Is Mars inhabited by a race of men, equal or similar to ours?-and possibly other planets, is a question which has agitated of late the minds of both learned and unlearned, and no definite answer has been found, nor ever will unless we find it in the word of God, the Bible, God's revelation to men.
There are secrets which human curiosity is anxious to delve into, but which divine wisdom has not seen fit to disclose; and in such cases we do well to content ourselves with that which is revealed instead of engaging in fruitless speculations.
At first glance it might appear as if the question raised above is not worth bothering with, as all the hidden and unknown things will be revealed unto us in a future day. Nevertheless if by means of the word of God a somewhat satisfactory answer can be found, it might prevent or do away with erroneous theories and contribute something to a fuller understanding of God's truth.
At the outset, we anticipate the final result of our investigation, by saying that neither Mars, nor any other planet, is peopled by a race of men like ours, though we cannot say what God's purpose may be concerning the future when Christ shall reign and we with Him.
In the first place, this seems to be sure, that there never was nor will be a repetition of God's unique and wonderful act of creating man in His own image and likeness as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. Accordingly we find in the word of God that Adam as head of the human race is called "the first man." Christ in incarnation is the Second Man; and as head of a new race is "the last Adam." If we ask, How many could there have been before the first? the answer of course would be, "None." And how many between the first and the second? "None." And how many after the last? "None." This then is human history in a nutshell.
However we must look a little deeper into the subject.
By the way, there appeared lately an article in a religious magazine (otherwise known for sound doctrine) in which the writer tried to prove from the word "replenish"* (Gen. 1:28) -which he considers to be identical with "refill," or to fill once more-that the earth must have been peopled by a race of men like ours before that chaotic condition spoken of in Gen. 1:2, which race therefore must have perished in a great prehistoric catastrophe. *The Revised and other translations have, "fill the earth and subdue it."* To strengthen his argument this writer calls attention to the fact that after the flood God uses the same word, "replenish," in speaking to Noah, thus pointing to the refilling of this earth with a new race of men in place of the wiped out humanity which perished in the great catastrophe of the flood. But we must remember that the Bible was not written in the English language; therefore the analysis of an English word and the logical conclusions derived from it, cannot be used as a basis for theories which otherwise have no foundation in the word of God.
It is an established fact also that a vast number of plant and animal fossils, have been unearthed which seem to have belonged to a prehistoric age, but no fossils of human beings have ever been found.
This of course has no direct reference to Mars and its supposed population; nevertheless it supports the fact, as stated before, that the creation of man in His own image and likeness was a unique act of God, as recorded in Genesis. And when after man's fall God announced His eternal purpose to destroy the works of the devil, and to reconcile man to Himself through the Seed of the woman, it shows that in the carrying out of His salvation-plan, God was exclusively concerned about Adam's descendants.
Apart from us there are indeed multitudes of angels who have sinned and are in a lost condition, but we know that there is no redemption for them in time or eternity. (See 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Heb. 2:16.)
The question of God's salvation, of course, does not enter the minds of astronomers and scientists in our days, They simply take it for granted that the supposed people on Mars are just as imperfect as we are, struggling for life and existence as we do, and in consequence are digging canals for navigation or irrigation, trying to improve their conditions through inventions of all kinds, keeping pace with us in the use of powerful telescopes, photographic devices, electrical currents, and so forth. They do not look into the case from God's standpoint and are groping therefore in uncertainty and darkness.
Most certainly there are innumerable beings in God's vast universe, apart from us, in whose happiness and eternal well-being their Creator is intensely interested. There are angelic hosts, cherubim and seraphim, principalities, powers and dominions, all engaged in serving, magnifying, worshiping and glorifying their Creator; but when it comes to the full manifestation of God's love, wisdom, righteousness and power, which are revealed in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus-and when it comes to the knowledge, enjoyment and appreciation of God's love, fellowship and presence by the objects of His grace and favor- then, upon the authority of the Scriptures, we have a right to say that God is more interested in this little earth and its inhabitants than in all the angelic hosts; they are even called "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation."
And if we seek to trace in the Scriptures God's dealings with the children of men from the beginning (if only in a general way), it cannot escape our notice that the almighty God ever had wonderful thoughts concerning this little earth and its inhabitants; and how fitting it should be so, since His beloved Son Himself was to take on humanity to deliver us from the bondage of sin, and associate the redeemed with Himself forever!
This takes us into the eternity past, and carries us into the everlasting ages forward. For, though man was created good, sinless, in view of his subsequent fall and lost condition the Lamb of God was foreordained before the foundation of the world, and manifested in due time, that He might redeem us with His precious blood, "having predestinated us unto sonship in Christ Jesus, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:5).
Thus, speaking of the past eternity, the Son of God could say:"Then I was by Him as one brought up with Him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before Him," and in looking forward, to man's creation, He could add the words, "Rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, and my delights were with the children of men" (Prov.8:30,31).
When the Lord God gave a life-companion to Adam, the first man, it was Christ, the Second Man, He had His eyes upon in His relationship to the Church, His heavenly companion for eternity (Ephes. 5:24-32). What a wonderful revelation of glory, that the Church, redeemed by His blood, is to be associated with Christ the Son of God and with Him for ever!
But in giving such glory to the Church with Himself in heaven, God will not forget the earth where His Son has suffered and died "for man, His creature's sin;" but redeemed Israel shall possess the redeemed earth for ever, as Isa. 66:22 and Rev. 21:1-4 declare.
It is true that, on account of sin and unbelief, God was compelled to withdraw His presence from Israel, and the long period of their isolation has not yet come to an end; nevertheless the time will come of which God has said:"I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be an everlasting covenant – I will set my tabernacle in the midst of them for evermore, and I will be their God and they shall be my people" (Ezek. 37:26, 27).
When we consider that the Son of God, the Creator of the universe, came here on earth, partaking of flesh and blood, linking Himself thus with humanity, there seems to be no possibility of dividing this position with any other race of men on any other planet; and this conviction is strengthened as we hear Him say through the mouth of the psalmist:"To the saints that are on the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight" (Ps. 16:3).
The wonder of it all is that, when after the Millennium a new heaven and a new earth are brought into existence, heaven and earth are, as it were, brought together (heaven pending over the earth), and God Himself will dwell for ever more among all His redeemed, in accordance with Rev. 21:2, 3, where we read:"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God." John Kofal