FLC OF LGT ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY LANDED OVER ANOTHER ACR ACFT WAITING IN POS ON THE DEP END OF THE RWY.

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DURING FLT FROM BOSTON TO NEWARK; OUR FLT APPARENTLY LANDED ON RWY 4L IN NEWARK WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN POS AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY. EVENT OCCURRED AS FOLLOWS: ATIS INFO WAS OBTAINED WITHIN 30 MINS OF ETA. XA50 WX INCLUDED A NOTAM INDICATING THAT RWY 4R WAS CLOSED; AND THE APCH TO BE EXPECTED WAS AN ILS TO RWY 4R 'SIDESTEP' TO RWY 4L. VECTORS WERE PROVIDED TO A POINT APPROX 6-8 MI WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW AN SMT. VISUAL CONTACT WITH ACFT WAS MADE ONLY MOMENTARILY AND APCH CTL INFORMED OF THE FACT. A VISUAL APCH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PROVIDED; WITH A SPD RESTRICTION OF 160 KTS. ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND AFTER CONTACTING THE TWR. AT APPROX 500 FT; A RED; PULSATING LIGHT WAS NOTICED THAT APPEARED TO BE WITHIN THE APCH LIGHT SYS. TO ALL APPEARANCES; IT CLOSELY RESEMBLED A BARRIER LIGHT; OR RED OBSTRUCTION LIGHT. AS WE PASSED OVERHEAD; THE FO WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS A STATIONARY ACFT. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AT XB28. SALIENT FACTS: DESPITE A CERTAIN PARANOIA REGARDING LNDG ON THE INCORRECT RWY; AND A RESULTING TENDENCY TO LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY TO RADIO XMISSIONS AND CLRNCS; AT NO TIME DID I EVER HEAR ANYTHING WHICH WOULD CAUSE ME TO QUESTION WHICH RWY WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. IN OTHER WORDS; I HEARD 'RWY 4L' FOR ALL XMISSIONS AND VECTORS. ATIS INDICATED RWY 4R WAS CLOSED; AND NO INDICATION WAS EVER GIVEN THAT INFO HAD CHANGED. MOST IMPORTANTLY; WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RED BEACON; ACFT ON GND WAS ABSOLUTELY INVISIBLE TO ME. CONCLUSIONS: EITHER AN INCORRECT CLRNC WAS GIVEN; OR ENTIRE FLC MISUNDERSTOOD. EQUALLY FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS PHENOMENA.