The Bible speaks of UFOs ?

Recently some sensationalists have argued that centuries ago the earth would have been visited by space beings from distant planets. To corroborate their thesis, they claimed that the Bible contains allusions to these events.

An example is the book “Chariots of the gods” (The chariots of the gods) by the Swiss Erich von Daniken (this also applies to the film that was based on his book). The author argued that the biblical book of Ezekiel, to the chapter 1 it would contain a description of flying saucers from space visiting earth. A serious study of that chapter actually shows the absurdity of Daniken's theory.

The vision of the prophet Ezekiel

The prophet Ezekiel was one of the deportees in the conquest of Babylon in 606 to.C.
His book begins by saying the thirtieth year (of his life), the prophet was in Babylon by the Chebar River. “The skies opened”, explains the prophet, “and I had visions from God”. Ezekiel first saw the form of four living beings; they were similar in appearance to that of a man, but each of them had four faces: of man, of lion, of ox, and eagle (to 10).

They had hands like men, but the feet were like those of calves (version 7-8), and each creature had four wings – two of which covered the body (to 11), and two extended upward (version 22-23). Their appearance was like burning coals and their movements appeared like the flashes of lightning (version 13-14).

Under these four creatures there were four wheels. Each wheel seemed to be “in the middle of another wheel”, and he could move in four directions without turning. Furthermore, the wheel rims were full of eyes all around (version 15-18). Above all this there was a throne on which sat someone who had the appearance of a man, which was surrounded by an immense and glorious splendor (version 26-28). Won by that show, Ezekiel fell on his face.

The meaning of the vision

Before discussing the elements of these scenes, it is important to make some preliminary remarks.

1. Instead of dealing with mysterious UFOs from outer space, these visions were shocking revelations of God's glory. Indeed, the verses 1 e 28 they seem to have been placed as sentinels guarding the beginning and end of the chapter to prevent fanatical speculation about the meaning of the story. In the first verse, the prophet clearly says: “I saw visions of God”, and in the final verse he concludes: “It was an apparition of the image of the glory of the Lord”.

2. These scenes are identified as “visions”. That is, it was a phenomenon by which the Lord revealed the truth to the prophet both by showing him symbolic things and by speaking to him directly. (as we read for example in Apocalypse 1:10-20).

Visions were frequent in antiquity, when the Bible as we know it today was not yet complete and God gave His revelations to faithful servants He chose for this task.
“Listen to my words now; if there is any prophet among you, I, l'Eterno, I make myself known to him in vision…” (Numbers 12:6).
“God, after having in many times and in many ways spoken anciently to the fathers through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son…” (Jews 1:1).

3. The narrative of the Ezekiel chapter is highly symbolic; note the repetition of words like “look of” (14 times) e “similarity of” (10 times).

4. finally, notice how this divine vision – similar to that of Isaiah (6:1-8) and to that of the apostle John (Apoc. 1:9-20) – it was undoubtedly intended to prepare the prophet for the great truths he would receive in the ministry for which he was chosen (cf.. 2:2 e seg.).

The four living creatures

The four living creatures were not “space beings” from some remote planet; they, rather, they are clearly identified as cherubs. Note the explanation of the prophet Ezekiel: “The cherubs rose up. They were the same living things I had seen at the Chebar River” (Ezekiel 10:15).

Cherubs are an order of angelic creatures in the service of God. Eg, they were used by God to watch the entrance to Eden after the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:24). Images of cherubs were also mounted on the sides of the ark of testimony in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle (Is. 25:22).

In Ezekiel's vision, each cherub had four faces: man, leone, ox, aquila. The Jewish tradition interprets these symbols in the following way:

“Man is exalted among God's creatures; the eagle is exalted among the birds; the ox is exalted among domestic animals; the lion is exalted among the wild beasts: and all of these have received dominion, and greatness was given to him, yet they are stationary under the chariot of the Holy God” (Midrash Rabbah Shemoth, n. 23, his Is. 15:1).

It is undoubtedly a symbolic representation of the supremacy and sovereignty of the Eternal God over the entire creation. There is not the slightest connection between this and alleged space beings.

The wheels

The wheels are described as “a wheel in the middle of another wheel”. Identify this with gods “flying saucers” is, frankly, absurd. The reality is that the cherubs, with these “wheels”, they represented the celestial chariot on which the throne of the Eternal God was located (if you see 1 Chronicles 28:18, where the cherubs are described as symbolically representing the chariot of the Eternal). The wheels are simply a symbolic component of the chariot vision.

The celestial chariot could move on the earth on its wheels, or be carried when the wings of the cherubs were raised (to 21), thus showing that the Eternal is “the God of heaven and the God of earth” (Gen. 24:3). The detail of the “rotates in the middle of another wheel” gives the image of two wheels “fuse” together perpendicularly, expressing the ability of the cart to move immediately in all directions without turning. The meaning is the following: God is present in the entire universe! “One could hide in a hidden place so that I do not see it? says the Lord. I do not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord” (Ger. 23:24).

E’ It is also important to note that it is said that these multidirectional wheels are “full of eyes” all around (to 18), to emphasize the omniscience of our Creator. “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, the wicked and the good observe” (Prov. 15:3).

The throne

Above the cherubs, supported by their wings, there was like “an expanse of sky with a glow like crystal of admirable splendor” (version 22-23). Above it, there was “like a sapphire stone, that looked like a throne” (to 26). On the throne sat one who had “like the figure of a man”, surrounded by light and splendor like a “metal glow”, and above him there was a splendor similar to that of the rainbow (compare this vision with the other apparition of Christ Jesus in Apocalypse 1:13-15; both images are expressed with symbolic elements that speak of the glory of the Lord).

“It was an apparition of the image of the glory of the Lord” (to 28).

Conclusion

The Bible is his best commentary. This chapter is a wonderful account of the majesty and glory of the Eternal God, which we are allowed to know through Ezekiel's inspired writing.

therefore, we exalt and serve our Creator well – and we interpret his Word with righteousness.