Close Encounters of the Bible Kind

The majority of sightings represented in the entirety of this work can be classified as close encounters.    Those listed here are more the "face to face" or "abduction" variety.  

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:

1.    When you see a flying saucer (disc, cigar, spheroid, what have you), that's an encounter (close or far) of the first kind.

2.    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.

3.    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.

4.    And if you get invited aboard, or taken aboard, and have experiences therein, that's an encounter of the fourth kind. 

5.    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.

            The Big Four Encounters of the Bible

There are four close encounters described in detail in the Bible, several instances of men being transported by or entering into stationary or flying vehicles and many direct encounters with vehicles in the air, conversations from the sky, or beings on the ground.  The four extended encounters require more than a cursory examination and should each be studied in their entirety.  They are briefly outlined below:

MOSES AND 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 flight from Egypt, Moses entry into the vehicle, then 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.  The Exodus section of this site covers the individual instances but a complete read of the book is worthwhile.

EZEKIEL'S WHIRLWIND

            The first and tenth chapters of Ezekiel and other verses describe at least two separate encounters with the vehicle as well as face-to-face encounters with beings and divine abductions.  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.

THE TRANSFIGURATION

            The incident commonly called the Transfiguration is an account of an encounter Jesus and three apostles have with bright hovering craft and two "men" from that craft.  Transfiguration refers to change of the appearance of Jesus the apostles witness as he is having this encounter.  The question almost never asked is what caused this change?  If one examines the entire incident a rather familiar scenario develops.  Jesus is up on a mountain just before his crucifixion and late at night the apostles are awakened fro a deep sleep.  There is a bright object overhead and suddenly Jesus turns a radiant white.  Two men appear out of the object and talk to Jesus about his pending death.  These men then are taken back up into the object and a voice is broadcast from the object.  The answer to what cased the change in appearance is a light beam from that glowing object, the beam that transported the two men to and from the ground.  The same light, "brighter than the sun", that Paul speaks of in Acts 22.  The same effect one sees when a helicopter shines its search light on the ground, everything turns white.  And the same effect one sees in pictures and movies of encounters with UFOs. This encounter is described by each of the three Gospel authors, Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36.  John mentions it also it also, John 1:14.  Forty years after the event Peter recalls it, 2 Peter 1:16-18.  Paul also mentions  the glorious appearance of Jesus on the holy mount, Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18. The place of the transfiguration was probably Mount Hermon and not Mount Tabor, as is commonly thought. 

THE REVELATIONS 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 shows 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 armies of mankind that Satan has amassed to fight the Second Coming.
 

INSIDE THE VEHICLE

DIVINE ABDUCTION
          
  GENESIS
  5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
            "Enoch walked with God " is a simple statement and seems to mean what it says.  "God took him" is more complicated.  It is the first of such incidences and shows that God does take on passengers from time to time. 

MOSES ENTERED THE VEHICLE

            EXODUS  24:18
  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.
            Moses goes up to the craft that is covering the mountain and enters it. Though not the only instance of men entering this craft, it is the first thus lending more credence to the physical aspects of the craft since it will accommodate humans.

YHOVAH TAKES SAMUEL
           
2 SAMUEL  22:17
He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;  18  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19  They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.  20  He brought me forth also into a large place:, because he delighted in me.
           Yhovah rescues Samuel by taking him from the sky and delivered him back down in an open space away from his enemies.   See
PSALMS 18:16  

ELIJAH TAKEN UP IN A SPINNING OBJECT
            2 KINGS  2:1
  And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
            Elijah is taken up into the sky by a flying craft here described as a spinning.  Though Moses was first to enter the craft Elijah is taken into it as it flies. As first described in
Num. 12:10 the craft is revolving or spinning.  

AERIAL RESCUE MISSION
           
PSALMS  18:16  He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. 17  He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18  They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord  was my stay.  19  He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
            This is another case of Yhovah taking a man from one location to a point elsewhere via aerial transport.  See 
2 SAMUEL 22:17

AERIAL DELIVERANCE
           
           
PSALMS  57:3 
He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
            Elohiym will descend from the sky and free him.  Save = to free. 
  

EZEKIEL ASCENDS

           
EZEKIEL  11:1 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 is lifted and transported.

AERIAL ABDUCTION AND RELEASE
           
EZEKIEL  32:3 
Thus saith the Lord God; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net.  4  Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.
            Bring thee up = ascend. 

SPIRIT CARRIES EZEKIEL 
             37:1 
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 is being transported to to a valley.  "Out" is added.

EZEKIEL ASCENDS
           
EZEKIEL  43:5  So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.
            Ezekiel is lifted and transported.

MEN  ENTER THE CLOUD            
            LUKE  9:34
  While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.  35  And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.  36  And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.
           The probable cause for the change in Christ's appearance is illumination from this vehicle.

JESUS IS TAKEN UP         
            ACTS  1:2 
Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.
            Jesus ascends into the sky.  

JESUS IS TAKEN UP INTO A CLOUD
            ACTS  1:9   And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
            Jesus is taken up into the bottom of a cloud and they lost sight of him.

JESUS WAS TAKEN UP
           
ACTS  1:22  Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
            This is a reference to the ascension of Jesus into the sky.  
 
SPIRIT SEIZES AND TRANSPORTS PHILLIP
           
ACTS  8:39  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.  40  But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
            Phillip suddenly disappears only to reappear later.  He is said to have been seized by the spirit but nothing more specific.  If this is not an unusual incident he was beamed up into one of the vehicles.

THE THIRD SKY
             2 CORINTHIANS  12:2  
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
            Paul speaks of a man being seized and taken up into the third sky.

ASCEND TO PARADISE
            2 CORINTHIANS  12:4
  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
            Paul speaks of a man being seized and taken up into the paradise.

MEET JESUS IN THE CLOUDS IN THE AIR
            1 THESSALONIANS
  4:17
  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.
            People will be taken up into the clouds in the air. 


WITNESSES ASCEND INTO THE SKY
            REVELATIONS  11:11   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. 12  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.
             The two witnesses after being resurrected hear a great voice from the sky and ascend into the sky in a cloud.

NEAR THE VEHICLE

MOSES ENCOUNTERS YHOVAH
            EXODUS  3:2  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  4  And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
            A glowing object on the ground resembling a bramble from which Yhovah speaks to Moses.  Note that he sees light that seems to be a fire but is not consuming the object, in other words glowing.  Since in other text God is contacts mankind in glowing flying objects and not glowing bushes this is something on the ground other than a burning bush. Further examination of the method God uses to present himself will show that this is more likely a flying craft that is on the ground.  Bush = bramble.            

SPIRIT OF GOD DESCENDS
           
MATTHEW  3:16 
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:  17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is  my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
            This is the first time Jesus is recorded as encountering the reality of his former spiritual existence as a god.  The Father of Jesus speaks from the sky and declares his approval. 

A VERY BRIGHT CLOUD HOVERS
            MATTHEW  17:5   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.
            A radiant cloud enveloped them in a brilliant haze and the Father spoke from the cloud.

THE TRANSFIGURATION CLOUD

           
MARK  9:1  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.  2  And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and  James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.  And his raiment  became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.  4  And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.  5  And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  6  For he wist not what to say;  for they were sore afraid.  7  And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 8  And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. 
            This is known as the “Transfiguration”.  Jesus tells his apostles that some of them will see the realm of God before they die.  Jesus is praying and his appearance changes.  His clothes became pure white and gleaming.  Two men appear with Jesus and a cloud enveloped them with a brilliant haze and suddenly the two men disappear.

A VOICE FROM THE SKY
           
MARK  1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12  And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
            The “Spirit” descended from the sky and the Father spoke from the sky.

SPIRIT DESCENDS
            LUKE  3:21
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,  22  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.
            The sky opened.  The Holy Spirit in a physical shape descends and the Father spoke.  The Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit are the same force.

VERY BRIGHT FLASHING LIGHTS
            ACTS  22:6   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 about me.  7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest.  9  And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10  And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11  And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
            Paul says that in the middle of the day very bright luminescent rays began to flash all around him.

SPIRIT DESCENDS FROM THE SKY
         JOHN  1:32
  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
                          This Spirit appears to be some form of energy.
  See Acts 2:2

ANOTHER ENCOUNTER BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION
        
      
      JOHN  12:28  Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.  29  The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
            This is another encounter that Jesus has like the one known as the transfiguration though not as graphic and more public in nature.

SHINING FLASHING LIGHTS 
   
         ACTS  9:3   And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
            Jesus who uses bright flashing lights from the sky to get his attention confronts Paul. 

AN APPARATUS DESCENDS FROM THE SKY
           ACTS  10:11 
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
             Peter sees craft descending from the sky.  Vessel = apparatus.

THE APPARATUS ASCENDS INTO THE SKY
           
ACTS  10:16  This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
            The craft ascended into the sky.

AN APPARATUS DESCENDS FROM THE SKY
   
         ACTS  11:5  I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
            Peter describes the encounter mentioned in verse
10:11.

CONVERSATIONS

GOD SPEAKS FROM THE SKY
            EXODUS  20:22  
And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
            God emphasizes the importance of the act of speaking from the sky.  

YHOVAH SPEAKS WITH MOSES
            EXODUS  33:9  
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the  tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10  And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
            The craft that was hovering over the mountain now flies and hovers over the tabernacle. Yhovah speaks to Moses from it.


            
NUMBERS  11:25  
And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
            Yhovah descends in the flying craft and places the "spirit" over the elders.

YHOVAH SPEAKS FROM A GLOWING OBJECT
           
DEUTERONOMY  10:4  
And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me.
            Yhovah speaks form the glowing object.

ANSWERS FROM  A SPINNING OBJECT
            JOB  38:1 
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
            Yhovah speaks to Job out of a spinning flying object.

            JOB  40:6   Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
            Again Yhovah speaks to Job out of a rotating flying object.
 

AN UNSEEN SPEAKER
            ACTS  9:7
 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.         
            The men with Paul are baffled by the fact that they are hearing a voice but can see no speaker.

VOICE FROM THE SKY
            2 PETER 1:18
 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
            A reference to the voice they heard at the Transfiguration.

FACE TO FACE

YHOVAH'S APPEARANCE
    .       EXODUS  33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.  21   And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:  22  And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:  23  And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt  see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
            Moses makes a request to see him Yhovah explains that viewing his face would cause death and arranges Moses so that he can only see Yhovah’s back.  

YHOVAH TALKS FROM THE FIRE
            DEUTERONOMY  31:15 The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,            
            God talks from the glowing object.

A CAPTAIN OF YHOVAH'S ARMY            
            JOSHUA   5:13
 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  14   And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face  to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
            Joshua is confronted by a high ranking member of the Army of Yhovah hovering over him.  

HOVERING ANGEL
           
1 CHRONICLES  21:16
  And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
            An angel is floating in the sky.

A COPPER BEING
            EZEKIEL  40:3  And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the\gate.
            Ezekiel encounters a man who appeared as copper colored metal.

A MAN APPEARS
           
EZEKIEL  43:6  And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
            A being appears beside Ezekiel.

APPEARANCE OF A MAN
          
  DANIEL  8:15  And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
            A being that looked like a man appears before Daniel.

A GOLDEN BEING 
  
         DANIEL  10:5  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 
            A being appears dressed in linen and gold.  Girded = dressed. 
            
ANGELIC DESERT RESCUE 
           
MATTHEW  4:11
 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
            The angels tend to Jesus but where did they come from?  See 
Luke 22:43

A GLARING WHITE ANGEL DESCENDS

            MATTHEW  28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  3  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:    4  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
            A great angel descends from the sky dressed in pure white clothing and shining.

ANGEL AND BRIGHT LIGHTS
            LUKE  2:8   And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.   9  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.  10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger
            An angel of Yhovah comes over shepherds in the field and the area around them became brightly illuminated.

THE TRANSFIGURATION AND BRIGHT LIGHTS
            LUKE  9:28
  And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into  a mountain to pray.  29  And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.  30  And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:  31  Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.  32  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.  33  And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.  
            The transfiguration is the account of an aerial visitation to Jesus by two beings that discuss the coming crucifixion.

A MAN IN RADIANT CLOTHING

            ACTS  10:30  And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
            A man suddenly appears in radiant clothing.

JESUS AS AN  ELOHIYM
            REVELATIONS  1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 
            John is seeing Jesus in his true appearance.  There seems to be no reason why John is allowed to see him while such a look would have killed Moses.  The Holy Spirit which John received at Pentecost must provide immunity that a normal human does not possess.

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