Good evening and welcome to EBible Fellowship's Bible study in the Book of Revelation. Tonight is study #37 of Revelation, chapter 14, and we are reading Revelation14:14:
And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
This is the Day of Judgment, the day of the wrath of the Lord, and the Apostle John is being given information concerning Judgment Day and he sees a “white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” To “sit” in the Bible means to “rule,” as kings sit upon their thrones ruling their kingdoms, and the Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, has put down Satan and He is ruling and sitting upon a cloud, which represent judgment. He is wearing a golden crown to indicate his absolute authority, power and rule over all that had previously been Satan’s – the kingdoms of this world.
The cloud is said to be a “white cloud” and we saw it is white because it represents the holiness and purity of God’s judgment. He is a righteous and just Judge performing a righteous judgment upon the wicked, the rebels that have dared to rebel against Him and usurp the authority of the Sovereign King of creation. These rebels are now under His wrath and that would include all the sinners of the world.
Let us look at the word “cloud” in the Old Testament. I think we will find some interesting statements the Bible will give us concerning clouds. It says in Exodus 13:20-22:
And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And JEHOVAH 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: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
This happened right after the exodus, the departing from Egypt, during the wilderness sojourn. God led His people. How did He lead them? He led them “by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way.” The cloud directed the path of the Israelites and that is interesting because God does speak of guiding His people; He speaks of enlightening the path of His people so we know where to walk. Normally, we think it is the Word of God that enlightens our path and shines the light, telling us, “This is the way. Walk ye in it.” And we go forth following the Lord Jesus in the narrow way. But, here, the “cloud” is taking over that role. It says in Exodus 14:19-22:
And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and JEHOVAH caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
This is a true historical occurrence. The Egyptians pursued the Israelites to the point of the Red Sea and God held the Egyptians back with the pillar of fire and the cloud between the Egyptians and the Israelites so they could not come against the Israelites to destroy them all the night. Notice that is said, in verse 20: “and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these.” It was a cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, but it gave light by night to the Israelites. The Israelites typify God’s elect, as all were delivered from the “Egypt” of this world and experienced the salvation of God. Satan, represented by Pharaoh and his army, are still pursuing and still coming against all Israel, or all of God’s people. Here, I think God is giving a picture of the complete time of Judgment Day because He likens Judgment Day to “spiritual night” and during the night the Egyptians were not able to destroy the Israelites and the “cloud” was darkness to them. That is why the unsaved people of the world (those in the churches or those in the world that associated themselves with the true Gospel and maybe even proclaimed May 21, 2011) cannot “see” what the elect people of God see because the unsaved do not have spiritual eyes to see, so Judgment Day is a time of spiritual darkness for them. At the same time, God is protecting His people and giving them light by the same thing that is causing darkness to the others – it is the cloud. It was “darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these,” and that is because “clouds” can point to the Word of God. It says in Exodus 24:15-16:
And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of JEHOVAH abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Who was calling to Moses out of the midst of the cloud? It was JEHOVAH. It says in Exodus 24:17-18:
And the sight of the glory of JEHOVAH was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Moses went into the cloud to the mount and spent the forty days and forty nights there and received the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are the Word of God. First of all, God spoke to him out of the cloud and then Moses went into the cloud to receive the Ten Commandments, the Word of God. Here, God is associating the cloud with His Word and it is even more clearly associated in Numbers, chapter 9, and I am going to read a fairly long passage. It says in Numbers 9:15-19:
And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of JEHOVAH the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of JEHOVAH they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of JEHOVAH, and journeyed not.
Here, God is speaking of the cloud and its movements and when the cloud moved, Israel moved; when the cloud stayed, Israel stayed and encamped. Then God said, “At the commandment of JEHOVAH,” Israel journeyed and “At the commandment of JEHOVAH,” Israel pitched their tents. Yet, we do not read of God actually speaking to Israel, saying, “Let us go forth,” and then after a couple of days, God would speak again, saying, “Let us pitch our tents here.” God did not verbally issue those commandments, but He issued His commandments through the movement of the cloud – when the cloud moved, that was the commandment of JEHOVAH for Israel to move and when the cloud stayed, that was the commandment of JEHOVAH to pitch their tents. We see that it was the commandments of JEHOVAH and the Bible is full of the commandments of JEHOVAH; the Word of God is the commandment of JEHOVAH. God is associating and closely identifying the cloud and its movements with His commandments. It goes on to say in Numbers 9:20-23:
And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of JEHOVAH they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of JEHOVAH they journeyed. And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment of JEHOVAH they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of JEHOVAH they journeyed: they kept the charge of JEHOVAH, at the commandment of JEHOVAH by the hand of Moses.
This passage is one of those places in the Bible where God defines one of His terms. When we think about “clouds,” we have to read what He says here in Numbers 9:15 through the end of the chapter. We see that clouds relate to the commandments of JEHOVAH and the commandments of JEHOVAH are the Words of God, the Bible and the Bible is a two edged sword that cuts to judgment The word “judgment” is identified with the Word of God, the Bible, and so are clouds. We have looked at this in the past, but no wonder God says, in Psalm 149:6-9:
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye JEHOVAH.
It is describing what is taking place over the course of Judgment Day. God has written many things and given much information concerning Judgment Day and Judgment Day is a time when the things written are executed. They are being performed. So we find that as we read of Judgment Day, suddenly the Lord Jesus Christ appears on a cloud, “having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” He is the King that has conquered Satan and the Lord is now ruling with a rod of iron over the unsaved inhabitants of the earth. He is about “to execute upon them the judgment written,” and this judgment will be carried out by His saints and, of course, by God, as He has shut the door to heaven and put out the Gospel light in the world throughout the period of Judgment Day, a prolonged period of time that will very likely be 1,600 days in duration.
It says in Numbers 11:25:
And JEHOVAH came down in a cloud, and spake unto him…
Here, again, JEHOVAH came in a cloud and spoke. The Word of God came forth from the cloud and that is not just an Old Testament occurrence. Remember the Mount of Transfiguration, where it says in Matthew 17:3-5:
And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Again, a cloud appears and the voice of God the Father comes forth, saying, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him.” We should not miss that God is speaking from a cloud and the fact that the association is maintained regarding His appearances in the Old Testament, especially during that forty-year period when the cloud led Israel by day. Then the cloud would move and Israel would follow “at the commandment of JEHOVAH.”
Then we come to many Scriptures where God speaks of Judgment Day. For instance, if we go back to the Old Testament, we read in Zephaniah 1:14-15:
The great day of JEHOVAH is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of JEHOVAH: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
This is just as when the cloud and pillar of fire held back the Egyptians. The cloud was “darkness” to the Egyptians, but it gave light to the Israelites by night. So, too, Judgment Day is “The great day of JEHOVAH” and it is the “even the voice of the day of JEHOVAH.” It is the “voice” that is the Word of God, which is greatly glorified and it is coming forth as God reveals His righteous judgment in the day of His wrath. His saints are carrying out the “judgment written,” and this is the honor that all the saints have in the Day of Judgment, so God’s people proclaim the judgment that has come upon the world to the people of the earth.
Notice, also, that the great day of JEHOVAH” is a “day of clouds and thick darkness,” and it is not only here, but there are other references, like Joel 2:1-2:
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of JEHOVAH cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
The day of JEHOVAH is “day of clouds” and that is why it is not surprising to find what it says in Matthew 24:29:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days…
And when did the Great Tribulation end? It was May 21, 2011, the exact 23rd year and on the exact 8,400th day and since then we have been living in the days after that Tribulation. Then it goes on to say in Matthew 24:29-30:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
It is “immediately after the tribulation” when the Son of man is seen “coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Remember in our verse in Revelation 14:14, John is given the vision of “one like unto the Son of man” sitting on the clouds with the golden crown on His head and the sickle in His hand – He is about to reap because it is the beginning of Judgment Day. Judgment Day began May 21, 2011. Then we are given that number of 1,600 furlongs, which very likely may point to 1,600 days being the duration of Judgment Day. This is the period of reaping. This is the time when God would send forth His people to reap the harvest and the Lord Jesus will be seen “in the clouds,” and what do the clouds represent? Again, in order to understand the Bible, we have to compare Scripture with Scripture. What did the verses reveal about the clouds in the Old Testament? It revealed that God closely relates the “clouds” to His “voice,” to His Words and to His commandments. So let us take that definition the Bible provided; it was not provided by us – EBible did not write Numbers, chapter 9, where it says that “at the commandment of JEHOVAH,” Israel moved or “at the commandment of JEHOVAH,” Israel stayed. It all had to do with the movement of the “cloud.” God is defining this word and tying it together with the Scriptures, the Bible.
The Word of God comes down from above from heaven and that means that “when you see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” you are seeing it in His Word, the Bible. As we read the Bible, God opens up His Word to reveal the time we are living in, the “season” we are in. That season is Judgment Day and we are “seeing” it, not with physical eyes, but we are “seeing” it in the Scriptures that Christ has come as the Judge and we see Him upon a cloud with the sickle. It is speaking of spiritual sight or spiritual understanding and not physical eye sight.