SPECIAL TOPIC: COMING ON THE CLOUDS

SPECIAL TOPIC: COMING ON THE CLOUDS (several Hebrew words, but mostly anan, BDB 777, KB 857)

This coming on the clouds was a very significant eschatological sign. It was used in three distinct ways in the OT.

to show God's physical presence, the Shekinah cloud of Glory (cf. Exod. 13:21; 14:19,20,24; 16:10; 19:9; Num. 11:25; Deut. 1:33; 4:11; 5:22; 1 Kgs. 8:10-11; Neh. 9:19)
to cover His Holiness so that man would not see Him and die (cf. Exod. 33:20; Isa. 6:5)
to transport Deity
1. Creator ‒ Ps. 97:1-6; 104
2. personal presence ‒ Ps. 18:7-15
3. judgment ‒ Isa. 19:1; Nah. 1:1-8; Matt. 16:27-28; 24:30; 26:64; Rev. 1:7
4. transportation ‒ Dan. 7:13
YHWH coming in judgment by the means of foreign armies (cf. Ps. 18:7-15; 104:3; Isa. 19:1; Joel 2:1,2; Nahum 1; Zeph. 1:14,15

In Daniel 7:13 clouds were used as the transportation of the divine (i.e., "rides on clouds"), and human (i.e., called "Son of Man") Messiah. This prophecy in Daniel is alluded to over 30 times in the NT. This same connection of the Messiah with the clouds of heaven can be seen in

Jesus "coming" in judgment on Jerusalem and the temple (cf. Matt. 24:1-3,27,30,37,39; 26:64; Rev. 1:7; 22:20)
Jesus ascending back to heaven, Acts 1:9
Jesus' Second Coming, Matt. 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE CLOUD. . .THE PILLAR

SPECIAL TOPIC: SECOND COMING (terms)

SPECIAL TOPIC: SON OF MAN