UFOs and The Bible
What is happening?
Do revelations of mysterious UFOs, alien craft/life “prove” the Bible unreliable? As skeptics and Christians ask questions about the subject, it is important to stop and ask:
“What do you mean by that?” And/or “How did you come to that conclusion?”
If alien life is real, what are the implications
Did life come from outer space (panspermia)? This theory consists of asteroids, comets, meteors crashing into Earth with micro-bacteria elements coming from distant planets. This theory was first postulated by the famous physicist Sir Fred Hoyle and would be considered an undirected panspermia model.
A directed model of panspermia would be that of ETs (extraterrestrials)/sentient aliens traveling to Earth and being considered the originators of life on this planet.
With both the undirected and directed panspermia models, the theories only push back the deeper question of the origin of life from the origination on Earth to the origination somewhere in distant space, ineffectively solving the key issue of how life first started.
Did God create life on other planets?
It is possible for God to create life on other planets if He choose to and wanted to. It is also important to define the term of life on other planets. The term life could refer to microorganisms i.e. bacteria or when referring to life on other planets someone could be referring to ETs/sentient beings. Again, God could do as He pleases as the Creator even though there is no specific reference in Scripture to the Lord doing so. Additionally, throughout the Bible, Earth is central to God’s narrative to humanity so it would be at least odd for ETs/sentient life to be established on a distant planet and not be noted in Scripture.
Astronomers have been searching in space for decades and have found zero signs of ETs/sentient life on other planets. Regarding microbiology, only some frozen water and carbon have been located.
From a physics perspective, it would defy the known laws of physic for an ET/sentient life form to travel billions of light years away. The distances are truly enormous and would have taken tens of thousands of years or even hundreds of thousands of years to traverse space.
As an example, if you were able to travel at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to travel to the next closest galaxy Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, (that’s a LONG time AND that is also assuming GPS would bring you straight to where you were intending to go. The journey would be even longer if you didn’t know where your end destination was and you had to explore space to find what you were searching for i.e. a planet like Earth).
Think of the sustenance needed: food, fuel, supplies, etc. for a voyage that long! Additionally, if the craft was able to move at speeds of speed of light (or beyond), even the most minute dust in space would destroy a craft at those speeds with constant impacts. The forces exerted on any type of living being would be crushed and the travel conditions would be unsurvivable.
Due to the numerous impossibilities of distant space travel of ETs/sentient beings, the latest view has moved from and extra-terrestrial model to an inter-dimensional hypothesis. Instead of a sentient life form traveling great, outer space distances, there is growing evidence that the phenomenon is caused by warping time/space in some fashion. This would help to quantify the sometimes-rapid appearance/disappearance of Unidentified Flying/Ariel Objects/Phenomenon (UFOs/UAPs). This would also help with the fact that UFOs/UAPs have never been witnessed entering/leaving Earth’s atmosphere.
In 2010 at the Washington Press Club, 80 Air Force officers testified about 144 UAP Reports.
If this was a government coverup of secret government technology, why are governments such as the US now open disclosure?
Over 90% of UFO/UAPs can be explained by natural phenomenon, however, many of the remining reported sightings have seemed to demonstrate advanced/unexplainable technology.
Dr. J Allen Hynek, head of Project Blue Book for 20 years, in 1978 to the United Nations said the findings heavily pointed to:
The phenomenon has psych and occult aspects. For instance, UFOs appear to materialize and then suddenly dematerialize. There’s been a change of outlook [with experiencers], a change of philosophy, of persons lives. Now those are tricky things to talk about openly, but they are there.
He and his collaborators came to the conclusion that they said it was psychic. They used words like paranormal and paraphysical. Hynek even used words such as occult in his report to the U.N.
“But statistically, there must be ET!”
Some strongly suggest that because the universe is so vast, there must be extraterrestrial life. The thought of Earth being the only habited planet points to the incredible uniqueness of life on this planet alone.
Carl Sagan, famous astronomer and physicist, asked in his television series Cosmos:
What is the likelihood that only one ordinary star, the Sun, is accompanied by an inhabited planet? Why should we, tucked away in some forgotten corner of the Cosmos, be so fortunate? To me, it seems far more likely that the universe is brimming over with life.
Many cannot accept that life on Earth is unique and extremely special, even a divine appointment. In order for would-be sentient life to travel from another world to Earth, they would at a minimum need to be from a nearby exo-planet (planet orbiting a star that resides outside our solar system). There are only about 5,000 discovered exoplanets currently recorded. “Earth 2.0” has never been found. A planet to meet all the necessary life-sustaining habitat inputs would require “goldilocks” requirements. For ecosystems, organisms, and even planetary systems to thrive, they must operate within a narrow, optimal range of physical, chemical, and environmental conditions. No exoplanets exhibit all of these necessary conditions.
Earth on the other hand, is unique, not ordinary but extraordinary! (See The Privileged Planet, 20th anniversary edition by Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez and Dr. Jay W. Richards).
Scientists have been looking and listening (SETI Project) for decades for extraterrestrial life. There is no empirical evidence to highlight any distant life currently. So much so that that physicists and astronomers have named the emptiness of the universe The Fermi Paradox, which refers to “the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life and the apparently high likelihood of its existence” (Microsoft Copilot definition).
The abductions & Sightings of ETs
There have been literally millions of reported UFO sightings and interactions worldwide over the years. In the US alone, over 20 million people have reported seeing a UFO and 4 million people have reported some kind of abduction or interaction event. Over 90% of UFO/UAPs can be explained by natural phenomenon (for instance, the planet Venus making up over 30% of reported sightings).
This is not a recent occurrence either. Alexander the Great reported “flying shields attacking his army,” while in more recent history, American Indians documented witnessing “flying canoes with individuals on board.”
When referencing conversations people have had during specific abductions or interactions, these “experiencers” (as researchers often refer to them as) are told deceptive messages such as the ETs are our creators who are from Orion or they are our creators are from Pleiades. These accounts have been often reported to be conflicting/contradicting other accounts’ messaging.
The most intriguing point, however, during these abductions/encounters has to do with when the name of Jesus or Jesus Christ is proclaimed, the abduction/encounter(s) are immediately halted. This has not only been independently verified by over 400 cases by researchers, but the non-Christian global organization MUFON (Mutual UFO Network), has independently recognized this unique reaction too. Which begs the question, if sentient life from an apparent distant galaxy came all the way to Earth, abduct/interact with humans, why/how would they be not only aware of Jesus/Jesus Christ, but why would they abruptly cancel their apparent mission and disappear instantly?
The Church has had a mixed bag of theology answers regarding ET/Sentient life
1- (Soft hedge) God never said He didn’t create life on other planets (argument from silence).
2- (Soft hedge) There continues to be no evidence on other planets of any sentient life. Even the micro-bacteria elements of evidence of life are circumstantial (no one knows where their origin is actually from).
3- (Firm position) The justice of God argument-If there are ETs/sentient life on other planets, they too would be under the curse of all creation (GEN 3) and would thus be condemned with no knowledge of the redemption of Christ. Some argue, that since this would be a gospel and justice issue, that the character of God would not support such a dilemma. CS Lewis has gone as far as to suggest this hypothetic narrative (in Out of the Silent Planet) would require (if true) for the distant ETs/sentient life to be perfect, without sin in order for the theological paradox to not be an issue.
4- (Firm position) ETs/sentient-beings would be completely counter to GEN 1: Doctrine of Dominion. The ETs/sentient beings would have dominion over humans if they had advanced, human-controlling technology & capabilities. This would be a major doctrinal issue, but it is also important to recognize in this discussion that these are purely theoretical points.
5- Biblical evidence of possible historical encounters. Many have turned in the Old Testament to the prophet Ezekiel. In chapter 1 there seems to be an amazing encounter:
Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels” (v 10-15).
However, many have pushed back on equating what the prophet was describing as an ET/sentient life encounter vs an extraordinary appearance of the kingdom of God. Biblehub.com directly dismisses chapter 1 of Ezekiel as an alien encounter and highlights the following:
Ezekiel repeatedly stresses that what he sees is a revelation from the “hand of the LORD” (Ezekiel 1:3). The intensity of Ezekiel 1’s vision is heightened by repeated statements like “I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1). The vivid utilization of symbolic creatures-each with four faces and accompanying wheels within wheels-fits into a wider biblical pattern of apocalyptic or theophanic (God-revealing) literature, rather than an indication of extraterrestrial activity. Similar otherworldly scenes appear in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 4:6-8) and in Isaiah’s vision of God’s throne room (Isaiah 6:1-4), underscoring that such surreal imagery underscores God’s transcendence (article link).
Much of the ET/sentient life conversation hinges on a person’s worldview. The biblical, Christian worldview recognizes reality very differently to the naturalism/materialism/evolutionary worldview which will directly affect how we interpret the same evidence. For instance, the Christian believer with a biblical worldview will not have any difficulty or cognitive dissonance with The Creation, miracles, angels & demons, the supernatural, parallel dimensions, etc. However, the naturalism/materialism/evolutionary worldview cannot empirically address parallel dimensions, the physics-defying capabilities of UFO/UAP encounters, millions of reports of flying craft being seeing/reported, but zero UFO/UAP entering existing Earth’s atmosphere which stipulates rapid appearance/disappearance of craft. Those without the biblical worldview seek decade after decade to find ET/sentient life on other planets in an effort to compliment Charle’s Darwin’s theory of evolution that has not aged well. The search for evolutionary evidence has now been going on for over 160 years. The search for ET/sentient life has been a key element of the narrative, though many may argue that is not the intension of the pursuit. For more info on naturalism/evolution see my 4-part talk: Biology
Within the worldview perspectives, there are big philosophical questions of “Where did I come from?” What is my purpose in this life?” “What is my ultimate destiny?” Depending on our perspective of reality and the evidences to support our worldview, the answers to these questions are polar opposites. The biblical worldview says we were created by God, in His image and have dominion over all His creation. Our purpose is to glorify God and love one another and our destiny is eternal, to live forever in the New Heaven on the New Earth. Contrast these basic tenants with the naturalism/materialism/evolutionary worldview: You evolved from an alien life, possibly a pre-biotic soup from a distant galaxy (maybe), you have no purpose except to regenerate healthy offspring, and you only live once and then die so what ever feels good, do it for tomorrow you will die. There is no hope, purpose or future. As Carl Sagan famously said, “You are worth about 3 dollars in chemicals.”
What Does The Bible say
During his trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus was asked, “Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus told Pilate his kingdom is from another realm. He replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36).
The Bible repeatedly recognizes the reality of angels and demons (angels over 300 times and demons over 100 times). In 2 Corinthians 11:14 the Apostle Paul highlights how Christian believers should recognize Satan, “For he disguises himself as an angel of light” (emphasis added).
The Bible warns to never seek after them, the starry hosts, heavenly hosts. The Bible repeatedly warns against worshipping the starry host—the sun, moon, stars, and/or any other supernatural entities—because they are created by God and not divine themselves. True worship belongs only to the one true God, Yahweh.
Deuteronomy 4:19 commands: “When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship them.”
Exodus 20:3–5 forbids making or worshipping any image in heaven, earth, or water, emphasizing that only God is to be worshipped.
2 Kings 17:16 records Israel’s fall partly due to worshipping “all the host of heaven” alongside idols.
Zephaniah 1:5 condemns those who “bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host,” linking it to pagan astrology and divination
Finally, Matthew 24:24 talks about false christs/prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive. The verse ends with a unique and confusing statement that “if possible, even the elect” will be deceived. This is a prophetic statement by Jesus so we always must be weary of being dogmatic on what the Lord exactly meant by the statement. However, when applied to the lights, flying objects, paranormal activity and that the Bible refers to Satan and his army of demons as “the deceiver of the whole world” (REV 12:9), this could be what the Lord is referring to.
Christians should always remember and recognize that God is the Creator, not a supposed alien race. The Bible clearly and emphatically states in the very first verse of Scripture, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth” (GEN 1:1).
Conclusions
There is on-going phenomenon that require further study. Christians need to be aware, ready and able to give a confident answer when called upon (1 Peter 3:15). The evidence is spiritual in nature (supernatural craft defying physics, multidimensional, many reported encounters are horrific and terrifying, the name of Jesus invokes instant reactions. MUFON: Mutual UFO Network, non-Christian global organization recognizes these reactions when Jesus/Jesus Christ is proclaimed too.
People can have a real experience, but it can also be a deceptive experience. The evidence strongly points to extradimensional, not an extraterrestrial reality. The Fermi Paradox, decades of SETI searching with no tangible results and the lack of livable exoplanets highlights three lines of astronomical data points leading to the best explanation that there are no ETs/sentient lifeforms. Additionally, Earth (and all life on our planet) is truly remarkable, wonderfully designed and unique!
Governments do not understand what they are witnessing because their worldview is based on a naturalism/materialism/evolutionary worldview and they are unable to acknowledge the supernatural and Biblical realities. So, they may not be covering up anything except covering up that they have no idea conclusively what is happening.
In the letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul laser-points on the reality of the world Christians lived in during the 1st century and is still abundantly real today:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (EPS 6:10-12).
And in the second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul warns specifically about the unbelieving, atheistic world, which the god of this age (Satan) has blinded them and assists in their unbelief (2 COR 4:4).
Satan’s time is running out, he does not know how much time he and his army (Luke 8:26-26, 1 TIM 4:1-2) have and will most probably get more desperate and more obnoxious. Vanquished armies have always used deception and sabotage as their plight drew near. Steven Spielberg’s June 12, 2026, film Disclosure Day may drive this discussion far further into the cultural conversation so Christians should prepare.
Resources
Dr. Danny Faulkner (PhD Astronomy) published paper Does Extraterrestrial Life Exist?
Dr. Danny Faulkner (PhD Astronomy) article The Evidence Is In: We’re Alone in the Universe
Creation Ministries International (CMI) Extraterrestrial Life interviews
Gary Bates (CMI) Christian researcher, 25 yrs experience on topic
Gary Bates documentary Alien Intrusion
Article The Roswell Incident (What really happened at Roswell)