There is no question that there is intelligence life out there not of the earth. The Bible calls them angels. Some are fallen angels and we read about the conflict between the angels of God and those angels that follow Satan in scripture. Satan was the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Actually the word interpreted as “serpent” “nachash” could actually mean “the shining one”.
In any case, fallen angels had a role in the fall of man and throughout biblical history they have been trying to stop God’s plan of redemption through a son of Adam. Remember that Jesus who called Himself the son of Adam came to destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8). So, Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil and his angels.
Satan and his angels will be cast out of the Heavens and given free reign on the earth for the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. Some think the great deception will be that the fallen angels will claim to be an advanced alien race. That may or may not be true. The deception may go beyond fallen angels pretending to be aliens. The Antichrist figure when incarnated by Satan will claim to be above everything called God (2 Th 2:4). So it seems it will not just be some deception that some advanced race has come to earth. It will be more like God and his angels have come to earth to help fight against Jehovah and his Alien forces returning to control the earth.
So they will turn truth on end. Many who are misled by alien planet X type fiction and are expecting to fight against hostile aliens probably will end up fighting against God and His angels when Jesus comes in power and glory.
Therefore, be careful. There is much teaching about an alien deception but the real deception will be from those who come to earth claiming to be the supernatural good guys. The great deception might be that the fallen angels claim to be Aliens or Gods
Thomas R. Horn — Is the Vatican easing humanity toward alien disclosure?
Vatican chief astronomer Father Jose Gabriel Funes in a long interview with the L’Osservatore Romano newspaper this week made news by saying there is a certain possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, and that such notion “doesn’t contradict our faith.”
In 2005, another Vatican astronomer, Guy Consolmagno tackled this subject in a 50-page booklet, Intelligent Life in the Universe, in which he concluded that chances are better than not that mankind is facing a future discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence.
f ET life is something Vatican officials have privately considered for some time, why speak of it so openly now, in what some perceive as a careful doctrinal unveiling over the last 24 months? Is this a deliberate effort by church officials to “warm-up” the laity to ET Disclosure? Are official church publications on the subject an attempt to soften the blow before disclosure arrives, in order to help the faithful retain their orthodoxy in light of unprecedented forthcoming knowledge?
Following L’Osservatore Romano’s interview with Jose Funes, Muslim and Jewish leaders joined to say their religion could accommodate an ET reality, while a scholar for the Russian Orthodoxy excluded the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence.
Rabbi James Ruden of the American Jewish Committee says most Jews also leave open the possibility of life on other planets in their interpretation of Genesis.
Other theologians caution against connecting UFOs with demonology. They say if UFOs represent anything supernatural at all, the unidentified objects could be manifestations of good angels, while phenomenon such as so-called alien abduction is more in line with manifestations of demons. In other words, good “Watchers” observe earth from UFOs (using what one evangelical theologian recently referred to as “celestial conveyances”) while fallen Watchers such as those spoken of in the apocryphal Book of Enoch do evil.
Regardless of the position one takes on UFOs specifically, the possibility of open contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life has never been better according to those who study deep space for the Vatican.
HI Brett,
Happy New Year!
That about the way I see it. Only I would add that they will claim to have come to earth to help protect us from the evil control freak Jehovah aliens who would put people under moral law. Thus they will turn truth upside down.
So I caution those who are looking for Aliens to return to make sure what they say lines up with what the Bible says or they will be deceived by them.
Owing to the amount of “good aliens” propaganda that we’ve seen (at least in the West), I would say that they will present themselves as benevolent beings from another part of the universe; then they will confide in us that they are forms of gods, culminating in the AC’s declaration that he is (the utmost?) God.
Happy New Year Don!
Yeah, I forgot about the part; as I posted elsewhere, we are the “bad guys” now.
If the universe is so large, and God full of wonder and mystery, who are we to say that there aren’t are living
creatures on other planets? And I do not mean Sci-fi aliens, or even angels – but other living creatures. Perhaps
nothing more than bacteria – but life. The earth is certainly an extremely unique place – awe inspiring and beautiful –
– but the earth is not the center of the universe. We are but one unfathomable speck. Is there any place for us to
glory in the awe of all the possibilities this universe may and does hold?
I agree with both of you. I am very sceptical of the idea held by a number of people that at least some of the UFOs may be manifestations of “good” angels and the vehicles used by them to watch this world. I simply do not see why God’s angels would be needing such vehicles since they are spirit and without body.
Also, considering the deceptions such as New Age inspired UFO cults that these flying saucers have brought into the world, there’s little doubt in my mind that they are nothing but demonic. God’s angels operate on God’s command only and they reveal themselves as messengers of God and throughout the Bible they have never appeared to men as some extraterrestial race and they certainly did not abduct human beings to perform all sorts of tests on them. To be sure, God’s angels did inspire fear and awe in men like aliens do, but they always clarified who they were and what they were sent for and explicitely told the men (or women, like Mary) to rever God and they never contradicted Scripture. By the way, some “aliens” apparently have made themselves appear as human-like nordics/Aryans (blonde hair, blue eyes).
Those so-called Greys and Reptilians have always either terrorized and threatened men, or have identified as being friendly with humans but carrying a message that was deceptive and not Biblically inspired at all. None of them ever told anyone to worship God but many have pretended to be visitors from some distant stellar system (notably Orion and Sirius…). If any of these UFOs and aliens were manifestations of godly angels, why have none of them ever lead men to Christ? In fact, I’ve read accounts of people being visited by UFOs and aliens their enitre lives, but upon repentance and becoming Christian, the “close encounters of the third kind” ceased. If anything, UFOs and “aliens” have lead men to renounce faith in Christ and therefore they can’t be godly.
It has lead to man looking for the truth “outh there” somewhere in a galaxy far away but the Truth is right here in the Bible. That is what these man-hating aliens are keeping humanity away from. The search for extraterrestial life is a waste of money and time. I don’t believe in intelligent extraterrestial life in this universe. In my opinion God intended this universe to show His greatness to mankind only. Any intelligent life in this universe would practicaly have to be human-like. God will create new heavens and earth and there will be no more night and sun or stars. If there really was another planet with intelligent life, then what about those living there? There is a spiritual world with “extraterrestial” life but it is not of this universe and not subject to our laws of nature. We can only experience three dimensions and are limited by our body. Demons and angels aren’t limited to these dimensions and they’re bodiless.
Anyway, I must say when I was younger this was one of my favorite topics. It still interests me a lot but I avoid the topic most of the time because it can really get an obsession and it’s not exactly very amusing (unlike sci-fi… well, some of it at least). What got me into UFOs was the Genesis 6 account which has always fascinated me. But as I got deeper into this, I realized that what I was dealing with here was actually evil. Quite frankly, I remember at one point getting sucked into this and I was reading all these bizarre accounts (the MIB issue is especially intriguing) and information and I got to a point I could barely sleep and I’d be totally caught up thinking about this and times I was just terrified by the thought of having such experiences. Not only that, but it is also terrifying because it is beyond our full comprehension and it is threatening us. UFOs are supernatural and researching it will inevitably leads to issues like New Age and the occult.
It’s good to inform yourself on this topic but I would advise anyone not strong in the faith to avoid getting too much into this topic because it is demonic and will end up consuming your thoughts. It won’t particularly make you feel cheerful either. I’m not saying we should not research this but you ought to be careful since it may open a pandaro’s box if you open yourself to it. Better keep your focus on Christ and what is good.
But more than enough said. Time to wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year!!
It is very interesting to consider that we may occupy a special place in the universe. I cannot argue against that.
The idea is even thrilling. But we now know a fact that early day Christians found heretical – the sun does not
revolve around the earth. The Bible does say that there is one God (albeit three parts to him), however, there
is much the Bible does
not touch on. Like rain forests, and flamingos, and nuclear fusion. If such topics are not touched on in the Bible,
should that squelch a Christian’s natural curiosity about nature, science, ect? The Bible contains 66
separate book,
written by people of different cultures, to different intended audiences, with various purposes. The Bible does
contain a wealth of encouragement and crucial insight – but where it fails to give us answers, should we be
satisfied to let those questions be? To not use our own inquisitive minds and search? Or at least enjoy the thrill of
pondering?
who are we to say that there aren’t are living
Well, there are other intelligent creatures in the universe of which we are aware: the various orders of angelic beings.
Are there others? We simply don’t know. The Bible does not say one way or the other; it does say that there is no other God.
but the earth is not the center of the universe.
That is an assumption, not a fact. It was an assumption by Copernicus due to his limited, local astronomical observations (an assumption which to many who were anti-Church seemed to imply that God could not exist). It is also an assumption that scientists have made to make certain relativity calculations feasible to compute. In fact, there is growing evidence that we are in a special place in the universe, the “center” in a manner of speaking:
Do we occupy a special place in the universe? (New Scientist, 2008-5-7)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826553.800-do-we-occupy-a-special-place-in-the-universe.html
A special place in the universe: scientists propose tests of Copernican principle.(Atom & Cosmos)
(via Science News 2008-6-7)
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-179935533.html
Those so-called Greys and Reptilians
The drawings I’ve seen of some of these reptilians reminds me of “Sleestacks” from Land of the Lost:
From Raiders New Network:
There is more and more proof that the Universe was created so the earth could support life. So as Brett said, that does make the earth the center or the focal point of the Universe. Changing just one of scores of precise parameters of the physics of the Universe would make life on earth as we know it impossible. Books have been written on that subject.
God can do what He wants with His universe but I think we will find out that the earth was created for man. I also do not think we have long to wait to find out the answers to all the questions about the universe. Remember the universe we now see is corrupted by sin and the curse “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). So what we think is true in the Universe that we know might not be true after creation is restored to perfection. For example, what if the second law of thermodynamics was part of the curse and no longer applies after the restoration of creation to perfection?
God gave us the ability to ponder the unknown but He really created us to serve Him on earth. Pondering is one thing but the obsession I see in some to try to figure out what cannot be figured out with our limited corrupted brains is a waste of time and quite often leads the obsessed into demonic deception.
I have always been perplexed by the Christian doctrine that the world (nature) is in a fallen state.
It is a doctrine
that separates Christianity from many other world religions.
There has always been a
little part of me that strove against the idea that nature was fallen –
to me it always seemed to possess a strange
and brutal beauty. I have always loved Gerard Manley Hopkins
expression of a similar sentiment in his poem
‘God’s Grandeur’:
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs –
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods his warm breast and with ah! bright wings.” (1918)
Has anyone else ever struggled for a moment with the concept of fallen nature – have ever been nagged by
doubt?
I know I have.
Oh, I certainly agree Joy!
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Jack Kelly has an interesting article: “Thoughts on Eternity” that you might enjoy.
http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/thy-kingdom-come/thoughts-on-eternity/#more-2785
I also agree with Don that it can be tempting to take this speculation to a obsessive degree; we must not let it become greater than our love for Jesus.
As the Bride of Christ (and co-heirs with Jesus), the Church has a special privileged place in God’s eternal plan. I strongly suspect that we will come to know a great deal about the universe as it exists, and/or how it will be when God redeems it from the fall.
Joy, it was not always this way. God made creation perfect, but when our parents Adam and Eve disobeyed God, introducing sin into the world, creation fell with them. Whether God directly cursed creation or it became that way as a result of the “second causes” of sin is somewhat debatable — I think it is some of both. Here is some scripture that helps define this doctrine. You might want to read the surrounding context for a better understanding:
Here is the start of it:
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
(Genesis 3:17-18)
…and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart [is] evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)
God has done this sort of thing to the lands of numerous people as a result of their sin (this is just one example I found in the Bible):
See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants– it will be the same for priest as for people, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The Lord has spoken this word. The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. (Isaiah 24:1-6)
But Paul, in the book of Romans, explains this very clearly:
The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that* the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Romans 8:19-22)
And here is how it ends (though there are many prophetic allusions to this in the Old Testament):
No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelation 22:3)
And Jesus himself experienced the curse upon creation, and here is one of the more piongiant examples:
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” (John 19:5) (Thorns are often symbolic reminders of the curse.)
Yet in all of this, God uses the evil in the world as a way to grow His beloved:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,* who* have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
As I said, these are just a few highlights from the Bible. If you look, you’ll find that the creation shares our fallen-ness, and, like those who have accepted God’s pardon through Jesus’ sacrificial payment of our sins on the cross, it will experience a glorious lifting of the curse.
Lets also remember that Man was not the only being in the Universe to sin. I believe the sin of the Angels set up the fall of man. The fallen angels know that man was created in the image of God to reveal Sons of God who would co-rule with Jesus over all creation (Ro 8:14 22) and the fallen Angels are trying all they can do to stop man from achieving that mission.
2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Jude 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Chuck Missler says that the saved soul is like software. Now our software runs on a very tired computer like the old 386 platform that eventually gets bogged down by age and viruses but in the resurrection the hardware our software will run on will be like a highly advanced supercomputer. Same software but running on a platform with almost infinite capabilities.
Same software but running on a platform with almost infinite capabilities.
Thanks Don, I never thought of it that way!
I think we will follow after the example of caterpillers and butterflys; I think our transformation (whatever it will entail) will be at least as significant as this.
please send me your news letter
Don’t have a news letter just check the blog from time to time for new information.
I’ve read through what each person wrote here and I’m glad to see that the issue of aliens is being discussed.
I’m a born again Christian and have had a personal relationship with Jesus ever since being a little girl. I’m
grateful for that.
Growing up as a kid I lived in Brevard county, Florida where NASA is located. I would always see
shuttles going up into outer space (there are numerous space missions each year) and I would feel the air around
me vibrate as the shuttle would go through the upper atmosphere of the earth. Fascinating and such a cool feeling!
Having the experience of seeing shuttles going up always reminded me of the uttermost regions we have yet to
discover. Also I went on many school field trips to NASA because we lived so close to Cape Canaveral. I got to
learn a lot about space growing up as a kid.
I truly appreciate our desire to want to discover and learn more about what is out there. I think as Christians we
should feel comfortable to have questions about what is out there in outer space. I don’t think obsessing is healthy,
but yet we shouldn’t try to go in the opposite direction and not allow ourselves to learn and discover. I can see how
this can become an obsession because people are always searching for something more, this is wonderful. I also
think that it’s true that people get scared when that thing that is “out there” is not what we expected.
Some think that we are the only ones in existence as a planet within a galaxy of literally thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of galaxies (google: “hubble telescope” “deep field”). If we believe this then this doesn’t threaten
our theological beliefs b/c we are rest assured that God simply created all of these galaxies but only decided to
have one inhabited.
Then there are those that think that there are other planets inhabited (that is with some intellectual life form) and
that we are not the only ones. In this case many have questions and that’s where obsession can easily slide in. I
think that we have to be open and not closed to this, but just simply seek His face, especially if this is something
that is really nagging at a persons heart. A nagging feeling doesn’t have to be an obsession.
I think it is natural to question; we should learn, know, understand. That’s what the Bereans sought out,
understanding, after Paul spoke with them. We must ask ourselves, what does life on other planets do to my
thinking of what and who I believe in? Can I still be confident in God? Well, can you? New knowledge ought not
to threaten us but inspire us. Our God truly is a wonderful and awe-inspiring God. He is in control and He will still
be God no matter what discoveries we find along the way with outer space.
Brett previously you wrote:
Owing to the amount of “good aliens” propaganda that we’ve seen (at least in the West), I would say that they will present themselves as benevolent beings from another part of the universe; then they will confide in us that they are forms of gods, culminating in the AC’s declaration that he is (the utmost?) God.
Can you expound on this?
yes, the curious mind is more curious still….
Destiny,
It is a gift of God to be able to ponder the wonders of His creation; and it is a powerful sign that we are His image bearers.
I have no fear of what might be discovered since I too have a joyous relationship with the universe’s Creator.
From age to coming age there will be things that He has done that will occupy our curious minds and instinctive sense of the beautiful.
He is such an artist and architect, and we are the works of His creative hands, His poetry. It is such a privilege to be numbed among the redeemed!
Destiny,
When I wrote that I was thinking of all the books, movies and TV programs that have been offered to the public in the short time I have been aware of such things (say four decades).
Certanly the “bad alien” has been the staple of B-grade movies for decades. However, the “good alien” meme has firmly taken-hold and continues to grow in popularity.
Think of movies such as ET, Contact, 2010 The Year We Made Contact. Even TV shows such as the Star Trek series (which have good and bad aliens) are solidly based on the hope of a good future full of (predominately) good aliens. Think also of the “space seed” idea where life on earth is supposed to have been planted on earth. Or take “Mission to Mars” where we find that earth was really populated through the DNA of a winsome beneviolent (if feminine) race of aliens.
The idea of “good aliens” is also represented in another of cultic movements, most notably the New Age Movement and Scientology (if I am not mistaken). Remember the cult whose members killed themselves in order to “book a ticket” on the passing Hale-Bop comet some years back?
These are some of the thoughts the when through my mind, prompting my comment.
I hope this is helpful Destiny! 🙂
Hey Don,
Have you seen the advertisement of a new show on ABC called V? Just listening to the commercial tells me that the show is going to condition the people to embrace the fallen angels and their lies.
Hi Justin,
I can’t get TV right now. I don’t watch it enough to pay for it and the free stuff is 70 miles away. So I have to get and install a real good outdoor antenna.
I do not know what V is about but there is no doubt in my mind they people are going to be misled by most stuff on ABC.
The show is about aliens from outer space coming down to earth and they claim that they are there to help mankind.
here is the site if anyone wants to watch the commercial of this show http://abc.go.com/shows/v/about-the-show
Actually from the link that is my kind of show. It actually might turn out to be somewhat like that. The big difference is that humans will have no power in themselves to oppose the fallen angels disguised as visitors..
I watch some of the show last night and some of the stuff that those aliens were saying were stuff like “we are here to help mankind” and to enhance technology and bring peace to the world.
L.A Marzulli has a good intake on this show if u like to read it http://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/v-smoke-and-mirrors/
Yeah, but people catch on that they are really cold blooded vipers as the series goes on.
I kind of like this review of “V”. But I wonder if ABC really has the guts to make that parallel.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tc-tvcolumn-v-1102-1103nov3,0,7062976.story
An alien movie made the most money in hollywood. Preparing people for the beast, even a human made intercourse with an alien. Babylon you are good with what you do but you don,t fool the few.
Wow, what a great web site. You are touching on subjects that I have studied and come to realize are true for many years.I have run across many websites and I have to say this is one of the best on the subject.Good Job, Praise The Lord! We are closer, each day, be ready!Thomas Hemenway http://www.redxpro.com
Yeah Tom,
This is certainly a special site.
Don doesn’t cower down to any kind of “political correctness” rhetoric…and will give us blunt truth.
I have just recently read genesis chapter 6 and was very curious about the “sons of god” having children with the daughters of men who became giants, but i at first just thought well the believers slept with unbelievers and their children mixed religious views and became wicked…. until 3 days ago i was reading the new testament and came across jude and never saw the quote by jude concerning enoch seventh from adam who wrote about the thousands of gods angels coming back to bring judgment on the wicked on the earth…Enoch wrote a book? then wherte is it i thought and why isnt it included in the bible we have..so i researched the book of enoch and read it..amazing stuff he wrote about and seen in his visions of heaven and the “watchers” who sinned with women …on a side note i never thought ufos and those who controlled them if they where real were good anyway seems to me they bring terror and fear and even if they were real they take people without their having a choice in the matter…the movie “fire in the sky” even if it didnt happen proved these creatures are evil and promote fear and god doesnt give us a spirit of fear as our father tells us in scripture. back on our origional thought or mine..i dont think its right for some writings of prophets of old to not be included and omitted while others are deemed sacred and accepted as sound…who determines this…of course organized religionin the form of the council of nicene or whatever its called..its like when i was looking for a church to attend ..one church wouldnt even allow membership unless i was a tither …ive began to research the dead sea scrolls have read a little but more study is needed.. funny though how they were discovered right as israel was becoming a nation around 48.. i also thought about what enoch said about those angels teaching men the dark secrets and it made me think about what daniel said about the antichrist being a man who understood dark sayings or sinister schemes as some versions tell it, i dont understand a whole lot but i am upset that i was kept back from knowing about these other books not in the bible we have today in the end of it all jesus christ came to reedeem us from the curse of the law from sin and whatever plans satan had to controll us jesus saved me from a life of sin that i was living in constantly and the love he showed me at the cross and the sufferings he went through (and didnt have to but he chose to of his own free will) changed me forever his goodness led me to change and i have grown in my faith i may fail at times but he always reminds me who i am and the exchange he made at the cross on my behalf even when i dont act like it praise be to the lamb of god and the soon to come conqoring king of kings and lord of lords…thank all of you for your insight into this amazing revelation but more than that thank the father of lights for his revealation of jesus christ as saviour and lord amen
Calvin,
Let me first say I am happy if this article and these comments help you understand things better.
Now, I have to tell you that if you are going to post comments on my blog they are going to have to be more readable. So use short paragraphs and don’t ramble on about so many things. Perhaps the lack of paragraphs is a result of using these new communication devices but there simply has to be a way to put in line spaces. People need to keep in mind when they text that if they expect people to read their text that it has to be readable.
On your comments, let me say that the Church with men of learning and wisdom had to determine what was inspired and what was not for the Canon (Bible) or few would know what God said to us. The salvation that you believe might not have even had become known to you if they had not.
There are good reasons why books were accepted or rejected for the Canon. Do a study on Christian apologetics and you will find that out. That does not mean that all other books have no value or that they were kept from you. Anything in print is available for you, but be aware that some books are misleading and other are full of lies. That is why you have to be grounded in the books that we know that are inspired, so you can have proper discernment about all things. Also, there is no good reason to believe that Enoch actually wrote the Book of Enoch.
So your saying that the aliens will come before the 7 year tribulation or when the antichrist grabs power after the first 3 and a half years are up when he goes to Jerusalem?
theblackmist,
Not aliens, Fallen angels that might pass themselves off as aliens. They are cast down unto the earth with Satan and they will have power over those who dwell on earth for only 42 months