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"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud . . . they feared as they entered into the cloud"

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A number of years ago, I undertook a study of New Age thought and the UFO phenomenon. This study lasted for approximately a two-year period. After concluding my study, I felt that it would be a good idea to put into an easily-readable form, many of the interesting verses which can be found throughout the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible. Being a Bible student of many years, I am familiar with many of the out-of-this-world events which can be found within its holy pages. With the aid of an electronic version of the Bible, I was finally able to compile these verses during 1997, and this current series is the result of my research. As the following passages clearly demonstrate, there appears to be a strong connection between clouds, the Lord's appearance, and other Heavenly Phenomena.

As you read this intriguing information, the questions which I would like to ask you to consider are these: Exactly what were these "clouds of Heaven" and what role might they play in our modern times and in our future? I hope to provide you with some possible answers to these questions in the pages that follow. Please bear in mind, however, that any comments I may make are only speculation on my part. In all honesty, I really don't know, nor fully comprehend, what the writers of the Bible were referring to when they wrote the various accounts of their experiences, because I was not there to experience them firsthand.

While none of us were eyewitnesses of these amazing events, one point which will become apparent to you, is that while many verses in the Bible describe what are obviously normal rain clouds, there are other odd passages, and many at that, which describe something very special indeed, and with very peculiar properties; and it is these odd verses that I think many people, Christian and non-Christian alike, will find most interesting. Of course, I realize that some Christians may object to my implication that these verses may in some way be related to the UFO phenomenon. If that be the case, I offer you my apologies, with the knowledge that some people will be offended, regardless of what the truth might be.

For those Christians who may criticize me for suggesting this possible Bible-UFO connection, allow me to inform you that I have known the Lord, and have studied His Word, for a large part of the last fifty-three years. While I firmly believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, I also believe that as Christians, we do need to allow for a certain degree of flexibility in our views, and in our understanding, and consider other possibilities in some of its interpretation; particularly when it comes to passages such as those which are included in this series.

Before actually sharing this treasure chest of Scriptures with you, I would like to take a moment to thank the people at Project Gutenberg for their hard work and dedication in converting the King James Bible to a downloadable electronic format. Without them, this project would have taken me much longer to complete, and probably would not have been nearly as thorough as it is. Special thanks also go to Ken Hamel, the creator of the Macintosh version of the excellent Bible program, "Online Bible". It has truly been a blessing for many Christians such as myself.

Having said that, let us begin now to examine some of the interesting verses of which I have spoken. The following verses are excerpts from the story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness and across the Red Sea. All of these verses are extracted from the Book of Exodus:

"And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:"


"And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night . . . And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians."


"And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud."


"And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD . . . And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled."


"And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud . . . 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."


"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. 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. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle."


"And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD."


"Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys."


Turning to the Book of Leviticus, we find the following interesting verses:

"And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat."


In the Book of Numbers, we also find these verses:

"And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed."


"And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran . . . And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel."


"And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them . . . 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."


"And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth . . . And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous."


"And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night."


"And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared."


This amazing tale of Moses and the children of Israel continues in the Book of Deuteronomy, where we also find evidence of some rather unworldly happenings:

"Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day."


"And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice."


"And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud: and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle."


Leaving Moses and the wandering children of Israel behind, let us move up hundreds of years in Israelite history to the time of King David. In one of his songs of praise, which we find in both 2 Samuel chapter twenty-two, as well as in Psalm 18, David wrote the following verses:

"Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils."


In 1 Kings chapter eight, we read of this amazing event occurring within Solomon's temple at the time when the Ark of the Covenant was transferred from the Tabernacle, to the Holy of Holies within the newly-built temple:

"And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD."


The above event is also described for us in the Second Book of Chronicles, chapter five, as we see here:

"And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God."


Hundreds of years later, following the return of the children of Israel to Jerusalem from their seventy years of captivity in Babylon, we find Ezra the scribe and his companions reading from the Book of the Law, and reminding the Israelites of God's great acts in times past. During that time of great praise and fellowship with the Lord, he said in part:

"Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go . . . Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go."


Turning our attention to the Book of Psalms, we discover yet further mention of the unusual clouds which were associated with the Lord during Biblical times:

"In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire."


"Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth."


"He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them."


"Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:"


"He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night."


As we have already seen, in his eighteenth Psalm, King David tells us that the Lord "rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind". David repeats this same description of the Lord in Psalm 104, except this time, the King specifically uses the Hebrew word for chariot -- that is to say, r@kuwb, or rek-oob' -- and says "who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind." Following this thought, in the Book of Isaiah, the Prophet tells us that the Lord rides upon a "swift cloud", and that He will come "with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind", as we see here:

"The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it."


"Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?"


"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."


Earlier, we saw how the Lord spoke to the children of Israel out of a cloud, and how He observed their doings from within the pillar of the cloud. As we have just seen, King David also wrote that "clouds and darkness are round" the Lord, and that "He spread a cloud for a covering." Approximately one hundred and fifty years after Isaiah's time, the young Prophet Jeremiah likewise described how the Lord covers Himself with a cloud, as we see here:

"Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through."


Now we come to one of the most well-known, awe-inspiring events of the entire Bible; one which is familiar to, and which has been pondered by, even many secular people: the visions of the Prophet Ezekiel, commonly referred to as "Ezekiel's Wheel". While some of the Bible's authors may have observed the Lord from a distance, it seems that the Prophet Ezekiel was given a front row seat; what we might describe as a "close encounter of the third kind". Here is a description of this amazing event as it is recorded in the first chapter of the Prophet's writings:

"Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity, The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. 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. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was 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. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. And above the firmament that was over their heads was 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. 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. And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee."


Even though I have read the previous description a number of times, each time that I read it again, it just really leaves me breathless, and filled with awe. If ever there was a clear description of what we today refer to as a UFO encounter with some kind of beings who are not of this world, surely this is it. It requires very little imagination to picture a luminous rotating flying disc, enveloped in amber light, approaching speedily from the north. Is it possible that the fire which enfolded itself was the result of friction created when this "Celestial Craft" entered the Earth's atmosphere? What about the "eyes" Ezekiel saw within the huge rings? Is it possible that in reality they were brilliant landing lights around the craft's periphery, similar to the colored lights which are often reported on the circumference of many UFOs today?

I am reminded of some modern vehicles where the headlights can be hidden out of sight with the mere press of a button. Imagine for a moment if such a "Celestial Craft" were to approach the Prophet, and then conceal its landing lights after it had stationed itself upon the Earth. It would indeed give the appearance of brilliant eyes opening and closing, would it not? In fact, we have all seen cartoons where the artist will take an automobile, and change the headlights and grill into eyes and a mouth.

After describing this unworldly craft, Ezekiel then proceeds to tell us about the four unusual beings who seem to take their orders from none other than the Son of God, or perhaps even from God the Father Himself. In the tenth chapter, the Prophet provides us with a further description of these four amazing creatures, which the Bible refers to as "cherubims", from the Hebrew k@ruwb, or ker-oob'. Please observe that this Hebrew word is very similar to the Hebrew word for chariot -- that is to say, r@kuwb, or rek-oob' -- which we looked at earlier. So it seems that what the Prophet is describing here, are the four charioteers who formed a part of God's "Celestial Chariot". That is, His "Chariot of Fire" which was somehow composed of wheels within wheels:

"Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S glory. And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh. And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels. And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out. And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings. And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone. And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel. And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar. And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them. When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD'S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims. Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward."


Regardless of how many times I read the previous verses, I will be honest and tell you that I simply cannot make sense of it all. I cannot even picture it all in my mind. It is simply too profound for my understanding. I think we would have to have seen it for ourselves to even begin to fully understand what Ezekiel saw on those occasions. Whatever he saw, similar to the Prophet Daniel and others who had like experiences, it must have frightened him terribly, and we are told that he fell upon his face. The only thing we can derive from these verses with any degree of certainty, is that God definitely seems to possess some very advanced form of transportation, and that whatever it is, it is manned by some very unusual creatures indeed.

Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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