Stranger Than Fiction: Aliens, Christianity, & That Age to Come

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings” (Proverbs 25:2).

Do you believe in aliens? Perhaps “believe” is too strong a word. Let’s try phrasing the question another way: Do you think that aliens exist?

For many generations, mankind has looked above to the myriad of stars beyond those dark corridors of the cosmos for an answer to the question, “Are we alone in the universe?” As Christians, we know that the answer to this question is an emphatic no. We know this both because of the angelic realm and, of infinitely greater importance, because of our Creator—“God intended that [we] would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). Paul goes on to say that not only is God near us, but that “In Him we live and move and have our being” (17:28). We are not alone. The God of all glory, whom the heavens themselves are at a loss to contain, is far nearer to you and I than is our next breath, closer still than the very atoms which make up our substance.

And yet, the dust on this particular question refuses to settle no matter how many lives of men may flit by—“Are we alone in the universe? Are there other creatures—other non-human intelligences beyond mankind—out there in the vast unknown?”

What follows are some of my loosely-held thoughts on the matter of other worlds and the—potential—intelligent life that may inhabit these worlds. Again—these thoughts are held with a loose grip, and I admit that I may well be quite wrong. Nonetheless, it’s fun to speculate in a healthy, non-dogmatic way on these things all the same.

I’m not striving to make the positive case for aliens here (namely, that they most certainly exist), but rather attempting to gently displace the negative case—namely, that they cannot exist in a Biblical cosmology. I am of the conviction that Scripture leaves the door wide open for such possibilities, as well as many other wonders beyond all imaging.

Wondering or Wandering?

However, before we can begin any reasonable conversation about aliens and those of other worlds, we must first consider the two chief ways in which God has revealed Himself to us: special revelation (God’s word, the Bible) and general revelation (God’s world, such as nature and the cosmos). By laying this brief foundation, my hope is that it will inform some of my thoughts later on—particularly when things get, well, strange.

One of the great strengths of systematic theology, and Reformed doctrine more broadly, rests in it’s ability to methodically synthesize the entirety of God’s word into categories which can then be applied to life in God’s world. By knowing what’s in His word, we can then live faithfully in His world—that simple. This strength, however, can also tend towards a significant point of weakness for believers when it becomes misapplied to certain topics, particularly those topics shrouded in profound mystery.

Indeed, what do we do with those things God’s word has not spoken on? How do we appreciate the mysteries of this world without putting them, and God Himself, into a neat little box of our own design?

I love systematic theology. It is supremely helpful, useful, and thorough, but it’s not all-encompassing. The purpose of any systematic theology is to give us a comprehensive overview of the Bible, not an answer to every question ever posed by man. God can answer these and many more of our questions. Systematic theology, by contrast, cannot answer all our questions, nor was it ever meant to—just as science cannot possibly answer all our questions about God, for this is not and never has been the purpose of science (though it can shed light on a few of our questions).

While not inherent to the Reformed tradition, systematic theology nonetheless—because of its strict adherence to the Bible as the perfectly true word of the Lord—often goes hand in hand with the Reformed tradition, and rightly so. However, let us at the same time recognize that systematic theology, like all tools, works best when it is applied to a specific task. The task of systematic theology is to faithfully synthesize God’s word, the Bible, by organizing its teachings into logical categories, effectively answering the question(s), “What does the entirety of the Bible have to say on the topic of ______?”

However, even the entirety of the Bible leaves many questions and topics entirely untouched. The chief purpose of the written word of God is to reveal the living Word of God—the Lord Jesus Christ, who has supplied all things necessary for our salvation in Himself. When the writers of the Old and New Testaments were penning their historical accounts, poems, and epistles, ever under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, their intentions were to reveal those things that were necessary, not necessarily exhaustive. 

Sometimes, however, we become so fixated on the various categories we’ve erected that we can scarcely see or think beyond them. Rather than allowing the word of God to determine the limits of our understanding on a matter—as is indeed the chief purpose of systematic theology—we can so very quickly find that we’ve boxed ourselves, and the Lord God, into a mess of theological and mental gymnastics that He never intended for us.

This is deeply unfortunate. Among other things, I truly believe that God means for us to be curious about the universe He has made,—ever interpreting the world through the lens of His word—such that our discoveries unveil more and more about who He is, bringing Him greater glory.

For remember, the word of God, like all true things, is meant to lead us to God Himself—not to become an end unto itself apart from Him. God is a Person to be loved and communed with, not a set of facts and figures to be mapped out in books and charts. He is a relational, creative, and infinitely intelligent Being, one with whom we in Christ shall forever enjoy fellowship with.

And yet, we humans love systems. And systems are good, mind you, especially systems that seek to explain God’s revelation to us—provided they fulfill their intended purposes. But if we’re not vigilant and suddenly begin applying tools to tasks they aren’t cut out for, we may find ourselves taking down fences where we need not and erecting them where we ought not.

The word of God is many things. Indeed, it is the very best of things, telling of things to come better still. The word of God is not, however, a comprehensive encyclopedia on all things under the sun—nor was it ever supposed to be. In the Bible we will find all things pertaining to life and godliness, but not all things pertaining to calculus or marine biology. As such, no systematic theology can ever answer each and every one of our burning questions about life and the nature of the universe, let alone the spiritual realm—not even the Bible can do that comprehensively, only God can and perhaps one day He will. For now, however, we must rest content with those things which He has revealed.

However, in the process let us not also rule out entirely those things which the Bible does not also rule out—be it aliens or otherwise. When Galileo was crushed under the thumb of the Roman Catholic church in the 1600s for promoting his theory of heliocentrism (the theory that the Earth orbits the Sun), he was held in derision and violently persecuted not because he contradicted Scripture, but because he threatened an established narrative.

Likewise, the fact of the matter is that the Bible simply does not speak directly to the matter of other intelligent races in the universe. Thus, we should be careful in our approach, wondering on the truth of God rather than wandering from it—all the while being cognizant of the reality that God delights in our curiosity, creativity, and imagination: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings” (Proverbs 25:2).

Christianity is Roomy (And, It’s Stranger Than Fiction)

There are many mysteries, especially pertaining to the life of Christ, that the Bible simply stays silent on. We might not understand this, but we must accept it. Likewise, simply because the word of God does not speak explicitly on dinosaurs, aliens, quantum mechanics, or the age of the archangel Gabriel, that does not mean we are prohibited from exercising some righteous and godly speculation in that direction—provided, of course, that our conclusions are held by hands willing to let them go should we be proven wrong, and that our curiosity itself does not contradict what the word of God makes clear. If, for example, the Bible explicitly stated that “The heavens are as empty of life as is the space that contains them,” then we simply must cease our speculation on the matter. We would have to—God has spoken definitively.

However, the Bible does not say that; and, there is nothing in the Bible that would preclude or rule out such a possibility. We can joyfully affirm on the one hand that humanity and planet Earth are at the center of redemptive history (as the Bible has revealed), while at the same time giving room to the possibility that there may be other inhabited worlds far beyond our own.

Indeed, this possibility seems more likely in a Biblical world view than not. Staunch materialism cannot even account for life on this planet, let alone life on any others. By contrast, the infinitely creative God of the Bible, from whom all life springs forth, gives life and being to whom He wills—who, then, can possibly even begin to estimate the work of His hands or the edges of His glory?

Without saying to much here, it would appear that the seemingly infinite level of detail and diversity in nature, not to mention the almost infinite and ever-expanding size of the cosmos, coupled with the creative nature of God, lends itself well to the possibility that there might well be other intelligent species out there amongst the stars. There is absolutely nothing in Christianity that would disallow this reality. This was a point made by, of all people, the great Charles Spurgeon. In his 1873 sermon, “Christ’s Ambassadors,” he says:

“It may be that every starry world teems with myriads of intelligent inhabitants; it is much more likely that it should be so than that it should not be so, seeing that God is not in the habit of creating anything in vain, and we can scarcely imagine that he has made all those mighty orbs to circle around his throne without suitable inhabitants to render due homage to him.”

Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction. As Gavin Ortlund is fond of saying, Christianity is capacious—that is, it’s incredibly roomy and spacious. Because Christianity is true, it can contain within itself many, many things—indeed all things, even strange things. We need not fear adding new true things to the mix, even truly weird things, because at no point will these “new things” ever undermine or contradict the foundational truth claims of Scripture: namely, the existence of God and the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That God exists, that He created everything from nothing, and that He became a man who died for the sins of His people in their place, is a reality of infinitely greater awe and mystery than anything else the universe or imagination itself can throw at us.

The Bible is unfathomably resilient and spacious. Resilient, because it is true; spacious, because its truth claims do not and cannot conflict with anything we see in nature. General revelation (God’s world) will never be in contradiction of special revelation (God’s word), and vice versa. Provided something is true, it’ll fit neatly into Christianity—it simply must, no matter how strange or unfathomable it may seem to us.

To say that aliens must exist simply because the created universe is so vast beyond all human comprehension is indeed an argument for extra-terrestrial life, but not necessarily an airtight one, nor is it the primary argument I am making here. God can, and does, create big and incredibly detailed things for the sole purpose of displaying to His creatures that He can do such things and they cannot. The universe need not house other creatures beyond ourselves in order to serve its intended purpose—which is the same purpose of all things: to glorify God. However, like Spurgeon, I think the emphasis in this discussion is on God’s creative and life-giving impulses as Creator, coupled with the size of the universe. Thus, leaving the door open for alien life both because of the vastness of space and because of who He is.

  If the Bible speaks much on a thing, then we should find confidence to speak much also. If little be said, then we would be wise to keep our speculations tethered, particularly on primary matters pertaining to salvation. However, I do think that God delights in our wonder and speculation, provided it is ever anchored to His word and revelation and in keeping with those things that are good, true, and beautiful. For what is science, after all, but the faithful exercise and expansion of humanity’s dominion mandate over the created order given to us by God in the beginning? On those things which Scripture has spoken finally and definitively on, having closed the door entirely, we should rest content; and on those matters which God has left the door ajar, purposely perhaps, might we not knock?

Those of Other Worlds

So, I ask again: Do you think aliens exist?

Before venturing much further, perhaps some clarifications are in order. In our present day, words like “aliens” or “extra-terrestrials” carry a lot of cultural and ideological baggage, eliciting images of little green men or all manner of horrors from science-fiction movies. When I ask the question, “Do you think aliens exist?”, I am not referring to anything from the realm of science-fiction, online conspiracy theories, or Reddit forums. Nor, for that matter, am I even thinking of the many so-called, albeit incredibly poorly filmed, “UFO” sightings that now plague the internet—in my opinion, these are either hoaxes or demonic, though likely a blend of both (a conversation for another time, perhaps).

So what, then, am I referring to when I’m talking about aliens? Simply put: How should I know?—they’re alien, completely foreign to us should they even exist. And should these beings exist, I suspect they are far, far from Earth, so much so that no one in human history has ever rubbed shoulders with them.

What I and Spurgeon and many other Christians throughout history mean when we broach the topic of aliens is simply that: an alien, unknown, hitherto undiscovered race of potentially intelligent, potentially unfallen, non-human beings somewhere out there in the vast sea of stars seeded by the One true God. In another sermon, “Jesus Admired in Them That Believe,” Spurgeon goes on to say,

“We do not know what other races of innocent creatures there may be, but I think it is no stretch of imagination to believe that, as this world is only one speck in the creation of God, there may be millions of other races in the countless worlds around us, and all these may be invited to behold the wonders of redeeming love as manifested in the saints in the day of the Lord. I seem to see these unfallen intelligences encompassing the saints as a cloud of witnesses, and in rapt vision beholding in them the love and grace of the redeeming Lord.”

For my part, I believe that non-human intelligences exist in our material universe. Could I be wrong? Most certainly. Am I wrong? No idea. In any case, folks on either side of this speculative fence should readily confess that, should aliens exist, they most surely exist for the glory and good pleasure of God; and if not, well, then we really have no real business asking why not. But, if other non-human intelligences exist, here are some of my thoughts and considerations.

Since the beginning, mankind has known of at least two other types of intelligent beings that operate in the universe beyond ourselves: God, the Being from whom all other beings find their being; and lesser, created spirits such as angels, demons, and their more elusive counterparts belonging to that invisible realm, such as the seraphim and cherubim. With respect to the latter (the seraphim and cherubim), I find it utterly enthralling that the Bible simply introduces these magnificent creatures, almost in passing, without ever feeling the need to explain them any further—are they a type of angel? Are they merely a different rank of angel? Or, are they a different species of spiritual creature altogether? The Bible gives no answer.

Thus, right from the outset we must admit that Christianity already and explicitly allows for the existence of extra-terrestrials (that is, non-human intelligences, beings outside of Earth who are not of this realm) in the form of angels and demons (at the very least). This being the case, why might there not be other intelligent races out there? If so, here are a few things we might comfortably say about these races, in addition to several questions that are interesting to consider:

• If intelligent non-human races exist somewhere in the vast cosmos, we must say that, though they may be intelligent and potentially given to reason, they are nonetheless non-human and therefore, not image-bearers of God:

  • In this way, they would fall under a similar, though distinct, category of creature as angels and demons: intelligent, reasonable, morally-culpable, non-human beings

• However, are these other races indeed morally-culpable? That is, are they responsible for their actions before God or are they, much like creatures in the animal kingdom, driven by instinct as opposed to reason?

• Are these creatures fallen? Or, are they in a state of innocence, as Spurgeon supposed? Does the curse extend to the very far reaches of the universe, or is it localized to our world because of our sin?

  • If they are fallen, are they fallen morally, much like mankind and many spirits within the angelic realm?

  • Or, are they only fallen physically, suffering under the curse of creation much like the animals and nature itself more broadly?

  • This is only speculation, and I have no evidence for this, but my suspicion is that any such alien races would be benevolent (well-intentioned, kind, non-evil) creatures, albeit fallen just as animals are fallen and cursed in a myriad of ways by God because of the Fall

• My conviction is that Scripture affirms a universal Fall:

  • Namely, the curse enacted by God in Genesis in response to sin has spread to every corner of this universe strictly because mankind was to exercise dominion across the entirety of the cosmos—as goes mankind, so goes the created order over which we were to exercise dominion

  • As such, the Fall has infected all of reality—photons of light, subatomic particles, plant life, animals, and yes, even potential alien races

  • However, Scripture also makes abundantly clear that all of creation eagerly awaits the New Heavens and the New Earth: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19)

• I do not think we, or anyone else throughout human history, have ever seen a being from an alien race—though, in the New Heavens and the New Earth, I suspect we shall:

  • In this way, should any “alien,” “extra-terrestrial,” or “UFO” sightings be “genuine,” I suspect these experiences are demonic and malevolent in nature, not alien

  • However, who knows—should Christ tarry long enough, perhaps I’ll be proven wrong and maybe we will indeed see a good deal of things we never expected!

• And lastly, should aliens exist, we must joyfully concede that they most surely exist for the glory and pleasure of God

That Age to Come

In Isaiah 9:7, God speaks of the coming Messiah’s reign in this way: “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.” There is more going on here in the Messiah’s future Kingdom than mere territorial acquisition and longevity. I think that Randy Alcorn’s interpretation in correct, wherein he rightly notes that the emphasis of Isaiah 9:7 is on the word increase. Drawing from an excerpt in his book Heaven, Randy explains: “Christ’s government of the New Earth and the new universe will be ever-expanding.” Here are a few more passages from Alcorn on the topic of aliens and that age to come, selected from chapter 22 of his book, Heaven:

“It may be that Christ’s government will always increase because he will continually create new worlds to govern (and, perhaps, new creatures to inhabit those new worlds). Or perhaps it will always increase because the new universe, though still finite, may be so vast that what Christ creates in a moment will never be exhaustively known by finite beings. From what we know of our current universe, with billions of galaxies containing millions of billions of stars and untold planets, this is certainly possible. The restoration of the current universe alone will provide unimaginable territories for us to explore and establish dominion over to God’s glory...

If Christ expands his rule by creating new worlds, whom will he send to govern them on his behalf? His redeemed people. Some may rule over towns, some cities, some planets, some solar systems or galaxies. Sound far-fetched? Not if we understand both Scripture and science. Consider how our current universe is constantly expanding. Each moment, the celestial geography dramatically increases. As old stars burn out, new stars are being born. Is God their creator? Yes. Suppose the new heavens also expand, creating new geography in space and ever increasing the size of God’s Kingdom. Will he fill that empty space with new creation? Will he dispatch exploratory and governing expeditions to these worlds, where his glory will be seen in new and magnificent creations?

The proper question is not, Why would God create new worlds? That’s obvious. God is by nature a creator and ruler. He is glorified by what he creates and rules. He delights to delegate authority and dominion to his children to rule his creation on his behalf. ‘Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.’

Is there anything in Scripture—anything we know about God—that would preclude him from expanding his creation and delegating authority to his children to rule over it? I can’t think of anything. Can you?”

The picture painted by Alcorn is one that seems to fit well with the many images we’re presented with in Scripture: “if we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12), “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’” (Matthew 25:23), and “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Thus, Christ’s finished work on the cross—indeed, the Gospel—is by no means limited only to our atonement. Rather, the Gospel has eternal, cosmic significance wherein the Lord is drawing all things nigh unto Himself—chief among them being the heavens and the earth and all those things found in them, of which redeemed mankind is the firstfruits (Romans 8:18-25).

These are some wondrously happy, immensely weighty thoughts to consider about the future awaiting those whose lives are hid in Christ Jesus. Indeed, our greatest expectations and wildest imaginings will all fall short of the reality He has prepared from before the foundations of the world. O, Lord!—even so come!

Just imagine it—stepping upon that eternal plain for the first time, free forever from the weight of sin and death, walking into a great cloud of many countless witnesses,—some of whom you expected to see, others whom you thought were lost beyond hope, and a myriad of others, perhaps many belonging to other worlds entirely, creatures beyond all thought. And then you see Him, the One for whom your soul has ached and longed after these many years, never to be parted from Him so long as the endless ages of eternity roll. Not only will we see Him, but we shall see Him as He is—and be like Him! O, the thought! Who can bear such a weight of glory? Not only will we be forever with the Lord,—though there be no life greater, sweeter, more lovely or joyful—but we will reign with Him, spreading the fragrant aroma of His beauty and holiness abroad to every infinite inch of that home which He has prepared for us.

In a letter to his dying daughter, George MacDonald put it far better than I ever could: “I do live expecting great things in the life that is ripening for me and all mine—when we shall have all the universe for our own, and be good merry helpful children in the great house of our father. Then, darling, you and I and all will have grand liberty wherewith Christ makes free—opening his hand to send us out like white doves to range the universe.”

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Photo by NASA, Unsplash

Author’s Note: If you’re further interested in this topic, here are a few articles and a video that I found helpful and encouraging as I prepared to write this piece: “Spurgeon’s Surprising View on Aliens,” by J.A. Medders, PhD; “Is It Possible That in the Ages to Come We Will Travel to Other Planets and Encounter Alien Beings?” by Randy Alcorn; and lastly, a fun video by Gavin Ortlund titled, “If Aliens Exist, Does Christianity Collapse?”

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