Gut-Wrenching Divine Encounters


I urge you to read everything below. To speed your reading, I have cut down the text. Nevertheless, at the very least, please note the parts in bold.

Genesis 15:12-13 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him. He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.

Genesis 32:24-25,30-32 Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day. When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained, as he wrestled. . . . Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” . . . he limped because of his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel don’t eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Exodus 3:5; 4:2-14 He said, “Don’t come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.” . . .
The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
He said, “Throw it on the ground.”
He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” . . .
The Lord said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.”
He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. . . .
Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
The Lord said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
The Lord’s anger burned against Moses . . .

Exodus 20:18-21 All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die
Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.” The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 33:19-23 He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the Lord’s name before you. . . . You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live. . . . Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Judges 6:22  . . . Gideon said, “Alas, Lord God! Because I have seen the Lord’s angel face to face!”

Judges 13:22 Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”

Job 33:14-16  . . . when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings (NIV)

Job 38:1; 40:3-4; 42:5-6  . . . The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind . . . Then Job answered the Lord, “Behold, I am of small account. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. . . . I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes

Psalm 119:120 My flesh trembles for fear of you. I am afraid of your judgments.

Isaiah 6:1-7 I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Armies!
The whole earth is full of his glory!”
The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. He touched my mouth with it, and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.”

Jeremiah 23:9 My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake . . . because of the Lord, and because of his holy words.

Ezekiel 3:14 So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the Lord’s hand was strong on me.

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-15, 28  . . . his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came out from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. . . . I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. . . . As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my face was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

Daniel 8:17, 26-27  . . . I was frightened, and fell on my face: but he said to me, Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end. . . . The vision . . . is true: but seal up the vision; for it belongs to many days to come. I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain days . . . and I wondered at the vision, but no one understood it.

Daniel 10:7-10, 15-17 I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision; but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground. Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my knees and on the palms of my hands. . . . and when he had spoken to me according to these words, I set my face toward the ground, and was mute. Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, my lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows are turned on me, and I retain no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? For as for me, immediately there remained no strength in me, neither was there breath left in me.

Habakkuk 3:16 I heard, and my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place

Matthew 17:5-6 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.

Luke 1:11-12 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.

Luke 2:9 Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Luke 5:5-9  . . . they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking. . . . But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;

Acts 9:3-9  . . . suddenly a light from the sky shone around him [“at noon,  . . . a light from the sky, brighter than the sun” is how Acts 26:13 describes this event]. He fell on the earth [Acts 26:14 adds that all of them fell], and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
He said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men who traveled with him stood speechless [Acts 22:9 explains that they were afraid], hearing the sound, but seeing no one. Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

James 4:8-10 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Revelation 1:12-17 I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands. And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.
He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. . . .

(Emphasis mine.)

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