A study of CLOUD/CLOUDS from a New Testament prespective

[sdktlk]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]PART ONE
Verse 7 - [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]Behold, He comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.[/FONT]

“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...Behold, He comes with clouds...†[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]Clouds[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif],[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]as a symbol, has to be understood so we will start with, [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] “...I (Daniel) saw in the night vision, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him...†(Dan 7:13) The Hebrew word, [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]im[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], here interpreted [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]with[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], means, [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]together with[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] or [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]in conjunction with[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]Hold that thought[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif].[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]It says here the, “...Son of man came with [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]the clouds [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]they[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] brought Him, the Lord Jesus, near before Him...†[/FONT]Who are [FONT=Georgia, serif]they[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]?[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]The only things that we[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif]see[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] in the scene which we have before us other than the Ancient of Days and the Son of man are [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]the[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]. Are there literal clouds, like the ones we see in the sky, in the heavenly realm where the Ancient of Days is? Have we ever seen a [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]cloud[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] bring anyone anywhere? Let us look and see if the Lord, by the Spirit, has at anytime used the word [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]cloud [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]or [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]symbolically in Scripture.[/FONT]

“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] and thick darkness...†(Joel 2:2) We see [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]here used symbolically as that which blocks out or obscures light and causes darkness. (Ref: Zep 1:15)[/FONT]

“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...These men are those...who are [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] without water...†(Jud 12 NASB) And, “...those (men) that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government...these are wells without water, [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]...†(2Pet 2:17) Here we have individual ungodly men, tares, who are spoken of symbolically by the Spirit as [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]If false brethren are classified by the Lord as, “...[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]without water..,†we can rest assured that the true children of God are seen by the Lord as, “...[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]with [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]water...â€[/FONT]

“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]cloud [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]of witnesses...†(Heb 12:1) The saints that have gone on before are said to encircle us in a grouping that is classified by the Lord as [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]a cloud[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]. Therefore, we can clearly [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]see[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], by these referenced verses, that the word [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]cloud [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]or [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], in Scripture, does not always have to be a puffy white thing. Also, we need to take a more detailed look at the ascension of the Lord Jesus to [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]see [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]what we [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]see[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif].[/FONT]

“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive: You have received gifts for men...†(Psa 68:18) Rather than take us through a boring word study here let us just restate this Scripture after having done the study. “...You have ascended on high, You have [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]led forth [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]the [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]prisoners that were taken [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif](into captivity) [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]leading them captive[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]: You have received gifts for men...†This is again brought out by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:8. “...Therefore He says, “When He ascended on high He [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]led [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]captive [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]a host of captives[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], and gave gifts unto men...†(NASB) Vines Expository Dictionary says, “(margin reading, '...led a multitude of captives...') seems to allude to a triumphal procession by which a victory was celebrated, the 'captives' taken forming part of the procession.†So, seeing these things, we ask the questions, “who are these prisoners, these captives, how did they get to be prisoners or captives, and where were they being [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]held [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]captive[/FONT][ONT=Georgia, serif]?â€[/FONT]

 

[sdktlk]

PART TWO
“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif](for until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]But not as the offense, so also is[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one Man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.) [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]t[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]hat as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord...†(Rom 5:12-21)[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]There were Old Testament saints who became prisoners, as had we all, due to Adam's transgression. [/FONT] [FONT=Georgia, serif]However, having been, “...justified by faith...†(Rom 3:28) they had right standing (righteousness) [/FONT] [FONT=Georgia, serif]before God, and when they died they were held in a place of comfort. This place of holding was a [/FONT] [FONT=Georgia, serif]place called Paradise. “...And Jesus said unto him (one of the thieves beside Him on the cross) [/FONT] “[FONT=Georgia, serif]...[/FONT]Truly, I say unto you, To day shall you be with Me in paradise...†(Luk 23:43) This one, and [FONT=Georgia, serif]all those who had died in faith, went to Paradise, but they were still [/FONT]prisoners none the less as [FONT=Georgia, serif]they were [/FONT]still separated from God. They were unable to go into the presence of God until after [FONT=Georgia, serif]the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ for, “...without the shedding of blood [/FONT] [FONT=Georgia, serif]there is no remission (of sins)...†(Heb 9:22) But, we [/FONT]see, “...the graves were opened; and many [FONT=Georgia, serif]bodies of the saints which sleptarose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection...†[/FONT] [FONT=Georgia, serif](Mat 27:52, 53)[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]What is being revealed to us in Psalms 68 and Ephesians 4 is that a host, a multitude of resurrected saints, ascended with our Lord “...when He ascended...†(Eph 4:8) This statement of “...When He ascended...†tells us that this multitude of resurrected captives, these resurrected saints, went with the Lord Jesus when, at the same time as, He ascended from His place of ascension, which was the Mount of Olives, as the disciples looked on.[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]Can we discover the appearance of these resurrected saints and can we see them on the day of ascension? “...And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were frighted...†(Mar 16:5) The term used here, young man is, in the Greek, neaniskos, which means a youth under forty; no angel (Greek, angelos) here. And we see that the young man is clothed in a long white garment. “...And while they (the disciples) looked steadfastly toward heaven as He (Jesus) went up, behold, two men (Greek, aner, not angels, angelos) stood by them in white apparel...†(Acts 1:10) You can also [/FONT] [FONT=Georgia, serif]see two men ([/FONT]aner) in Luke 24:4.

[FONT=Georgia, serif]Therefore, with Scriptural certainty, we conclude that the saints, which were resurrected at the time of the Lord Jesus' resurrection, were clothed in long white apparel, and we have discovered so far that at least two of them were on the Mount of Olives at the very moment our Lord ascended. There still remains some unanswered questions though. And those questions are, “what happened to all the host of resurrected saints, and where did the go?â€[/FONT]

 

[sdktlk]

PART THREE
[FONT=Georgia, serif]The Scriptures says that, “...When He ascended on high He led captive a host of captives...†[/FONT] [FONT=Georgia, serif](Eph 4:8) Let us therefore take a look at Acts 1:9. “...And when He (Jesus) had spoken these things, while they ( the disciples) beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight...†We need to define two items here.[/FONT]

1. [FONT=Georgia, serif]Taken up - in the Greek epairō, meaning to lift, to raise (Vine's Expository Dictionary.) [/FONT]
2. [FONT=Georgia, serif]Received - in the Greek is, hupolambanō, meaning to take from below, that is, carry upward[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif](Strong's Concordance.) To take or bear up [/FONT](hupo, “under.â€) Vine's Expository Dictionary.

[FONT=Georgia, serif]Here, in Acts 1:9, is the only place in the New Testament where the Greek word hupolambano ̄is translated received. Walter Bauer's A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Christian Literature translates thus: “...a cloud took Him up, out of their sight...†Now, using the proper definitions, let us look at this verse again and see if we can see what it really says.[/FONT]

“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...While they beheld, He was lifted, He was raised up,and a cloud carried Him, a cloud took Him upward from beneath out of their sight...†(Acts 1:9) All right, lets put this together with the things we have just learned from Psalms and Ephesians and see what we have.[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]We see the Old Testament saints being resurrected and set free from the place in which they were held[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] in captivity (Paradise) by the sacrifice of the Lord. We see them appearing all over the place clothed in long white apparel. On the day of ascension we see this cloud of white robed saints, for they were most certainly there in accordance with the Scriptures, carry the Lord Jesus upward from beneath and out of the disciples sight.[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]Remember, we asked you to hold the thought of the meaning of the word with in, “...came with the clouds of heaven...†(Dan 7:13) We just saw a cloud of white robed saints carrying the Lord Jesus “...upward from beneath...†And now we see the Lord Jesus, “...One like unto the Son of man coming with, together with, in conjunction with, at the same time as the clouds of heaven, the resurrected white robed saints, and they, the saints, brought Him, the Lord Jesus, in a triumphal procession near before Him (the Ancient of Days)...†(Dan 7:13 amplified)[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]We return to the Mount of Olives, the disciples, and the two men who stood by them in white apparel, “...Which also said, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven...†(Acts 1:10, 11) Let us now return to the verse which we have before us and see if we can discover what is in like manner.[/FONT]

“[FONT=Georgia, serif]...Behold, He comes with clouds...†When the trump of God (1Thes 4:16,) the last trump (1Cor 15:52) shall sound, “...Behold, He comes with clouds, the resurrected, glorified saints of the Most High God; and every eye shall see Him; and they also which pierced Him; and all kindred of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen...†This is in like manner, as He left with clouds and He comes with clouds. [/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]For it is written, “...the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord...†(1Thes 4:16, 17) In the Greek text there is no “the†before the word clouds and we have removed it. [/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]There is a distinction that needs to be brought out here with respect to the terms, with clouds (Rev 1:7,) and upon the cloud (Rev 14:14.) Here, in Revelation 1:7, where it says with clouds, the Greek word metah, interpreted with, means literally, to accompany, with. And, as we have discovered, each of us individually is a cloud.[/FONT]

 

[sdktlk]

PART FOUR
[FONT=Georgia, serif]In Revelation 14:13, John [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]heard[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] something, which we will discuss when we get to Revelation chapter fourteen. What we need to [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]see[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] at this point is what John [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]beheld[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] after[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] he heard[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], in Revelation 14:14, and what John [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]beheld[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] was, “...a white cloud and upon the cloud sat [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]one[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] like unto the Son of man...†Here we [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]see[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] John say, [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]like unto[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], and also we note that the word [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]one[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], in the text, is an added word and we will take it out. The Greek word [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]epi,[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] here interpreted [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]upon[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], is a primary preposition properly meaning [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]superimposition[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]. Also, the Greek word [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]kathēmai[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], here interpreted [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]sat[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], means [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]sitting[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]residing[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]. Further, the Greek word [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]homoios[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], does mean [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]like unto[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif], that is [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]similar [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]in[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] appearance[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] or [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]character[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif].[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]A [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]white cloud[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] points to the Church, the body of Christ, as a [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]singular[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] entity. [/FONT]As it is written, “...[FONT=Georgia, serif]For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]is[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] Christ...†(1Cor 12:12) Understanding these matters more clearly let us now see what we find.[/FONT]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]Properly Revelation 14:14 reads as follows, “...And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and superimposed upon the cloud resided a similarity to the Son of man...†Now, that we can see it[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] clearly, we discover that what John sees is a white cloud, the [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]body[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] of Christ , and superimposed, imprinted [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]upon[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] this [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]cloud [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]is[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] the character, the attributes, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Head. We do know that if John were seeing the actual Person of the Lord Jesus he would not have used a descriptive word that means [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]similar[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]. John, of all people, would certainly have recognized the Lord Jesus if he saw Him. We point these things out now, as we will see much that requires us to understand [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]clouds[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] and [/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif]cloud[/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] as we proceed on through the Book of Revelation.

If you want to understand the entire Book of Revelation in its True Light go to Revelation Unveiled This is a blog I have posted concerning ALL things that are contained in the Book of Revelation as given me by the Lord. You have to read all the posts from the first to the last in order to see it clearly. If you skip around it will be confusion.
[/FONT]

 

[reba]

This OP is long but it the opening so it will stand. Better to leave short posts that will be read, and leave the links. reba