Angels, Devils, Ghosts, Satan and... Extraterrestrial Life?

Here is a subject I've studied off and on for several years and kind of like my Theory on the Origin of Evil, I'm just going to kind of throw this one out here. Much of this is conjecture, theory and hypothesis off of Bible studies I've done, where the Scripture does not give us exact and strait forward answers. Some of the theories are mine. Some are expanded upon theories borrowed from other ideas found in Christian thought, historical fact and scientific study. All of which (to the best of my knowledge) are in the public domain.

Also what can be found in these pages are some ideas of plausible explanations for Scripture passage harmonization of accounts that don't necessarily make sense on the surface. One of the major chunks of this study is an attempt at a sequence of what happened at the resurrection. A "read between the lines" if you will of some of the events. Now I will never dogmatically proclaim that these types of conjectures are "revealed from God" or "the way it really happened". They are mere plausible hypothesis that may be (or may not be) close to the truth of the real events that transpired. I do my best to try and accurately put together reasonable conclusions and contexts which my theories are drawn off of. They may be right, they may not be.

I welcome anyone who has questions, or if you notice something out of the Scripture, or proven historical, or scientific fact that I may have missed? Let me know. I'd be happy to look at it.

Also, on account of the length and the complexity of this study, it will be broken up more into chapters than some of the other Bible studies I've posted have been.

What is an angel?

Before I begin here though, I want to make one thing clear about the Greek and Hebrew. When the Scripture refers to "angel", the word is also translated "messenger". It is very clear in some of these contexts that the messenger is human. "David sent a messenger to King Saul." Obviously, that's a human messenger.

In other cases, angels are clearly entities other than man. They are non-carbon based sentient beings. (NCSB's)

Yet, there appears to be places in the Scripture where disembodied saints are also called "angels". (Revelation 19:10) In the Old Testament Hebrew; disembodied believers were called "the watchers". This makes sense in the context of their "watching" for the completion of the atonement. Post death of Christ though; disembodied believers have a "change in position" as well as "location" in the hierarchy of the non-material world. So is this why they are then in some places also called "angels"? (That I don't know.)

Now according to deductive reasoning and church tradition, angels are often referred to as "spiritual beings". Except the Scripture never uses the word "spiritual" in reference to angels, so the idea is a bit ambiguous to our earthly definitions at least.

The only time "spiritual" is connected to the physical presence of something is in 1 Corinthians 15:44, where Paul makes mention of natural bodies being raised as spiritual bodies.

What is a "spiritual body" and how is it connected to the incarnation?

Recently, I did a little more of a "deep dive" of 1 Corinthians 15 and noticed the Greek of verse 44 indicates the "spiritual" (body) Paul was speaking of, was "present passive tense". The "corruptible" was raised "incorruptible". Paul speaks of the "natural body" being sown a "natural body" and being raised a "spiritual body". In the following verse, he goes on to talk about Adam. The first Adam was "made a living soul"; the last Adam was "made a quickening Spirit".

Now in context of history; though the first Adam was "made a living soul", once he transgressed, the "living soul" was dead. The final manifestation of the death that came as a consequence of the fall was physical death. The "living soul" that existed as a "living soul" died on account of sin. This is part of the implication of what "natural body" means in this context. The "natural man" is "of the earth earthly". The second man is "the Lord from heaven".

So Adam and all of his posterity bear his fallen nature. We do so on account of the death Adam's transgression brought about. This is true whether or not we've personally knowingly committed sin at any given point. We are conceived in a corrupted state, subject to the consequences of the fall. This is why we all inevitably will sin. We are no longer "living souls"; yet as still containing the breath of life, we do continue to have living (material) bodies. This is what it means when Scripture tells us that we are "dead in trespass and sin" prior to being regenerated by the Holy Ghost. "In trespass" (of Adam's disobedience) "and sin" of our own personal disobedience.

Adam was corruptible; in that he wasn't created with a Divine nature. He was created a "natural body"; thus "sown" into the potential for corruption; (the consequence being death) which is what made the fall inevitable. So once Adam's nature became corrupted; that's what we inherited from him. And because we inherited that corrupted nature; we all will sin. Yet, to the degree that we sin is influenced by a lot of other factors; our own human will to commit sin being one of them. And because the will is subject to the fallen nature; it is not "free". (A little theology lesson here on the nature of man.)

In time though; Jesus comes along. He isn't created wholly a "natural body" as Adam was though. Jesus has a Divine nature. He is the "Lord from heaven" incarnated in the likeness of Adam bearing the same form of material flesh, who is also a "living soul"; but he's more than just a "living soul". He is a Divine nature enjoined to a "living soul" contained in the whole of a material "natural body". What we'd call Jesus's "human soul" though was not passed from Adam through Mary, as the "nuts and bolts" (what we'd call DNA of the female gamete cell) of his material flesh was.

Because he was "the Lord from heaven"; part of the creation of his material flesh involved a "living soul" that was created by the action of the Holy Spirit, just as what made his flesh materially male was also created by the action of the Holy Spirit. (The only chromosomal material Mary had to offer was an X. The creation of Jesus's Y was an action of the Holy Ghost. His Y is what made him a guy.) The creation of Jesus's human flesh was both an act of God and a "natural" event, as what made up the "ground work" (or what we might even proverbially call the "without form and void") of that material flesh was "of the stock of" Mary. Mary of course was a descendent of the first Adam.

Yet if we go back to Genesis, this is why we see this distinction God makes of "the seed" of Eve, being different from the "seed" of Adam, as well as the "seed" of the serpent. We'll cover "seed of the serpent" later in this study.

So on account of how Jesus was incarnated; (Divine nature enjoined to human nature) is why Jesus's encounter in gethsemane with the "angel of death" didn't physically kill him. He had a Divine nature. When God takes back the breath of life; the material body dies and the component of the "natural man" which is also called "the soul" is separated from that material flesh and confined to Sheol. Under "normal" circumstances, the soul of the "natural man" is confined to Sheol because it's dead. It's dead because of sin. In the case of Jesus; his human soul was confined to Sheol because of the atonement. Sheol is the "holding place" for those who will face eternal judgement; which ultimately takes place in the Lake of Fire at the end of time.

"Spiritual body" believers and atonement:

Being atoned for though, delivers the individual from condemnation. The "last Adam" is "made a quickening Spirit". The commencement of that reality for believers on the New Testament side of the cross, came about with Pentecost. Jesus could not be materially joined to the believer in the "natural man" on account of the nature of redemption. Despite the fact that he was capable of being "naturally joined" to a material wife and produce children. He "opted out" of that choice though, on account of the nature of the atonement. He knew his purpose was to raise "spiritual bodies" not "natural bodies".

So thus Jesus was not resurrected as a "spiritual body"; because he was incarnated as the incorruptible God-man. He possessed a "living soul" which is why he didn't have a human father. Which also, because he was incarnated as the incorruptible God-man, is why his material flesh didn't decompose after death either.

So getting back to what 1 Corinthians 15 is talking about; the "spiritual body" raised is the "new man". The component of "living soul" that was lost to the individual as a result of Adam's fall, has been "raised spiritual" by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. I imagine that this is somewhat akin to the Holy Spirit's involvement in the incarnation, as related to the creation of Jesus's human soul; except none of us are "incarnated" with a Divine nature.

We've been cleaved upon by God's Divine Spirit, so our "old man" has now been "raised incorruptible"; but that is not the same thing as being incarnated God-man. Thus the analogy of the church being "the bride of Christ". Pentecost is called "the consummation" in the book of Daniel and "new life" is what is created by the (metaphorical) "seed of Christ". This is seen in John 12:24 where Jesus makes this cryptic reference about a coronal of wheat going into the ground to die. He also uses agricultural metaphors in several parables of himself "spreading seed"; as well as what seem like unrelated comments about eunuchs and being a eunuch, in passages where parents bring him their children to bless. (Matthew 19:10-15)

The other delineating difference between believers and Christ; is that the God-man did not sin, nor was his human nature subject to the corruptibility of Adam's "natural man". Jesus was also not affected of his personal nature, by the consequences of the fall; although he was affected by the consequences of the fall in the material world outside of self. He was certainly affected by the sin of others; as well as the consequences of the fall in the natural world.

Now Jesus of his human nature could have chosen to sin; and that would have truly been a free choice because he was not constrained by the other limitations of Adam's temporal state. His humanity being attached to a Divine nature though, also made sin impossible because the Divine nature is not tempted by the knowledge of good and evil, as Adam was. God already possesses that and because of the nature of who / what God is; it does not bear the capacity to corrupt Him. Despite this, I suppose one could argue that Jesus had a certain "human advantage" over Adam in that he was born into a world where the evidence of the consequences of the fall were all around him.

Destruction and death reign in this world; and Satan is the "prince of the power of the air"; the "ruler" of this world. Ironically though, it was glaringly obvious to Satan once "the King" was incarnated that he didn't have power that superseded God's authority. Light had come into the world and the darkness could not swallow it up. It tried it's best; but he wouldn't stay dead! Other indicators that God was at work in the world certainly had been evidenced prior to the resurrection. Pennings and prophecies by the hands of "holy men of old", who were humans (mere sinners to boot) bestowed with powers to override the laws that governed the cosmos, were all "post it notes" to Satan of who held the real power as "Shadow President" of the Universe.

So in the places where Scripture speaks of the "new man" "can not sin"; this regeneration of the "living soul" or "spiritual body" is the context. This does not mean that believers are now sinless in this life. The total process of that "raised incorruptible" has not taken place yet; seeing how the material world is yet to undergo that transformation. When that happens, we become completely incorruptible. We will be completely incorruptible because the parameters of this temporal world will be no more; as well as the "evil antithesis" of God's action made manifest in God's creation as a result of His creating this cosmos will be overcome. The "creature" (the rest of the cosmos) also needs to be "raised incorruptible".

And here I believe is also the context in which the "you are gods, whom the word of God came to..." passages refer. (Psalm 82:6, John 10:34-35) The context in John is about pharisees confronting Jesus about claims of Divinity. He is the incarnate Word of God who instills the "Word of God" (Himself through the Holy Ghost) to those He's atoned for. Obviously this isn't made manifest in linear time until the atonement is accomplished in linear time. Yet "you are gods" as this applies to the regenerate, has a rather literal application as a consequence of the creation of the "new man"; which is a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Little "gods" indwelt by God are driven by the Spirit, to not commit sin because God is holy. Yet of course we are "gods" and not God because we are still entities created by Him. And in this life our redemption isn't wholly realized until our mortal flesh has been raised incorruptible. Thus we are still capable of and do commit sin.

Jesus's resurrected body?

So was Jesus's body as he rose from the dead "glorified"?

I can certainly give an unequivocal and resounding "NO" to that question. The body that went to the cross and was put in the tomb, is the one that rose from the dead. Now obviously Jesus was raised in a "physically healed up" state, although he still bore the scars from his ordeal. He did eat and people did touch him, just to prove that he indeed was resurrected and he was not a ghost.

Now I've heard people say that Jesus could walk through walls and stuff, but I believe that is a misreading of the Scripture. In the case where it says he "came through the door although it was locked" and also where it says "he vanished out of their sight". A closer reading of the text doesn't seem to indicate that these were any thing "super natural miraculous". I suppose one could say that it was supernatural for Jesus to be able to open the door although it was locked, just as the angels loosed Paul and Silas from prison and "their chains fell off"; but nowhere in any of these passages does it indicate that bodies or parts there of, passed through solid objects. In the passage where "he vanished out of their sight", the Greek actually indicates that it wasn't Jesus who vanished, but rather the sight of the disciples became "dim" and in their dimness, Jesus simply walked away.

Yet bigger case to be made in that Jesus was not "raised glorified" has to do with the nature of God's glory.

Back in Exodus 33; Moses requested to see God's face. God said: "No". Because corrupt man can not see God's glory and not be destroyed by it, on account of God's righteousness. Well, thus stated reason still applies to this current cosmos. For if Jesus had risen in glory; that would have commenced the destruction of this cosmos.

So thus being the necessity of the recreated cosmos upon the second coming. When Christ returns in glory, a corrupt universe can not stand in God's presence on account of His holiness. So thus it appears to me that Christ's return is actually what commences the destruction of the current universe. This truth also demonstrates quite clearly that there is no "millennial reign" as is presented by Dispensational eschatology.

"Spiritual" life and Physical life:

Now (after all this explanation of the incarnation, atonement and "spiritual bodies") back to angels.

Angels, devils, ghosts and Satan are (sort of) in one category and extraterrestrial life is in another. Making an assumption here that since God did put life on this planet, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility that He put life elsewhere in the universe. Which, as to kicking around in my own brain, the existence of angels and devils as written of in the Scripture, does support the proposition that there is life on planets other than Earth. After all, Hebrews 1:1-3 and 11:3 talk about the worlds (plural) God has created.

Now what sort of life may this be, residing elsewhere in the universe? Is it of comparable intelligence to human life? Is it humanoid in form, also created in the image of God? Would it be plausible for Jesus to be incarnated on more than one planet at the same time?

I'll tackle "theory of Jesus incarnated on another planet" in a future chapter. For right now though; all this of course is speculation, since to what ever knowledge the general public may have of extraterrestrial life is unknown. Did something crash near Roswell, in the New Mexico desert in 1947? Yes! Was it of extraterrestrial origin? I don't know. Personally though, even looking through the lens of my Christian faith, I don't negate the possibility that it could have been.

So, here is where I'm going to jump off a little bit on angels. (Hang on to your hats, we'll tie this back into extraterrestrial life in a minute – and no, I'm not going to say angels are aliens or vice versa.)

Angels and Death:

NCSB "angels", we know obviously from the Scripture were created by God. They are created entities, who like the rest of life here on earth, are subject to destruction. This dawned on me one time when I was looking up something in Ezekiel that was talking about the angels who were showing Ezekiel these wheels. There is a reference in the Hebrew that describes their "dead bodies".

Now I found this reference peculiar because the angels in this passage had not fallen, yet it was clear from the Hebrew that they were and would be subject to death. At first this confused me, but as I started to think of the redemption plan as a whole and Christ's redemption of the creation as well as of men, it made sense to me. If the universe came under condemnation on account of the sin of he who was created in God's image; (Adam and Eve) than yes, everything being subject to death (the end result of the fall) that makes sense. This struck me because here in the passage, it was talking about creatures who would still endure death through no fault of their own, but because of us.

Now what of NCSB angles (fallen and not) do we know?

Well, Jesus makes reference to the fact that they do not marry, nor are given in marriage. (This reference is in all the gospels.) In John, Jesus talks about the point of marriage "being of this world"; is on account of the fact that death reigns in the current order of things and the reproduction of species being necessary: so thus why carbon based life reproduces.

Although angels are "sentient entities"; at this point I would hesitate to call them "life forms". At least not in the same sense that "material life" (as defined as entities that contain "the breath of life") are "life forms". Several factors that illustrate the difference between these non-carbon based beings called "angels" and what are "life forms"; have led me to the conclusion that angels aren't actually "life" forms, because it doesn't appear to me that they posses the "breath of life". Obviously they are conscious sentient beings; yet they don't bear the same nature as material life; nor do they bear any resemblance to the nature of God as the Creator of life.

I'd come to the conclusion based on what I'd read in Ezekiel, as well as these passages in the gospels that talk about angels not marrying, that they are not "material" entities in the same sense as "material" exists in the elementally based universe.

Their life span apparently runs the course of earthly history, and if Christ had not redeemed anyone (or the created order) they would perish in the end just like all other life forms. Interestingly though, life that has the ability (via a will) to transgress God's order of things, also has the capacity to come under God's condemnation. I know this sounds really strange, how can an animal come under God's wrath when it isn't created in God's image. It is an interesting question, but apparently it can happen. Genesis 9:5 talks about the life of man having been taken of either man or beast, being required of God from man or beast who took this life. (Ezekiel 14:13 also talks about the land sinning against God. Now how does land sin?)

So we know angels are created beings. They do not reproduce, so thus by implication it would be unlikely that they would actually have organs to that purpose. (The Nephilim in Genesis were indeed remarkable human beings, yet just human beings. Since God "made everything after its own kind". So since know angels don't reproduce, it would be erroneous to conclude that these people were some sort of angelic and human hybrid.

Carbon based life is so specific to its own DNA, that we can't even cross mammals in the same groupings, none to say create life from two totally unrelated bases. (We don't even really know what angels are "made out of".) Besides this, anything of a fallen nature (angels or man) can not create life. Only God can do that, and only if He wills.

Characteristics of non-carbon based sentient beings (NCSB's) called "angels":

1. intelligence: Which is at least comparable to human intelligence.

This also incorporates the use of complexity of language. As they are capable of communicating with each other, humans and animals; as well as taking orders from (or disobeying) God. NCSB's also communicate with God; but it doesn't appear they "pray" in the same sense humans do, although they do praise God. Do NCSB's make requests of God for their own personal need? I don't know if obedient ones do; as they have no need for material things like food. It is certainly clear that Satan imposes his own will against God though.

2. Sentience: They are aware of their accountability to God for their transgression.

3. Some mechanism of materialization: They can appear in the material world as humans. I do not see anywhere in Scripture where they appear as something other than humans though.

4. Individualism: They are individual entities with separate and independent wills. Obedient NCSB's do not commit sin. Demons commit only sin.

NCSB's though once they fall; they loose the will to make morally right choices. Their fall is complete and total.

5. Choice: They bear the capacity to make choices about how they interact with other entities in the cosmos.

6. Activity span: (Equivalent of what we'd call "life span" in life forms.) They remain able to take actions from the time of having been created until the end of this current cosmos.

7. Death: Their "death" is conferred upon the point disobedient NCSB's are cast into the Lake of Fire at the end of time.

8. Redemption: There is no redemption plan for fallen angels.

9. Reproduction: Neither angels, disembodied saints; or believes in the new heavens and new earth reproduce.

Nephilim and aliens:

The next hypothesis I've heard is that these Nephilim were a human / extraterrestrial humanoid hybrid. My first "knee jerk" reaction is to say no; although I suppose theoretically it is possible. (And now wouldn't this make a wild sci-fi movie. There's a Bible fan fiction to write!) Although, (and here's where I burst my own bubble) if speaking in terms of redemption; multiple separate races, all created in the image of God, would all need their own specific incarnation of the Messiah. Now this is theoretically possible, albeit how plausible is another question? This is how it would have had to have been, if these races never had any contact with each other; (all requiring their own version of Christ).

On the other hand though, it is theoretically possible to have inter-planetary contact between races bearing their own versions of the Messiah, just to find out He's is what they have in common. (I've written fan fiction of similar genre.) In thus said cases though, the races would have to be so genetically different that they would have no reproductive compatibility. If two groups were genetically compatible, that would essentially mean they were the same species and so thus one Messiah on one planet could atone for both planets.

Now somewhere in this universe, maybe that scenario is entirely possible. According to our own Scripture though, there is no indication that this has happened in our case; for in order for that to be true, some portion of humanity would have somehow left Earth a couple of millennium ago. The last scenario, (which would make this one possible) would work if some other extraterrestrial life form had taken humans from earth, only to have these humans return again sometime later. In thus said case though, they still would have been the same species, having originated on the same planet.

So all this being said, what does this have to do with angels and how would angels tie in to this? Well, all this proves is that presences of extraterrestrial life somewhere else in this universe is altogether possible, as angels are non human entities of comparable intelligence. Now anyone who's read C.S. Lewis's space trilogy knows there's at least one other human who's invented races of humanoid type creatures who are not created in the image of God, yet for the same reason as the angels and the rest of creation "groaning and travailing in awaiting the revelation of the sons of men" anxiously await the human Messiah.

Next - The "angels" at Christ's resurrection.