Coming on the Clouds

Undercover Boss

Think about your boss pretending to be a regular employee. This way, he could experience their job and support them better. Having a boss like that would be amazing, right? Interestingly, a similar concept can be found in the Bible – it’s like the story of the undercover boss.

Similarly, the Bible portrays a version of the “Undercover Boss” in Jesus. He became human to rescue us, essentially playing the role of an undercover boss for everyone. Yet, just as employees sometimes didn’t realize their own boss, many people didn’t recognize Christ when he lived among us.

The Bible talks about God appearing in a cloud when He comes back to Earth the second time, but that doesn’t mean He will actually ride on a physical cloud. After all, a cloud is merely a collection of water vapor that solidifies as it freezes. However, it’s not as straightforward as it sounds.

Son of Man Coming in a Cloud

Jesus talked about coming back a second time; during which people would be able to identify him. He used powerful imagery to describe his second coming as “coming in a cloud. This way of describing it makes the event amazing and important. During his first coming, Jesus came humbly, not with grandeur

The Wrong Idea About Jesus’ Second Coming

Today, many Christians believe that Jesus will come a second time on the real cloud in the sky, and they think that when He comes a second time, the world will be destroyed immediately and the saints will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. However, there is a huge difference between their thought and the testimonies of the Bible.

Luke 21:27-28 “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Does the Bible say that the world will be judged and the people of God will enter the Kingdom of Heaven as soon as Jesus comes a second time in a cloud? No, it doesn’t. It says that we should stand up and lift up our heads when we see His coming in a cloud because our redemption is drawing near. To put it simply, it tells us to prepare to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because the time for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Like this, there is a great difference between many Christians’ thoughts and the Bible’s teachings about the second coming of Jesus.

If so, shouldn’t we have to give a second thought about the cloud in which Christ comes, too? If we do not know exactly about this, we cannot receive the Second Coming Jesus. Therefore, we must know exactly what the cloud that Christ comes in indicates. Now let us find out through the Bible.

Jesus Came With the Clouds at His First Coming

By studying the prophecy about Jesus’ first coming, we can understand what the cloud stands for. In the Old Testament, it was prophesied that Jesus would come with the clouds of heaven at His first coming, too. When we study how the prophecy was fulfilled, we can understand what the cloud, in which Jesus comes a second time, means.

Daniel 7:13-14 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power [a kingdom, KJV]; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him…”

This is a prophecy about 600 years before Jesus came for the first time. In a vision, God showed Daniel the Son of Man coming in the future. The words, “one like a son of man coming,” mean He comes to the earth. Then, who was the son of man in this prophecy? Since the son of man came and received authority, glory and a kingdom, we can understand who He is if we find out who came and received authority, glory and a kingdom according to the prophecy of Daniel. Let us examine who fulfilled this prophecy in the New Testament. First, let us study about authority.

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Who received all authority in heaven and on earth? It was Jesus who came the first time. According to the prophecy of Daniel, Jesus, who came to this earth for the first time, received authority from God. Next, let us see who received glory.

John 17:10 “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.”

Who received glory? It was Jesus who came 2,000 years ago. While praying, Jesus clearly testified that He received glory. Then, what about a kingdom? Jesus who came the first time received a kingdom, too.

Luke 22:29 “And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,”

Jesus also received a kingdom. Therefore, it was Jesus who received authority, glory and a kingdom according to the prophecy of the Old Testament. This is an undeniable truth of the Bible.

Then in the book of Daniel, in what appearance did it prophesy that Jesus would come? He was prophesied to come with the clouds of heaven. Did Jesus come with the real clouds in the sky? No, He did not. He came to the earth in the flesh through the body of Mary just like us. Then, is the prophecy of Daniel wrong? No, it is not. The prophecy, “He will come with the clouds” was a parable and it was the prophecy about Christ coming in the flesh.

Then, what does the prophecy in Luke 21 mean, which says that Jesus will come in a cloud when He comes again? To fulfill the prophecy that Christ would come with the clouds, Jesus came in the flesh. Through the same words of the Bible, Jesus prophesied that He would come with the clouds again. Then, will He come with the real cloud in the sky? No, He won’t. In order for us to easily understand that His second coming is the same as His first coming, Jesus taught us the prophecy about His first coming. To teach us that the same One comes with the same purpose in the same way both the first time and the second time, Jesus told us that He would come with the clouds. Unlike the expectation of a majestic appearance, Jesus was rejected because he appeared as a humble man. People couldn’t accept that God would come in such a vulnerable form, despite prophecies.

Clouds Represent Men

A cloud covers the sun and blocks its light. To block the glory is the purpose of a cloud. Hence, because the tent that is the flesh covers the glory of God’s holy and divine nature, the Bible describes the flesh to be like a cloud. Jesus concealed his divine glory in human form, similar to light obscured by clouds. Clouds also bring rain that sustains life; similarly, Jesus brings life through his word.

Jesus’ disciples recognized these meanings and implications. Apostle John emphasized that belief in Jesus coming in the flesh identifies God’s people. Denying this is considered an act against God. Jesus’ incarnation as flesh was a disguise to shield his true identity. There are words in the Bible, which liken men to clouds.

Jude 1:12 These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm-shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-twice dead.

Here, shepherds who feed only themselves are false shepherds, that is, false prophets. Although they are wicked, they are men and live on this earth just like us. What does the Bible liken them to? They are likened to clouds without rain. Therefore, clouds here refer to men. Let us find out one more verse.

Proverbs 25:14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

A man who boasts of gifts he does not give is one person among those who are in the flesh. However, the Bible says that that kind of man is like clouds without rain. Like this, the Bible likens men to clouds.

As we have seen through two verses as examples, according to the biblical way of expression, Jesus’ coming in the flesh is expressed as His coming with the clouds in the New Testament.

Reason for Jesus’ Coming Again in the Flesh

Jesus appears in the flesh once again at the time when the Kingdom of Heaven is imminent. Then, why does Jesus not judge the world right away, but come again in the flesh before the Judgment?

Luke 18:8 “I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

This means that Jesus would not find faith when He comes a second time. There are numerous churches that claim to believe in God, but why did Jesus say that He would not find faith? That is because there are no saints who have the true faith that God wants us to have, and the faith deserving of salvation.

Today, churches of the world exactly go according to this prophecy. Which church among them keeps the Sabbath, the commemoration day of the Creator? Which church keeps the Passover of the New Covenant that has God’s promise of forgiveness of sin and eternal life? Instead of the truth of salvation, they keep Sunday service and Christmas which are the doctrines to worship idols.

This is why Jesus said that He would not find faith when He came again. If Jesus comes as the Judge in the world where there is no faith, who can be saved? So, Jesus prophesied that He would come again in the flesh before the Last Judgment so that He could gather the people who would be saved and lead them to the truth.

John 10:16 “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

This is a prophecy that Jesus will come to this earth as the Shepherd and lead the saints who are likened to sheep. Then, who are the sheep that are of this sheep pen, and who are the sheep that are not of this sheep pen?

The sheep that are of this sheep pen are the saints whom Jesus saved at His first coming. However, there are also the sheep that are not of this sheep pen. This means that there is a flock of sheep other than the flock of sheep whom He saved at His first coming. Who did Jesus say will lead them to the sheep pen? Jesus said, “I must bring them also.” Just as Jesus came in the flesh as the Shepherd and led His disciples 2,000 years ago, He Himself will come once again in the flesh as the Shepherd and lead the saints who will be saved in the last days.

Those who looked only to the heavens for God missed the prophecies and power. God’s power enables him to appear in various forms, reaching out to help like an undercover boss. Jesus will come again as he promised, just as he came as a man in his first coming. This time too, he has appeared in human form.