On August 7th, NASA announced they discovered a Martian meteorite in Antarctica containing micro fossils as evidence there could be life on Mars. Space scientists are enthusiastic about this discovery. According to a Newsweek article, John Pike, the director of space policy for the Federation of American Scientists said, "This is the biggest thing that has ever happened."
What I find most interesting about this "great discovery" is how it is setting the stage for the time when extraterrestrial will indeed make contact with Earthlings. There is an intense amount of expectation building for that day when extraterrestrials will arrive to answer mankind's questions about the universe.
I believe this NASA pronouncement is one more development serving to prepare the world for the rapture of the church. Jesus Christ will remove those who trust Him for their salvation from Earth prior to a terrible time of judgment and His physical return to fix the mess mankind has made. At the rapture, all believers living and dead will instantly be given immortal bodies like Christ has had since His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 1 John 3:2).
What explanation will ease the minds of earth folk when millions of people instantly vanish from the planet? How about space aliens beamed them up? Or that "bad" aliens vaporized all those people so the rest need to follow the "good" aliens to avoid this fate? Or these people had to be removed for mankind's own good so humans can make the next evolutionary quantum leap and be as gods themselves?
I don't know what the story will be but I'm convinced there will be one that people will buy into. The Apostle Paul said that due to their unbelief in Christ, "God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11).
The world is already deceived thinking Satan is a myth and so they will not recognize his emissary the Antichrist. "And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The extraterrestrials that mankind will encounter are demons, fallen angels who followed Satan into sin. I believe they already made contact with mankind to try and disrupt God's plan to redeem His faithful. Genesis 6:1- 4 describes a time when the "sons of God" caused there to be "giants on the earth", "mighty men who were of old, men of renown." The only other reference to "sons of God" in the Old Testament is in Job 1:6 where this term is used for fallen angels. This time when fallen angels mixed it up with mankind on Earth is also referred to in Jude 1:6.
The Greek myths about the gods could have been based on some truth. The "sons of God" were certainly renown, mighty men of old. The genetic contamination of mankind might have been a plot by Satan and his minions to thwart God's plan to give us the Messiah. But God purged Earth with a flood preserving only Noah and his family because, "Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations" (Genesis 6:9). Noah was righteous in God's eyes and also genetically uncontaminated, "perfect in his generations."
Today's society would much rather accept the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence than demons. If people thought there really were demons, they would have to turn to the God of the Bible for deliverance. But this would mean putting God ahead of themselves. Sin is putting one's own self ahead of God.
Regarding the "great Mars discovery", Newsweek quoted a theologian, Jesuit Consulmagno, "If we were to make contact with other intelligent life, we'd have to tell our own sacred story, listen to them tell theirs, and learn." Who do you think people will follow when space aliens contradict the Bible? Paul made clear the path which should be taken in Galatians 1:8, "If we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than we have preached to you, let him be accursed."
There are no limits to God's power. God does not have to send extraterrestrials to Earth to tell us about Him, He came Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. God sent extraterrestrial angels to tell us about Christ. But since Jesus Christ visited, this hasn't been necessary: "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
The quote from Newsweek's "learned theologian" shows that mankind is all too eager for space aliens to tell them what they want to hear. I believe the Bible describes a time after the rapture when demons will lure nations to Armageddon: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:13-14).
What do the most common descriptions of extraterrestrials look like? How do the space alien abduction victims consistently describe their antagonists? How do you think the 1st Century prophet John would describe these beings? It seems to me that saying they are "like frogs" are an apt a description as any.
I recall a cartoon where a boy looks at the night sky thinking, "I wonder if anybody is out there trying to contact us" (inset: the 10 Commandment tablets)... "Maybe they'll visit our planet someday" (inset: baby Jesus in a manger)... "I wonder what earthlings would do" (inset: Jesus on the cross)... "I wonder what the visitor would do..." (inset: the resurrected Jesus).
The Christian life is fantastic. I fully expect to experience things which will put Star Trek to shame. "The eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Are you set to join God for the greatest adventure in history? All you need to do is to trust in what the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross as forgiveness for your sins. I don't think there is much time to make this decision. Events in the world all point to Christ's soon return.