Aliens And The Bible

Exploring the validity of alien phenomena, what might be their nature if they exist (demonic), their evolutionary connection, and reviewing the Biblical data.

Short Answer

Aliens, or intelligent and communicative non-human life forms, are a well-documented entities. They are somehow related to demons or fallen angels and are often sited as evidence of evolution. The Bible addresses aliens because it addresses demons – assuming that aliens are related to demons. It also records some interesting phenomena that may relate to aliens or alien technology.

Long Answer

Aliens are a hot topic these days. Since the alleged Roswell alien ship crash in 1947 to the endless documentaries on Netflix, people want to know about aliens. “Do they exist”, “where are they from”, and “what do they want” are among the many questions skeptics and believers ask.

Some also wonder if the Bible has anything to say about aliens. After all, if aliens exist and the Bible is true, shouldn’t the Bible say something about them.

In this post, I aim to explore the validity of alien phenomena, what might be their nature if they exist, their evolutionary connection, and finally look at what the Bible says about aliens.

Do Aliens Exist?

There are two streams of evidence for the existence of alien lifeforms. One stream comes from the alternative camp, (aka conspiracy camp), while the other is from the mainstream camp.

The alternative / conspiracy camp has long been suspicious of any official commentary on hard-to-believe phenomena. From the JFK assassination to UFOs (unidentified flying objects), this group has sought out unofficial explanations for all things strange. In general, the alternative camp seems more open to all types of evidence.

“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.” (Colossians 1:16)

Personally, I am interested in “conspiracy” or non-mainstream content. I do not endorse everything they publish since some of their content is blatantly anti-Christian. But I provide the info to help you decide whether aliens exist. For instance, SiriusDislosure.com (2017) proposes several lines of evidence for aliens including…

• 800 people who affirm aliens or alien technology in the US government or military.
• Atacama humanoid body (alien?)
• World governments acknowledge existence of aliens at various times including the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Russia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, more.
• Hundreds of photographs and videos of aliens or UFOs.

On the other side, there is the mainstream stream of alien evidences and hypothesis. These sources usually ignore the photographs and videos because they can be faked. Non-alternative sources tend to accept data that is vetted by the scientific community. NBC News (2015), a mainstream outlet, cites several reasons why alien lifeforms are possible.

• The number of potential planets in the universe provides ample opportunity for life to arise through evolutionary processes.
• Life thrives in extreme environments – hence life on other planets could do the same.
• Recorded radio signals at various times indicate non-random intelligence from afar.

Believing in alien lifeforms used to be confined to the fringe elements of society. But with the consistent dripping of information from alternative and mainstream news sources, more Americans believe in some form of alien lifeforms than not. According to a YouGov Poll (2015), a 54% of Americans believed in aliens of some form or other. Apparently, the evidence is fairly convincing.

What Are Aliens & Where Are They From?

There is one primary feature that distinguishes an alien lifeform from other lifeforms. It must be a biological entity that originated somewhere other than earth, hence the term extra terrestrial (ET).

Two other features are usually highlighted in the research: intelligence and communication. In other words, ETs are usually not described as single-celled amoebas by those who claim contact with aliens, but can process information similar to or better than humans. Secondly, these aliens can communicate with us. Many claim aliens use telepathy unlike typical human language.

“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Opinions vary on the nature of aliens. Many accept the traditional explanation that aliens originated in another part of the galaxy. These beings have supposedly traveled many light years to arrive at earth.

However, many Christian researchers reject this idea. They opt for a more sinister explanation: that aliens are more spiritual in nature or “demons with alien skin”. One author gives 10 reasons why aliens are demons. His reasons include…

• Aliens exhibit similar behavior to Biblical demons.
• Aliens explaining their origins change as time goes on and knowledge of the cosmos improves.
• Aliens often contact occultists and New Agers vs. Christians.
• Alien abductions can be stopped by invoking the name of Jesus.

Michael Heiser is an Old Testament scholar and Christian ufologist. Heiser agrees that aliens are somehow related to demons. He helped produce a 90-minute documentary explaining how aliens are really demonic in nature. Here’s the trailer…

https://youtu.be/cXDoEX7_sck

Aliens and Evolution

God created everything. If aliens existed, God either created them or allowed for them to develop into what they are now. This would be a basic Christian belief.

However, many alien believers reject this presupposition. Instead, they import their own evolutionary biases into the subject and assume aliens evolved on other planets just like human beings evolved on earth. Astrophysicist Jason Lisle commented on this theory…

“The idea of ‘extraterrestrial life’ stems largely from a belief in evolution. Recall that in the evolutionary view, the earth is ‘just another planet’—one where the conditions just happened to be right for life to form and evolve. If there are countless billions of other planets in our galaxy, then surely at least a handful of these worlds have also had the right conditions. Extraterrestrial life is almost inevitable in an evolutionary worldview.”

Aliens seem to be yet another plank in the rickety platform of modern evolutionary theory. If aliens exist and presumably evolved on other planets, it would be a vote of confidence for the evolutionary worldview. This is almost a universal belief in the non-Christian segments of the UFO community.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

Whether macroevolution (non-life > humans) actually happened is a separate discussion entirely. The point is aliens are used to justify that belief. But if aliens are really demonic in origin, their existence would not help evolutionary theory.

What The Bible Says About Aliens

Image credit starseedbobs.blogspot.com

So does the Bible mention aliens? Assuming that aliens are demonic entities, the Bible has much to say about them. Demons “shudder” at God (James 2:19), possess certain people like puppets (Acts 19:13-16), inhabit pigs (Matthew 8:31), teach things against the Scriptures (1 Timothy 4:1), and give false signs of miraculous power (Revelation 16:14). In that sense, the Bible has much to say about aliens because it has much to say about demons.

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

David Treybig for BeyondToday.com explains more…

“The Bible is silent about extraterrestrial life-forms as popularized in science fiction and the entertainment media, yet it is by no means silent about real extraterrestrial life in all its great abundance. The beings spoken of in the Bible are real. They have appeared and spoken directly to humans (Genesis 3:9-10; 4:9; 16:9). The Bible records the existence of many millions of angelic beings (Revelation 5:11) who are ‘ministering spirits’ to mankind in fulfillment of God’s purpose (Hebrews 1:13-14).”

On the other hand, the Bible mentions other phenomena that Christian and non-Christian researchers have tied to aliens. These events should always be interpreted within a Biblical framework, though they are not always treated like that.

• The Nephilim were born to the daughters of men and the “sons of God” indicating the existence of angelic and human hybrid beings – possibly “alien” lifeforms (Genesis 6:1-4)
• Elijah was taken up to heaven on a chariots of fire – akin to a UFO (2 Kings 2:11-12)
• Ezekiel’s wheels have been interpreted as UFOs (Ezekiel 1:15-22)
• Zechariah’s flying scroll is sometimes interpreted as a UFO (Zechariah 5:1-2)

In sum, the Bible addresses aliens but not in the same categories as modern ufologists. Oftentimes, researchers reinterpret Biblical texts to fit their traditional “beings from other galaxies” worldview, but that would not align with normal Biblical interpretation. This is a problem. Since the Bible is the Word of God, any theory about aliens must align with Scripture and Biblical theology.

Warning: To Would-Be Alien Theologians

Several alien religions have developed since the mid-20th century. One of the more famous UFO religions is Raëlism, a movement that boasted 90,000 members in 90 countries 2012. Other alien religions include Scientology, the Aetherius Society, and the Heaven’s Gate group gaining notoriety when 38 followers committed suicide awaiting a supposed journey on the passing Hale-Bopp Comet in 1997.

“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:11)

Like other non-Christian religions, these group deny basic Christian doctrine or re-interpret Biblical stories to accommodate their alien worldview. Some even teach that Jesus was an alien. These heretical groups, or cults, are not Christian. Like other false prophets, these groups lead many astray from the simplicity of the gospel.

If you are studying aliens, then I encourage you to weigh everything you believe against the Word of God. As fascinating as aliens (or demons) can be, they can divert your attention away from more important matters. And we should not be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). Ultimately, our eternal hope is not found in alien doctrines, but in Christ Jesus who came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

Resources

• Evidence for the existence of aliens: SiriusDisclosure.com (non-Christian resource)
• 10 Reasons Why Aliens Are Really Fallen Angels
• Theological implications of evolved alien species, see Gary Bates on Did God Create Life On Other Planets.