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Other Inhabited Planets

Other inhabited planets? Isn't that just science fiction with no place in the Bible? Well you might be surprised. There are hints and, actually, pretty good reasoning in scripture that there are other worlds. (This page is part 3 of a 4-part series looking at the identity of the sons of God in Revelation 4 and 5.) Let's look at some of the evidence suggesting that there might be other inhabited planets:

"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" (Heb 1:2)

Some other versions will say "ages" instead of "worlds" and some say "universe" which of course, as we now know, includes other planets. After saying that "the worlds were formed by the word of God" the verse says that as a result of this, "things which are seen ..." Therefore it cannot be referring to ages or time since time cannot be seen.

Follow the reasoning:
The worlds were formed so that things which are seen
(something was made) (with the result that) (we can see something)

When the something was made you could see it - you can't see ages or time. It was a physical something that was made.

There is no doubt that there are other worlds, the question is just are they inhabited planets? The Kepler telescope is identifying planets around stars within the habitable zones of those star systems. Of course, it cannot tell if any of those are inhabited planets.

This is done by detecting small decreases in the amount of light emitted by a star as an orbiting planet crosses or transits (thus the name transit method) between the star and the Kepler telescope which measures variations in light very accurately. When multiple transits have occurred, it can be established that a planet is the cause. From various measurements, the size of the planet and its distance from the star it is orbiting can be determined as well as whether or not the planet is in the "habitable zone." This zone is where water could be present in liquid form, a prerequisite for inhabited planets; indeed for any life.

Read a more detailed description of this process and the Kepler mission here.

From the small portion of the sky that is being studied in this way, scientists can extrapolate the numbers found to larger portions of the sky. The latest estimate I heard is that there could be 64 billion such planets in our galaxy alone.

"To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect," (Heb 12:23)

Definitions for "general assembly" are:

  1. 1) a festal gathering of the whole people to celebrate public games or other solemnities
  2. 2) a public festal assembly

"General Assembly" is the term used by the United Nations for a meeting of the representatives of every member nation on earth. Could the firstborn be the first or representative people of each world?


The word "men" is supplied just as it is in John 12:


Notice that Paul is saying in Ephesians that his preaching will reveal something to people beyond this earth. Verse 15 also suggests a bigger family than we see on earth:


God formed the earth to be lived on:


Some might think this wording indicates that God created the earth to be inhabited and nothing else. However, the wording itself does not exclude the possibility that He created other inhabited planets. Heaven itself is inhabited:


God created the earth to be inhabited rather than creating it in vain. While this reasoning is not proof, we could ask: Did God who created the heavens (everything else beyond earth) create them in vain?

During creation week, God formed the previously "without form and void (Gen 1:2)" earth, the sky and the sea into something habitable and then proceeded to fill them with life.

Consider this passage from the perspective of the universe:


Could an application of this teaching be that the lost sheep represents this one lost world and the whole universe will rejoice when it is reunited with the (much) bigger family? There is no one on earth who needs "no repentance;" however, beings on the other (unfallen) worlds are correctly described this way.

Some people take the view that God and religion are only connected to this earth and the rest of the vast universe is totally in the realm of science or even science fiction and God has nothing to do with it or even with other inhabited planets if there are any. My Bible says:


Or they think that perhaps people have sinned on other planets. While I believe that God has granted free will to all of His sentient creatures, the Bible says that sin started with Lucifer (Eze 28:15) and he was cast to this earth (Rev 12:9). Indeed, it seems that this earth has been quarantined from the rest of the universe and, I like to think that the vast universe (with, I am coming to believe, many inhabited planets) is eagerly awaiting to have this one lost sheep of a world reunited with them.


In the NIV for "world" the "whole universe" is given. The margin of the KJV for spectacle gives "theatre." Think of the Shakespearean line "all the world's a stage" with the rest of the universe watching.

This earth has been quarantined because of sin but it is going to be reunited with the whole universe once it has been cleansed from sin.
This page about the possibility of other inhabited planets is page 3 of a study that started by considering the identity of the 24 elders of Revelation chapter 4 and 5. Let's now go to part 4 and consider the timing of that scene..  

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