Our commentary
What does the Bible say about aliens?
Our own look at a common question, by David Dell. The background on this page is ours, not a summary of the book.
The short answer: the Bible never mentions life on other planets. But it has a great deal to say about the heavens, about who made them, and about non-human beings who don't come from “out there” at all.
“Alien” in the King James Bible
When the KJV uses the word alien, it means a foreigner, someone far from home. Moses named his son Gershom for that reason:
“And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:” Exodus 18:3 (KJV)
No verse uses the word for a being from another world.
Who made the heavens
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (KJV)
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16 (KJV)
Whatever exists out there, visible or invisible, Scripture says it was made by God and for him. That's why Christians can disagree calmly about whether God created life elsewhere. The Bible doesn't say, and the question doesn't threaten the Creator's place either way. David's response to the night sky wasn't fear of who might be watching. It was wonder that God cares for man at all:
“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Psalm 8:3–4 (KJV)
The non-human beings the Bible does describe
Scripture does describe intelligent beings who aren't human. Angels are “ministering spirits”:
“Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Hebrews 1:14 (KJV)
It describes fallen angels too (see Who were the Watchers?). These beings aren't from distant planets. They belong to the unseen realm, and in the Bible they sometimes appear to people, as the cherubim did to Ezekiel by the river Chebar (see What was Ezekiel's wheel?).
What that means for UFOs
So when someone asks whether UFOs are aliens, a Christian can ask two questions back. First, is there an ordinary explanation? Usually there is. Second, if something remains unexplained, is “visitor from another planet” the only option? The Bible offers another category: beings from the unseen realm, some faithful and some fallen. Whether any particular sighting belongs in that category is a matter of interpretation (we discuss it in Are UFOs demons?), and Scripture's instruction is to test:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 (KJV)
Sources: Exodus 18:3; Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16; Psalm 8:3–4; Hebrews 1:14; 1 John 4:1 (KJV)