In the biblical context, the term "encounter" often refers to a significant meeting or experience with God, angels, or other divine manifestations. These encounters are pivotal moments that can lead to transformation, revelation, or a deeper understanding of God's will and purpose.

Old Testament Encounters

1. Abraham's Encounter with God: One of the earliest and most profound encounters is that of Abraham with God. In Genesis 12:1-3, God calls Abram (later Abraham) to leave his country and promises to make him a great nation. This encounter sets the stage for the Abrahamic covenant, a foundational element in the biblical narrative.

2. Jacob's Encounter at Bethel: In Genesis 28:10-22, Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. The Lord stands above it and reaffirms the covenant made with Abraham. This encounter marks a turning point in Jacob's life, leading him to acknowledge the presence of God and name the place Bethel, meaning "House of God."

3. Moses and the Burning Bush: In Exodus 3:1-6, Moses encounters God in the form of a burning bush that is not consumed by the fire. God reveals His name, "I AM WHO I AM," and commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. This encounter is crucial for the liberation of the Israelites and the establishment of the Mosaic covenant.

4. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord: In Isaiah 6:1-8, the prophet Isaiah has a vision of the Lord seated on a high and exalted throne. This encounter leads to Isaiah's commissioning as a prophet, emphasizing the holiness of God and the need for repentance and purification.

New Testament Encounters

1. The Annunciation to Mary: In Luke 1:26-38, the angel Gabriel visits Mary to announce that she will conceive and bear the Son of God, Jesus. This encounter is central to the Incarnation, highlighting Mary's faith and obedience to God's plan.

2. The Transfiguration of Jesus: In Matthew 17:1-8, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. His face shines like the sun, and His clothes become white as light. Moses and Elijah appear, and a voice from the cloud declares, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!" This encounter reveals Jesus' divine nature and affirms His messianic mission.

3. Paul's Conversion on the Road to Damascus: In Acts 9:1-9, Saul (later Paul) encounters the risen Christ in a blinding light. This transformative encounter leads to his conversion and subsequent mission as the apostle to the Gentiles, significantly impacting the spread of Christianity.

Theological Significance

Encounters with the divine in the Bible often serve as moments of revelation and transformation. They are characterized by a direct communication from God or His messengers, leading to a deeper understanding of His nature and will. These encounters often result in a call to action, a change in direction, or a reaffirmation of faith.

Spiritual Implications

For believers, biblical encounters serve as reminders of God's active presence in the world and His desire for a personal relationship with His people. They encourage faith, obedience, and readiness to respond to God's call, trusting in His guidance and provision.1. (v.) To come against face to face; to meet; to confront, either by chance, suddenly, or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend in traveling; two armies encounter each other; to encounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth.

2. (v. i.) To meet face to face; to have a meeting; to meet, esp. as enemies; to engage in combat; to fight; as, three armies encountered at Waterloo.

3. (n.) A meeting face to face; a running against; a sudden or incidental meeting; an interview.

4. (n.) A meeting, with hostile purpose; hence, a combat; a battle; as, a bloody encounter.

4820. sumballo -- to throw together, hence to discuss, consider ...
... discuss, consider, meet with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sumballo Phonetic
Spelling: (soom-bal'-lo) Short Definition: I ponder, encounter, confer or ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4820.htm - 7k

528. apantao -- to meet
... to meet. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apantao Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-an-tah'-o) Short Definition: I meet, encounter Definition: I go to meet, meet ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/528.htm - 6k

4876. sunantao -- to meet with, hence to befall
... meet with, hence to befall. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sunantao Phonetic
Spelling: (soon-an-tah'-o) Short Definition: I meet, encounter Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4876.htm - 6k

529. apantesis -- a meeting
... meeting, friendly encounter. From apantao; a (friendly) encounter -- meet. see GREEK
apantao. (apantesin) -- 3 Occurrences. 528, 529. apantesis. 530 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/529.htm - 6k

1793. entugchano -- to chance upon, by impl. confer with, by ext. ...
... entreat. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: entugchano Phonetic Spelling:
(en-toong-khan'-o) Short Definition: I meet, encounter, call upon, make a petition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1793.htm - 8k

5221. hupantao -- to go to meet, to meet
... Word Origin from hupo and antao (to meet face to face, meet with) Definition to
go to meet, to meet NASB Word Usage encounter (1), met (7), went and met (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5221.htm - 6k

4171. polemos -- war
... battle, fight, war. From pelomai (to bustle); warfare (literally or figuratively;
a single encounter or a series) -- battle, fight, war. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4171.htm - 6k

4045. peripipto -- to fall around
... Word Origin from peri and pipto Definition to fall around NASB Word Usage
encounter (1), fell among (1), striking (1). fall into. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4045.htm - 7k

2341. theriomacheo -- to fight with wild beasts
... From a compound of therion and machomai; to be a beast-fighter (in the gladiatorial
show), ie (figuratively) to encounter (furious men) -- fight with wild ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2341.htm - 6k

5222. hupantesis -- a going to meet
... meeting. From hupantao; an encounter or concurrence (with eis for infinitive, in
order to fall in with) -- meeting. see GREEK hupantao. see GREEK eis. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5222.htm - 6k

7122. qara -- to encounter, befall
... 7121, 7122. qara. 7123 . to encounter, befall. Transliteration: qara Phonetic
Spelling: (kaw-raw') Short Definition: meet. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7122.htm - 6k

6298. pagash -- to meet, encounter
... 6297, 6298. pagash. 6299 . to meet, encounter. Transliteration: pagash Phonetic
Spelling: (paw-gash') Short Definition: met. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6298.htm - 6k

7136a. qarah -- to encounter, meet, befall
... 7136, 7136a. qarah. 7136b . to encounter, meet, befall. Transliteration:
qarah Short Definition: happened. Word Origin a prim. root ...
/hebrew/7136a.htm - 5k

579. anah -- to be opportune, to meet, encounter opportunely
... anah. 580 . to be opportune, to meet, encounter opportunely. Transliteration:
anah Phonetic Spelling: (aw-naw') Short Definition: befall. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/579.htm - 6k

6293. paga -- to meet, encounter, reach
... 6292, 6293. paga. 6294 . to meet, encounter, reach. Transliteration: paga Phonetic
Spelling: (paw-gah') Short Definition: fall. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6293.htm - 6k

7136. qarah -- to encounter, meet, befall
... 7135, 7136. qarah. 7136a . to encounter, meet, befall. Transliteration:
qarah Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-raw') Short Definition: appoint. ...
/hebrew/7136.htm - 5k

7128. qerab -- a battle, war
... Word Origin from qarab Definition a battle, war NASB Word Usage battle (4), war
(5). battle, war. From qarab; hostile encounter -- battle, war. see HEBREW qarab ...
/hebrew/7128.htm - 6k

7147. qeri -- opposition, contrariness
... Word Origin from qarah Definition opposition, contrariness NASB Word Usage hostility
(7). contrary. From qarah; hostile encounter -- contrary. see HEBREW qarah. ...
/hebrew/7147.htm - 6k

While the Emperor Theodosius is Engaged in Military Preparations ...
... Maximus, his Son Honorius is born. He then proceeds to Milan in Order to
encounter the Usurper. But the Emperor Theodosius was filled ...
/.../chapter xii while the emperor theodosius.htm

The Adventures of Saint David of Wales.
... carrying his spear. The trumpets sounded, Saint David took his spear, and
shaking it aloft prepared for the encounter. A Knight, one ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter ten the adventures of.htm

The Preaching of the Apostle Peter in Rome.
... I am tempted to think that Eusebius may have been using at this point some unknown
source and that the word "immediately" refers to an encounter which Simon ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xiv the preaching of the.htm

Prayer and vigilance
... How ignorant he seems to be of the enemies he must encounter, if he engage to serve
God faithfully and so succeed in getting to heaven and receive the crown of ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/xi prayer and vigilance.htm

Preliminary Remarks
... considered. That volume embodies the infidel spirit of the present day. Turn
where you will, you encounter some criticism upon it. No ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/preliminary remarks.htm

Canaan on Earth
... fighting for their own inheritance; and though each tribe had its lot marked out,
yet they had to conquer the giant Anakim, and encounter terrible hosts of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/canaan on earth.htm

How it was Brought About that they Fast on the Sabbath in the City ...
... from fasting ought certainly not to be allowed on the Sabbath, because they say
that on this day the Apostle Peter fasted before his encounter with Simon. ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter x how it was.htm

Whether a Religious Order Can be Directed to Soldiering?
... Objection 2: Further, the bodily encounter of the battlefield is more grievous than
the encounter in words that takes place between counsel at law. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether a religious order can.htm

The Burning of Athens.
... Of course, before he could enter the peninsula itself, he must pass the Isthmus
of Corinth, where he might, perhaps, encounter some concentrated resistance. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter x the burning of.htm

The Adventures of Saint Andrew of Scotland.
... His next encounter was with a nation of people with heads like foxes, from whose
cunning arts and guiles he had the greatest difficulty in escaping. ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter eight the adventures of.htm

Encounter (10 Occurrences)
... or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage
in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend ...
/e/encounter.htm - 10k

Meet (281 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To come in collision with; to confront in conflict; to encounter hostilely;
as, they met the enemy and defeated them; the ship met opposing winds and ...
/m/meet.htm - 41k

Justle (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vi) To run or strike against each other; to encounter;
to clash; to jostle. ... 3. (n.) An encounter or shock; a jostle. Int. ...
/j/justle.htm - 7k

Taint (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) An injury done to a lance in an encounter, without its being broken; also,
a breaking of a lance in an encounter in a dishonorable or unscientific ...
/t/taint.htm - 7k

Cope (1 Occurrence)
... 8. (vi) To exchange or barter. 9. (vi) To encounter; to meet; to have to do with.
10. ... 13. (vt) To match one's self against; to meet; to encounter. ...
/c/cope.htm - 7k

Shock (6 Occurrences)
... body. 9. (v.) To give a shock to; to cause to shake or waver; hence, to
strike against suddenly; to encounter with violence. 10. ...
/s/shock.htm - 9k

Encompassing (6 Occurrences)

/e/encompassing.htm - 8k

Jehoiakim (37 Occurrences)
... The encounter took place in 605 at Carehemish on the northern Euphrates, where Necoh
was defeated and driven back to the borders of his own land, never more to ...
/j/jehoiakim.htm - 33k

Great (10383 Occurrences)
... to meet him. Although the Persian host was estimated at a half-million men,
Alexander hastened to encounter it. Rapidity of motion ...
/g/great.htm - 35k

Battle (282 Occurrences)
... See Battel. 2. (n.) A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions
of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat. ...
/b/battle.htm - 55k

What is neo-orthodoxy? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of Peniel in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Did Paul ever meet Jesus in person? | GotQuestions.org

Encounter: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus