With so much talk of aliens and unidentified objects in the sky, people honestly wonder what the Bible says. It is a reasonable question. Scripture does not mention aliens or UFOs, but it does tell us plainly who made the heavens, and where God has fixed His love and His plan of salvation.
The short answer
The Bible neither confirms nor teaches the existence of aliens. It is silent on the subject. What it does say clearly is that God created the entire universe, and that His plan of redemption through Christ is aimed at mankind on this earth.
God made the heavens
Whatever is out there in the vastness of space, the Bible traces it all back to one source. God made the stars, the planets, and the whole expanse above us.
"He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."Psalm 147:4
Scripture describes the heavens as the work of God's fingers, a display of His majesty rather than a mystery beyond His reach.
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;"Psalm 8:3
Where God has fixed His plan
The Bible does not spread God's redemptive love across unknown worlds. It focuses it here, on the human race, made in His image and fallen into sin. Christ came as a man, to save men.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."John 3:16
The gospel is not aimed at some far corner of the galaxy. It is aimed at you, and at every person on this earth who needs a Savior.
Holding wonder and truth together
It is not wrong to be amazed at the night sky or curious about the universe. That wonder is a gift. Scripture invites us to look up and be moved, then to look higher still to the God behind it all.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."Psalm 19:1
We do not need answers to every question about the sky to know the God who made it. He has told us what we most need to know, and He has done it in His Word.
A common misunderstanding
Some think the Bible is threatened by talk of aliens, as if the discovery of life elsewhere would prove Scripture wrong. But the Bible never claimed there is no life beyond earth. It simply does not address it, because that is not its purpose. Its purpose is to reveal God and His salvation. Whatever we may or may not learn about space, the truth of the gospel stands unmoved.
"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."Psalm 119:89
Our confidence does not rest on what science may find. It rests on the settled Word of God.
You are welcome to talk with us
If space, the unknown, and big questions stir something in you, we would love to talk. Here in Greenwood we are glad to walk through what the Bible does and does not say, without pretending to have every answer. What matters most is the God who made the heavens and offers you life in Christ. Please reach out any time, or come visit us this Sunday and let us know what is on your mind.