Close Encounters of a Biblical Kind
What is a Close Encounter?
For edification, here are the categories of close encounters, as presented, with some humor, at the 19th Rocky Mountain UFO Conference:
First Kind
When you see a flying saucer (disc, cigar, spheroid, what have you), that’s an encounter of the first kind.
Second Kind
When you encounter any type of 3-D physical tracings, or remnants, of something apparently not of this world, or this dimension – such as when someone has etched a sketch in your crops or when your cow is mutilated or when you find a piece of chrome off a flying saucer – that’s an encounter of the second kind.
Third Kind
And then when you encounter not only a saucer, or a ship, but you also see the entities who are driving said ship, and they maybe wave at you, and you wave back, that’s an encounter of the third kind.
Fourth Kind
And if you get invited aboard, or taken aboard, and have experiences therein, that’s an encounter of the fourth kind.
Fifth Kind
And finally, let’s say you haven’t seen a space craft, or its tracings, nor have you seen the occupants of such a craft, nor have you been aboard, but you would like to, and you’re not afraid, and you have learned something about what it takes to initiate contact, so you try it – try to initiate contact – and out of the blue, so to speak, contact does indeed happen, (of any of the previously mentioned first to fourth kinds) this is an encounter of the fifth kind.
What is a Biblical Close Encounter?
The exact number of close encounters in the Bible is not easy to calculate. By the standard definitions of close encounters, the Bible records hundreds of contacts with strange flying vehicles, beings, and advanced technology that mirror those described in historical and modern close encounters. Every time God appears in, or uses a cloud, pillar, throne, chariot, or otherwise described device, angels appear to men, God speaks from the sky, or anomalous action from these vehicles is described; it is an encounter.
The Bible contains 1,189 chapters, but before we can get through the first 5 of those chapters, we find what can only be described as an encounter resulting in a “divine” abduction.
“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24).
Although, in the 4th Century AD, Eusebius arbitrarily determined that the writings of Enoch would not be included in the first “Bible”, this book did survive. A reading of Enoch’s writings is an amazingly detailed recounting of his experiences after “God took him”; complete with strange vessels, beings, places, and an incredible account of Enoch’s transmutation into another type of being.
Close Encounters of the 4th Kind
On at least a dozen different occasions in scripture, an individual, or a group of people, are described as having “Close Encounters of the 4th Kind”, which means being invited aboard, or taken aboard a vehicle, and/or having experiences therein. Here are several of those encounters from both the Old and the New Testaments; many that have never been considered as being such an event:
Moses, the Leader
“And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.” (Exodus 24:18)
Samuel, the Prophet
“He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place:, because he delighted in me.” (2 Samuel 22:17-20)
Elijah, the Prophet
“And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.” (2 Kings 2:1)
David, the King
“He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.” (Psalms 18:16-19)
Ezekiel, the Prophet
“Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord’s house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.” (Ezekiel 11:1)
“The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,” (Ezekiel 37:1)
Jesus and the Apostles, the “Transfiguration”
“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them:” (Matthew 17:5)
“While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.” (Luke 9:34)
Jesus, the Christ
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9)
Phillip, the Disciple
“And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.” (Acts 8:39-40)
The Two Witnesses of the Revelation
“And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” (Revelation 11:11-12)
An Uncountable Number
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:30-31)
“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” (Mark 13:26-27)
If any of these encounters were to be put into modern language and reported in this modern age, they would be classified as “Close Encounters”, and all involved would be thought of as “contactees”. The concept of great numbers of people being taken up into the sky, as described in the New Testament, does, no doubt, qualify as a mass abduction, but this is described as a future event. However, in the Bible there is a close encounter that involves over a million people having an encounter that lasted, not just minutes or days; it lasted for decades.
The Greatest Close Encounter in History
The Exodus
This encounter starts with a conversation from a glowing vehicle on the ground, follows the high-tech harassment of the reluctant Pharaoh and the Hebrew’s flight from Egypt, Moses’ entry into the vehicle, and records the forty-year wanderings of the nation of Israel as it is directly led by aerial guidance. Scores of descriptions and encounters with flying vehicles, advanced technology, and space age weaponry are recorded during this journey. This writing covers specific instances of this encounter, but a complete read of the book is worthwhile. Almost the entire Book of the Exodus is a description of the world’s largest and longest close encounter event.
An Incredible Number
The world record for number of witnesses and length of encounter must certainly be held by the “Exodus” event. While most people do know about Ezekiel’s “wheels” and Elijah’s “whirlwind”; few consider the incredible experiences of those who participated in the Exodus from Egypt as a major close encounter. Biblical historians accept estimates of the number of Hebrews that left Egypt with Moses as from about 700,000 to 1 million. Added to that number are the Egyptian refugees from the disaster that had just occurred and others following this huge entourage out of a devastated Egypt. That could swell the number of travelers on the Exodus to between 1.5 and 2 million, being constantly overshadowed, sustained, and led by a huge flying object.
At the beginning of the journey, this massive group of people was saved from the pursuing Egyptian army by this vehicle, and fed daily and provided water for 40 years. At times this vehicle would halt and hover over this group for months, providing shade during the day and light at night. The group would not travel if the vehicle was not moving forward.
Two million people walking 10 abreast, with 6 feet between rows, would extend for about 250 miles. An interesting estimate of just the basic survival needs of such a large group of people, gives a perspective on how massive an operation this must have been. It would require 1000 tons, 2 million pounds of food every day just to ward off starvation, and we know from scripture that there was plenty to eat. To do this would require the equivalent of a freight train, a mile long, to deliver the food every day. Add to that a bare minimum of 5 million gallons of water per day, and that train would stretch beyond the horizon. And, this went on, every day, for forty years.
Physical Laws Altered
Another little known and astonishing aspect of the “Exodus Event” is found, not in the book of the Exodus, but in Deuteronomy:
“Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.” (Deuteronomy 8:4)
This astounding paradigm is repeated here:
And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.” (Deuteronomy 29:5).
Amazingly, these verses are saying that the clothes and shoes of those in the Exodus traveling group never wore out in 40 years of constant use. And, the phrase, “neither did thy foot swell” certainly seems to indicate that the health of this great number of travelers was also being maintained in extraordinary ways during that 4 decade period. There are some amazing phenomena described in relationship to UFOs, and this anomaly could very well be associated with the constant presence of the guiding and protecting vehicle hovering over them. Healing of wounds, relief from chronic ailments, and other physical alterations are often reported by contactees.
The Beginning of the 40-Year Exodus Encounter
The first encounter that Moses has with God appearing directly to him, is from the famous account of the strange “burning bush”. He was amazed because what he was observing seemed to be a bramble on fire, but the bramble was not being consumed:
“….behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed… I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt….” (Exodus 3:2-3)
God then begins to speak from inside this glowing bramble-like object.
“And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush…..” (Exodus 3:4).
This is similar to the description of another stationary, glowing object, encountered on Mount Sinai during the Exodus:
“And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.” (Exodus 24:17)
It is during this encounter with the “burning bush” that Moses is given the commission to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt.
In the 16th Chapter of the Exodus, the close encounter begins in the wilderness of Sin. The people were beginning to question whether they were just on a wild goose chase and would die of hunger, in the middle of nowhere. Yhovah reveals to Moses that he will now begin to feed the people in two ways; by driving wild game into the encampment in the evening, and providing bread, manna, in the morning. As Aaron was telling this to the people, a vehicle appeared and that very evening, flocks of quail covered the camp. The next morning, manna appeared on the ground in quantities more than enough to satisfy everybody’s hunger. This had to happen every day, as the manna had to be eaten before the next morning, or it would rot, with the specific exception of a double quantity they were required to gather on the day before the Sabbath; the only day the manna would not appear. This is a description of the food called “manna”:
“And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.” (Exodus 16:13-14)
Manna is not a noun, as most might assume, but actually comes from the Hebrew word man, pronounced mawn; meaning literally, a whatness (so to speak), i.e. manna (so called from the question about it): Psalms describes “manna” thusly:
“And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.” (Psalms 78:24-25) The word “angels” is the Hebrew word abbiyr, pronounced ab-beer’ and is directly related to the word abiyr, pronounced aw-beer’ meaning; mighty. It is logical; therefore, that Psalms is describing very nutritious food. While camped at Rephidim. Moses was also given the power to bring water from rocks.
A Direct Encounter with Yhovah
In the 19th Chapter of the Exodus, the people experience a prolonged encounter with a great craft about two weeks after the food miracle and the warding off an unsuccessful attack by Amalek, the chief of an Idumean tribe. at Rephidim. (The defeat of Amalek is a miracle in itself, and involves what seems to be Moses using some form of psychokenesis. Exodus 17:10-12) Yhovah demands that a strict perimeter be established around mount Sinai, where the vehicle is about to land, and the people are warned that breaching that perimeter could cause death to humans and animals. The craft is so huge, it causes the million-plus people witnessing it to tremble at the bright lights and terrible sounds coming from it. Moses goes up the mountain and into the vehicle, and Yhovah reinforces his warning about the deadly perimeter. Moses goes back down the mountain, warns the people, and Yhovah begins to speak directly to them, giving his commandments from the vehicle.
These commandments continue from the 20th through the 23rd chapters of Exodus. In the 24th chapter, after the vehicle has been on the mountain for 6 days, Yhovah calls Moses back up into the vehicle, where he remains for 40 days, receiving instructions for a mobile tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and other items from models Moses sees in the vehicle (verse 40). Yhovah gives minute details of everything in the tabernacle, and the rituals and restrictions to be performed in it, and personally writes it all down on stone tablets with his own hand.
Moses is Transformed and the Long Journey Begins
While Moses is gone, the attention span of the people proves to be very short, and they build a pagan altar, which Moses breaks in anger. After this discretion is dealt with, Moses returns to the vehicle and Yhovah makes him rewrite the edicts and he brings these new tablets to the people. Moses’ face is glowing so intensely after the prolonged meeting with Yhovah that the people are afraid to come near him, and he is forced to cover his face with a veil. Moses oversees the building of the tabernacle and the ark and the vehicle leads the Hebrew nation through the wilderness for the next 40 years.
Descriptions Verify a Flying Vehicle was Guiding the Exodus
The escort that accompanies the travelers is called a “pillar of a cloud” by day and a “a pillar of fire” by night. The word pillar is translated from `ammuwd, pronounced, am-mood; a column as standing; also a stand, i.e. platform. This means that this could either be a column or a platform that had the appearance of a cloud in the daylight and, when the sun went down, it was illuminated. And, it was staying close to the people, in other words, hovering. When considered, in light of the many other descriptions, replacing the word platform where pillar appears seems a more logical choice.
The platform comes directly between the Hebrews and the pursuing Egyptian army. (Exodus 14:19)
The platform harassed the Egyptian army. (Exodus 14:24)
The “glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud” that leads the Hebrews. (Exodus 16:10)
The Lord ascended on Mount Sinai, with great lights beaming into the night sky, shaking the mountain greatly, and broadcasting very loud sounds, with increasing volume. (Exodus 19:18 -20, 20:18)
People were fearful of the vehicle. (Exodus 20:18)
The platform/cloud descended and hovered. (Exodus 33:9, 34:5, Numbers 12:5)
The platform/cloud ascended. (Exodus 40:36)
God broadcasts his voice from the platform/cloud. (Exodus 33:9, 34:5, Psalms 99:7)
The people follow the platform wherever it led them, and it was always with them. (Exodus 40:36-38, Numbers 9:17-18, 10:34, Nehemiah 9:19)
The cloud provided shade and light. (Numbers 9:16)
The platform/cloud hovered above the group for days, months and even up to a year. (Numbers 9: 22)
The cloud took off from the ground and landed on the ground. (Numbers 10:11-12)
The vehicle protected the people. (Numbers 14:14)
The platform/cloud scouts ahead for places, where the Hebrews could rest. (Deuteronomy 1:33)
A reading of the Exodus Encounter will give a more complete view of this 40-year close encounter. In the next installment of Close Encounters of the Biblical Kind we will cover the other famous contacts experienced by Elijah and Ezekiel, and more testimonies from biblical contactees.
It would require, at least, an entire book to detail all the close encounters in the Bible. Enoch, Moses, Aaron, Abraham, Gideon, Daniel, Manoah, Samuel, Jacob, Jonah, Elijah, Elisha, Job, Joshua, Jesus, the Shepherds and Wise Men at Jesus’ birth, Phillip, Peter, James, John, Paul, and the Two Witnesses of Revelations are just some of the many biblical characters described as having close encounters in the Bible. So, we will just cover the more recognizable events, and those not so recognizable, but important. We continue this article with the strange encounters of Elijah, Elisha, and Enoch.
Elijah’s and Elisha’s Whirlwinds and Chariots of Fire
The story of Elijah’s well-known encounter with fiery chariots is actually the story of several anomalous events. Elijah, the Tishbite, is originally sent by God to Ahaziah, the king of Samaria, who had just been injured in a fall from an upper story window. He was sent because Ahaziah had attempted to find whether he would die from this injury from Baal, a special deity of the Ekronites and warn him that he would succumb to his injuries. After Elijah contacts Ahaziah, there is a bizarre series of events where a hundred men are consumed by “fire” from the sky. This event can be found in 2 Kings 1.
Ahaziah did die from his injuries and the story immediately shifts to Elijah traveling to the Jordon River with Elisha in 2 Kings 2. Along the way, at Bethel and Jericho, Elisha is told by prophets that Elijah would be taken away by the Lord. When Elijah arrives at the Jordan, he performs the same “miracle” Moses accomplished at the Red Sea; he parted the waters and they both “crossed the river on dry ground”.
After crossing the Jordan, they have a close encounter with what is described as “a chariot of fire” and “horses of fire”. During this encounter, Elijah is “abducted” by a “whirlwind into heaven” in the sight of Elijah, leaving behind only his cloak (2 Kings 2:11). We will examine the definitions of the original Hebrew words translated into these “chariots and horses of fire” and the “whirlwind” that took Elijah “into heaven”.
A Chariot of Fire
The word “chariots” is translated from rekeb, pronounced reh’-keb, meaning; a vehicle. It is not the specific Hebrew word for chariot, which is merkabah, pronounced mer-kaw-baw’, but rather a generic Hebrew word for a vehicle for riding. The word fire comes from ‘esh, pronounced aysh, which means literally; fire. We can presume that the vehicle was not actually “on fire”, but since there was no form of illumination besides the sun in 800 BC but “fire”, that the vehicle is glowing brightly. Here are a few of the references where the vehicles of God are referred to as chariots:
“The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. ” (Psalms 68:17)
“Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:” (Psalms 68:17)
“For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.” (Isaiah 66:5)
“Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind…” (Jeremiah 4:13)
“And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.” (Zechariah 6:1)
Horses Of Fire
The word “horses” is translated from cuwc, pronounced soos, meaning to skip (properly, for joy); a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid flight). In the Bible, this word is also translated into the word for a bird, the crane. In other words, it can be used for horse, bird, leap, skip, or rapid flight. In the Hebrew word “cuwc”, we have both the elements of skipping and rapid flight associated with UFOs. Considering we know that neither pigs, nor horses, can fly, we must assume that the author of this description is referring to either the bird, leap, skip, or the rapid flight aspects of this Hebrew word.
The very phrase “flying saucers” comes from what is considered to be the first “modern” report of a UFO sighting by Kenneth Arnold on June 24, 1947. He described nine brilliantly bright objects flying across the face of Rainier towards nearby Mount Adams at “an incredible speed”, and said they “flew like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water”.
A Whirlwind in Heaven
The word “whirlwind” is translated from ca`ar, pronounced sah’-ar, meaning; a hurricane. And, the word “heaven” is translated from shamayim, pronounced shaw-mah’-yim, meaning to be lofty; the sky. Logic dictates that this is neither a hurricane nor a tornado, as Elijah’s cloak just fell to the ground and it is something spinning like a whirlwind that drew Elijah into the sky. We know that UFOs spin and that they are reported to project very animated beams of light down from them that draw people and other objects up into them.
We find this description of God’s vehicles by Jeremiah:
“Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.” (Jeremiah 4:13)
Elisha’s Separate Encounter
Few know that after Elijah was abducted, Elisha took over as prophet and had an even more unusual encounter with “horses and chariots of fire”. After the first encounter, he immediately returned to Samaria and, along the way, parted the waters of the Jordan River to get across as Elijah had done. He stopped off in Jericho and purified the poisoned water that had left it without the ability to grow food. He created a great quantity of oil to help a widow settle her debts, much as Jesus was to create wine for the wedding feast in the future. He was able to cause an older woman to become pregnant, and then, resurrected the son she bore from the dead, after he suddenly died. He healed a leper, cursed another man with leprosy, and made a metal axe head float on the water. When the King of Syria attempted to force Elisha to come to him, the second close encounter with “horses and chariots of fire” occurred and is described in 2 Kings 6:15-23.
The King of Syria sent a great army to capture Elisha, which surrounded a new city he had built, and a servant asked Elisha what they could do. Apparently, a great number of God’s vehicles, “horses and chariots of fire” were “round about Elisha”, but they were invisible or cloaked to everyone but Elisha. After he asked God to let the servant see them, the glowing vehicles appeared to him as well. The entire Syrian army was then blinded, taken to Samaria, had their sight returned, and then released.
The events just described point to some obvious conclusions. The vehicles that appeared to, and abducted, Elijah were glowing, either flew with a skipping motion, flew rapidly or both, were probably spinning, and had the ability to beam a human aboard. The “cloaked” vehicles that were present with Elisha were, no doubt, the same “chariots of fire” that had taken Elijah. Flying, glowing, spinning vehicles that can beam up humans in our modern age are called UFOs. In 800 BC they could only be called whirlwind-like chariots of fire.
The Fleet of God
Almost 300 times, the God of the Old Testament is referred to as the Lord of Hosts. The word host is taken from, tsaba’, pronounced tsaw-baw’; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially organized for war (an army). The proper rendering of the phrase “Lord of Hosts” is Yhovah of the Army. The “chariots of fire” of Elijah and Elisha were part of this “flying army”, or fleet, of many thousands of chariots and millions of beings called the Malak, or angels.
Here are just a few biblical references that verify the Lord God of the Old Testament is the head of an army, or fleet:
“The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place” (Psalms 68:17)
“Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?” (Job 25:3)
“And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.” (Joshua 5:14)
“…for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)
“…so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.”(Isaiah 31:4)
“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven,” (Daniel 4:35)
“And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” (Joel 2:11)
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” (Revelation 19:17)
Ezekiel’s Whirlwind and Great Fire
The first and tenth chapters of Ezekiel describe at least two separate encounters with a strange flying vehicle, as well as face-to-face encounters with beings and divine abductions. This encounter occurred about 200 years after that of Elijah and is described in great detail. The close nature of these encounters provides the most thorough description of the physical devices, brilliance, and material composition of the flying craft of Yhovah. Ezekiel was the son of Buzi and a priest, who was one of the Israelite exiles that settled at Tel-abib, on the banks of the Chebar, in the land of the Chaldeans. Here is how Ezekiel describes the beginning of his first close encounter:
“And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.” (Ezekiel 1:4)
The depiction of a great cloud, combined with the whirlwind, would mean that this is a great object that is flying, spinning, and moving toward him from the North. The “fire infolding itself” and “brightness” descriptions obviously mean it was glowing brightly. The “out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire” characterization is the most important, yet, the least mentioned and most misunderstood aspect of Ezekiel’s entire description of this vehicle.
A Large, Flying, Spinning, Glowing, Metallic Vehicle
The word “colour” is taken from the Hebrew word `ayin, pronounced ah’-yin, meaning; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape). In other words, “appearance”. The word “amber” is the key to the composition of this vehicle and comes from the word chashmal, pronounced khash-mal’, meaning; probably bronze or polished spectrum metal. Ezekiel is saying that through the glow, he could see the vehicle was made of polished metal.
Combine whirlwind, great cloud, a fire infolding itself, and the colour of amber, and convert them to modern language, and you are describing a large, flying, spinning, glowing, metallic vehicle. Ezekiel then goes on to describe, in great detail, what he calls “the likeness of four living creatures” in the first encounter in Ezekiel 1 and “cherub” in the Ezekiel 10 encounter. The description of what can only be described as mechanical devices, is the main focus of almost all speculation about this vehicle; especially the “wheel in the middle of a wheel” aspect.
Modern Landing Gear from an Ancient Perspective
Ezekiel spends over two-thirds of his writing on the first encounter describing four “creatures” that came out of the middle of this great metallic vehicle. He says they have faces and wings and feet like a calf and that they “sparkled like the colour of burnished brass”. Again, we see this vehicle is metallic and he describes their movements as being mechanically synchronized. He states that they had an appearance “like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.” (Ezekiel 1:13-14).
Ezekiel is describing four “things”, that are very animated, which appear from the middle of this vehicle. He is using words based on known realities in a period 600 years before the birth of Jesus; in other words, primitive. In perspective, there was no technology, no artificial lights, and only the most basic type of mechanics. With this in mind, we will examine what the prime original Hebrew words meant, which make up Ezekiel’s first recounting of his perception of how these “living creatures” appear. :
The word “sparkled” comes from natsats, pronounced naw-tsats’; meaning: to glare, i.e. be bright-colored:
The word “coals” comes from gechel, pronounced geh’-khel; meaning: to glow or kindle; an ember:
? The word “lamps” comes from lappiyd, pronounced lap-peed’; meaning: to shine; a flambeau, lamp or flame:
The word “bright” comes from nogahh, pronounced no’-gahbright; meaning: brilliancy (literally or figuratively):
The word “lightning” comes from baraq, pronounced baw-rawk’; meaning lightning; by analogy, a gleam; concretely, a flashing sword:
Putting this all together, we find that each of the “creatures” was made from some type of glaring or brightly colored, highly-polished metal. They were glowing and had very bright lights running up and down on them and Ezekiel is seeing gleams or sparks coming from the “creatures” After reading the next part of Ezekiel’s encounter it is not hard to perceive that the “creatures” could be landing gear or something associated with the main body of a larger craft.
A Great Expanse Above It All
Ezekiel goes on to describe identical jewel-like wheels, (the colour of a beryl), with the configuration of a wheel within a wheel, whose motions were completely synchronized and attached to the “creatures” (vs. 15-17.) He speaks of great rings that were awesome and appeared to be full of “eyes” (vs. 16). He then speaks of connected wings and the appearance of strange faces. It is not until verse 22 that Ezekiel begins to describe an expanse that the “creatures” had appeared from, which had an awesome, transparent, glass-like appearance.
It is from this expanse, which is stretched over the “creatures” that Ezekiel sees and hears the Lord. He first says he hears a voice, and then he describes “the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” (vs. 26)
The first time the word “throne” is used it comes from the Hebrew word ‘eben, pronounced eh’-ben, meaning; a stone.
The first time the words “sapphire stone” come from cappiyr, pronounced sap-peer’, meaning; a gem (perhaps used for scratching other substances), probably the sapphire.
The second time the word “throne” is used it comes from kicce’, pronounced kis-say”, meaning; properly, covered, i.e. a throne (as canopied).
Put together with previous descriptions, this shows that Ezekiel is seeing a fearful-looking, transparent, but solid, gem-like expanse, and a throne-like structure, with a being that appears to be a man upon it. He then describes the being he calls the Lord:
“And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” (Ezekiel 1:27-28)
The word “amber” is from the Hebrew word chashmal, pronounced khash-mal’; probably bronze or polished spectrum metal. And he recounts “the appearance of fire round about within”. This being is clad, from head to toe, in a suit or some type of metal-like bodily covering that glows brightly. He also describes a brilliancy with the colors of a rainbow all around this being.
This being, that Ezekiel calls the Lord, traveled from the North in this large, flying, spinning, glowing, metallic vehicle, with great rings and “eyes”, and a transparent jewel-like appearance. Four, rather animated, devices with synchronized mechanical movements, wheels, feet, wings, faces, and lights running up and down, suddenly appeared from it, and it landed right in front of him. Then, a being, the Lord, the God of Israel, who Ezekiel describes as adorned in a brightly-glowing, metal-like covering with all the colors of the rainbow flashing around him, begins to speak to Ezekiel. Ezekiel encounters this vehicle again, and the description of this encounter can be found in Ezekiel 10.
Although Ezekiel is speaking with 2500 year-old technological understanding, he never saw anything but birds and clouds fly in the sky, and fire was his only form of artificial light; it is obvious he is describing a highly sophisticated and technologically advanced flying vehicle. There can be little doubt that Ezekiel is describing an encounter with a UFO piloted by God.
The Close Encounters of Jesus
No other individual, out of the many in the biblical narrative, had more individual close encounters than Jesus. From before his conception, to the ascension after his resurrection, the life of Jesus was associated with angels and flying craft, not to mention many other paranormal events. Even though the period covered by the Gospels is only 3 years, the scores of miracles and encounters recorded are only a small part of the actual volume of anomalous occurrences. The verification of that fact is given by an eyewitness, the Apostle John:
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (John 21:25). This is just one more reason for mourning the act of destroying many hundreds of biblical books by the early church leaders. Presented here, is a brief chronology of the encounters of Jesus and his obvious close association with flying craft.
Lights in the Sky
Many of the descriptions of sightings and encounters in the Bible include the phenomenon of extremely bright lights. In an ancient world, the only truly “bright” lights were celestial bodies, lightning, or gleams from shiny surfaces. We see the same bright lights described in close encounters in the Bible being described as “stars” or illumination, “above the brightness of the sun”, or “the glory of the Lord” shining all around. We will start with the least known of all biblical close encounters.
The Most Ignored Close Encounter – The Transfiguration
The incident commonly called the Transfiguration is an account of a close encounter Jesus and three apostles had with a bright hovering craft and two “men” from that craft. Transfiguration refers to the change of the appearance of Jesus that the apostles witnessed as he was having this encounter. The question almost never asked is, what caused this change? If one examines the entire incident, a rather familiar scenario develops. Here are the main points of this encounter:
Jesus is up on a mountain just before his crucifixion, late at night, with three of his apostles.
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,” (Matthew 17:1)
Jesus actually told them that they would have an encounter in the very near future. “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” (Mark 9:1)
There was a bright cloud overhead and a voice was broadcast from the object. “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matthew 17:4)
Jesus was “transfigured” and turned a radiant white. “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.” (Mark 9:3) A “fuller” is a person that bleached cloth in that era.
“And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.” (Luke 9:29) The word “glistering” is translated from the Greek word exastrapto, pronounced ex-as-trap’-to, meaning; to lighten forth, i.e. (figuratively) to be radiant (of very white garments):
The orthodox belief about this change in appearance is that Jesus’ appearance was miraculously transformed, although the pulpit never says how, or why, this “miraculous” change occurred. Completely ignored is the “bright cloud” above them, which probably was the direct source for that change, which is directly attributed to lights. The encounter described below experienced by the wise men, was guided by a bright object, and the nearby shepherds were bathed in a bright light. A simple coincidence, or a typical effect from a light beam, which the glowing object above them projected to the ground? A beam that, perhaps, transported the two “men”, who were seen with Jesus, to and from the ground?
There are “two men” who appeared with Jesus in the light bathing him, as the bright cloud hovers overhead.
“But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.” (Luke 9:32)
And, these men were then are taken back up into the bright cloud.
“While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.” (Luke 9:34)
Here are just a few of the biblical references to bright clouds:
Exodus 40:34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Exodus 16:10 … behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
Deuteronomy 5:22 These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud.
Job 37:15 Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
Ezekiel 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
The only bright clouds ever seen outside of the Bible, and other ancient writings, relate to a specific modern development; artificial lighting, which is caused by, either the glow of cities, or spotlight beams projected on to clouds.
The Star of Bethlehem
At the occasion of Jesus’ birth, certain wise men, (scientists, no specific number), from the East came to Jerusalem searching for the birthplace of a child they had determined would become a great leader and King of the Jews. Herod, the king of Judea, appointed by the Roman senate, found this upsetting and brought his counselors together to determine the validity of the scientist’s quest. When his advisors confirmed that the prophecy was known, he attempted to enlist the travelers as informants, demanding that if they indeed found this child, they should return and report it directly to him.
Having left Herod’s company, they encountered what Matthew describes as a “star’ that apparently led them to the place of the birth and hovered over it.
“When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was” (Matthew 2:9-10)
This, obviously, was a very bright object, as stars do not travel ahead of, and lead, groups of people to, and hover over specific locations. In the Old Testament, bright glowing vehicles did lead Moses and the nation of Israel on their 40-year journey and were known to hover over specific locations.
After they delivered gifts to the Christ child, they were warned not to return and inform Herod. So, they departed, returning to their homeland by another route. As soon as they departed, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him to take the child to Egypt, and that this same angel would come to him when it was safe to return. This was done after Herod’s death.
The Shepherds, Angels, and Bright Lights
Also, at the birth of Jesus, there were shepherds with their flocks in the immediate vicinity of Jesus’ birth, who were visited by angels. During this encounter the shepherds, were greatly frightened by bright lights and it is clearly noted that the angels “went away” into the sky.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” (Luke 2:8-9)
There is no source described for this bright light bathing the shepherds in its glow, but we do know there was a “star” guiding the wise men in the same area, at the same time. It is not until over thirty years later that we see anybody else bathed in great light and, this time, it is directly associated with a bright object in the sky.
Paul’s Close Encounter
Could the brilliant light illuminating the Christ at the Transfiguration be the same light, which is described as being “brighter than the sun” that Paul speaks of, when he first encounters Jesus?
“And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.” (Acts 22:6-8) And, “Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.” (Acts 26:12-13)
If the source for the incredible light Paul experienced was from an object in the sky, and there is no indication it was not, then we must consider that it could also be related to the “Star of Bethlehem” and the one seen by the shepherds.
The Ascension
There are also “two men” who appeared with Jesus, “two men…in white apparel” present when he was taken up during the “ascension”. Were these, perhaps, the same “two men” and the same “cloud” that hovered over him at the “Transfiguration”?
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
The Transfiguration happened at night and the Ascension occurred during the day, which accounts for why the object was called a “bright cloud” in the former, and just a cloud in the latter. The same reason the object leading the Hebrews out of Egypt during the “Exodus” was called a “pillar of fire” at night and a “pillar of a cloud” during the day. And, this is why UFOs are just flying dark objects during the day and brightly lit at night. The incredible light described, that changed the appearance of Jesus, is the same effect seen when a helicopter shines its search light on the ground; everything turns a brilliant white. And, the same bright lights, in the form of radiant beams, are seen in pictures and movies of encounters with UFOs at night.
The Temptation
After spending 40 days in the desert on an extended fast, Jesus was confronted by Satan who tried to cajole and bribe him into submission. After this failed, angels came and ministered to Jesus.
“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” (Matthew 4:11) And, “And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” (Mark 1:13)
Were these “angels” the same “men” that appeared at the “Transfiguration” and at his ascension described above? And, did they arrive in the same bright cloud seen during that event?
The Baptism
Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist, and a visual sighting of what is called the Holy Spirit descended out of the sky.
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17) And, “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)
It should be pointed out that during the “Transfiguration”, the same voice spoke from the “bright cloud”, in the sky, saying the same thing.
“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
It does not say that there was an object above Jesus at his baptism, but it is not a stretch of logic to consider that the same voice is speaking from the same object.
An Encounter Before the Crucifixion
This little known encounter was recorded by the Apostle John as occurring just before the Crucifixion.
“Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.” (John 12:28-29)
Again, there is a voice speaking from the sky, who is obviously the Father of the Christ and this can also be assumed to be coming from the same object described at the “Transfiguration”.
The Crucifixion
Though the New Testament is rather vague on the unusual occurrences at the crucifixion of Christ, the events, found in the Gospels, that struck Jerusalem had to be horrendous with a major earthquake, reports of the dead rising and a three-hour darkness over the land occurring .There was another famous person who recorded the anomalies occurring after the Crucifixion:
From the Epistle of Pontius Pilate to the Roman Emperor comes this:
“….and when he was hanged supernatural signs appeared.”
From the Report of Pilate to the Governor sent to Augustus Caesar in Rome:
“Now when he was crucified there was a darkness over all the world and the sun was obscure for half a day, and the stars appear but no luster was seen in them and the moon lost its brightness as though tinged with blood.”
“And the terror of the earthquake continued from the sixth hour of preparation until the ninth hour; when it was evening on the first day of the week, there came a sound from heaven, and at the third hour of the night the sun appeared more luminous than it had ever shown lighting the whole hemisphere and the heaven became seven times more luminous than on all other days. And as lightning flashes suddenly come forth as in a storm so there were seen men lofty in stature and surpassing in glory a countless host, crying out, and their voice was heard as that of the exceedingly loud thunder. . . ”
“And all that night the Light ceased not shining. And many of the Jews died in the chasm of the Earth, being swallowed up, so that on the morrow most of those who have been against Jesus were not to be found. Others saw the apparition of men rising again whom none of us had ever seen.”
From the Report of Pontius Pilate sent to Tiberius Caesar in Rome:
“And on the first day of the week, about the third hour of the night, the sun appeared as it never shown before, and the whole heaven became bright. And as lightnings come in a storm, so certain men of lofty stature in beautiful array, and of indescribable glory, appeared in the air, a countless host of angels flying out saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will good will among men…”
The Letters of Pilate and other related writings can be found in “The Lost Books of the Bible, and the Forgotten Books of Eden”, L.B. Press, or online.
The Resurrection
Three days after the crucifixion of Christ, biblical witnesses reported that a glorious angel, clothed in white, descended from the sky to the sepulcher where the body of Christ had been entombed, and announced that Jesus had risen from the dead.
The Revelation of John
From the beginning to the end, the vision of the future given to John is a high-tech, high-flying scenario. It is his testimony of the end times from the perspective that Jesus showed him, complete with a description of the inside of the command vessel. John has a front row seat during the conquest of Earth and the defeat of the armies of mankind that Satan has amassed to fight the Second Coming. This can be found in the first chapter of The Revelation.
In Conclusion
Even a cursory study of the close encounters witnessed in the Old Testament and compiled in this work, will show these sightings very similar to those experienced during the life of Christ. The most distinct difference is that Yhovah, the God most often heard speaking to the nation of Israel from the vehicles, is now in human form as Jesus. The entity speaking from the vehicles, most often, in the New Testament is now the Father of the Christ. Jesus’ conception, birth, baptism, travails, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension are all accompanied by encounters with very physical beings and cloud-like flying craft.
After he was taken up into a vehicle, he is once again heard speaking from, and seen appearing, in the vehicles, which he spoke from and appeared in as Yhovah in the Old Testament. When considering that the two men at the ascension declared he would return the same way he left, and that the “Second Coming” is described as many thousands of clouds / vehicles flying across the skies, a new reality appears. Jesus is not only a contactee, he is a regular occupant and, no doubt, commander of a fleet of high tech, glowing, and hovering vehicles.
We have covered several of the most well-known close encounters in the Bible, as well as some not so commonly recognized encounters. Many more encounters can be found in scripture and are covered on the website “The Bible UFO Connection” with several other aspects of that reality. Under our main section, “Flying Vehicles and Advanced Technology in the Bible”, we cover the biblical descriptions of the vehicles, the flight characteristics of those vehicles, the beings associated with them, and the technology they exhibit.
Nothing in human history would have a greater impact on the world at large more than direct public contact with the beings associated with UFOs. Many speculate about who is commanding these vehicles and what their agenda may be. Those two questions carry more impact than anything mankind has ever pondered in the entirety of human experience.
The majority of theorists seem to conclude, without much evidence, that they are evil or malevolent, not having the best of intentions, or interest, of humanity at heart. This is the worst possible scenario for the world, considering they have technology and power thousands, if not millions, of years beyond our own. We could not even begin to form a defense against them. And, some are simply agnostic about it; preferring to take a cautious, ‘wait and see’ attitude. Rarely, and most often privately, there are those who believe they are here for the benefit of humanity.
We believe and publicly present a massive database to prove that the occupants of UFOs have been with mankind since the beginning of known history. This article should, if nothing else, give rise to considering the reality that, if it looks like a UFO, flies like a UFO, and humans are contacted just as they are in modern UFO encounters, the bright, spinning, rapidly flying, metallic craft of the Bible just might be UFOs. And, if they are, and mankind is being led far astray from the truth, it just might be that the evil force so many evil-alien proponents claim is in control of UFOs, is the one truly deceiving mankind.
The largest close encounter spoken of in the Bible occurs at the end times, with the entire world as the witness. The Bible states clearly that the whole world will see the Christ returning exactly as he left:
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
If that cloud was one of the swift, glowing, revolving, metallic ones described in scripture, it may not be a UFO, but it will certainly look like one. And strangely, the world will not be happy to see the returning Jesus:
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)
And, the whole of humanity will fight the returning Christ at Armageddon. Why will the world fight the very Savior they expect to rescue them? Why will the entire world celebrate the deaths of the “two witnesses”, who are trying to tell the world that it is the Christ that they are seeing in the skies? They also depart the planet in a very unorthodox manner, after they, too, are resurrected from death:
“And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” (Revelation 11:12)
If it is a handsome Jesus, with flowing robes, standing on a fluffy cloud, and surrounded by winged, harp-strumming angels on their fluffy clouds with flowing robes and sunbeams all around, why would the world feel so threatened? Only the falsely perceived threat of an alien invasion could ever unite the entire world in a common cause to fight against the returning Christ. This would surely be the “greatest deception” and only caused by ignoring the very obvious Bible / UFO connection.