Are We Being Visited by Aliens?

A recent video from Jerusalem has caused quite a stir lately. Taken on January 28, 2011, it purports to chronicle a strange light that appears to come down and hover over the Temple Mount, the original site of Israel’s temple, now home to the Dome of the Rock (a Muslim shrine to Muhammad). After the light hovers over the place for a few minutes it suddenly takes off straight up into the sky. You hear the startled expressions of the videographers. Here is the video:

You will notice that the lighted object is noticed by the videographer with a great deal of surprise. If this is a hoax it is hard to explain the unique responses of the viewers. What do we make of this experience? Here are some possibilities.

1. It is an elaborate hoax. Several have pointed out issues with the videos that make them think they have been tampered with to make us believe we are seeing a UFO. It is not surprising that people would want to fabricate something like this and go to great lengths to do so. We have had too many such hoaxes perpetrated in the past.
2. It is an angelic visitation. Biblical accounts of angels visiting humans have similar elements to these videos. For example, in Ezekiel 1 we are given a very strange description by the prophet of a windstorm coming out of the north with a fiery cloud containing four strange angelic creatures. The question would be, why are they visiting us, or more specifically, the temple mount, in this fashion. It is possible that God has sent them for some purpose, but so far we are ignorant as to what that would be.
3. It is a demonic visitation. Demons imitate the messengers of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and would not be above seeking to use some display like this to deceive people who are predisposed to believe that there is an explanation for our universe that leaves out God. Of course, if extraterrestrials do exist, that is, another race from some other part of our universe, they too would have to have been created by God.
4. It is an extraterrestrial visitation. There is nothing in Scripture that precludes the possibility that God created beings in His image on other planets in our universe. Questions would naturally arise as to whether they too sinned as Adam and Eve did, or if they chose better. But if they advanced in their technology enough to travel to our solar system it is possible that they have visited our earth. What their purpose in visiting is would have to be explained by them.
5. It is earthly technology in action. It may be possible that new technology has been developed by our own race that can do what was seen in this video.
6. The last thing we may assume is that this experience, whatever its cause is, is no reason to doubt the truth of Scripture. Scripture still gives us our worldview, not experience. And reason tells us that our biblical worldview is the most rational explanation of all that is.