The Bible’s Explanation for UFOs

By: James Dorman | Published: Aug 27, 2024

There is a long history of sightings of mysterious, unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, in the United States. Such sightings, like the famous Roswell incident, are used as proof of extra-terrestrial life visiting Earth.

In actuality, sightings such as these go much further back than the 20th century. Descriptions of what are essentially UFO sightings can be found in the Bible, where they are ascribed to something other than aliens.

Unidentified Phenomena

For decades, there have been both official and anecdotal accounts of people seeing mysterious craft in the skies. These phenomena used to be referred to as unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, but are now officially designated as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.

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A blurry image of an ominous green sky. The silhouettes of trees are visible. Above them is the shadow of a flying saucer.

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Such phenomena have often been cited as proof of alien life, with the UAPs believed to be alien spacecraft visiting our planet.

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Congressional Hearings

Sightings of UAPs have long been shrouded in mystery, but recently the government has taken steps to be more transparent.

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The U.S. Capitol - a white stone building with a domed top under a blue sky on a sunny day. There are some green trees and shrubs in the foreground.

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The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), for example, works to “address Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) using a rigorous scientific framework and a data-driven approach.” There have also been congressional hearings on UAPs as whistleblowers testify regarding their encounters with alien craft.

Military Contact With UAPs

One whistleblower is David Grusch, an Air Force veteran and former member of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena task force (now AARO).

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A man in a suit and tie sits at a wooden table speaking into a microphone with his hands placed on the table with his fingers interlocked. A nameplate reading “Mr. Grusch” is in the table in front of him.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Speaking about the military’s collection of what are believed to be alien artifacts, he claims the military is in possession of numerous alien spacecraft and even the remains of extra terrestrial lifeforms.

Digging Deeper

In light of this testimony and the findings of these congressional hearings, there are some calling for a more thorough investigation of UAPs.

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Some lawmakers have petitioned the House speaker to create a committee to investigate government programs involving UAPs that would have subpoena authority to collect the requisite information on the matter to “discharge our constitutional, legislative and oversight roles.”

Links to Ancient Incidents?

This congressional probing at first glance seems related to a very 20th-century phenomenon of bizarre encounters with aircraft of unknown origins. But the history of UAPs may go back much further.

An ornate Bible is open, with the gold leaf trim of the pages visible. A green plant is out of focus in the background.

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In Israel of A.D. 7, historian Josephus recorded the spectacle of “Chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds.”

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Other Ancient Sightings

Josephus’ account of “armed battalions hurtling through the clouds” and with “great noise” causing “quakes” aren’t the only accounts in ancient writings that sound eerily like UAP sightings.

Drawing illustrating a person being carried into the clouds by horses.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Jewish and Christian writings speak of Elijah heading up to heaven on a chariot pulled by horses of fire. This chariot could potentially have been a UAP of some kind.

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Could UAPs Be Something More Divine?

These descriptions in religious texts could be of the same sort of vehicles of unknown origin that people millennia later describe as flying saucers.

Carved sculpture of a winged angel on the side of a building.

Source: Kritzolina/Wikimedia Commons

Or there’s another explanation. The UAPs that mankind has encountered across the centuries could in fact be angels or demons visiting Earth. Rather than sightings of aliens, the UAPs people report to have seen could be angels in our midst, so some thinking goes.

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More Contemporary Accounts

Post World War II, reports of UFO/UAP sightings skyrocketed. This led to the formation of numerous government task forces and agencies to investigate such phenomena.

On a sandy roadside by a highway, a green sign reading “Welcome to Roswell” with a silver flying saucer on the top right of the sign.

Source: Blurz/Wikimedia Commons

The most famous post-war UFO incident is probably the one that occurred in 1947 when Roswell Army Air Field personnel recovered debris from a mysterious flying disc.

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The Truth About Roswell

A 1994 report eventually concluded that the materials recovered at Roswell were debris from a top-secret nuclear test surveillance balloon. 

Black and white photo of a sign of a small sign with an image of a flying saucer on it and the text “Self Parking”.

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This is the official line, but there are many who don’t accept this version of events and believe there are alternative explanations. Some point to the government suppressing proof of an alien visitation to Earth, but the Roswell incident may have been something else.

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Interactions With Angels

Many Americans have shared first-hand accounts of interactions between angels and humans. Evangelist Billy Graham’s book “Angels: God’s Secret Agents” details many such reported encounters.

A grayscale photo of a statue of a woman. The statue wears flowers on her head.

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There could be a school of thought to connect the prevalence of angel encounters with the large number of UFO sightings. Some believe both represent the same phenomenon, and UFOs are, in fact, angels.

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Alien, Divine, Mundane, or Something Else?

There has long been a fascination with UFO/UAP sightings, and this isn’t likely to change any time soon, with official, congressional investigation into the matter uncovering new stories.

Three people look up into a bright light beaming down on them from a flying saucer hovering over them.

Source: Danie Franco/Unsplash

The popular belief is that such sightings are linked to aliens, but this biblical perspective is equally as fascinating. Then again, maybe it is all just weather balloons and test aircraft. Whatever your perspective, there’s plenty to discuss when it comes to UAPs.

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