A WHACK-A-MOLE ARTICLE
(SUBJECTS THAT JUST POP UP IN MY HEAD)
The search for the presence of life on other planets is a large and interesting enterprise (https://www.seti.org/). Really interesting is the idea of sentient life, perhaps as advanced or more advanced than humans on Earth. Of course, there are people who believe there’s no doubt and that aliens have visited/are present on the Earth. Others have concluded that, for some reason, no intelligent life exists beyond our planet.
What if there are no sentient beings in all of the rest of the universe? What if the universe is totally uninhabited?
Here’s my theory. When God created the first humans in his image and assigned them the task to “fill the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28), maybe earth was only the first stage. Maybe God intended for humanity to “fill the universe and subdue it.” Maybe the images of God should be carrying out his plan in galaxy after galaxy, planet after planet, until the whole universe is filled with the knowledge of God and reflecting his glory. But instead of subduing the earth and then the whole creation, we actually corrupted creation.
But God is not finished. He’s not finished with us. He’s not finished with his creation. He hasn’t cancelled the original mission. So eternity will not be resting on our laurels or whiling away the beyond-time playing harps or attending a never-ending worship service. Once totally redeemed and restored in Christ we will re-engage the task and will fill the universe and subdue it.
Romans 8:19-22 – For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
What do you think?
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When the Bible talks about humanity’s role in creation, is he talking about earth or the whole universe? Is humanity, made in the image of God, the pinnacle of God’s creation on earth, or all of the universe? Does the curse of sin affect only earth, or all of the universe?
Or can we imagine multiple realms in creation, of which we are only one (similar to what C.S. Lewis imagined in “The Space Trilogy”)?
If humanity is the pinnacle of the creation of the whole universe and the curse of sin affected the entire universe, I find it difficult to believe there could be other sentient beings elsewhere. If the latter idea is true, then other beings also made in the image of God could be out there and doing just fine!
Pertinent questions that we don’t have definite answers to. I don’t see anything in Scripture that precludes taking “creation” to mean the whole universe, but it doesn’t have to. Hence this is only a theory. It’s kind of appealing to me because of what it could indicate about “eternity” – productive service to God forever.