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Coming in the Clouds
When Jesus was speaking, he said you shall see me again. Christ's "coming on the clouds" is from the Old Testament portrayals of God descending from heaven and coming in power and glory to execute judgment on ancient wicked nations and cities, and in deliverance of His people.
These judgments were acts of God described in figurative language. See Link to Zechariah 14 and the Coming of Christ by Gary DeMar. They brought calamity upon a nation or peoples who had come against God's chosen people. We can read about several of God's many comings in judgment, often termed "the day of the Lord all through the Bible like The deliverance from Egypt, the destruction and judgment upon nations and people. Taking His people through the wildness. The Old Testament is for our example. If you keep this is mind, you can see how God is working with us today. And what Jesus was referring to when He was speaking to others about "you shall see me coming in the clouds" and the other terminology that used in the Old Testament, speaking of judgment and deliverance.
Psa 97:1 The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him, And burns up His adversaries round about.
4 His lightnings lit up the world; The earth saw and trembled.
5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory.
7 Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, Who boast themselves of idols; Worship Him, all you gods.
8 Zion heard this and was glad, And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced Because of Thy judgments, O LORD.
9 For Thou art the LORD Most High over all the earth; Thou art exalted far above all gods.
10 Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones; And give thanks to His holy name.
Isa 27:12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.
Isa 11:11 In that day the Lord will bring back a remnant of his people for the second time, returning them to the land of Israel from Assyria, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, Ethiopia, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands.
12 He will raise a flag among the nations for Israel to rally around. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth.
John 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.
Exo 16:10 And as Aaron spoke to the people, they looked out toward the desert. Within the guiding cloud, they could see the awesome glory of the LORD.
Lev 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
Exo 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle
Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Exodus 16:10 "And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud."
Exodus 19:9 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD."
Exodus 34:5 "And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD."
Leviticus 16:2 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. "
Numbers 11:25 "And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. "
Psalm 18:9-12 "He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
Psalm 97:2-5 "Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. 4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. 5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
Psalm 104:3 "Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: "
Isaiah 19:1 " The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. "
Daniel 7:13 "I saw in the night visions, 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."
Nahum 1:3 "The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."
Ps 96:13; 98:9 - Isa 26:21 - Micah 1:3 - Rev 2:5 - 2:16 - 3:3
John 10:9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
In the parable of the sheep and goats, Christ identifies that the righteous and the wicked would be gathered when He came later in that generation (see Matt. 16:27-28). At the time of this gathering, Christ burns the wicked with fire, but says to the righteous, "Come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." This is the same gathering as seen in 1 Thess. 4:17:) This is the seperation of the sheep and goats, the seperation of the wheat and tares.
When Christ came in the clouds, he literally, yet spiritually, gathered those that were alive to be caught up in the kingdom with Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ; Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Wherever the Spirit is, the Lord is. The Lord returned with the believers to the earth, to ever be with them, as it is declared, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Rev. 21:3
This gathering was the giving of the "everlasting presence of the Lord" just as believers receive today individually, one at a time by "calling upon the name of the Lord." We are "gathered unto Christ" individually today and are being reconcile By God in Jesus. 2 Cor 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (This is as being the second coming of Christ and Christ making all things new.) by the revealing and manifestation of Christ in us. Thy kingdom come, as it is on earth as it is in heaven. We have died unto Him our Lord, and our bodies are dying unto his dead body and being resurrected unto life in Him. He being the first., resurrected from the dead. He is The Church, New Jerusalem ,The Body of Christ.
2 Th 1:7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in
flaming fire,
(8) dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Mat 26:63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God."
64 Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you,
hereafter you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."
(Mk 8:38 & Mk 9:1) Mat 13:41-43; Zec 14:5,6,7; Mk14:61,62; Joh 1:51; Heb 1:14; Jude 1:14,15; Rev 6:15,16,17;20:11; 4:1;19:11; Mt 24:30,31; 1Th 3:13; Joh 5:26,27; Dan 7:13,14; Zec13:7-9; Mt 9:6; Mt 16:27,28; Mk 14:62,63; Col 1:16; 1Pe 3:22; Rev 22:6,9,16; Mat 25:31; Lu 22:69.
These are quite a few verses, but I am trying to make the point, that Jesus is in control now, He is setting on His throne now and there is judgment on those who don't obey the Gospel, and those that don't know God. But there is deliverance to those who look for His coming, He went to prepare a place for us, and where He is, we may be also.
He says come out of her. Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues;
5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 "Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.
2 Cor 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me.
Eph 2:3 All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires
of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under
God's anger just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much,
5 that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he
raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you
have been saved!)
1 Pet 5:10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all
grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect,
confirm, strengthen and establish you.
I could go on and on with notes, but don't want to lose the main thrust,
that the Day of the Lord is both judgment and deliverance.
And to make it easy on ourselves, and not kick against the pricks, we need
to walk after the Spirit, and be separated unto Him.
2 Th. 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit,
nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God.
Don't fear the Day of the Lord, that is for people that don't know God and have not the fear of God, to turn and ask God to save them, and are not walking after the Spirit, just doing there own thing. That we shouldn't have any part in it, for its is a day of deliverance for us, as God take's us through, we can count it as all joy. Because it is our Lord that is putting everything under His feet, by the brightness of His coming. Our Lord is destroying everything that offends Him, and anything that is not of God, is Antichrist or instead of Christ, which is why he says in - Mat 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles or vultures be gathered together. I Think this means that where we are in the carnal things of the world, there will be God's judgments to bring us out.
1 Cor 16:22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
( Anathema -G394; a (religious) ban or (concr.) excommunicated (thing or person):--accursed, anathema, curse, X great.
And Maranatha - 3134. maran atha, mar'-an ath'-ah; of Chald. or. (mean. our Lord has come); maranatha, i.e. an exclamation of the approaching divine judgment:--Maran-atha.)
John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Rev 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
2 Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness
of his coming:
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
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