The Cloud

Exod 14:24

24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,(KJV)

Last week I covered a bit more to do with God delivering the people there at the Red Sea and protecting them from their enemies, as well as the subject of faith playing a part in our actions. This week I want to get more into some details about this cloud and how clouds play such an important part in scripture, both in old and new testament. As I go over this you will see how clouds symbolize God’s visible presence yet at the same time His invisible presence. If I had not studied Beth Moore’s Bible Study on the Tabernacle I would have never seen this. I had never dreamed how important symbolism is in the Bible. It is far far more important than I had thought for God also uses symbolism to reveal Himself.

Now in the above verse we see God looking through that cloud and in other verses we have reference in Exodus of God being in the cloud, and that is only a small example of the importance of clouds in scripture.

Let’s take a look at some of the things we learn about clouds or even smoke. The event in:

Gen 15:10

10 And he {Abram} took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

Gen 15:12

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

Gen 15:17

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.(KJV)

I gave you verses 10 & 12 for background. This event had to do with God making a covenant with Abram. What was it that went between the pieces of the animals? Something that looked like a smoking furnace as well as a burning lamp. That could almost describe that pillar of fire and cloud that led the Israelis. Except in their case they saw the cloud by day and fire by night.

By going between the pieces of the slaughtered animals, God was ratifying a promise to Abram, about his descendant(s). It is in this event that God tells him of the people being slaves for 400 years in a foreign land. Notice too that God’s brightness is more obvious in the dark (of the night). It is a way to accentuate His very presence. And look also at what God did with the people of Israel.

1 Cor 10:2

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;(KJV)

God counted these people as being baptized into Moses with His presence and the going across the Red Sea between the walls of the water. Here they were, in effect, being baptized into Moses. This was all connected with that cloud and you notice water too, and of course the water symbolized cleansing and the cloud God’s presence.

Now the next time in scripture after leaving Israel - besides the pillar that led the people through the wilderness- that we see clouds or smoke is when the people reach Sinai.

Exod 19:2-6

2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;

4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. {Notice God using a metaphor here?}

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.(KJV)    {Peter quoted part of this in reference to Christians.}

Moses does deliver this message to the people through the elders and they agreed to God’s will and then next God tells Moses,

Exod 19:9-11

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.

10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,

11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.(KJV)

Reread verse 9. "Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud," God was going to appear, but in a thick cloud, and they would be able to hear Him speak even. Now notice too when the Lord would be coming down the mountain in that thick cloud. You saw it. The third day. Again, the significance of the number 3 is shown. When did Jesus rise again and make Himself visible to His own, on the third day-His resurrection day. {Notice in both incidents it was not to unbelievers, but to His own people}

Exod 19:16-19

16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. {Same time of day Jesus arose}

17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.(KJV)

Do you notice something else with God’s arrival? The sound of a trumpet. And a loud one too. A trumpet blast will accompany Jesus’ return as you know, besides also accompanying our rising up to meet Him. Verse 18 says that Mt Sinai was enveloped in smoke. The people had to be warned not to come near that mountain. It was sure death if they did. It seems as I read scripture there that God does speak directly to the people then delivering the 10 commandments.

Exod 20:18-20

18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance

19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."(NIV)

Then Moses goes up the mountain-

Exod 20:21

21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.(NIV)

This scared the living daylights out of the crowd. But Moses had the courage to go and approach that thick dark cloud.

Afterward the elders get the special privilege of seeing God’s throne and I believe it must have been His form in chapter 25:9-11, then after that

Exod 24:15-18

15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

16 And the glory of the LORD 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.

17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

18 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.(KJV)

In Moses’ second time on the mountain, we read

Exod 34:5-8

5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.(KJV)

Now after the tabernacle was built, we see God making sure His presence is also visible in a cloud.

Exod 40:34-38

34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Notice that cloud prevented Moses and any other from even being able to go inside the tabernacle. The word "glory" is a word that also includes the meaning of something very heavy. Heaviness was equated to value in those days. When God’s glory filled that tabernacle it was like some kind of cloud that had a physical substance to it that weighed a great deal.

36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.(KJV)

And at night He made sure His presence was visible as fire. God’s glory was equated with this cloud. It was called His glory.

Lev 16:2

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.(KJV)

Where did God appear? In the cloud upon the mercy seat which was on top of the ark of the covenant.

Num 7:89

89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.(KJV)

So God manifested Himself in the tabernacle in the Holy of Holies also-right above the mercy seat beneath the wings of the two cherubims and He also spoke to Moses from there. Moses could speak with God in other locations too, but that became a main location for their private conversations.

Some more verses regarding clouds and thick darkness in connection to God.

2 Sam 22:12-13

12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.(KJV)

Ps 97:2

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.(KJV)

And on completion of the temple of Solomon, what happens?

IKing 8:10-12

10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.(KJV)

God was obviously pleased by the new building and His presence was manifested by that cloud that filled the house. And notice too the priests couldn’t even stand up to do the ministry job they had.

Here is something that is going to be happening in the future:

Isa 4:5

5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.(KJV)

How is that for repeating history? I imagine Isa 4:5 refers to the millennial reign of Jesus. God will be doing it again like He did the tabernacle in the wilderness but it will be over every dwelling place. Do you know why? Because in everyone of those dwelling places will be believers in God.

Now look at Ezekiel’s experience:

Ezek 1:4

4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.(KJV)

This is only one part of many of the visions God gave Ezekiel,

Ezek 1:26-28

26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone {which is blue}: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.(KJV)

28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.(KJV)

And if you go to

Rev 1:7

7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.(KJV) And

Rev 1:13-16

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.(KJV)

I would say there is a similarity here between the appearance of Jesus in Revelation and the appearance of God (the Son?) there in Ezekiel.

Now look what happened to the disciples, Peter, James and John. And look too at the description of Jesus.

Mark 9:3,

3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.(KJV)

7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.(KJV)

Luke 9:29

29 And as he prayed {He had gone up this mountain first to pray}, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.(KJV)

Luke 9:34

34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.(KJV)

Same cloud again described in Mark & Luke. And there again not only do we have God’s presence manifested, but we see 3 other people getting to play a part in the disciple’s experience, Moses, Abraham, and Elijah. Did you notice how it described Jesus?

Being that His countenance was altered, it puts me in mind of how Moses’ face shined so bright after being in God’s presence, that he had to wear a veil for some time till the brightness or glory faded.

More verses-as you know Jesus will return in the clouds and when He told the Pharisees, etc, that he would be coming on clouds in great glory in His return, He was referencing Daniel’s prophecy.

Dan 7:13-14

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.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.(KJV) That I call exciting!

By the way, here is a description of what seems to be the Father, yet it also resembles the description of Jesus in Revelation.

Dan 7:9

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.(KJV) Shades of Revelation 1:13-16.

We also have another reference to the day of the Lord involving clouds in the Old Testament.

Zeph 1:15-16

15 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,

16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

(KJV)

and in the New Testament

Matt 24:30-31

30 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.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.(KJV)

Yes, folks, clouds are an important part of the symbolism of God’s presence. Looking at nature, if you notice God blesses the earth with clouds, dropping the rain and shielding us from the heat of the sun. Too, when you see a beautiful sunset, God uses clouds there too to manifest His glory. Aren’t the beautiful sunsets you have seen awesome? God is just like that. Awesome.

So next time you think about clouds in reference to events in scripture, or even those in the sky, remember that these are representative of God’s presence and glory. And it was obviously true for the people of Israel as they trecked through that wilderness, and to the prophets who saw these clouds either visually or in visions, and the disciples themselves.

I have not even begun to cover the subject as I should, but know that the personification of God’s Glory, Jesus Christ, will come again and enter the temple which is to be built again in the future and the kingdom will be here on earth for 1000 years. And it will be His people who live there. Then when the last battle takes place and all death and evil, and Satan are thrown into the lake of fire, then God will remake this earth. And a new world really will come into existence. So look up folks, look up into the clouds, Jesus is coming again. The Good News Lady

I will skip the Bible Trivia Question because I think you have enough to fill your mind from scripture here this morning.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem even more so now. "They shall prosper that love thee." Psalm 122:6 Pray also for wisdom for President Bush as enjoined us by I Timothy 2:1-03 and pray for our troops. Continue especially to pray God’s protection around our soldiers that are still in Iraq and other parts of the Arab world.