UFO's and the Bible: Part 3: Who Are They?

 As we covered in the previous  two posts, the human race has been seeing  strange lights in the sky and  encounters with odd  beings for as long as recorded history.  It is only recently that the  popular imagination has rendered this 'whatevers' as intelligent visitors from another world. These visitors are assumed to be more intelligent than us, and certainly more evolved than us. But those of us that try to look at the world from a Biblical perspective, cannot subscribe to the 'little green men from Mars' theory.  The Bible is clear; the earth alone was made to be inhabited.  The God who made the earth intends to rule from here, and all of his creation come to worship him here.  Now we must address the  final question; if they aren't aliens, what are they?
  Keep in mind that the human race does not exist in a  vacuum. The Bible presents us with the  idea of an adversary; the devil. He was the "anointed cherub that covereth" and now he is the  "accuser of the brethren". Though not omniscient or omnipresent, he is proclaimed to be, in scripture, "the god of this world".  In Ephesians  6:12, our warfare  against the spiritual  forces is said to have its theatre of operations the  "high places". Furthermore, the devil is said  in Ephesians 2 to be the "prince of the power of the air".    These lights in the sky could very well be the  manifestations  of the one that the Bible  says  masquerades as an "angel of light".  Since Genesis chapter 3, his goal has been to  delude, confuse, and pervert men away from the service of God.  He uses  every trick in his arsenal, including bad doctrine and  anti-biblical philosophy to blind the  eyes and hearts of men and thusly deny God the worship that is his due.  It seems hardly surprising then that, among the  pile of bankrupt ideas of the New Age movement, we would find a reverence for these enlightened visitors that borders on worship.  This particular subset of New Age literature props up the narrative that a  warring, polluting self-destructive  humanity  needs the intervention of these space brothers who will then  usher humanity into a period of peace, prosperity, and universal brotherhood. None of this should surprise the  Bible believer who was warned of "seducing spirits" and "doctrines of devils".
  Much as  there are people who claim to  channel the spirits of the  dead, there are  New Age practitioners who claim to be able to relay messages from space men.  These messages, assuming they are genuine, are  revealing in themselves. You see, if these visitors are actually  enlightened beings further along the evolutionary trail than us, as they claim to be, then surely  they would have outgrown the  narrow-minded precepts of religious thought.  One would think they would give no more heed to the Bible than a modern man gives to cave drawings. But quite the opposite,these  beings seem  veritably obsessed with the person of Jesus Christ. Though odd behavior for an alien, it falls right into line with the  character of the one who claimed "I will be like the Most High.". 
  In the  book Alien Contact: The Messages they Bring by Bonnie Meyer  these visitors take credit for a great deal of God's work. "a UFO moved in the sky to Bethlehem and then placed itself by a star in the sky.  and also a UFO helped to part the Red Sea..by lasers...the UFO's were working for God...These UFO's provided the manna from heaven.  No, I'm not saying that God did not do this, but God worked through the UFO's to produce this.  Also , God used a laser to write  those things on the tablet, the commandments.  These UFO's also parted the Jordan river."
  Furthermore, these beings when they communicate  manifest many of the same characteristics  of a poltergeist  with  the occult phenomena that typically surround a haunting or a  possession.  Strange noises , unexplained marks, lost time,  television or radio interference are all hallmarks of a poltergeist and also accompany a visitation or an 'abduction'.  Frankly, these abduction stories are not for the faint of heart. They often involve torture, and  only  appear to happen to the unsaved.  One doesn't have to read far into the  alien abduction to see that, as Dave Hunt quipped " The same people in charge of haunted houses are in charge of flying saucers."
  A recent theme that has surfaced is the  idea of alien-human breeding program.  This isn't particularly 'recent' though, as the same  stunt was pulled  back in Genesis 6. As usual, your Bible runs decades ahead of current events. Missler and Eastman, in their book  Alien Abductions write "A recurring theme in the abduction scenario is the delivery of detailed messages to abductees . The messages delivered  to abductees are typically done by  telepathic (mind to mind) conversations..In some cases, abductees report being shown scenes or messages on large screens within the alien craft. These messages are usually horrific  prophetic scenarios about impending cataclysmic events on earth and the destruction of Earth due to  environmental degradation.  In some cases overt religious messages are given to abductees. These messages can include the notion that he aliens are our creators, that they are trying to  advance our evolution through these breeding programs, and that mankind must unify- with their assistance- into a system  of global governance and religion in order to survive the future cataclysms."
  Dr. Jacques Valee wrote in Confrontations ; "The medical examination to which abductees are said to be subjected , often accompanied by sadistic sexual manipulation, is reminiscent of the medieval tales of encounters with demons.  It makes no sense in a sophisticated or technical framework; any intelligent being  equipped with the  scientific marvels  that UFOs posses would be in a position  to achieve any of these alleged scientific objectives in a shorter time and with fewer risks."
  John Ankenberg and John Weldon ask  the obvious question in their book The Facts on UFOs and Other Supernatural Phenomena.  "Further , in light of the messages given by the UFO entities, how credible is it to think that literally thousands of genuine extraterrestrials would fly millions or billions of light years simply to teach new Age philosophy, deny Christianity, and support the occult?  And why would the entities actually possess and inhabit people ( as in Walk-ins and channeling) just like demons do if they were really advanced extraterrestrials?  Why would they consistently lie about things which we know are true,  and why would they purposefully deceive their contacts?"
   As the final  nail in the coffin, I  give you a quote from the esteemed Carl Sagan, who, though an  opponent of Biblical  Christianity  his entire life, became a Bible believer on December 20th, 1996.  In his work Intelligent Life in the Universe, Dr. Sagan asked "What might an  advanced extraterrestrial civilization want from us?  One of the primary  motivations for the exploration of the New World  was to  convert the inhabitants to Christianity -peacefully if possible-forcefully if necessary. Can we exclude the possibility of an extraterrestrial evangelism?"


Note:  Anyone interested in  a more detailed coverage of this topic should read this.  It's the least I can do after  'borrowing' his  graphic.

UFO's and the Bible, Part 2- Spiritual in Nature

   For  thousands of years, people have seen unexplainable lights in the sky and with increasing commonality have reported encounters with strange beings. But yet the Bible doesn’t even imply that life exists anywhere outside of the earth; in fact it strongly  suggest that not only  was everything  living  that was created  located in one planet, but that the Creator of all life intends to rule and reign here with his creation bowing before him.  I postulated in the first post on this topic that the science fiction culture that we live in has pre-programmed us to think that these phenomena are physical in nature and have an origin outside of the Earth.  I submit to you that neither is true, according to the Bible and that these phenomena are spiritual in nature.   To bolster this assertion, we will look carefully at   some unusual occurrences recorded in the word of God.

  In 2 Samuel 5, David is getting ready to go to battle, and in verse 22 to 24, we read the following; And the Philistines came up yet again , and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.  And when David enquired of the LORD, he said , Thou shalt not go up ; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.  And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.  And David did so , as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.   The Bible doesn’t seem to indicate that David saw anything, but rather that he heard it, and the thing that he heard was the Lord going before him into battle. This wasn’t ET trying to phone home, it was a manifestation of God on his behalf.  Since God is a spirit, this is a spiritual manifestation, but it is interesting to note that, since this manifestation made noise and moved tree branches, the spiritual can affect the physical world and be detected by the senses.  Just because it’s spiritual doesn’t mean it isn’t solid. Therefore, the idea UFOs have been tracked on radar doesn’t limit them to being intergalactic  craft.  They could still be spiritual and still have enough substance to manifest a radar signature, or be photographed.

  In Ezekiel  10:9-22 we read “And when I looked , behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.  And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel. When they went , they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went , but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went .  And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.  As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.  And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.  And the cherubims were lifted up . This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.  And when the cherubims went , the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.  When they stood , these stood ; and when they were lifted up , these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.  Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.  And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out , the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD'S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.  This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.  Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.  And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.” Now a lot of people have spent a lot of time trying to explain or describe what Ezekiel saw.  Suffice to say, for the purposes of our discussion that this was a heavenly manifestation, not little green men in a metal craft come to mutilate some cattle or make circles in a wheat field.

 For our last example we turn to Zechariah 5, where the Bible says “ Then I turned , and lifted up mine eyes, and looked , and behold a flying roll.  And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered , I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.  Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.  I will bring it forth , saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.”  This thing that   Zecharaiah saw wasn’t Mork from Oork, it was a curse that went over the whole earth. Interestingly the ‘roll’ shape or ‘cigar’ shape is the most common shape described in modern UFO folklore. These curses might be more common than we have been led to believe.  This curse caused  things to rot or decay  wherever it goes.  Once again you have a spiritual   manifestation that  causes a physical response.  But the chapter doesn’t stop there.

  “Then the angel that talked with me went forth , and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth .  And I said , What is it? And he said , This is an ephah that goeth forth . He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.  And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.  And he said , This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.  Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked , and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.  Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?  And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established , and set there upon her own base.”  Since there are no female angels in the Bible, and angels in the Bible don’t have wings, whatever these are, they aren’t angels. They appear to be some sort of foul spirit (AKA Attack of the Stork Women) that take a graven image and carry it towards the eventual seat of the antichrist. 

  We have established so far that life is limited to this planet, according to the Bible, and also according to the Bible, spiritual entities or beings can manifest themselves and affect the physical world.  Next post we will take a closer look as to who the potential powers might be behind these manifestations.

UFO's and the Bible, Part 1- Aliens

  Let me start off by saying this; prior to my conversion to Christianity in 1995, I was inordinately interested in UFO’s and the idea of extraterrestrial visitation.  People have seen unexplainable lights in the sky for thousands of years, and   accounts of encounters with strange beings go back as far as we have records far. I have probably read every major book on the subject, and quite a few of the lesser-known books. Some of them even  touched on the Bible. I read books that used UFOs and alien technology to explain away biblical miracles or prophetic visions. I read books that suggested the God of the Bible was an alien that was mistakenly taken as a deity after seeding this planet with human life. None of these authors believed the Bible; they were just merely using it as a framework to introduce their theories. However, after receiving Christ, and becoming convinced of the truth and completeness of the Biblical revelation, I became curious as to what the Bible actually has to say about these phenomena, if anything.  This topic is a perennial favorite in my Sunday School Class during our "What Does the Bible Say About....?" sessions.  The notes are  a bit extensive, so I've broken it into parts.

  It is the most natural thing in the world to look at the sheer vastness of space and wonder if we are alone.  It seems inconceivable sometimes that God could make a place so big, and then only populate one little corner of it, but the scriptures make an interesting statement, “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited : I am the LORD; and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:18)  If we take this statement at face value, the earth was made to be inhabited, but nothing else. The idea that a God whose hand spans the heaven, and whose creation speaks of his glory and his handiwork taking an exclusive interest in one little planet in one little galaxy seems hard to swallow, but let me remind you that God said “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways…”.

  Then why, you may ask, make a universe so big that we have yet to find  the edges of it? Why make a cosmos that a man or generations of men literally could not travel fast enough or far enough to cross it? The Bible says in Rev 4:11 that everything was made for God’s  “good pleasure”.  The answer is simple; he made such a big universe because he wanted to, and he made the earth specifically to be inhabited.

  There are several scriptures which argue against the existence of any life outside of the earth.  For example, Genesis 2:1-2 summarizes everything God had created in the previous chapter.  Not once is anything alive referenced except for things created on earth.  There is no mention of fish or birds, or creeping things being called forth anyplace except on this planet.

  The Bible elaborates on God’s desires in Psalm 145:9-13. “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.  All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.  They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;  To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.  Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations”. Its clear that God intends on ruling over all his works, and he intends to receive worship from all his works, but he only one he seems concerned with notifying is the  “sons of men”. Also in the future date where all of God’s creation comes before him to worship, that worship takes place on earth. Rev 21:1-6, 23-24 says “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away ; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying , Behold , the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away .  And he that sat upon the throne said , Behold , I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write : for these words are true and faithful.  And he said unto me, It is done . I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely….. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.  And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.”  The Greys and Reptilians are a no-show when it comes time to bow the knee to the maker of the heavens and earth.

  C.S. Lewis theorized that, as we ventured out among the stars we would find alien culture after alien culture with their own Redeemer who had come and died for them. There would be a Martian Jesus and Jesus from Alpha Centauri as well as a Jesus from Oork. That notion, however interesting, has no scriptural support. In Hebrews 9, great detail is gone into regarding the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, and the Bible specifically says in verses 11 and 12 that Christ entered into the holiest of holies “once”.   If the universe were chock full of Venusians and Martians and Vulcans and Wookies, wouldn’t it have been necessary for God the Son to live as one of them, die as one of them, and more than “once’ enter the holiest of holies to pay for their sins?

  What you think those lights in the sky are hinges on your worldview. If you were a superstitious Roman Catholic peasant in the 1200’s, you would assume the lights to be angels or spirits or demons, and it would be time to run to your priest for help.  We don’t live in that time frame, we live in a science fiction culture where everybody has seen movies and read books about aliens coming down from above, with brightly illuminated craft.  When modern man sees lights in the sky, he has been pre-dispositioned by TV and movies to think ‘aliens’. But that concept carries with it some pretty serious implications and you can put yourself in quite the theological pickle with it.  Such   tight spots are unnecessary when the Bible make it so clear as to what UFO’s are not. Now what the actually are is the subject of a future post.  Coming soon….