The book of Zechariah is filled with prophetic imagery that speaks both to the immediate context of Israel’s restoration after the Babylonian exile and to events that appear to extend into the end times. Zechariah 5 presents a particularly mysterious vision involving a flying scroll and an ephah (a large basket or container) with a woman identified as “Wickedness” inside, carried by two women with stork-like wings to the land of Shinar, or Babylon. Let’s explore the depth of this passage, connecting it to Scripture and considering the possibility that it hints at a deception involving fallen angels—what some might call “aliens.”

The Vision of the Ephah and Its Context

Zechariah 5:5-11 (NKJV) says:

“Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, ‘Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.’ So I asked, ‘What is it?’ And he said, ‘It is a basket that is going forth.’ He also said, ‘This is their resemblance throughout the earth: Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket’; then he said, ‘This is Wickedness!’ And he thrust her down into the basket and threw the lead cover over its mouth. Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. So I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘Where are they carrying the basket?’ And he said to me, ‘To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.’”

The Ephah and the Lead Disc: A Modern Connection?

The ephah is a unit of measurement used for grain, but here it is described as a lead container with a heavy lead lid. Inside this basket is a woman personifying “Wickedness.” Lead, in biblical symbolism, is associated with heaviness, corruption, and impurity (Exodus 15:10 speaks of the Egyptians sinking like lead in the Red Sea). This object is not simply a basket; it represents something that contains and conceals evil.

Could the “ephah” with its lead lid symbolize something modern? Some have speculated that this could represent a technological or spiritual phenomenon in the end times. The description of a lead disc that “flies” parallels modern imagery of UFOs—discs that carry deception, potentially related to the great delusion of 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. There, Paul warns:

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish…” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).

Could this vision in Zechariah foreshadow a deception involving fallen angels masquerading as extraterrestrial beings? The woman inside, labeled “Wickedness,” could represent the evil spiritual force at the heart of this deception.

The Women with Stork-Like Wings

An interesting aspect of this passage is the two women with wings like those of a stork who carry the ephah. This imagery raises several questions:

1. Why women?
   In Scripture, angels are consistently referred to in masculine terms, and they never appear as women. These winged women are not described as angels, suggesting they are something else entirely. The Bible doesn’t associate women with divine messengers, which sets these figures apart from holy beings. Instead, their association with “Wickedness” suggests they may represent demonic forces.
2. The stork connection:
   Storks are unclean birds according to Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18. They are associated with impurity, which aligns with the demonic nature of this vision. The wings of a stork, large and powerful, emphasize their capability to carry out Satanic purposes. The unclean nature of the stork reinforces the idea that these women are not holy beings but agents of evil.

The Land of Shinar: Babylon and End-Times Rebellion

The destination of the ephah is the land of Shinar, an ancient name for Babylon. Babylon, throughout Scripture, symbolizes rebellion against God, false religion, and demonic activity. Revelation 17:5 describes “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.” This connection reinforces the idea that this vision points to an end-times scenario where wickedness is centralized and magnified.

The “house” being built for Wickedness in Shinar could symbolize the establishment of a global system of deception. This aligns with Revelation 18, which depicts Babylon as a hub of spiritual corruption, immorality, and demonic influence.

To and Fro: A Clue to Air Travel?

The Bible often uses the phrase “to and fro.” In Zechariah 4:10, it describes the eyes of the Lord surveying the earth. But in Job 1:7, Satan tells God that he has been going “to and fro on the earth.” This description of movement, paired with Zechariah 5’s imagery of something flying between earth and heaven, resonates with modern concepts of air travel—or even extraterrestrial activity.

Daniel 12:4 uses the phrase again in the context of the end times: “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Could this indicate a rise in rapid movement and advanced technology in the last days, potentially tied to the deception Zechariah describes?

The Great Deception: Aliens as Fallen Angels?

The “ephah” with its wicked cargo, flying through the air, could symbolize the ultimate deception of fallen angels presenting themselves as “aliens” to lead humanity astray. Jesus warned in Matthew 24:24:

“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

These lying signs and wonders could include manifestations designed to convince the world of a false narrative, turning people away from God’s truth. If modern “alien” phenomena are connected to demonic activity, Zechariah 5 could be a prophetic glimpse of this deception.

My Final Thoughts

Zechariah’s vision of the flying ephah challenges us to consider the nature of deception in the last days. The woman labeled “Wickedness,” the unclean stork-like wings, and the destination of Babylon all point to a demonic system that will rise to deceive the world. Whether this vision foreshadows a technological, spiritual, or symbolic event, it is clear that the forces of darkness are at work to lead humanity astray.

As believers, we must remain vigilant, grounded in God’s Word, and discerning of the enemy’s schemes. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Ultimately, our hope is in Christ, who will destroy Babylon and its wicked system once and for all (Revelation 18-19). Until then, let us walk in the light, rejecting the symbols and systems of the enemy, and trusting in the power of God to lead us through the coming deceptions.