In a recent SW, I defined Biblical signs as divine events that display God’s glory and purpose to people. In the last article, we learned that Satan also uses signs to communicate his lies in ways to deceive and lead people away from Christ. Jesus forewarned that in the last days, there would be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven (Lk 21:11 HCSB). False prophets would perform great signs and miracles. Momentous signs would occur with fire coming down from heaven to earth in front of people. Jesus said stars would fall from the sky (Matt 24:29). The word for star means a luminous light—meteorites, comets, falling space debris, etc., and think about the increased sightings people call UAPs or UFOs.
When God created the heavens and the earth, He created living entities to dwell on the earth. On the fourth and fifth day, He created animals to inhabit the sea, the land, and the air. On the sixth day, He created humans, male and female. The Lord blessed the first couple, Adam and Eve, and instructed them, Be fruitful and multiply! At some point in eternity, God had created spiritual beings, i.e., angels. However, Lucifer, possibly an archangel, rebelled against the Lord, and a third of the angels followed him. These fallen spiritual beings became known as Satan and demons.
Creation of both physical and spiritual elements ceased when the Lord finished His work. Afterward, He created no more living entities; Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (Gen 2:1). For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him (Colossians 1:16 MSG). I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself (Isaiah 44:24). These and other verses clearly teach that the only intelligent living beings the Lord created were the angels, animals, and man.
As humans, we live in a world of two realms—physical and spiritual, also referred to as natural and supernatural or normal and paranormal. We are aware of the physical realm because we perceive it through our five senses from birth. In contrast, one’s physical senses do not detect the spiritual world. Some today deny that paranormal beings are even real. For them, the devil is not a living being, but only a symbol of evil. Nevertheless, Biblical truth does not alter because people disbelieve. The Bible clearly teaches that a supernatural, paranormal, and spiritual realm of beings is present with us every moment. Angels are spiritual entities yet can also manifest in the natural realm. Satan and demons, the fallen angels, are spiritual entities, but restricted to the paranormal without authorization.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the entertainment world popularized the paranormal and accelerated an interest through television shows and movies. This genre includes alleged beings like zombies, werewolves, aliens, ghosts, and phenomena like telepathy and time travel. Since the only intelligent living beings, the Lord created were the angels, animals, and man, what are these? The concept of Zombies originates from Haitian voodoo priests as a scare tactic. Proto-Indo-European mythology created the premise of werewolves.
Ghosts aren’t a new concept. However, Satan has deceived people into believing they are the disembodied spirits of departed humans. Again, the world has been flooded with entertainment centered on the theme of ghosts, who are supposed to be the souls of dead humans. However, scripture asserts just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Heb 9:27). Paul adds that he is willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord (2 Corin 5:8 KJV). Note that there is no state of existence between death and being present with the Lord. Jesus told the story of a rich man (wicked) and a poor man (righteous) named Lazarus. Both died. The angels carried Lazarus away to paradise. The rich man died, people buried him, and he immediately found himself in hell and torment.
Paul tells us Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14 NIV), for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14 NET), Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light (2 Cor 11:14 MSG). And his servants (wicked people and demons) also disguise themselves (v15). So, what are these zombies, werewolves, aliens, ghosts, telepaths, or time travelers? Since God only created the angels, animals, and man, it leaves only one answer. They are either Satan or demons masquerading, disguising, and transforming into the alleged beings to deceive God’s people and lead them astray. They are Satan’s agents of deception.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
Do not be deceived (Gal 6:7). My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God (1 Jn 4:1 MSG).