Foundations: Definitions & Scripture PT. 1

Turns out, the Bible is a book about the supernatural

Introduction

"Human beings are under the control of a strange force that bends them in absurd ways, forcing them to play a role in a bizarre game of deception."
- Dr. Jacques Vallee, Messengers of Deception, p. 20

The next two blogs are going to seem disjointed and unrelated to what I have set up in Not of This World?, but they are going to help give us some background foundations as we further look at the issue of UFOs, UAPs, and “Aliens.”

In this post, I’ll lay out some of the key words and phrases that regularly appear in the literature and public conversation on these phenomena. I’ll also begin introducing the supernatural worldview of the Bible, which gives Christians a framework for interpreting strange and often disturbing experiences.

In the next blog I am going to provide a brief survey of Gnosticism, because that is absolutely essential to this conversation.

Definitions

To begin, there has to be a distinction made between two separate phenomena: Alien abduction and UFO/UAP encounters.

These are two different things that encompass different experiences. Further, not all UFO experiences are the same thing.

Alien abduction or abduction experiences specifically are referring to when someone is experiencing what they interpret as, being taken from where they are by a “Alien,” entity to somewhere else that is not Earth.

Take note of the language I am using, it is an experience (subjective event), and not necessarily physical sensation (objective interaction). While both experience and physical sensation are blurred in these accounts, there has to be a distinction made.

This doesn’t mean we write off these experiences as mere delusion or fantasy. They often come with profound psychological, emotional, and sometimes even physical consequences. But they are still subjective events, even if they appear to have objective elements.

“Alien” here simply means non-human, foreign entity. An abductee might experience and perceive this entity as a being from another planet, but this is not required. When we hear alien we think of this image below:

A drawing from someone alleging to be abducted by “The Greys”

But not all reports of “Aliens” involve the Greys. Many abductees describe Nordic-looking beings, reptilian forms, insectoid creatures, or even formless intelligences. As we will some even interpret the beings as angelic or demonic.

The phrase “somewhere that is not Earth” refers to the perceived location an abductee believes they were taken to. This could be a spacecraft, another planet, or even a spiritual dimension. But again, that’s what they experience, not necessarily what actually happens.

An abductee is someone who claims to have undergone such an event.

This term overlaps with “contactee,” which refers to a person who claims ongoing — and often positive — interactions with alien beings.

An UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) or UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) encounter simply is when an individual or group of people see a what seems to be a flying object, whether in atmosphere or out, that cannot be explained by our current understanding of flight technology. Often they move in ways that currently break our understanding of the laws of physics such as: instant acceleration, travel at hypersonic speeds without sonic booms, 90-degree turns at high speeds, and hovering without propulsion.

An alleged UFO seen from a farm near McMinnville, Oregon, 1950.

The definition in the literature of UFOs/UAPs is so broad that it can and has included the following:

• Foreign/Secret Human Technology

  • An advanced aircraft that has been developed by a government entity such as the U.S., Russia, China, etc.

• Psychological Experience/ Collective Consciousness

  • A Jungian understanding where the craft is a projection of humanity’s Collective Consciousness, reflecting their hopes, dreams, and wishes reflecting the “archetypal forms”. This is very similar to a shamanic view of the Tulpa, where an entity is created through focused thought and manifestation. It's essentially a mental construct, often described as an "imaginary friend" with its own will, thoughts, and emotions, capable of independent action.

• Extraterrestrial (E.T.) Technology

  • Life exists elsewhere in the universe and has the ability to travel here using these crafts.

• Interdimensional Entity

  • The phenomenon comes from a different realm of reality, not another planet. Possibly from a spiritual or “parallel” dimension. ¹

• Technological or Governmental Psy-Op

  • The UFO event is a staged, exaggerated, or weaponized by intelligence agencies to manipulate belief or public opinion.

All of these views have plausibility and can be what explains individual events. In the conversation these views (except the ones related to the government) can be categorized in two major views.

The “Nuts and Bolts” view: this view assumes that UFOs are physical craft from another planet being piloted by non-human biological beings.

• This view is made popular by many Hollywood and Pop Culture, as well as secular materialists like Carl Sagan.

The Paranormal view: Assumes UFOs are not spacecraft, but spiritual or extradimensional phenomena. Entities may be non-physical, shape-shifting, or consciousness-dependent.

• This view as well see later in this series will be important to focus. It was made popular by secular French computer scientist and astronomer Jacque Vallee (author of Passport to Magonia and Messengers of Deception, as well as John A. Keel, a secular American Journalist (author of The Mothman Prophecies and Operation Trojan Horse). Both of these men are crucial to this conversation, for now I will simply leave you with some telling quotes.

  • "The UFO manifestations seem to be, by and large, merely minor variations of the age-old demonological phenomenon..."
    - John A. Keel, UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse, p. 299

  • "The symbolic display seen by the abductees is identical to the type of initiation ritual or astral voyage that is imbedded in the [occult] traditions of every culture...the structure of abduction stories is identical to that of occult initiation rituals...the UFO beings of today belong to the same class of manifestation as the [occult] entities that were described in centuries past."
    -Dr. Jacques Vallee citing the extensive research of Bertrand Meheust [Science-Fiction et Soucoupes Volantes (Paris, 1978); Soucoupes Volantes et Folklore (Paris, 1985)], in Confrontations, p. 146, 159-161

J. Allen Hynek

Lastly with both abduction experiences and UFO/UAP encounters fall under J. Allen Hynek’s² classifications of encounters:

CE-1: Close Encounter of the First Kind

• A visual sighting of a UFO less than 500 feet (about 150 meters) away.

CE-2: Close Encounter of the Second Kind

• A UFO sighting that causes physical effects such as burn marks on the ground, electromagnetic interference, heat, radiation, or lights affecting the environment

CE-3: Close Encounter of the Third Kind

• A sighting of a UFO with visible occupants (entities or beings).

CE-4: Abduction

• A person is taken aboard a craft or otherwise forcibly interacted with. These experienced are often are accompanied by missing time, medical procedures, and telepathic communication

CE-5: Voluntary Human-Initiated Contact

• Deliberate contact with UFOs or alien beings, initiated by humans. Using New Age occult practices to “summon” contact.

CE-6: Injury or Death

• Human is harmed or killed as a result of a UFO encounter. For example: the 1980 Cash–Landrum incident.

CE-7: Hybridization or Reproductive Program

• Often tied to the abduction experience are claims of ongoing biological interaction, often involving hybrid offspring.³

All of this barely scratches the surface of the conversation, and is only preparing the foundation as we look the topic further.

As we look at this topic as Bible-Believing Christians, we must have the scripture in our minds.

The Bible is Spooky

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air

- Ephesians 2:2

Believe it or not, the Bible gives a supernatural view of the world.

I know it may seem silly to point out, but the reason I do is that many in the Reformed world, especially the cessationists⁴ have become functional naturalists.⁵ In their zeal to protect the sufficiency of Scripture and the simplicity of the Christian life, they start to become skeptic to anything that seems weird or abnormal.

If a Muslim comes to the Christ through dreams and visions, that must be demonic. If someone has a demonic encounter, as Scrooge said that demon must “be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!”

Essentially the most supernatural things that the Christian can believe are God, the Resurrection of Christ, Angels, and the Second Coming.

The Scriptures simply do not allow for this.

We tend to think of “reality” as just what we can see, touch, measure, or explain. But the Bible presents a layered cosmos. It’s not just earth and sky. There are heavenly realms, underworlds, and spiritual dominions.

Consider:

• The heavens (plural) are not just outer space — they’re spiritual realms where angelic beings dwell.

• Sheol is the underworld, the realm of the dead (not hell as in modern pop culture).

• The “high places” of pagan worship weren’t just hills — they were where humans tried to access spiritual forces.

• The “host of heaven” — stars, angels, spirits — were often objects of worship by the nations.

From Genesis to Revelation, we see an understanding of the universe that is complex, multi-layered, and for lack of a better term, magical.

Ezekiel 1’s wheels

Let’s take a quick glance:

• There are heavenly beings such as the bene elohim or the Sons of God (Job 1:6, 38:7), which include seraphim (Isaiah 6:2), cherubim (Genesis 3:24; Ezekiel 1:4-28, 10:1-22) and archangels (Daniel 8:16, 9:21; Luke 1:19, Luke 1:26).⁶

• God has a divine council of angelic beings (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7; 1 Kings 22:19-22; and Psalm 82, 89:6-7).⁷

• Angels show up in bodily form (Genesis 18, 19, 32; Matthew 28:3; Mark 16:5; Luke 1:26-38, 2:8-15; Acts 12)

• Spirits or Demons visit people in the night (Job 4:12-21).

• Territorial spirits that rule over nations (Daniel 10, Deut. 4:19, 17:3, 29:25-26, 32:8-9).⁸

• Demons who possess people and speak through them (Mark 5).

• Visions, dreams, and visitations from angels (Matthew 1, Acts 10).

• Shapeshifting or multi-form entities (Ezekiel 1’s wheels and living creatures).

• Finally, the dragon serpent, Satan (Genesis 3; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; 2 Corinthians 4:4, 11:14; Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12).

These examples all describe Biblical examples of what can be called non-human or “alien”⁹ intelligences who interact with the world that God has made.

Important to emphasize is that the Bible describes non-human intelligences who deceive, manipulate, and mimic divine power.

The Bible talks about how these “alien” beings perform false signs and lying wonders (2 Thess. 2:9). These entities teach their own doctrines (1 Tim. 4:1). Demons disguise themselves as angels of light (2 Cor. 11:14). It gives us language for interdimensional spiritual actors who are hostile to God and man.

What does this mean for Christians?

That means when people encounter something that appears to be powerful, non-human, and gives them a “gospel” — we already have categories for that. We don’t need alien mythology. We need biblical discernment.

Conclusion: Why This Matters

As Christians we are supernaturalists.

We believe in the God who created all things.

We believe in the One God who is three in one.

We believe in the Resurrection of God the Son.

We have a faith that begins with creation, includes cosmic rebellion, climaxes with the disarming of the powers at the cross (Col. 2:15), and ends with their final defeat.

We should embrace the Bible gives a perspective on the world that shows that there is a seen and unseen realm.

If Christians down play this, frankly we will be caught off guard when the world offers supernatural experiences of its own.

That’s what is happening in the the conversation of UFOs/UAPs and Extraterrestrials.

People are seeing things and unknown beings. People are hearing voices, and importantly they’re being told alternate gospels.

The Bible shows a world that is spooky, and frankly the world is spooky. ¹⁰

1. Take note of this

2. Hynek was an American astronomer who acted as scientific advisor to UFO studies undertaken by the U.S. Air Force under three projects: Project Sign, Project Grudge and Project Blue Book

3. Eventually we will see how tied these kinds of experiences are to Satanic Ritual abuse.

4. Christians who believe that certain spiritual gifts, particularly those associated with miracles and prophecy, ceased to be given by God after the Apostolic Age, meaning the period of the first apostles. I am a cessationist.

5. Biblical Supernaturalism (And the Dangers of Hyper-Cessationism)

6. The astute reader who checks their Bible will notice that my verses here exclude an important figure, let the reader understand.

7. The word “gods” (Elohim) in Psalm 82 is argued can refer to either human rulers or angelic beings, I currently lean towards angelic beings.

8. I do take the read of the Masoretic text and not the Dead Sea Scroll or the LXX in Deut. 32:8-9, and I feel that this does not contradict the idea of territorial spirits

9. Remember Alien in this context simply means non-human.

10. To be clear, I am not throwing out the theoretical possibility that the UFO and Alien Phenomena has a “Nuts and Bolts” explanation, though as will see I don’t think this answer factors in a lot of the data.