(Click image, news article title, news article date for full article in a new window.)
According to the article, "An 'apparition' refers to an instance in which a divine entity — such as a saint, the Virgin Mary, or Christ himself — makes itself known to a person on Earth. The concept is a recurring theme in the Bible and most Christian denominations affirm the belief that such brushes with the supernatural can still occur today in various capacities." When it comes to saints or even Mary, "The dead know not any thing" (Ecclesiastes 9:5). "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). None of those types are supported by the Bible as is implied, however, an encounter with Jesus is supported (Acts 9:3-6). To discern if it is Jesus or a personation of Jesus, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).