is that the ending was a little strange. The epilogue didn't really make much sense and the story itself kind of left you hanging. Once again, however, it's a shame that this book went out of print so quickly. It's a very important book that should have gotten much more credit than it did when it was first printed.