| (Copyright) by Lloyd W. Cary (Tyler, Texas) |
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| Are UFOs real—and if so, what are they? Does the Bible speak of UFOs? Was God an ancient astronaut? Are we being visited by non-earthlings, and if so, who are they and what do they want? Who will ultimately rule space? You can know! And the answers will astound you! –Part One– UFOs Exist… In this supposed age of reason, public officials and scientists find themselves facing a new wave of interest in unexplained phenomena. UFO sightings, testimony about alien abductions, and government agencies dabbling in telepathy have produced a steady stream of headlines. A 1996 Gallup Poll revealed that nearly 75 percent of Americans believe in UFOs and/or extraterrestrial life, and that 3 percent even believe they’ve been abducted—that’s over 8,000,000 people! The mysteries of parapsychology, life after death, “crossing over,” astrology, UFOs, and the occult are “in” these days, while traditional Christianity is considered “out,” “old fashioned” or even downright fraudulent. One reporter said nearly every person he met at UFO conferences and cults claim they “used to” belong to a Christian church. Generally, they left and began seeking other answers when a Christian parent or leader could not—or would not—take their experiences and inquiry seriously enough to respond with sound biblical answers. You will be given strong biblical answers in this article. The phrase “flying saucers” came into vogue when, on June 24, 1947, a pilot named Kenneth Arnold sighted nine shining “disc-shaped” objects while flying through the Cascade Mountains. Arnold described the objects to the news media as appearing to be “skimming like a saucer does on water.” This event is widely regarded as the beginning of modern “ufology” (a buzz word for UFO buffs). Millions wonder, “Do flying saucers exist, and is man alone in the universe? Is there life on other planets, and are we being visited by alien beings?” These are perplexing questions, and few subjects are as intriguing. The facts are in. Yes, UFOs are real! They exist! But what are they? The answer may astound you! By definition, UFO simply means “unidentified flying object,” and can apply to any perceived flying manifestation that is unidentified. This can be just about anything you can imagine, from planes seen at unusual angles to secret experimental aircraft. It can also pertain to meteorites or planets such as Venus or Jupiter that can sometimes appear to be moving. There is an endless list of objects which, when seen by the untrained eye, are not readily identifiable. UFOs are the opposite of IFOs,identified flying objects. Some have been tracked on radar screens and have mysteriously vanished in the twinkling of an eye. Allegedly, several jet planes pursuing these objects have been destroyed or disappeared. Thousands of reputable people from all walks of life claim to have seen them: pilots, astronauts, senators, qualified scientists, celebrities, just plain folks, and even an ex-president. Well-documented reports have come from all corners of the world that UFOs exist. Pretending they do not exist does not make them go away. Unidentified flying objects have even been recorded in ancient Egyptian and Babylonian documents, indicating they have been around for a long, long time. There have been numerous cases in which people claimed to have been abducted and examined aboard alien spacecraft. Under hypnosis, some have even “recaptured” lost memories of mysterious abductions or visions. It should be noted, however, that most UFO sightings—about 95 percent—do have a natural explanation, and more than a few have been deliberate hoaxes and pranks. Some photographs have been found to be nothing more than pictures of flung hubcaps and garbage can lids, shot to deceive a gullible public. Most UFO sightings are, in fact, nothing more than mysterious “blobs of light” in the sky. Numerous explanations have been attributed to various UFO sightings: satellites, planes, weather balloons, temperature inversions, phases of the moon, ball lighting, marsh gas, mirages, clouds, stars, migrating birds, light leaks in cameras, and even vivid imaginations. But what about unexplained lights in the sky that don’t show up on radar, such as the lights which were seen over Phoenix? What about sightings of objects that travel thousands of miles per hour…and turn at right angles, defying all the laws of physics? How does an unidentified object accelerate from zero to thousands of miles per hour in the wink of an eye? Or, traveling at high speeds, come to a dead stop? Many of these phenomena defy explanation, and all the “usual” explanations have been ruled out. How does one explain objects that appear and disappear right before one’s eyes? Many times, numerous people have seen strange phenomena at the same time. There is no physical explanation for such phenomena. While there have been reports of “strange things in the sky” from the beginnings of man’s recorded history, sightings have grown exponentially in the past twenty or thirty years. Drawings in caves in China, Spain, and France display “oval” and “saucer-shaped” disks very similar to current UFO reports. Jose’ Bonilla, a Mexican astronomer, took the first known photograph of unidentified flying objects in 1883, where he captured about one hundred fifty “cigar” or “spindle” shaped objects flying in formation. (Beyond Earth: Man’s contact with UFOs by Ralf Blum.) Knowing there is a human urge for explanation “from beyond,” there are those who are quick to fill that craving and to capitalize on a moneymaking opportunity.  During the 1970s, author Erich Von Daniken wrote a blockbuster book—The Chariots of the Gods? —that shocked many with its claims that space visitors had long ago visited Earth. This was soon followed by his second book, Gods from Outer Space. “Erich Von Daniken’s hypothesis about visits by ancient astronauts who gave their technical assistance in mammoth constructions is quite untenable. This does not rule out UFOs as such, and Von Daniken himself has acknowledged that UFOs as reported all around the world today are not the major subject of his best seller, ‘Chariots of the Gods?’” (The Chariots Still Crash, page 1,Clifford Wilson, M.A., B.D., and Ph.D.) Though virtually all of Von Danikan’s hypotheses have been refuted, an “occult hungry” public continues to speculate that we have been visited by visitors from space. God, some assert, was an astronaut, and aided in building such monuments as the ancient pyramids, the Sphinx, the statues of Easter Island, and Stonehenge. Such sensational hypotheses tend to become self-sustaining, quite apart from the question of whether they are true. It is a sad but true commentary that sensationalist theories have always attracted more readers than the refutations of the theories. The popularity of such sensational theories should not be surprising. Human nature loves a mystery and public opinion will have its way. Immanuel Velikovsky created a similar stir three decades ago with his publication of Worlds in Collision, suggesting that the present state of the solar system can be explained by a series of spectacular cataclysms among the planets. Motion pictures such as Star Trek, Star Wars, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, E.T., Independence Day, and more recently, Signs, have fanned the hunger for more and more speculation. Fascination with the television series The “X” Files, dealing with the paranormal, has captured the imaginations of millions, convincing even the most skeptical of the “possibility” of extraterrestrial beings. “The truth is out there,” many are convinced, and all attempts of explanation are summarily dismissed as a “conspiracy.” The government has been repeatedly accused of mass “cover-up.” Documented Cases There have been literally millions of documented UFO sightings, and one should remember that only one UFO encounter out of millions need be real in order for the believers to be correct. There have been UFO reports throughout human history. Ancient texts such as the antique Indian Vedas mention them, often with high accuracy and details. It is said that Christopher Columbus and Pedro Gutierrez, while on the deck of the Santa Maria on October 11, 1492, 10:00 p.m., observed “a light glimmering at a great distance.” It vanished and reappeared several times during the night, moving up and down, “in sudden and passing gleams.” It was sighted four hours before land was sighted and taken by Columbus as a sign they would soon come to land (The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus by Washington Irving).  In more modern times, the Betty and Barney Hill case of 1961 is one of the most famous “alien abduction” cases on record. Reportedly, while driving to their home in New Hampshire, Betty and Barney Hill noticed a bright light in the sky. Radar reports at the nearby Pease Air Force Base also recorded something in the air at that time. The Hills examined the light through binoculars and saw a structured object with flashing lights. Barney walked across a field for a closer look and saw “beings” looking back at him. Frightened, he and Betty drove home, arriving two hours later than expected. They could not account for the missing time (a common phenomenon among abductees) until they underwent regression hypnosis. The couple described being stopped by the UFO and taken aboard the saucer for medical examination. Fact, or fallacy? Another report records a sequence of events starting on December 2, 1989, that led to one of the most celebrated and well-documented cases in UFO history. On the evening of March 30, 1990, there were reports from all over Belgium and Germany. Two F-16 fighters were scrambled to intercept an unexplained object detected by radar screens. In minutes the fighters were airborne and obtained radar lock on the object. However, each time the fighters tried to intercept, the object broke radar lock and out-accelerated the F-16s. At one point the object dropped 1300 mph in one second, and in total the aerial chase lasted some 75 minutes. The object appeared to be intelligently controlled as it took evasive action, and Colonel (now General) W. DeBrouwer, the Belgian air force chief of operations, later commented that “There was a logic in the movements of the UFO.” The Roswell Incident Arguably the most publicized and controversial case of “UFO sightings” is the Roswell incident. Not only has it inspired numerous TV shows and films, but also a large number of books and magazines. In 1947 it was reported by some that a “flying saucer” had crash-landed near Roswell, New Mexico. At first, the report alluded the wreckage came from a flying saucer, but this report was quickly withdrawn, and it was claimed instead that it came from a weather balloon. In 1994 the federal government claimed the balloon-borne apparatus was actually used in a top-secret monitoring project. Some believe the government was involved in a bungled aerodynamic test. Others believe the government has covered up evidence of an actual alien body they found at the time of the crash. More recently, a dubious “alien autopsy” film was released, further fanning the fires of controversy. Government leaders have officially closed the case, stating they had also dropped test dummies during their balloon experiments. UFO exponents still continue to generate excitement with this controversy. The Heaven’s Gate Incident In March of 1997 the headlines screamed about the tragic events stemming from the extraterrestrial beliefs of members of the Heaven’s Gate Cult in Rancho Santa Fe, California. They followed a syncretistic religion, combining elements of Christianity with unusual beliefs about the nature of UFOs. They interpreted passages from the four gospels and the book of Revelation as referring to UFO visitation. As a result, thirty-nine members of the Heaven’s Gate cult, led by Marshall Herff Applewhite, committed mass suicide, believing that a spaceship was following the Hale-Bopp Comet, the great comet of 1997, and they were to die so their spirits could rendezvous with the alien ship and be taken to a higher realm of life. Many UFO people have strong ties to eastern mysticism. Beings From Another Planet? The majority of UFOlogists prefer to believe that unidentified flying objects are nothing less than spacecraft from another world. Another group speculates that the objects are multidimensional beings, traveling through time. Still others believe UFOs are ghost-like, non-material entities. Some claim the UFOs are creatures themselves—that what we see are merely the “outer-shells” of spirit entities. Confusion results from seeking logical explanations of physical effects from a non-physical reality. None of these classifications fits all the available data. Even if we could reach the universe’s speed limit—186,424 miles per second—we would still be much too slow to “rule” much of anything…and so would anyone else. We will never reach “the outer-rim systems” (you did see the Star Wars episodes, didn’t you?) and there will not be any “intergalactic federations” as long as the laws of physics are in effect. The closest star system to Earth is Alpha Centauri in the constellation of Centaurus—the third brightest in the sky. The Centauri system is composed of three stars: Centauri A, B, and KO respectively. On the negative side, it must be admitted there is no direct observational evidence of planets in this system. However, some scientists believe the Centauri system may have planets orbiting around Centauri A or B. If that is true, it would be the closest planetary system to our own solar system. But because of the distance, it would take several thousands of years to reach it. The Centauri system is 4.4 light years away from Earth, or about 270,000 astronomical units (one astronomical unit is the mean distance from Earth and the sun—equal to just over one billion trips around our planet). Another star system, Zeta Reticuli, is around 220 trillion miles distant from us—or 37.5 light years away. A light-year is a unit of length in interstellar astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in one year, or about 5,878,000,000 000 miles. If extraterrestrials from the Zeta Reticuli system were to travel at 100,000 mph it would take them over one quarter of a million years to reach Earth! Any supposed visitors from the neighboring Zeta Reticuli system would have to travel close to or even exceed the speed of light! This proposes a serious problem to the theory of space travel. Albert Einstein and others have shown the impossibility of physical objects approaching the speed of light. As an object approaches the speed of light, its mass would increase to infinity! Since it would take an infinite force to accelerate an infinite mass, it seems we should forget about anything traveling faster than the speed of light. Sorry about that, Star Trekkies. Evolutionists claim that, given enough time, life “could have” evolved in other star systems and migrated to Earth. The late Carl Sagan of Cornel University calculated that the chance of life evolving itself on just one planet—Earth—to be roughly one chance in ten followed by ten billion zeros (Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence, MIT Press, 1973, page 46). A number this large would fill over 10,000 booklets this size just to print it out! The Second Law of Thermodynamics, addressing energy and decay, shows that heat flows “downhill”—that is, higher temperatures always transfer to a lower and lower temperature until, eventually, everything reaches the same temperature. A temperature of absolute zero—believed to be the lowest temperature in the universe—is the point at which all molecular motion ceases. This law was discovered by Lord Kelvin in 1851. Since there are still trillions of stars blazing in the universe, this confirms there has been no past eternity of matter—not enough time has yet passed since the beginning of Creation for all the heavenly bodies to cool. The half-life of radioactive material—the time it takes for a radioactive sample to throw off enough isotopes to decrease its radiation to half its original value—also proves there has been no past eternity of matter. Given enough time, all radioactivity would cease. For instance, the radioactive decay of uranium-235 into lead-207 is 704 million years. We see, therefore, that Creation was not so long ago that all radioactivity has ceased. There was a time when matter did not exist—and then a time it came into existence. Matter does not spring from non-matter. Creation demands a Creator. There is a universal propensity for all systems to go from order to disorder—never from randomness and disorder to organization and construction. This states that every system left to its own devices always tends to move from order to disorder, its energy tending to be transformed into lower and lower levels of availability, finally reaching a state of complete randomness and unavailability for further work. Explosions in print factories never produce encyclopedias! All processes manifest a tendency toward decay and disintegration, with a net increase in the entropy, or state of randomness and disorder, of the system. What Are the Odds? Dr. Emile Borel, a leading expert on mathematical probability, formulated a basic law of probability. It states that the occurrence of any event in which the chances are beyond 1050—a much smaller number than that estimated by Dr. Sagan—is an event which we can state with certainty will never happen, no matter how much time is allotted or how many “conceivable” opportunities exist. In other words, life by chance is mathematically impossible on earth…or anywhere else (Emile Borel, Probabilities and Life, New York, Dover, 1962, chapters 1–3).  Imagine, if you will, a gigantic dump truck laden with tons of scrap steel, glass, rubber, and plastic. Picture this dump truck backing up to the edge of a high cliff and dumping its load to the bottom. What do you think the “chances” are that all the falling pieces of steel, glass, rubber, and plastic would “accidentally” assemble themselves into a fully-functioning yellow Cadillac—complete with air-conditioning, AM-FM radio, upholstered seats, a digital clock keeping perfect time, and air in the tires—at the bottom of the cliff? Impossible, you say? Let us pad the odds a bit: the dump truck can make as many trips as it would like for as long as it would like—even millions of years. We will not even call into question where the preexisting man-made materials of steel, glass, rubber, and plastic came from! Now, would you take the odds on a bet like that? Only a fool would do so! And yet, random bits and pieces of metal, glass, and rubber accidentally assembling themselves into a fully functioning yellow Cadillac after a thunderous crash at the bottom of a cliff is billions of times more likely to happen than for life to “accidentally” create itself from non-life! None would deny that an automobile is the product of an intricate designer, yet some would deny that life—which is far more complex than a mere mechanical device—is the result of a designer. Life and design in the universe are millions of times more complex than a yellow Cadillac. Design demands a Designer. Uncounted billions of dollars have been spent searching for the answer as to whether or not we are alone in the universe, resulting in far more questions than answers. Virtually all the space programs have one goal in mind: to find some vestige of life—even a single drop of water—any condition conducive to life, assuming that evolution is a fact and not a theory. And yet, outside our home planet Earth, we have not discovered so much as a single living cell. We have seen that matter has not always existed. Few question where the matter that life is theorized to have come from came from. It is a common error to theorize in advance of the facts. True science has shown that life cannot “evolve” from non-life by way of chance happenings in a bog of chemicals and elements. Life is unique to planet earth. UFOs—Natural or Supernatural? With these facts in mind—that the probability of cellular life in outer space is practically less than zero—we are left in a quandary concerning UFOs. Numerous testimonials show that UFOs defy all known laws of physics. UFOs have been clocked traveling at supersonic speeds—over 20,000 mph—a speed that would melt any known components. Our rockets must have heat-resistant shields for reentry at much slower speeds. UFOs are able to change direction instantaneously—sometimes at 90-degree angles—at speeds that would atomize any physical spacecraft. Although UFOs fly higher and faster than any known man-made devices, there are never any “sonic booms” from breaking the sound barrier. The only sounds associated with UFOs, if any, are humming noises. UFOs are able to appear on and off radar at will, accelerating and decelerating at fantastic speeds instantaneously—a physical impossibility. UFOs are not uniform in size and shape or color. Some are large, some small. Some are round, some oblong, and some “cigar-shaped.” Some have “windows”; some do not. Colors vary from white to black, silver to yellow, green, or blue. If a “fleet” of extraterrestrial star ships flew to earth, there would logically be more similarity in shape, size, and structure. Yes, UFOs are real. What are they? Where do they come from? How can we account for them? The answers may astound you. –Part Two– What Are They? Part One of this article has shown that although UFOs exist, it is irrational to believe they are visitors from other planets. What a paradox! If they are not beings from another planet, what are they? This world is not looking for a theological Savior. It’s looking for technological saviors, who will save them from war, famine, poverty, and disease. Unregenerate man wants heaven on earth, on his own terms, and apart from God. The religious institutions of this world are not providing its members with the answers to the really big questions in life—and as a result, we see people becoming more and more disillusioned and leaving the churches in droves. In desperation, the churches are attempting to gain followers with such allurements as entertainment, musical productions, good times, and good food, leaving the people to look for the really big answers in life from science and philosophy. Some wonder, Will the answers to man’s problems come from “outer space”? Will aliens rescue us? Are extraterrestrials in UFOs the answer? Have we ever been visited by alien life forms? Believe it or not, your Bible has much to say about “UFOs” and visitors from space. Natural…or Supernatural? First of all, we must understand that all unexplained sightings or strange manifestations have their origin from one of two sources: the “natural” or the “supernatural.” There is no other choice. If the source is something in the natural, it can be rationally explained by scientific fact. If we rule out the natural physical explanations for UFO phenomena, we must consider the non-physical or supernatural or spiritual realm. As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, through Sherlock Holmes said, “How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” We have seen that the laws of physics prove the utter impossibility of physical intergalactic space travel. Philosophy, albeit fascinating, is pure speculation. Science fiction is just that: fiction. But what about religion? Is there a God? Has He communicated with mankind? There is One in a book, called the Bible, Who claims to know the end from the beginning. He claims to be very God: “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). Let us now examine some scriptures that will give us startling answers as to what is going on, in—and out—of this world. “UFOs” In the Bible? We find in the first chapter of the book of Ezekiel a description of four living creatures called cherubim. Cherubim are the highest order of angels. From Ezekiel’s description of them, they appear to have been compound figures, unlike any other object in nature; they actually possessed the features of several animals (Ezekiel 1:10; 41:18–19). But notice how they moved: “Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.… And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went” (Ezekiel 1:9,12). In other words, the cherubim, having four faces, each facing a different direction, moved at right angles. They did not have to bank a curve. Verse 14 speaks of their coming and going as being lightning fast. Ezekiel 1:15–21 and 10:9,17 speak of the cherubim in connection with “a wheel in the middle of a wheel,” as though it were some kind of gyroscope. UFOlogists have been quick to seize upon this as a description an “other world” unidentified flying object. The Bible, however, explains its own symbols. Ezekiel was describing the “portable throne” of God and the angelic beings who transport it, not aliens from another planet. Ezekiel 1:28 explains in context, “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” “Aliens” Have Visited Us Many Times! We have been visited by “aliens” many times, but not by science fiction creatures—not in the sense of our traditional thinking that they are from other planets or galaxies. Your Bible has reliable documentation that these “visitors” are not only from a different location, but a different dimension. From time to time these aliens—spirit beings from God’s dimension—break through the veil of our physical reality and make contact with us in our limited existence. Therein lies the danger and seriousness of this subject! We see numerous places in Scripture where God Himself appeared to man: to Adam (Genesis 3:8–21); to Abraham (Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:2–33); to Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 35:7,9); to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16–24; 24:1); to Moses and Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:14–15); to Israel (Judges 2:1–5); to Gideon (Judges 6:11–24); to Solomon (1 Kings 3:5; 9:2; 11:9; 2 Chronicles 1:7–12; 7:12–22); to Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1–5; Ezekiel 1:26–28); and to others. At other times God’s angels appeared to men. Just what are angels? The Bible describes angels as “ministering spirits” of God, (Hebrews 1:14) created by God and for God, but beings of a different nature than humans. God created the angelic realm before he created the worlds. They were there to shout with joy when the worlds were created (Job 38:7). The Bible describes how they sometimes act, how they sometimes appear and disappear, and how they are sometimes perceived. It also tells us what they sometimes do. We see in Scripture many instances in which angels visited men: Genesis 32:1; Numbers 22:32; Judges 6:11; 13:3,13; Daniel 9:21; Zechariah 1:9; 2:3; Mathew 1:20; 2:13; 28:2; Luke 1:11,28; 2:9; John 20:12; Acts 8:26; 10:3. If one studies all the passages in the Bible that mention angels, one will see that angels are very powerful spiritual beings who, among other things, can: 1) Appear as normal human beings, undetected by people (Genesis 19:1–29; Hebrews 13:2). 2) Appear as bright, shining beings that terrify those who see them (Matthew 28:2–7). 3) Appear in men’s dreams (Matthew 1:20–24). 4) Appear to animals, but invisible to humans (Numbers 22:21–40). 5) Appear in the form of a plague (1 Chronicles 21:14–16). 6) Appear in flames of fire (Exodus 3:2). In other words, angels can take on many different shapes and forms, perhaps at will. There is also a realm of fallen angels. It would make sense then, that if demons are fallen angels, they may possess many of the same powers that the faithful angels possess. As such, fallen angels can take on any form they please, even appearing as angels of light. These deceptive rebel angels often appear to humans in seemingly benign guises, such as the enlightening angel to Mohammed, as the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith, as the Virgin Mary in apparitions, and as Enlightening Alien Space Brothers. Isaiah 8:19 warns, “And when they shall say unto you, ‘Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter,’ should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” The Bible absolutely forbids the practice—in any form—of inquiring to the spirits of the dead for a knowledge of future events. Christ said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18). We read in Isaiah 14:12–15, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell [Hebrew: sheol, the grave], to the sides of the pit.” Continue in Ezekiel 28:13–17: “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God.… Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise, they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.” Lucifer was a created being—not a human being. He was composed of spirit—not flesh and blood. He was as perfect as God could make a spirit being; and yet, because God granted him free will, Lucifer (the name means “light bringer”) chose to rebel against God and in the very presence of God caused one third of all the angels to follow him in his devilish pursuit. What a persuasive being he must have been! Simply put, the Bible refers to “good angels” and “bad angels,” called demons. These demons are very powerful and deceptive “tricksters” and are not limited to the physical molecular barriers we are limited to. Our molecular 3-D world has no effect or restrictions on them. For our own protection God does not want us fooling around with this other dimension. He expressly forbids “dabbling” in the spiritual dimension. Read it for yourself in Deuteronomy 18:10–12: “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” Again, God says, “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:31). In Daniel 10, we find Daniel in prayer and fasting for twenty-one days. A messenger, possibly the angel Gabriel, visited him and told him that he could not get to Daniel for twenty-one days because he was withstood by a demonic personage called the prince of Persia. There was a battle between the good angels and the fallen angels! Daniel was given a vision in which the angel told Daniel, “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days” (Daniel 10:14). In Daniel 7, Daniel was shown prophecies of the reigns of the gentile kingdoms from his time on down to the Second Coming of Christ and His final everlasting reign as King of kings. The Bible reveals there are angels and demons, and there is warfare in the heavenly realms (Revelation 12:7). Is it possible that the UFO phenomenon is actually a glimpse of the battle raging in the hidden spiritual realms as the struggle makes brief forays into this earthly sphere? Righteous angles operate in a different way from fallen angels. Righteous angles do not taunt, deceive, and entice men. Sometimes they do not even reveal themselves as angels, but as men. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2). Demons, on the other hand, tease, beguile, and allure men, often leading them into the world of the occult. Demons Impersonating Aliens In Matthew 24:3–14,Jesus gives us a description of the last days and the deception that will accompany that time. “Take heed,” He warns repeatedly, “that no one deceives you.” Warning of deceitful workers, the apostle Paul alerted his readers to beware, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). This satanic being is so powerful that he is called “the prince of this world” (John 12.31), “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and even “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). That’s power! The current barrage of science fiction books and movies has successfully conditioned the hearts and minds of this generation to accept demons as “aliens” from outer space. Even the young children in the movie E.T. perceived a “cute” looking alien as a friend. Such conditioning creates a mind-set to accept demons as good entities instead of the evil beings they are. Is it no wonder that people are deluded into believing in benevolent visitors from outer space? Star Trek and Star Wars, along with a host of other similar screenplays, have galvanized an interest in “life from outer space,” thus preparing a whole generation to accept UFOs and aliens. Mankind should be taught to stand against the deception that is suggested by these movies and encouraged to understand the reality of the spirit world. As Christian parents, we should be very careful about allowing our children to view these types of movies, because they can unduly influence young and innocent minds with the glamour of witchcraft and New Age philosophy. Be not deceived! Most people who see UFOs are actually seeing something that has zero per cent physical evidence—unexplained physical phenomena manifested by a non-physical reality. What they fail to realize is that what they see are not aliens from another planet or “little green men from Mars,” but evil spirits disguising or impersonating themselves as aliens, to lead people astray. In many cases, the reason people see these demons manifest is because they have in some way opened their spirit up to receive this sort of deception. How can one do this? When anyone tampers with the things of the spirit realm—those things God says we are not to tamper with—he becomes susceptible to Satan and his demons attacking or manifesting themselves to him. In the realm of the “supernatural” there are two sources or kingdoms: Satan the devil’s and God Almighty’s. One is deceptive and leads to death; the other leads to everlasting life in God’s kingdom. The current emphasis on UFOs and aliens (extraterrestrial beings) is a smokescreen for Satan’s activities. Since Satan has made himself the enemy of God, he tries to lead people into deception by directing their attention to things that are not of God, in order to capture their interest, to enthrall them, and ultimately to ensnare them. It’s a design to lead people astray. His ultimate purpose is to blind people to the gospel of Jesus Christ by capturing their minds with a New Age philosophy that incorporates a belief in UFOs, aliens, the paranormal and such like. As a result, evolution and interplanetary migration are a “given,” and mankind looks to a technological savior rather than to the God of your Bible. End-Time Deceptions What better way for the powers of darkness to reveal themselves than as the technological saviors of mankind. The world of the occult openly embraces UFOs and alien extra-terrestrials. The occult will always proclaim these beings as benevolent. The alien contacts always speak of things that contradict the Bible. The consistent theology of the extraterrestrial is antichrist; the consistent message of the aliens is hostile to Christianity. The high-tech extraterrestrials are demons. This is the only consistent, scientific, and biblically sound explanation. “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12). The main theme of the end times is deception. It is a time of strong delusion, deception, lying signs and wonders, some even in the name of Jesus Christ (Luke 21:8). The last days will see many “heavenly signs” (Luke 21:11), but don’t you be deceived! There is a cosmic deception coming on the earth in general, and upon the Body of Christ in particular. Any time a Christian seeks after any supernatural experience, he is on very dangerous ground. When you look for an experience, a premonition, “feelings,” signs, wonders or miracles, you are setting yourself up to be deviated from the Word of God. In these days we know counterfeit signs and wonders are going to be a major sign of the times. The days will be filled with false messiahs and false prophets showing spectacular deceiving signs and wonders. These signs and wonders will often be the badge of your enemies. It bears repeating that deceivers will even be coming in the name of Christ (Mark 13:6)! In Ephesians 6:11–12 we are admonished to “Put on the whole armour of God”—why? —“that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places.” This does not happen automatically. We must do something. We have only one offensive weapon: the Word of God, the Bible. If we stop reading and studying His Word we will be in trouble. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). We are asked a very frightening question in Luke 18:8: “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Biblical Christianity is becoming increasingly politically incorrect. The world is moving closer and closer to a secular, socialist central world government. “And for this cause”—because of man’s disobedience—“God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Let us say it plainly. The UFO and extraterrestrial orchestrations are demonic manifestations! This is the only consistent, scientific, and biblically sound explanation. End-Time Activities We know from the Scriptures that in the end times a great false Christ, called the Antichrist—also called “the man of sin”—will appear performing great signs and lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). If the devil-inspired false prophet (symbolized by the beast from the earth—Revelation 13:11) “performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men” (verse 13), then it seems likely that end-time ruptures in the threshold between our world and the spirit world will result in strange “signs” in the heavens, among other phenomena. Indeed, “the Force” that false prophets will be attuned to will be in full force! “…for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12). That is, the devil knows that the time is limited in which he will be permitted to wage war with the saints on the earth (Daniel 7:21). Satan knows he must do all he can do to deceive and destroy, and to spread woe through the earth. When the devil is cast down (Revelation 12), it is likely the unleashing of all the powers of the “dark side” will produce many visible “signs” of this “alien” (demonic) invasion. At this time “there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26). These events are surely related to the devil’s end-time activity. The Final Invasion The great and final “invasion” from space will be nothing less than the Second Coming of Christ coming in all the splendor, power, and glory of Almighty God! Ironically, instead of singing “Alleluia” with the angels of God (Revelation 19:1), the armies of this world will turn to fight Him! Yes, friends, when Christ and His army of holy angels appear in the heavens, some will undoubtedly think we are truly being invaded by aliens—creatures from another planet—just like in the movies! We see a vivid description of the Second Coming of Christ in Zechariah 14: “Behold, the Day of the Lord cometh,” we are told in verse one. “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives” (verses 3–4) “…and the Lord my God shall come, and all the [resurrected] saints with thee (verse 5). “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one” (verse 9). “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (verse 12). No, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will not be peaceful, but a time of ultimate fear and terror for unrepentant mankind. “And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13). This is a very different picture than the scenario painted by this world’s false ministers! “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword,” Christ said in Matthew 10:34. Will you be one of those blessed saints to be resurrected or changed at the Second Coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15–18)—or will you be one of those unfortunates who will be deceived into opposing Him? –Part 3– The Final Frontier But there is good news beyond the bad news. The good news is that you do not have to worry about the bad news. Jesus Christ is coming again! We see in 1 Corinthians 15, sometimes referred to as “the resurrection chapter,” a wonderful promise: “Behold, I shew you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:51–54). Verse 49 tells us, “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” What does Jesus Christ look like today—what is His image? Let the Scriptures speak: “His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire. And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:14–16). And at our resurrection or change, “we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). David said, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15). “And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:49). “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body…” (Philippians 3:21). Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, the inspired writer Job records, “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come” (Job 14:14). Yes, at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, those who have and are following the Holy Spirit of God (Romans 8:9), will be reanimated and given new bodies—bodies composed of pure spirit energy, not mere flesh and bone. Christ is the firstborn of many brethren. At His Coming, we will be just as He is, born into the very God Family. For beings who are not physical and are therefore not subject to the laws of physics, space and time are not a problem. They can “pop” from one place to another at the speed of thought, and need not worry about how much time it takes to move a physical body from point A to point B. Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, was able to materialize and dematerialize through closed doors (John 20:19,26)! Many of His great miracles were done by reaching, through faith, into that other dimension—into the God dimension. Given the great distances, whoever rules space—the universe—will have to be something other than physical. We are not going to heaven (John 3:13); Christ is coming to earth (Zechariah 14.4)! First, all the wicked opposers, human and supernatural—also sin and death—must all be overthrown. After all His enemies are put under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25) He will usher in a millennium of world peace and prosperity. “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4; 9:7). Even the wild animals will be tame. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6–9; 65:25). As for the rest of the universe, the God who created the heavens and the earth says He did not create it all in vain, but to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18). But when and by whom? They are not now inhabited, but they shall be by the very sons of God—you and me—in the long-awaited Kingdom of God. “For now, we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). “But as it is written, ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Man’s ultimate destiny is to be born into the very God Family. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:50). And “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ‘Ye must be born again.’ The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:6–8). Yes, far from those who claim the “born again” experience, those in the first resurrection will actually be spirit—be composed of pure spirit energy by a metabolic change. We shall be just as our elder brother, Jesus Christ! God is reproducing Himself through mankind. He is begetting sons and daughters after His likeness—after His kind. God has called us to be kings and priests under Him in the wonderful world tomorrow (Revelation 5:10). What God has in store for us pales into insignificance any plan, any story, or any science-fiction movie man has ever conceived. The Good News is that space—the final frontier—will not be ruled by physical men, but by God’s spirit-born sons—you and me. Yes, the Sons of God—those ultimately born into the Family of God—will rule the universe in the Kingdom of God forever and ever! Thank God for this vital truth! ————————————————————————————— Reprinted with permission from: Church of God International https://www.cgi.org/ ————————————————————————————— |
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