Our commentary
The Book of Revelation and UFOs
Our own look at a common question, by David Dell. The background on this page is ours, not a summary of the book.
Revelation never mentions flying saucers, and anyone who says it does is reading something in. But the book is full of signs in the sky, and one theme runs all the way through it: deception backed by wonders.
Christians read Revelation in very different ways: as history, as prophecy still to come, as symbol, or as some mix of these. This page doesn't set out a timeline. It looks at what the text says.
War in heaven
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,” Revelation 12:7 (KJV)
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:9 (KJV)
The dragon is named outright: the Devil and Satan, “which deceiveth the whole world.” And he doesn't fall alone; “his angels were cast out with him.” This is the Bible's own picture of fallen angels at work on earth. For the older background, see Who were the Watchers?
Wonders from the sky
“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;” Revelation 13:13–14 (KJV)
Notice what the wonders are for. Fire from heaven “in the sight of men” isn't power on display for its own sake. It is how the deception works. A few chapters later, John sees spirits that do the same thing on a world scale:
“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:14 (KJV)
The same warning elsewhere
Jesus said there would be “fearful sights and great signs” from heaven:
“And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” Luke 21:11 (KJV)
And Paul warned of a coming deception “with all power and signs and lying wonders”:
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:” 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11 (KJV)
Reading it today
Some Christians wonder whether modern UFO phenomena could play a part in deceptions like these. Others think that's reading the news into the Bible. Either way, the practical counsel is the same: a sign in the sky proves nothing by itself. What matters is the message it carries and where it points. We look at that test in UFOs and spiritual deception and ask how it applies to an official announcement in Is UFO disclosure a deception?
Sources: Revelation 12:7–9; 13:13–14; 16:14; Luke 21:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11 (KJV)