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; Neh. 9:19; see

SPECIAL TOPIC: CLOUD. . .PILLAR)
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 (cf. Ps. 18:9; 104:3; Isa. 19:1; Dan. 7:13; Nah. 1:3; Acts 1:9,11; 1 Thess. 4:17)

In Daniel 7:13 clouds were used as the transportation of the divine, human Messiah (see
SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH and
SPECIAL TOPIC: DEITY
OF CHRIST FROM THE OT). 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’ Second Coming, Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Acts 1:11; Rev. 1:7
Jesus ascending back to heaven, Acts 1:9
metting Jesus in the air, 1 Thess. 9:17