Phrases Analyzed - Visions

Keywords: UFO, unidentified flying objects, Bible, flying saucers, prophecy, Paleo-SETI, ancient astronauts, Erich von Däniken, Josef F. Blumrich, Zecharia Sitchin, Ezekiel, biblical prophecy, spacecraft, spaceship, NASA, Roswell, aircraft, propellant, extraterrestrial hypothesis, Jacques Vallee, interdimensional hypothesis, Project Blue Book, Condon Report, ancient history, Jesus, Judaism, Christianity, Middle East, end times, engines, rockets, helicopters, space travel, aliens, abductions, alien abductions, crop circles, extraterrestrials, astronomy, economics, biology, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Space Shuttle, Apollo, stars, planets, solar system, scriptures, design, fuel tank, aerodynamics, fuels, hydrogen, oxygen, wheels

Phrases Analyzed "visions"

PDF showing all occurrences in Ezekiel of  "mah-RAY", Strong's Number 4758, which translates as "appearance" or "vision".  

In examining what Ezekiel means by a "vision" we again see a fundamental error in Blumrich's approach—if information can fit his theory he uses it but if information contradicts his theory he simply ignores it.

Ezekiel uses the root "mah-ray" 36 times in 20 different verses. Early on, Blumrich states that Ezekiel had extraordinary powers of observation, yet when Ezekiel clearly says he saw a vision, Blumrich ignores that and says, "Ezekiel saw a real physical object."

Genesis 46:2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" [Abraham's grandson, Jacob, was also known as Israel]

"Here I am," he replied.

3 "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes."

Numbers 24:15 Then he uttered his oracle: "The oracle [prophecy] of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, 16 the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

Balaam was a Gentile prophet. 

Ezekiel 12:21 The word of the LORD came to me: 22 "Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: `The days go by and every vision comes to nothing'? 23 Say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.' Say to them, `The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. 24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. 25 But I the LORD will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious house, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "

Ezekiel 12:26 The word of the LORD came to me: 27 "Son of man, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.'

This passage clearly equates visions, divination and prophecies. The Balaam text shows that another word for this is oracles. These passages clearly show that the "visions" Ezekiel recounts were visions, not physical objects that actually carried him around. (There are significant differences between "prophecy" and "divination" not relevant here. That is why it talks about false visions and divination.)

Ezekiel 8:1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. 2 Then I beheld, and lo, a form of what had the appearance of a man below what appeared to be his loins it was like fire, and above his loins it was like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming bronze. 3 He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head and the spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.

Here we see that Ezekiel had a vision while in the presence of the elders of Judah. He was "taken" "in visions".

Ezekiel 40:1 . . . that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me and he took me there. 2 In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city.

Daniel was a Jewish prophet who, like Ezekiel, was taken into captivity in Babylon. He ultimately became Prime Minister of the Babylonian Empire, second in authority only to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 2:1 [Nebuchadnezzar] had dreams his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. . . .

9 . . . So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."

17 Then Daniel . . . explained the matter to his friends . . . . 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, . . . . 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

27 Daniel replied [to Nebuchadnezzar], "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:

Based on the vision that Daniel saw, Daniel goes on to interpret the vision that Nebuchadnezzar saw. Furthermore, both Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar expressly say that it was a dream and Daniel says the dream and visions passed through Nebuchadnezzar's mind.

How do we know all this "dreams and visions" and "interpretations" stuff isn't just a bunch of baloney?

The God of the Bible showed Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar the future—the major empires of the future. Specifically, Medo-Persia (an alliance of the ancestors of the modern-day Kurds and Iran), Greece under Alexander the Great, the breakup of Alexander's empire into four sections, the Roman Empire and, ultimately, the revived Roman Empire, now known as the European Union.

Again, no one claims Daniel and the King of Babylon were taken up in spaceships!

Unfortunately, Blumrich is just plain wrong in assuming that Ezekiel used the word "vision" because he was so awed. Blumrich says straight out that Ezekiel is a gifted observer and extremely accurate reporter.

Ezekiel said he saw visions. That is exactly what he saw—not spaceships.