UFOs in The Bible - Part Three

PART 3: THE SPLENDID LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST

In the Holy Bible, probably the most important event could be said to be the life of Jesus Christ and the message he delivered to everyone. Many people often wonder who he really was. Was he just another prophet? Just a man who happened to be a really good person? The very Son of God? We could say that,
He not only taught principles of loving your fellow man by the means of his wonderful parables, but, he also seemed to have some real insight into scientific principles:

• He demonstrated an understanding of how the human body works as evidenced with healings
• He shared knowledge of future events such as the destruction of Jerusalem and catostrophic visions of the "end times"
• He understood and saw spiritual forces that were at work in the world - forces that to this day many people don't even realize exist and mainstream science in our society is just beginning to study

Could looking at certain events during the life of Christ using our advanced knowledge of technology of today, shed some light on what might the authors of the Biblical gospels were witnessing? Maybe..let's see some of the incidents below.

The Star of Bethlehem: 

We all know about the famous story of the star of Bethlehem which guided the three wise men to Jesus. We can see the Bible excerpt below about the star.

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.                          -  Matthew 2: 9-11 (NIV)

Now, after looking at the passage above, we can safely say that the wise men knew what stars were, but probably didn't know what UFOs were. Moreover, we all know that stars don't move across the sky and hover over a particular house, don't we? So what was it that the wise men saw hovering over that house? Could it be the first UFO recorded in association with the life of Christ? Or maybe it wasn't...


Shepherds And Angels:

Before the wise men followed the Star of Bethlehem, we have this account of a strange encounter in the following excerpt,

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."                                                    -  Luke 2: 8-15 (NIV)

Now, this must have been quite a sight. Were these angels accompanied by UFOs? Maybe that's what is meant when it says they went "into heaven." or maybe not. It could also account for the amazing amount of light that they reported.


The Baptism of Jesus:

The baptism of Jesus is also surrounded by some interesting events as seen in the following excerpt:

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."     -  Mark 1: 9-11 (NIV) 

In this case, the gospel writer also includes a visual picture of "heaven being torn open." When w hear this phrase, we might picture this as a bright light, or some other event in the sky that the gospel writer had trouble explaining. Whatever it was, it's clear that there was something extraordinary happening in the skies that day over the Jordan river. The following painting makes the whole event more astounding.

This famous painting titled “The Baptism of Christ” hangs on the wall in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England. The painting was done in 1710 by Flemish artist Aert De Gelder. The painting depicts a UFO shining beams of light down on John the Baptist and Jesus. This painting was given to the museum by Lord Alwym Compton, Bishop of Ely, 1905. Apparently the previous owner, named Marianne, Countess of Alford, had bequeathed it to the donor, in1888. This particular oil painting as well as other paintings showing Jesus Christ and UFO are very present in art until the French revolution when the subject started to be a threat for Vatican (people before this time were uneducated and were not interrested in art and paintings, except in the Renaissance time, when paintings and UFO are particularly present) De Gelder (as Rembrandt) had access to Vatican's paintings and literature on Jesus Christ. He had surely seen other paintings with UFOs and decided to do the same. Everyone knows that Vatican owns secret paintings and literature: all works that put the religion in dander were censured.


The Transfiguration:

The event known as the "transfiguration" also contains some interesting details that the gospel writers seem to have had a difficult time putting into words as seen in the excerpt below:

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 

When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.    -  Matthew 17: 1-8 (NIV)

Notice how the event was enough to really scare the usually brave Peter, but Jesus remained calm. Was this something Jesus had seen before? He seemed very at ease with the whole situation. If the bright light came from some kind of craft that had landed, it may indicate that Jesus was very familiar with these craft and they were nothing new to him. Maybe this was something that actually happened often in those times where Jesus went off by himself to pray.

This painting, "The Transfiguration" was painted by Renaissance master Raphael Sanzio da Urbino in the period of 1516 to 1520 where he died. The Transfiguration can be split into two main part. In the upper part of the painting, we see Jesus floating between the prophets Moses and Elijah. He is in the middle of a discourse with them, as also described in the Gospel of Matthew. Below we see the disciples of Jesus unsuccessfully trying to heal a boy who had been possessed by a demon. Once the transfigured Jesus returns to them, he will heal the boy, thus providing another miracle.


Jesus and his Kingdom:

If the examples shown above were UFO accounts, why were these UFOs following Jesus around? Why were they so involved in his life? They obviously knew who he was and where he was from. For some insight into what the answer to this question might be, let's look at what Jesus had to say about himself in the following interesting excerpts:

"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" 

 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."    - John 18: 35-36 (NIV)

Now, what other place he was referring to. If it's not of this world, what world is it from? I know everyone must be thinking it's Heaven obviously. Yes, we all know that, but what does that term really mean? Jesus specifically says that he has a kingdom, and it is in a specific place.

While gathering info about this article, that's not the most amazing thing that was found. Jesus had said that about himself too. Even more surprising is that wherever Jesus was from, it seems his disciples were also from. Check out the following passage where Jesus is referring specifically to the twelve apostles:

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  

                                                   -  John 17:16 (NIV) Jesus refers to his disciples

A very short but direct comment. Many write this off by saying that he was speaking figuratively or something like that, but maybe its more likely that Jesus meant exactly what he said.

If we can open our mind to the possiblility that Jesus was from a kingdom that was in a specific place outside of planet earth, and that he incarnated here on a particular mission, doesn't it make sense that he'd bring along some personal assistants? This might explain some of Jesus' other actions in relation to the twelve apostles. He actually hand picked them out of a much larger group of disciples:

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.      -  Luke 6:12-13 (NIV)

 

  

Perhaps he recognized them as special workers from "his kingdom" even though they did not yet realize that fact? It's also interesting that immediately after he met some of the people who he would later bring out of a larger group to be part of the twelve apostles, Jesus called them by names other than their earth-given names. The man whose parents had named "Simon son of John" Jesus instead chose to call "Cephas" which can be translated into the name we still call him today - "Peter" (see John 1:42). He called James and John the "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17) - maybe that was a nickname they got in his kingdom and Jesus was referring to it then to help them recall that. This kind of "mission recall," even at a subconscious level in the minds of the disciples, could also help explain why the twelve apostles are described as immediately dropping their entire careers and following this then relatively unknown person who was roaming around the countryside.


Angelic Armies:

Jesus also made it clear that wherever his kingdom was, there were plenty of other troops standing by and available at a moment's notice if he decided to call on them:

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?     -  Matthew 26:53 (NIV)

In fact, these angelic forces are recorded as assisting him a number of times during his mission on earth. They were there to assist him after his temptation in the desert:

 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' " Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.                                                                                                                             -  Matthew 4:10-11 (NIV)

...and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.     -  Mark 1:13 (NIV)

They were there in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was wrestling with completing the final stages of his earthly mission:

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.                                                                                                                                  -  Luke 22:42-44 (NIV)

 

Finally, they assisted with the task of helping his disciples realize that he had indeed risen from the dead as he had promised:

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.       -  Matthew 28: 2-4 (NIV)

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" 

Then they remembered his words.      -  Luke 24:4-8 (NIV)

Jesus' testimony:

We've heard Jesus' testimony about who he was, and that he claimed to be of a kingdom not on this earth, that he came from above. But Jesus also realized that self promotion could only go so far. As he put it:

"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved."                                                                                                                         -  John 5:31-34 (NIV)

He was referring here to the testimony of John the Baptist. Let's take a look at what he says about Jesus to see if he might hint at an extraterrestrial origin:

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony."                                                                                                                                     -  John 3:31-32 (NIV) 

John the Baptist seems to make it clear that Jesus does not belong to the earth, and actually calls him "the one who comes from heaven." Interesting how he notes that Jesus testifies to what he has seen and heard. Where would Jesus have seen and heard these things? John makes it clear that his message was not from planet earth, but he was bringing a message to planet earth from somewhere else.

Moreover, much of Jesus' testimony that John is referring to might not have been recorded, or might have been edited out at a later time. Maybe he gave his actual disciples even clearer accounts of his origins that they knew people of the time wouldn't understand.

Conclusion:

Now if UFOs were involved in the life of Jesus, the implications are astounding. Maybe that's why most churches don't want to deal with the whole issue. But every day the evidence of alien visitors to our planet becomes stronger and stronger. Could some of these visitors be working for the same Jesus Christ that we know from the Biblical record?

Now I am not trying to sell off Jesus as an alien being here or something like that incase anyone might  think that. We all know how glorious Jesus is and millions of people are his devotees over the globe including me. What I'm trying to say is extra-terrestrial life has been involved with the Earth since the time of The Holy Bible.

Since there is good and evil everywhere, these extra-terrestrial beings maybe both good and bad in nature and being and thus, the fact that there are two sides at work makes it even more important that people get to know the real Jesus. He himself predicted that many would come claiming to be him. He also said that many would fall for those kinds of tricks. Certainly, anyone trying to imitate Jesus would play on common stereotypes about what the popular culture believes Jesus would be like:

"For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible."     - Matthew 24:24 (NIV) Jesus Speaking

Now, the real question is, If he came back in a UFO today - riding on the clouds as he put it - how many people do you think would recognize him? Would you?

This is the painting titled "The Madonna with Saint Giovannino" a painting from around the 15th century most likely painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio. The painting depicts Mary mother of Jesus looking down while in the background you can see a clear picture of what appears to be a UFO flying above while a man on a ledge blocks the sun with his hand and stares at the strange flying object in the sky, the zoomed in image is shown below (click on it to view it clearly).

Spectacular UFO sighting in China, July 2010

On the night of July 7, 2010, a UFO flew into the airspace of the Xiaoshan Airport near Hangzhou, the capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province. The airport closed all flights in and out from 9 pm to 10 pm as the UFO was tracked on radar. Around 1am that evening just after the airport had reopened, Hangzhou residents reported seeing large, brightly lit UFO in the sky.

Two pictures of the UFO over China taken on July 7, 2010 are provided below.

 

  

As excerpted from the news and the internet,
An unidentified flying object (UFO) disrupted air traffic over Zhejiang's provincial capital Hangzhou late on Wednesday, the municipal government said on Thursday.
Xiaoshan Airport was closed after the UFO was detected at around 9 pm, and some flights were rerouted to airports in the cities of Ningbo and Wuxi , said an airport spokesman, who declined to be named.
The airport had resumed operations, and more details will be released after an investigation, he said.
A source with knowledge of the matter, however, told China Daily on Thursday that authorities had learned what the UFO was after an investigation.
But it was not the proper time to publicly disclose the information because there was a military connection, he said, adding that an official explanation is expected to be given on Friday.
Inbound flights were diverted to the nearby airports in Zhejiang province's Ningbo and Jiangsu province's Wuxi. Outbound flights were delayed for three to four hours.
A staff member at the airport's information desk said the airport had "no idea" how many flights were affected by the closure. A video with shots of the UFO is shown below,

Now there are a lot of opinions regarding this, many think it's a UFO, some think its some new prototype model being tested by the US (no idea what lies behind those highly secured doors of Area 51) and some think its a long exposure shot of a helecopter. However what you think, i'll leave that upto you...

UFOs in The Bible - Part Two

PART 2: THE MYSTERIOUS PILLAR OF CLOUD

When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt he certainly didn't do it alone. From the account recorded in the book of Exodus, it seems he had a lot of help from above, and this help appeared in a very mysterious fashion.

Now remember that when the history of that journey was recorded, the author didn't have modern words like "UFO" or even "airplane" to describe what was witnessed. Think about it, how would you describe a UFO if you couldn't use any modern words? I'd imagine you'd compare it to something that people would be familiar with.

With this in mind, let's look at the first account of the strange object that appeared to lead the Israelites shortly after they left Egypt:

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.    

                                                                                                                 - Exodus 13: 21-22 (NIV)


The object is described as a "pillar" - certainly a common visual for anyone who lived during that time. But what would we think today if we saw this object that is compared to a pillar of cloud and fire?

Looking at the event from today's perspective, a large object like this that could move on its own would likely be some type of vehicle. Given the lack of roads, this vehicle probably would have had to travel off the ground - either hovering or flying - to be this mobile.

It's interesting how the object is described as a "cloud" during the day - you'll see this visualization used later in the story too. Maybe the craft actually used a smoke screen or mist to hide itself so it would appear less frightening to the people? Maybe the occupants were using this tactic to keep everyone as calm as possible as this huge group moved out of Egypt.

As far as describing the object as a pillar of fire at night, how else would you describe an object that was illuminated if you weren't familiar with electric lights?

The following event gives further evidence that this pillar was much more than just your average cloud:

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.    

                                                                                                              - Exodus 14: 19-20 (NIV) 

It seems this object was very mobile and it also seemed to be under some kind of intelligent control and also this makes us wonder what the "angel of God" that is mentioned looked like.

Now this brings us to the next event: Parting the Red Sea 

                                                                                                                - Image by Monarca Lynn
 
The picture depicted above is based on the following excerpt from The Bible,

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 

He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." 

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." 

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.                                                                       

                                                                                                  - Exodus 14: 21-29 (NIV) 

Now, if the UFO was doing all the work, why did Moses have to extend his arms? Why didn't it just fly over and do its thing instead of making it look like Moses was doing it?" Maybe this was how God had wanted it to be. Remember that if this object was a UFO, it was there to do the will of God. Since Moses was God's chosen representative to lead the people, the UFO was probably focused on providing technical backup for Moses which would make the people have more faith in him. In fact, this is exactly what Moses is told in a later passage:

The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.   

                                                                                 - Exodus 19: 9 (NIV) 

Now we come to our next important event: Manna and Quail


In a later account, the cloud is again involved in a miracle. As in the case of the parting of the Red Sea, it's entirely possible that the same craft helped out in the daily distribution of food to the Israelites:

While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the LORD appearing in the cloud. The LORD said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God." 

That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.                                                                                                                                                                                                         - Exodus 16: 10-15 (NIV)

As the journey goes on, there are a number of other references to God appearing in a cloud or using a cloud to perform certain tasks:

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.                           

Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. 

The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.                                                                                                       

The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up and the LORD said to him, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish.                                       

Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      - Exodus 19:16-22 (NIV)

But why all the smoke and mirrors? maybe it was for the purpose of making an impression on the people by giving them a visual demonstration of power. God gave the Israelites many new rules to follow, and he wanted them to know that he was being serious. The following excerpt indicates that Moses also thought that this was the purpose:

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."                         

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."                                                                              

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   - Exodus 20: 18-21 (NIV)

Yet another example of cloud and fire being used to describe what the people saw:

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.                                                                                                                                                                                                             - Exodus 24: 15-18 (NIV)

Now we shall talk about the next interesting event: How Were The Ten Commandments Engraved?

Another interesting aspect of the whole story is the Ten Commandments being inscribed on tablets of stone. This writing was apparently something like the people had never seen before, and Moses describes them as being inscribed "by the finger of God" and the writing was the work of God as seen in the following excerpts:

When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  - Exodus 31:18 (NIV)

Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    - Exodus 32: 15-16 (NIV)

Now, we know that the content of the Commandments was from God and the engraving was done by the direction of God, but did God really use a finger to write on stone back then? If you look at this incident from a modern perspective, I think it's well within the realm of possibilities that the same type of laser engraving that we see used to make very nice stone monuments could have been used to engrave the tablets.

Of course, we no longer have the actual tablets available, so there's no way to know for sure, but looking at it from this perspective can often make the incident seem more real and believable to us. If we understand a little bit about how things might have been done, it's easier for us to see the whole event as being something that actually happened instead of just a myth or a fictional story.

Now we come  to the final part of Part Two: What Else Did This Craft Do?

Maybe this craft ended up doing a lot more than the book of Exodus records. In fact, from the following passages, it seems that eventually the Israelites actually got kind of used to the craft being around. After a while it was probably as common to them as airplanes are to anyone who lives near an airport: 

Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.                                                   

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.                                                                                               

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted.               

So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   - Exodus 40: 33-38 (NIV)

                                                                                                                 - Image by Monarca Lynn

UFOs in The Bible - Part One

INTRODUCTION

Here I'll be writing about references to UFOs in the most popular book of all times, The Holy Bible. Before i begin, i'll say that The Lightside Group has aided in this study & research of mine and I'll be writing about the UFO references in four parts.

Now, when people think of UFOs, it seems they almost always think of little green or grey men with big black eyes who reportedly abduct people at night and perform hideous experiments on them. If that WAS all that was out there, then they certainly don't seem to be very Biblical and the alien race supposedly would seem to be without any variety. When I first started looking into the whole topic I thought it was very refreshing to find that UFO researchers who are really into this type of stuff generally feel that this type of alien is actually only a small part of the extraterrestrial population. They usually refer to this particular group of aliens as the "greys."

Now, if you just look at what's actually in the Bible with an open mind, you can find dozens of UFO descriptions or encounters. The nice thing about doing this is that it can help you see that there is a positive alternative to the "grey" abducting type aliens. People often ask if the aliens are angels or demons as if they can only be one or the other. Isn't it entirely possible - and actually more likely - that they aren't all exactly the same and that some are good and some are bad? Fortunately, all of the Biblical UFOs seem to be working for the good guys, maybe even GOD.

Now these UFOs and aliens documented in the Bible seem to be working just like the missionaries work in the Church. Maybe God sent them to look over the human race, maybe some superior power is at work we never know for sure but we can always hope and see the evidence which I will present below.

PART 1: EZEKIEL'S WHEEL

Of all the UFO accounts in the Bible, the one that I hear mentioned most often is Ezekiel's Wheel. The Old Testament book of Ezekiel begins with a vision that has mystified people for 2,500 years. Some people have speculated that Ezekiel saw a UFO. But truth is stranger than fiction.

Now the following quote is the most catching one of all,

This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.  

                                                                                                             -   Ezekiel 1:16 (NIV)

Now many scholars and researchers say that the four things described above are... "The Four Faces"

• Man - Adam, son of earth. Natural responsibilities. Family obligations.
• Lion - Kingdom authority. Spiritual gifts and ministry.
• Ox - A man's labour. 
• Eagle - The spiritual dimension of a man's life. Prayer.

However this is just totally hypothetical and not a concrete depiction.

Now, there are many pictorial depictions of Ezekiel's vision, one of them is shown below, most depictions are similar to this one below...

So the question that comes to mind is, " What is the craft shown above? "It still seems rather mystical looking even if it is a spacecraft. Now in the book entitled The Spaceships of Ezekiel written by NASA engineer Josef F. Blumrich, his book concludes that the passage shown above wasn't the whole story. Blumrich agrees that the "wheel within a wheel" was extraterrestrial, but he goes one step further and claims that it only describes a small part of the craft. According to Blumrich, the whole chapter was a detailed description of an encounter with an UFO. Even the story behind the book is very interesting. Blumrich notes that he began researching the topic in response to Erich von Daniken's book Chariots of the Gods (A must read in my opinion).

Blumrich has already done an outstanding job in analyzing the whole book of Ezekiel, I'm not going to reinvent the wheel by doing that here. But so you can see what I'm referring to, I will post a passage by passage analysis of Ezekiel chapter one that is based on the work of Blumrich. The text shown below isn't directly from Blumrich's book (which contains much, much more detail than I could ever present here) but is instead a capsulization of Blumrich's conclusions as presented in another very interesting book entitled Extraterrestrials in Biblical Prophesy by G. Cope Schellhorn, pages 106-108:

Ezekiel 1:4 (NIV):
I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal
Blumrich summary:
The spacecraft begins at some distance from the prophet in its initial descent. Vapour cloud is from cooling preliminary to firing of rocket engine. Rocket engine is then fired.

Ezekiel 1:5 (NIV):
and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man
Blumrich summary: 
Looking upward, the prophet sees four shapes surrounded by fire and vapour that look alive. These are helicopter-like bodies deployed before landing.

Ezekiel 1:6 (NIV):
but each of them had four faces and four wings.
Blumrich summary:
The prophet is now able to see more detail because the craft is at low altitude. He sees the four blades of the rotors and the fairing housings above the rotors that give the appearance of faces.

Ezekiel 1:7 (NIV):
Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.
Blumrich summary:
This is a description of the landing legs. The legs have shock absorbers and round footpads.

Ezekiel 1:8 (NIV):
Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings,
Blumrich summary:
This refers to remote-controlled mechanical arms hanging along side the cylindrical helicopter bodies.

Ezekiel 1:9 (NIV):
and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
Blumrich summary: 
A reference to the helicopter blades protruding outward is made.

Ezekiel 1:10 (NIV):
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
Blumrich summary: 
The fairing surfaces, which protect the gears and other control devices above the rotors, look to the prophet like faces. The fairings are irregular in shape with some raised and some cut out areas, all of which lends itself to an awe-struck interpretation on the prophet's part. By way of example, Blumrich shows photos of Gemini and Apollo capsules that at certain angles look like monsters. Because like faces face in like directions, we see that the rotors are synchronized at rest position.

Ezekiel 1:11 (NIV):
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
Blumrich summary: 
The first part refers to the rotor blades being divided. The suggestion is that there is a kind of gap in the control mechanism or fairing. The last part of the verse refers to the rotor blades folded in an up and down position.

Ezekiel 1:12 (NIV):
Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
Blumrich summary: 
This refers to the landing leg assembly and the retractable wheels as part of each leg assembly. Ezekiel doesn't see the wheels until they are actually deployed in verse fifteen. Verses nine, twelve and fifteen are interrelated.

Ezekiel 1:13 (NIV):
The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
Blumrich summary: 
Ezekiel is referring to the flowing reactor radiator and the bursts from the control rockets. The lightning effect comes from what would seem like leaping random fire but in fact is controlled bursts from the various control rockets for stabilization purposes.

Ezekiel 1:14 (NIV):
The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
Blumrich summary: 
The spacecraft hovers and moves in various directions until a suitable landing site is found.

Ezekiel 1:15 (NIV):
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
Blumrich summary: 
The wheels are deployed. They appear at the very moment they become necessary.

Ezekiel 1:16-21 (NIV):
This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Blumrich summary: 
The greenish-bluish color of the wheels suggests a protective film or coating. A further description of advanced reversible wheels is given. Ezekiel is confused - looks to him like a wheel within a wheel. These wheels look like they are obeying orders. He has had experience with wheels but these are puzzling. Thus he gives much time to their description. The craft rolls on the ground, probably in a maneuver to find the most suitable site.

Ezekiel 1:22 (NIV):
Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome.
Blumrich summary: 
Here is a description of the main body of the craft. We get its basic shape, spreading out like a "firmament." The surface of the main body is metallic, shining, bright.

Ezekiel 1:23 (NIV):
Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body.
Blumrich summary: 
We are given additional information concerning the position of the helicopter-like appendages relative to the main body. Rotor blades are at rest.

Ezekiel 1:24-25 (NIV):
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.
Blumrich summary: 
Blumrich feels these verses are out of order. They describe operating rotor blade motors and the resultant sound effects.

Ezekiel 1:26 (NIV):
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
Blumrich summary: 
The prophet sees the command module shaped and colored like a cabachon-cut sapphire. Seated in the pilot's seat is a man.

Ezekiel 1:27 (NIV):
I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.
Blumrich summary: 
The prophet describes the light effects of the commander's flight suit which, in Blumrich's opinion, are reminiscent of the light effects caused by the reflecting surfaces of certain insulation materials used in the Apollo lunar module. (See Rev 1:12-15 and Dan 10:6) It might be enlightening here to mention the light effects, especially the golden glow effect, described by some present-day witnesses to UFO close encounters, people who have been in near proximity to UFO crew members. A classic example of such an effect would be the Fatima incident earlier in the century. An interesting explanation of this effect is offered by an extraterrestrial in Charles Silva's "Date With The Gods."

Ezekiel 1:28 (NIV):
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Blumrich summary: 
Here are the optical light effects of the translucent cabachon-shaped command module sitting atop the main body of the spacecraft. Sunlight hitting the translucent surface and reflecting off other surfaces inside the module causes a rainbow light effect. (See Enoch 14:9-22 and Rev 4:3) Blumrich emphasizes that the brightness was "round about him." It did not emanate from "him." Him, we should carefully note, refers to Ezekiel's initial mistake of identity - confusing the spacecraft with God himself.

Blumrich goes on to provide similar observations for the entire book of Ezekiel. He even concludes that Ezekiel went aboard the craft and interacted with the commander of the vehicle a number of times. If you'd like to explore the topic further, I'd definitely recommend finding Blumrich's book so you can read all his conclusions firsthand.

So was Ezekiel's account really his way of telling a detailed story about an encounter with extraterrestrials? Were these beings sent by God to deliver a message to Ezekiel?

Interesting but controversial questions. I'll let you decide for yourself what you wish to think of it.

 

Centuries old UFO coin remains a mystery

An unidentified flying object on a 17th century French coin continues to mystify rare coin experts.

Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) January 28, 2005 -- After decades of seeking possible answers about a mysterious UFO-like design on a 17th century French copper coin, a prominent numismatic expert says it remains just that: an unidentified flying object. After a half-century of research, the design has defied positive identification by the numismatic community.


"It was made in the 1680s in France and the design on one side certainly looks like it could be a flying saucer in the clouds over the countryside," said Kenneth E. Bressett of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a former President of the 32,000-member American Numismatic Association and owner of the curious coin.

"Is it supposed to be a UFO of some sort, or a symbolic representation of the Biblical Ezekiel's wheel? After 50 years of searching, I've heard of only one other example of it, and nothing to explain the unusual design."

Bressett said the mysterious piece is not really a coin, but a "jeton," a coin-like educational tool that was commonly used to help people count money, or sometimes used as a money substitute for playing games. It is about the size of a U.S. quarter-dollar and similar to thousands of other jetons with different religious and educational designs that were produced and used in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.

"The design on this particular piece could be interpreted as showing either a UFO or Ezekiel's wheel, but little else. Some people think the Old Testament reference to Ezekiel's wheel may actually be a description of a long-ago UFO," he explained.

"The legend written in Latin around the rim is also mystifying. 'OPPORTUNUS ADEST' translates as 'It is here at an opportune time.' Is the object in the sky symbolic of needed rainfall, or a Biblical reference or visitors from beyond? We probably will never know for certain," said Bressett.

"It is part of the lure of numismatics that makes coin collecting so intriguing."