Close Encounters of the Biblical Kind
Part 3

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.