“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

[Galatians 1:8]

What are the theological implications if extraterrestrial life happened to exist on other planets?

Jesus Christ the Creator

First, the Scriptures are clear that God is the Creator of the entire universe … not just our solar system. This means that everything that exists within our universe — both visible and invisible — is accountable to God. More specifically, the Bible attributes Jesus Christ, God the Son, with the creative work of the universe, saying that “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” [John 1:4]

Nothing in all the universe was made apart from Jesus Christ. He is Creator and Lord over all creation, so even in the most unlikely case that other “alien” lifeforms potentially exist somewhere else in the universe, they would be morally and ontologically accountable to the Creator Jesus Christ, who is Lord over all.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

[Colossians 1:15-17]

Man Made in the Image of God

Secondly, the Bible is clear that only mankind was created in the image of God and were originally commissioned to be God’s representatives and co-regents on earth. Man was created uniquely by God and set apart to reflect His nature and glory throughout the earth.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.”

[Genesis 1:26-27]

The gospel story pays exclusive attention to the earth and to mankind. One could say that the Biblical narrative is geocentric, as God’s focus begins with the earth [Genesis 1:1] and ends with a new heaven and new earth [Revelation 21:1]. Clearly the Scriptures reveal the existence of spiritual beings in the heavenly realms and provide glimpses into the significance of the unseen, spiritual battle taking place around us. But the gospel story is directly connected to God’s interaction with mankind on earth, which involves “things into which angels long to look.” [1 Peter 1:12]

Our Creator God didn’t choose to permanently become an angel, nor did He choose to reveal Himself as an obscure alien from a distant galaxy. The incarnation of Jesus Christ implies that God the Son, having taken on human form, is now forever both God and man. By wrapping Himself in humanity, the eternal God and Creator of the universe has chosen to forever rule and reign in human form. Jesus has given eternal significance to mankind by become a man.

“In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you?‘

[Hebrews 1:2-5]

The Special and Universal Work of Redemption

Thirdly, Christ’s work of redemption is specific to mankind, and does not leave room for other alien lifeforms. God’s plan of salvation for mankind was born in His heart even before the creation itself. As Paul says, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” [Ephesians 1:4]

Also, the Bible is clear that Christ only “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous.” [1 Peter 3:18]. He died for mankind once and for all. Not for aliens.

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

[Hebrews 9:27-28]

Again, in the most improbable case that other sentient, moral beings do exist somewhere in the universe, they would not be created in the image of God and would be excluded from the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and therefore without hope of salvation. This raises all kinds of ethnical questions about why God would create other conscious beings in the universe who were not redeemable. Of course, the answer is that God has not created other unredeemable alien lifeforms because that does not correspond with His character and nature.

Furthermore, the Scriptures speak of a final destruction and restoration of the entire universe after the return of Jesus Christ. Paul reminds us that “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” [Romans 8:19-21]

Sin has cursed and corrupted the entire creation — which includes the furthest reaches of the material universe and the spiritual realm. The Apostle Peter echoes this reality by saying that “by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” [2 Peter 3:7] Peter is clear that on the Day of the LORD, the very elemental properties of the entire universe will be destroyed by fire before God establishes a new heaven and earth.

Consequently, this would mean that every galaxy and planet in the universe will be destroyed at the final judgment of Christ. This is not good news for unsuspecting alien civilizations just waiting to be consumed in the fire of a Holy God. Again, why would God create or allow for alien civilizations that are only going to be indiscriminately destroyed in the end?

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

[2 Peter 3:10-13]

The Catholic Response

It should be noted that the Catholic Church has broached the alien topic of discussion on many occasions, leaving the door open for the possibility of extraterrestrial life on other planets. Not surprisingly, the Catholic Church also has repeatedly attempted to reconcile Darwinian evolution with Biblical creation, embracing billions of years as the age of the universe. Catholic leadership seem to be most interested in whether or not alien beings would have a soul.

For example, Father Robert Spitzer, a Jesuit who was the president of Gonzaga University, believes that higher evolved alien lifeforms potentially could have a soul.

“If there is any other intelligent life in the universe that can do the things we do, they would have to have a transphysical soul … They would know about religion. They would have a sense of infinity. We would have to find them, catechize them and tell them about Jesus and baptize them.”

[Father Robert Spitzer — http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/of-space-aliens-and-the-catholic-faith [Feb. 2018]

Even Pope Francis, sharing a homily in May of 2014, addressed the possibility of being confronted with alien lifeforms. He said, “If—for example—tomorrow an expedition of Martians came, and some of them came to us, here…Martians, right? Green, with that long nose and big ears, just like children paint them…And one says, ‘But I want to be baptized!’ What would happen?”

Exactly. What would happen?

A Biblical Response to the Alien Deception

Taking all of this into consideration, I would like to offer my interpretation to what is happening with the modern obsession with UFOs and ancient aliens.

It is apparent that there is a growing fascination, especially among our younger generations, with the possibility that highly-evolved, transcendent alien beings not only hold the key to our past, but also to our future. Alien ideology and Ufology effectively remove Jesus Christ as both Creator and Savior and replace Him with the ancient-alien “gods” of fantasy and science fiction.

The ancient alien narrative is consistent with New Age Theosophy and the quest for esoteric knowledge through Satanic occult rituals. The overwhelming majority of alien abductions involve sexual and psychological abuse, along with mind manipulation. Not to mention that the consistent theme from these messengers from outer space directly challenges the person and nature of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Almost all alien abductions are dark, abusive, manipulative, and deceptive experiences that leave the victim traumatized.

The only name that commands power over these sinister beings is the name of Jesus! It begs the question … why would these highly-advanced beings from other galaxies travel so far across the galaxy only to dissuade humans from believing in the Biblical Jesus? Why would they be so enthralled with the person of Jesus? And why would the name of Jesus have so much power over them?

The Eschatological Implications

Here is what I believe is going on.

1. Satan has been using Darwinian evolution and the fascination with life on other planets to grip the imagination of mankind into looking for divine beings that can effectively replace the God of the Bible.
2. Spiritual personalities of evil from the heavenly realm are cloaking themselves as messengers of light, masquerading in this world in the form of UFOs and also as light-bearing, transcendent beings from “other planets.”
3. These demonic beings are not coming from galaxies millions of light years away, which violates the laws of physics, but rather are entering our world from other dimensions — the spiritual realm. This would explain how many “UFOs” can just instantly disappear out of thin air.
4. Alien abductions should be understood as real experiences involving supernatural, demonic beings, who are using fear, lies, abuse, and manipulation to control and deceive human beings.
5. These demonic beings have no power over anyone who belongs to Jesus Christ but must submit to Him and His Holy name.
6. Satan is using the growing obsession with aliens to prepare an entire generation for one of the greatest deceptions of the last days. If our generation is looking for highly-advanced beings to return to earth and offer eternal life through transcendent knowledge and technological advancement, then masses of people will flock to worship at their feet.
7. Jesus repeatedly warns us about being deceived with false signs and wonders, and Paul says that “the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” [2 Thessalonians 2:9-10]
8. This is a salvation issue! The church must wake up and become proactive in communicating the truth of the gospel. Satan is disguising his message of death and destruction within one of the most popular movements of our day. The devil wants to replace Jesus, the True Creator and Savior, with false messiahs called ancient aliens, who will come offering an alternative salvation for mankind that only will end in death.

May we never forget that Jesus Christ has triumphed over all the principalities and powers and cosmic rulers of this age who are masquerading as angels and aliens of light. We have the answer. We have the truth. We have the good news. It’s time we share it with a world searching and seeking for another way of salvation and eternal life before it is too late.

“For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough … And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

[2 Corinthians 11:4, 14-15]

Although the belief in extraterrestrial life on other planets historically is tied to Darwinian evolution, advocates of the trending ancient-alien movement see these beings as much more than little gray men from Mars. They actually see them as the ancient “gods” of the universe, who first created life on earth and provided mankind with transcendent knowledge and advanced technology. Although rooted more in fantasy than fact, a variety of ancient alien and ancient astronaut theories abound, and they have made their way into every facet of culture, including the church.

In an attempt to reject the dogma of institutional religion but at the same explain the complexities of intelligent design, the ancient-alien theory has gained significant traction, especially among millennials and Gen-Z. A growing number of intelligent people are becoming more convinced that these transcendent aliens hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of advanced ancient civilizations and also provide the solution for the future of mankind. One will find that progressive movements like transhumanism, artificial intelligence, cybernetics, biogenetic engineering and even climate change are almost always connected to ancient alien ideology.

Combine this obsession with the reality of thousands of UFO sightings around the world each year, abounding alien abduction accounts, multi-million dollar Hollywood productions, endless YouTube conspiracies, NASA expeditions and the cultish nature of it all, and one can easily see how Ufology and the belief in ancient aliens is here to stay.

Although many theologians and pastors have chosen to take the “head-in-the-sand” approach to this cultural obsession, some in the community of faith see this phenomenon as more than a passing trend but rather as a legitimate spiritual issue captivating the hearts and minds of millions. I for one believe that if the church doesn’t get ahead of this movement and provide a Biblical response and explanation, millions more will get swept away into one of the most dangerous deceptions of our day.

So what does the Bible say about aliens and UFOs? How can we explain and reconcile the possibility of life on other planets from a Biblical worldview?

UFO Sightings

I would like to begin by addressing the reality of regular UFO sightings all over the world. To be clear, UFO simply stands for unidentified flying objects. It is estimated that over 30% of the population have seen a flying object that could not be clearly identified. With today’s smart phone technology and instant video uploads, we are being exposed to more UFO sightings than ever before.

Just because something is unidentifiable does not automatically make it alien in nature. The overwhelming majority of these sightings can be explained by natural phenomena, such as meteors, comets, ball lightening, obscure aircraft, or even technologically advanced aircraft.

There are some UFO sightings, however, that cannot be explained by natural means, which creates an entirely new set of problems. There have been a significant amount of legitimate testimonies from among many military pilots, air traffic controllers, and others over the last 75 years that describe UFOs traveling at enormous speeds and defying the laws of physics. These crafts are never seen entering earth’s atmosphere from “outer space,” but rather instantly appearing and just as quickly disappearing as if crossing over from another dimension.

Although I unequivocally reject the notion that aliens could travel from other star systems hundreds of millions of light years away from earth, I am more inclined to believe that these rare unexplained UFO sightings are inter-dimensional manifestations of a supernatural nature. We must begin looking at the alien and UFO phenomenon through spiritual, supernatural lenses, knowing that even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.

Because of the complex nature of these phenomena, I have provided a link to a more in-depth article from Creation Ministries International. https://creation.com/ufos-not-extraterrestrial

Alien Abductions

How do we explain alien abductions from a Biblical worldview? It is not wise to comprehensively reject these experiences as nonsense. Clearly some apparent abductee stories are fabricated for attention or to create shock and awe. But many of these abductees are normal people who have nothing to gain from coming forward and sharing their experiences.

Interestingly, when comparing these abduction encounters, many similar details begin to emerge. Dr. Gary Bates from Creation Ministries International is one of the leading experts on alien abductions, personally interviewing hundreds who claim to have been personally invaded by these “alien” beings. Almost all of these experiences are negative in nature and even physically and psychologically abusive. Many of the common markers of these abductions include but aren’t limited to …

1. Invoking fear and paralysis
2. Time lapses
3. Telepathic communication
4. Painful experimentation, cutting and probing
5. Abuse sexual in nature
6. Challenges to the nature and person of Jesus Christ
7. Expressions of the New Age and the Occult
8. Offering a different gospel of origins and salvation

For fascinating testimony on this subject, watch the following interview with Gary Bates by clicking below.

https://youtu.be/w5m6MUkWh5w

The Name of Jesus

The most amazing correlation between many of these abduction testimonies, however, is that when abductees were paralyzed and gripped with fear, being held against their will, the only way they could be set free is by invoking the name of Jesus! In other words, whatever kind of supernatural beings are terrorizing people in these abduction scenarios, they are powerless against the name of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

[Philippians 2:9-11]

I believe that what we are dealing with is more than science fiction and more than pure delusion. I believe the alien and UFO phenomenon is a real, supernatural issue with serious spiritual implications. I believe we are dealing with spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places that are masquerading as extraterrestrial beings, whose entire mission is to deceive millions into believing that the future salvation of mankind is in their hands.

In Part Three of this installment, I will begin to break down the theological and eschatological implications of this growing movement, and how the church must wake up and provide a Biblical response.

“Long ago in a galaxy far, far away…”

Star Wars

Science fiction has been purposefully woven into the fabric of popular culture. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century with H.G. Wells, who is regarded as the pioneer of science fiction, and leading to the multi-million dollar sci-fi blockbusters of today, the fascination with UFOs and extraterrestrial life on other planets has become mainstream.

The growing sci-fi subculture gained significant traction in the 1980s, as cult-like Trekkies fell in love with Captain Kirk, and Steven Spielberg produced instant classics like E.T. and the Star Wars saga. Long running shows like the X-Files also gained significant notoriety in pop culture, but that was only the beginning.

The sci-fi genre has accounted for some of the highest grossing films in the last 20 years, where alien invasion plot lines abound. The Marvel and DC Comic series alone have dominated the box office over the past decade, and prime time shows like the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens have surged in popularity. Today, Ufology — or the belief in extraterrestrials — is one of the fastest growing religious belief systems in the U.S.

In other words, the mainstream belief in intelligent alien life is beginning to replace the orthodox belief in the God of the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In her book, American Cosmic [2019], author and historian of religion, Professor D. W. Pasulka, reports that over 50% adult Americans and over 80% of young Americans believe in ufos or in extraterrestrial life.

“The new technological infrastructure has birthed several new forms of religion, including religions based on film and fiction. Pasulka reveals how ufo belief is the religion of the technological age. This belief is bolstered by the potential reality of the discovery of life on other planets, made real by NASA’s periodic press releases supporting this belief.”

[Preface to American Cosmic by D.W. Pasulka] https://www.americancosmic.com/preface/

It has been reported that there are well over 100 UFO sitings around the world on any given day, and author and Christian apologist Gary Bates with Creation Ministries International [CMI] says that the UFO phenomenon is not going way anytime soon. Consider the following based on a 1997 CNN/Time Magazine poll.

• 80% believe that the government is hiding the existence of extraterrestrial life forms
• 64% believe aliens have contacted humans 
• 50% believe that aliens have abducted humans 
• 93% have never been abducted 
• 75% believe that a UFO crashed near Roswell

As Bible-believing Christians, what are we to make with this growing obsessions with alien life and the undeniable testimony of UFO sightings all over the world? Is there a Biblical response to the Ancient Alien phenomenon and Ufology?

THE ALIEN — EVOLUTION CONNECTION

The first truth that must be established is the direct connection between the belief in naturalistic evolution and extraterrestrial life on other planets. When holding to an evolutionary worldview, it is not only possible that life has evolved over billions of years in distant galaxies and on other planets far, far away — it is probable. Most believers in alien life forms would propose that these interstellar, extraterrestrial counterparts are much older and therefore much more highly evolved than humans.

If these “ancient aliens” are intellectually and technologically superior to us humans, then chances are they are the ones responsible for life on earth and also the ones capable of leading mankind to the next stage of evolutionary transcendence — even eternal life. This belief system makes ancient aliens both our creators and saviors, effectively replacing the Lord Jesus Christ.

H.G. Wells, who wrote The Time Machine (1895) and The War of the Worlds (1898), among other science fiction works, was a staunch evolutionists who believed that evolution held the key to the meaning of life. His fascination with alien life was evident throughout his writings.

“Darwinism destroyed the dogma of the Fall upon which the whole intellectual fabric of Christianity rests. For without a Fall there is no redemption, and the whole theory and meaning of the Pauline system is vain.”

Mackenzie, N. and Mackenzie, J., H.G. Wells: A Biography, Simon and Schuster, New York, p. 169, 1973.

The evolution-alien connection is nothing new in scientific circles. When atheist scientists James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA in the early 1950s, they were both overwhelmed with the complexity of life and the intelligent language of the genetic code. Crick admittedly struggled with providing an answer to the origin of such complex life, and so instead of allowing for the possibility of a Creator God, he did what only a rational scientist would do — he gave credit to the aliens.

Crick chose to embrace the fantastical idea of panspermia to explain how life first appeared on earth. This comes from the Greek words pas/pan (all) and sperma (seed), meaning that the seeds of life are all through the universe. In his book, Life Itself, Crick made the case for the evolution-alien connection saying that some form of primordial life was “shipped to the earth billions of years ago in spaceships” — by supposedly ‘more evolved’ (therefore advanced) alien beings.

Furthermore, one of the most renown new atheists of our day, Richard Dawkins, echoed Francis Crick when pressed by Ben Stein in the 2008 documentary Expelled. Like Watson and Crick, Dawkins and other evolutionary atheists must resort to making the aliens our gods, while willfully rejecting the One True Creator God of the Bible.

“It could be that at some earlier time, somewhere in the Universe, a civilization evolved by, probably, some kind of Darwinian means, to a very, very high level of technology, and designed a form of life that they seeded onto, perhaps, this planet. Now that is a possibility, and an intriguing possibility. And I suppose it’s possible that you might find evidence for that, if you look at the details of our chemistry, molecular biology, you might find a signature of some kind of designer. And that designer could well be a higher intelligence from elsewhere in the Universe.”

[Richard Dawkins — Expelled (Stein and Miller, 2008)]

WORSHIPPING THE CREATION

At the core of the evolution-extraterrestrial religious system is the refusal to worship the Creator and to exchange the glory of the Immortal God for the worship of mortal man and more evolved aliens. There is always a supernatural element behind these scientific belief systems. The Apostle Paul prophetically explains how mortal man willfully suppresses the truth in wickedness in order to deny the Creator.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

[Romans 1:18-23]

I believe that many UFO sightings and “alien abductions” should be regarded as real experiences and should not be blindly rejected as non-events. The church must acknowledge that there are people sitting in their congregations every Sunday that have either seen a UFO or have had an encounter with some alien being. Christians must get ahead of this growing phenomenon and show that these things can be explained from a Biblical worldview. Furthermore, there are serious theological and eschatological implications behind the belief in alien life and man’s desire to ascend to the next phase of evolutionary enlightenment.

In part 2 of this installment, I will further develop the Biblical response to alien encounters and UFO sightings, specifically in regards to how the devil and his demons are using the alien phenomena as one of the greatest tools of deception in the last days.