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 several 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; see SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEKINAH)
to cover His Holiness so that man would not see Him and die (cf. Exod. 33:20; Isa. 6:5; see SPECIAL TOPIC: CAN HUMANS SEE GOD AND LIVE?)
to transport Deity
1. as Creator ‒ Ps. 97:1-6; 104
2. His personal presence ‒ Ps. 18:7-15
3. in judgment ‒ Isa. 19:1; Nah. 1:1-8; Matt. 16:27-28; 24:30; 26:64; Rev. 1:7
4. for transportation ‒ Dan. 7:13

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 in A.D. 70 (cf. Matt. 16:27-28; 24:1-3,27,30,37,39; 26:64; Rev. 1:7; 22:20)
Jesus ascending back to heaven, Acts 1:9,11
Jesus' Second Coming
1. Peter
  
  (1) Acts 1:11; 3:8-13,19-21
  
  (2) 1 Pet. 1:7,13
  
  (3) 2 Pet. 1:16; 3:8-13
2. John
  
  (1) 1 John 2:28
  
  (2) Rev. 20-22
3. Paul
  
  (1) 1 Cor. 1:7; 15:23-28,50-58
  
  (2) Phil. 3:20-21
  
  (3) 1 Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-15; 5:23
  
  (4) 2 Thess. 1:7,10; 4:1,8
  
  (5) 1 Tim. 6:14
  
  (6) 2 Tim. 4:1,8
  
  (7) Titus 2:13
4. author of Hebrews ‒ Heb. 9:28
5. James ‒ James 5:7-8
believers meeting Jesus in the air, 1 Thess. 4:13-18

SPECIAL TOPIC: SECOND COMING

SPECIAL TOPIC: SON OF MAN

SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH