UFOs and the Bible Part 1
UFOs and the Bible Part 2
Before returning to the Bible, let us briefly summarize the events leading
up to the Israelite saga. After the time when superhuman extraterrestrials arrived
and played a role in human evolution, there came the Age of Lordship. This lasted
until the "Great Flood" - the melting of the polar ice caps at the
end of the last ice age, an event which completely destroyed coastal cities.
Until then, higher beings inhabited their own colonies on Earth and directly
ruled over emerging societies. But the Flood ushered in the Age of Kingship.
Superhuman lords no longer walked among their human subjects in the great cities
of Sumeria, but instead returned to the sky from where they chose people to
lead our civilizations below. Meanwhile, Homo sapiens had spread from the Middle
East to all six inhabitable continents, producing the races we know today.
The Hebrews, a nomadic desert people of the Sinai, had an especially close
relationship with the gods; in fact, they came to be known as "the chosen
people." Yahweh and the angels watched over them from the heavens above,
often intervening for their benefit in various ways. How then, we might ask,
did the superhumans make contact with people on Earth?
Although many traditional Jews, Christians, and Muslims would probably reject
this idea with little thought, the Bible does speak repeatedly of encounters
with what today would be called UFOs. One can read the scriptures with only
a little background knowledge - so long as one keeps an open mind - and discover
numerous examples of anomalous aerial craft appearing in the sky. We find dozens
of shining clouds, balls of fire, wheels, and flaming chariots which bear a
striking resemblance to extraterrestrial objects seen today. Here are a few
general quotes which help to make this point:
"Behold, he [Yahweh] shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be
as a whirlwind..." (Jeremiah 4:13.)
"Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud..." (Isaiah 19:1.)
"And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and
upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming
fire by night..." (Isaiah 4:5.)
Keep in mind that the people who wrote these things were very primitive compared
to modern Westerners. They did not have large vocabularies. They had never even
heard of aircraft, disks, and warp-drives. It is therefore to be expected that
the words they used to describe unidentified flying objects are simple. Even
so, certain examples from the Bible are highly convincing.
Throughout their wanderings in the desert, the Elohim guided the Hebrews from
above, riding ahead in various craft. Perhaps the best example takes place during
the exodus from Egypt:
"... the children of Israel went up and harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the
way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light..." (Exodus 13:18,21.)
The story continues with a pursuit by the Egyptian army. "And the angel
of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them;
and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them...
but it gave light by night to [the Hebrews]: so that the [Egyptians] came not
near the other all the night." (Exodus 14:19-20.)
Since literal clouds don't have fiery pillars, one can reasonably conclude
that the object was something very different - perhaps a UFO with a descending
beam of light. One is also forced to wonder how the Israelites got across the
Red Sea. Could they have been flown across?
The prophet Ezekiel, a frequent recipient of extraterrestrial visitations,
described a strange object in the sky:
"And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great
cloud and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it..." (Ezekiel
1:4.)
This could very well be a modern-day account of a UFO sighting: a swirling
wind accompanied by a huge disk-shaped object surrounded by an intense glow.
Ezekiel goes on to describe the strange craft descending from the sky, noting
its resemblance to a spinning wheel and mentioning that it is piloted by a powerful-looking
being.
In another incredible incident, the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, we find
an excellent array of UFO-related phenomena (Matthew 17:2,5-6.)
First of all, Jesus Christ brought his disciples up on a mountain, where he
showed himself as the glorious figure of a godly superhuman. "And [Jesus]
was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment
was white as the light...." Then a strange object appears in the sky, provoking
intense fear in the onlookers. "... behold, a bright cloud overshadowed
them: and behold a voice out of the cloud.... And when the disciples heard it,
they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."
Finally, we read in Luke's version of the story that "... they feared
as they entered into the cloud." (Luke 9:34.) What more may have transpired
that was never put down on paper?
The subject of alien abduction is certainly one of the most controversial aspects
of the whole phenomenon. In light of this fact, I expect that many people will
erupt in vitriolic anger at my argument that it occurred in biblical times.
So be it. The evidence remains available for all to see if they are willing
to look at it objectively.
People have concocted the most ridiculous stereotypes about angels: these powerful
beings have become winged cherubs strumming harps and so forth, a view that
is totally uncorroborated by the Bible or any other ancient text. In reality,
the Bible repeatedly shows angels provoking fear in those who see them, which
shows that not all extraterrestrial encounters are necessarily pleasant and
that some definitely involve emotionless greys who must carry out certain disturbing
tasks.
Probably the best ancient example of standard alien abduction is the story
of "Jacob's ladder" - the tale referred to and parodied in this essay's
introduction.
"And he [Jacob] dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and
the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and
descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said.... thy seed
shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west,
and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and thy seed
shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee,
and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.... And Jacob awaked out
of his sleep... And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!"
(Genesis 28:12-17.)
Intense fear and genetic manipulation are the two most commonly reported aspects
of a type-four extraterrestrial encounter. Realize that one's "seed"
must be taken in order to be spread around the world. Also consider the fact
that the only way a virgin woman can get pregnant and bear a child is through
artificial insemination. UFO abductees today have experienced anomalous pregnancies
that suddenly end mid-term with no miscarriage. Even young adolescent girls
have been confirmed pregnant by gynecologists who find physical evidence of
virginity... and the fetuses disappear just as mysteriously as they appeared.
Is it possible that the virgin birth of Jesus Christ was a deliberate genetic
project conducted by the superhumans? Could he literally have been a demigod
like so many other messianic leaders of the ancient world?
"HERESY !" shout the fundamentalists. "SATANIC BLASPHEMY !"
Yes, I suppose I shall burn in the eternal hellfire of damnation like everyone
else who raises controversial questions in the face of the religious establishment.
But seriously, consider that Jesus was far from unique. The Aztecs believed
in a messiah who derived his lighter skin tone and heavier facial hair from
godly genes - Quetzalcoatl was created and sent down to improve their civilization,
and the much later arrival of the white conquistadore Cortes was mistakenly
considered the demigod's second coming. The Egyptians wrote copiously about
their own messiah Imhotep, a demigod who built the first pyramid and taught
them advanced sciences, only to ascend to the heavens one day leaving behind
tremendous legends and a much improved society. The Mesopotamians had their
Gilgamesh, the Mayas their Kukulkan; and the list goes on.
Jesus Christ was the demigod created to become a great leader of the Jews.
The word messiah actually means "godly king," and the Hebrew people
thus awaited a being who would combine the necessary human traits of King David
with the desirable superhuman traits of Yahweh. They got a revolutionary prophet
who was descended from both. We need not jump through silly theological hoops
such as the Trinity, for the answer is now clear. Jesus was a "Son of God,
son of man" simply because he was half alien and half human! We find evidence
for this idea right in the Gospels; the early Christians wrote it themselves.
"... the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named
Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house
of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and
said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee... And when
she saw him, she was troubled at his saying.... And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God." She is thus visited
by a superhuman being who tells her she is somehow special or chosen, and she
is afraid. The story goes on to reveal the visitation's remarkable purpose.
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of
the Highest.... Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing that
I know [have intercourse with] not a man? And the angel answered and said unto
her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:26-32,34-35,38.)
Mary agrees to submit to Yahweh as his handmaid, which in that time meant a
concubine! She will be impregnated with godly sperm in order to produce the
next king of Israel. Unfortunately he never succeeded in ascending the throne
and rebuilding the temple, but his followers recognized the reality of his superhuman
lineage which was demonstrated through various miracles.
Several other intriguing examples of the UFO phenomenon are associated with
Jesus Christ. A detailed account of his birth is given in two apocryphal books,
Protevangelion and 1 Infancy, which speak of astonishing events in and around
a cave near Bethlehem. Thus begins the story:
"And leaving her [Mary] and his sons in the cave, Joseph went forth to
seek a Hebrew midwife in the village of Bethlehem. But as I was going (said
Joseph) I looked up into the air, and I saw... the fowls of the air stopping
in the midst of their flight. And I looked down towards the earth, and I saw
a table spread, and working people sitting around it, but their hands were upon
the table, and they did not move to eat. They who lifted their hands up to their
heads did not draw them back: And they who lifted them up to their mouths did
not put anything in; But all their faces were fixed upwards. (Protevangelion
13:1-3,5-8.)
Everything had been frozen in time! - or placed in a state of suspended animation
as we might say today. This phenomenon is commonly reported in modern UFO encounters.
So that bystanders remember nothing of a superhuman visitation, they sometimes
are temporarily frozen and then reactivated afterwards, almost as if time stops
for everyone except those directly involved. Whitley Strieber has experienced
this incredible phenomenon, for example, as have people in other famous extraterrestrial
cases.
Here it should be noted that all the people in the passage above are said to
have had their faces turned towards the sky as if they saw something rather
unusual. Could it perhaps be a UFO? As the birth story continues, Joseph finds
a midwife and returns to the cave where Mary is in labor. The events which follow
are remarkable.
"Then said the midwife, Is she not thy wife? Joseph answered, It is Mary...
but [she] has conceived by the Holy Ghost. Then a bright cloud overshadowed
the cave, and the midwife said, This day my soul is magnified, for mine eyes
have seen surprising things, and salvation is brought forth to Israel. But on
a sudden the cloud became a great light in the cave, so that their eyes could
not bear it. But the light gradually decreased, until the infant appeared..."
(Protevangelion 14:5-6,10-12.)
The same basic story is corroborated in 1 Infancy:
"And behold, [the cave] was all filled with lights, greater than the light
of lamps and candles, and greater than the light of the sun itself. When they
both saw this light, they were surprised..." (1 Infancy 1:10,12.)
Meanwhile, a UFO had already heralded the forthcoming birth of Jesus to King
Herod's astrologers, in the well-known story of the "Star of David."
Contrary to the traditional interpretation, however, the Bible makes it clear
that this object was not really a star at all. Here is the accepted story in
the Gospel of Matthew:
"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 which 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.
Back to UFO's and the Bible - Part 1...
| Authors
Details: Eric Stetson |
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