Behold He Cometh with Clouds III
We have looked the last couple of weeks at Jesus coming in Clouds as the indwelling presence of the Lord. In the Old Covenant God filled the Tabernacle and Temple made with hands in a Glory Cloud. This association with Jesus coming in Clouds must be made in our hearts. Here in Revelation Chapter 1, John sees one like the Son of Man walking in the seven golden candlesticks. It is revealed to John that these seven golden candlesticks are the churches of Asia.
Furthermore, John sees the Son of Man, having seven stars in His hand. These seven stars are the seven angels or messengers of the churches. We could by this passage of scripture say that Jesus fulfilled coming in the Glory of His Father with His angels, as He declared to His disciples, recorded in Matthew 16. He appears in the Glory of the Father with hair white as wool, eyes of blazing fire, countenance as the sun, clothed with a garment to the foot, around His chest a golden girdle, and feet as burnished brass in a fire. His appearance here in the seven golden candlesticks is not the same appearance as the man of Galilee that John had known Him by. This is an entirely different view of our Lord Jesus, one like the Son of Man IN the seven golden candlesticks.
It also should not escape our attention the symbolic language that is used in John’s writing. Why didn’t John simply say the Son of Man was in the churches and addressing seven angels? John speaks the language of the Spirit. Also, it should not escape our sight that John is seeing a view of the Temple. The feet of Jesus were as brass. The Temple had the brass altar and the brass laver in its entranceway and court. The holy place housed the golden candlestick. Jesus is walking in seven golden candlesticks. We should make note of this in our hearts and seek to understand what is being said by the Spirit of God.
Throughout the Old Covenant symbolic language was used in God’s dealing with Israel. Cloud comings were prevalent in God’s dealing with Israel, both as His presence and as Judgement. On Mt. Sinai God came down in a cloud and gave the Law. The judgement of the Law went forth in all of Israel. When Jesus came born in a manger the inhabitants of Judah were still under this same law given by God in the Cloud at Mt. Sinai.
God had told them that if they keep the Law they would be blessed. The blessings are outlined throughout the book of Deuteronomy. However, He also told them that if they do not keep the Law they would be cursed. Look closely at the Book of Revelation. In Chapter 1 the book declares blessed is he that reads and understands this book. Throughout the Book cursing’s and woes are determined upon a people. Here in the book of Revelation is set forth blessings and cursings. Could these be the same curses God spoke of in the Old Covenant that would come upon Israel if they did not keep His Law? Certainly, they could!
As the prophet Joel prophesied of the pending judgement coming upon the land of Israel, could the phrase, “Behold He Cometh with Clouds” fulfill this judgement? In Joel’s writing and prophesy he prophesies of a day of clouds and a day of gloom. History tells us that Jerusalem was burned and the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Consider Joel’s and other of the prophets’ writings of the devastation that would befall Jerusalem.
Joel 2:1-6 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 the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 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. 3. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
I admonish us to dig deeply into the Word. Search out the depths of it. On the surface is a blessing. However, like the rich ore of the gold rush in California, the riches of the word lay buried underneath. These riches are not seen by the casual reader, but one who digs deep, and searches for the riches that only God Himself can reveal from His Holy written word.
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