This may be to many readers one of the most surprising blogs I’ve ever written. And if you follow the links at the end to what I and others have said on this subject, you may be doubly surprised!
I’ve read a lot by Charles Spurgeon, but the 63 volumes of his sermons alone come to 25 million words, equivalent to the 27 volumes of the ninth edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Then his 140 books and hundreds of articles in The Sword and Trowel come to something like 18 million more words, making him one of the most prolific writers in history. So when Tony Reinke shared these great and unusual quotes from Charles Spurgeon, I shouldn’t have been surprised that I had never before read them:
“I think it is no stretch of the imagination to believe that as this world is only one speck in the creation of God, there may be millions of other races in the countless worlds around us.”
“It may be true that all those majestic orbs that stud the midnight sky are worlds filled with intelligent beings. And it is much more easy to believe that they are than that they are not, for, surely, God has not built all those magnificent mansions and left them untenanted!”
“I cannot tell you how many races of intelligent beings there are beside the hierarchy of angels, but it is not at all improbable that there are as many worlds as there are grains of sand upon the seashore—and perhaps every one of these teems with inhabitants more than our earth does.”
“It may be that every starry world teems with myriads of intelligent inhabitants—it is much more likely that it should be so than that it should not be so, seeing that God is not in the habit of creating anything in vain.”
After sharing those quotes, Reinke followed with this. I love Tony, and his sense of humor!
Haters gonna say this image is fake. https://t.co/AZUdjCTLr6 pic.twitter.com/IeVKi03R4I
— Tony Reinke (@TonyReinke) June 12, 2025
In response, J. A. Medders, the Director of Theology and Content for Send Network and the General Editor for New Churches, wrote this post, and shared more from Spurgeon:
Aliens. UFOs. Extra-terrerstial beings. Charles Spurgeon?
I was surprised to learn that Charles Spurgeon made comments about the possibility of intelligent life existing beyond our planet. But not too surprised. The man was prolific, opinionated, and bold. When you have more words printed in English than anyone else in history, it means you said a lot of stuff.
So, what did Spurgeon say? Let me give you the quotes and then my commentary.
Spurgeon on Intelligent Beings
We do not know what other races of innocent creatures there may be, but I think it is no stretch of imagination to believe that, as this world is only one speck in the creation of God, there may be millions of other races in the countless worlds around us, and all these may be invited to behold the wonders of redeeming love as manifested in the saints in the day of the Lord. I seem to see these unfallen intelligences encompassing the saints as a cloud of witnesses, and in rapt vision beholding in them the love and grace of the redeeming Lord.
It may be true that all those majestic orbs that stud the midnight sky are worlds filled with intelligent beings; it is much more easy to believe that they are than that they are not, for, surely, God has not built all those magnificent mansions, and left them untenanted. It were irrational to conceive of those myriads of stupendous worlds, vastly bigger than this poor little speck in God’s great universe, all left without inhabitants.
I cannot tell you how many races of intelligent beings there are beside the hierarchy of angels, but it is not at all improbable that there are as many worlds as there are grains of sand upon the seashore, and perhaps every one of these teems with inhabitants more than our earth does.
It may be that every starry world teems with myriads of intelligent inhabitants; it is much more likely that it should be so than that it should not be so, seeing that God is not in the habit of creating anything in vain, and we can scarcely imagine that he has made all those mighty orbs to circle around his throne without suitable inhabitants to render due homage to him.
Read the whole thing, including J. A.’s commentary.
And in case this subject interests you, I too have addressed it at length. Here are some excerpts from my Heaven book, related to a New Universe, other planets, aliens, and space travel, and addressing the question: Is It Possible That in the Ages to Come We Will Travel to Other Planets and Encounter Alien Beings?
You might also like to check out these resources on our site:
How Should Christians Respond to UFOs and Other Unexplainable Phenomena?
