“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. And he [Herod] sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also…. they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” (Matthew 2:1,8-9.)
This strangely moving “star” which leads the astrologers directly to the place of Jesus’ birth is also described in the Protevangelion, where its real character is even more obviously revealed:
“They answered him [Herod], we saw an extraordinary large star shining among the stars of heaven, and so out-shined all the other stars, as that they became not visible… So the wise men went forth, and behold, the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over the cave where the young child was with Mary his mother.” (Protevangelion 15:7,9.)
Various angels are described as well along with the aerial craft: one who appeared to the astrologers from the “star,” one who came to them in a dream, one who visited shepherds in their fields at night with the “glory of the Lord shining round about them,” and a multitude of extraterrestrial beings who were present in the cave during and after Christ’s birth.
To conclude our analysis of UFOs and aliens in the Bible, it should be mentioned that not every story which finds its way onto the written page is necessarily true. Overall, however, the Old and New Testaments provide an accurate (though at times embellished) history of the Jewish people which should be understood as such. Abstruse symbolism was probably not the writers’ intention, even though this is precisely what modern theologians try to read into their own personal interpretations of ancient scripture in order to avoid blunt reality.
It is safe to assume that the many people who contributed to the Western Bible just wrote down what they thought and experienced – and this includes a tremendous amount of material that can be considered representative of the UFO phenomenon throughout history. Some of the stories we discussed are probably true, others maybe not – precisely the way it is with modern cases – and there are quite a few others which could also be considered. The crucial fact remains that superhuman extraterrestrials have seemingly been with us since the dawn of Man.
It is perhaps worth noting that many UFO abductions include a prophetic element: the beings often harshly rebuke our species for its shortcomings and attempt to give us moral and spiritual guidance, sometimes even invoking frightening apocalyptic images and predictions much like those in the Book of Revelation. A large percentage of people who have had an encounter with aliens thus feel a burning need or “calling” to deliver this important message to the rest of humanity.
In The Omega Project by prominent psychologist and paranormal researcher Kenneth Ring, a professional survey is presented which found that 85 percent of all UFO abductees report an increase in their concern for the welfare of our world, with 60 percent saying it has strongly increased. The same survey also shows that 71 percent of abductees believe humanity is on the verge of a new age. Almost two thousand years ago an angel took John on a dramatic journey above the earth during which he was told of a climactic future period and a utopian world thereafter. The same ideas are now being imparted to us with an intensity like never before.
Perhaps the dramatic increase in observed extraterrestrial activity during the past few decades is largely because human civilization is undergoing dramatic changes. Exciting times are ahead.
Finally, we should mention that the line between angels and aliens remains somewhat blurred even today in this age of science fiction and Hollywood stereotypes. Three fascinating books (including the bestseller The Andreasson Affair) have been written about one woman named Betty Luca, whose extensive contact with extraterrestrials has a decidedly religious tone. As a devout Christian she actually believes that aliens are angels.
A Mennonite woman, Lynn Miller, is discussed in Secret Life by ufologist David M. Jacobs; she remembered having “flown with the angels” at age 12, only to discover later that this was merely one in a long series of UFO encounters. Miller came down with diphtheria when six years old, and since the family did not believe in modern medicine they prayed to God for a miracle. Sure enough, that very night typical greys visited her and the very next day she was totally cured.
Stories like these show convincingly that religion and ufology are inseparably tied together. Regardless of what we choose to call them, superhuman beings are here and have always been watching over us. As Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Aliens thus appeared supernatural in ancient times, and they still do to a lesser degree today. But today we understand the true scope and scale of the Cosmos. We must therefore come to accept that the gods of old are far from absolute, far from perfect. They are just better than us… for now. One day we might find ourselves in their position.