Going Up! But to where? Not to the Fluffy Clouds!

The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament 3507. νεφέλη nephélē

Jude 1:12; Sept.: Gen. 9:13, 14; Judg. 5:4; Ps. 36:6; Eccl. 11:4); the pillar of cloud in the desert which accompanied supernatural appearances and events (1 Cor. 10:1, 2 [cf. Sept.: Ex. 13:21, 22]); in connection with Christ (Luke 9:35, “a voice out of the cloud”); at His transfiguration, a luminous cloud (Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34); as receiving Christ up at His ascension (Acts 1:9); as surrounding Him at His Second Coming (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7; 14:14–16); as surrounding ascending or descending saints or angels (1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 10:1; 11:12 [cf. in regard to God in Sept.: Ps. 18:12; 97:2; Is. 19:1]).

1 Thessalonians 4:17 NKJV

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Psalm 104:39 NKJV

He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.

3507. νεφέλη nephélē; gen . nephélēs, fem. noun, a diminutive of néphos (3509), a cloud. A small cloud (Luke 12:54 [cf . 1 Kgs. 18:44]); used generally (2 Pet. 2:17).

1 Zodhiates, S. (2000).

Jude 1:12; Sept .: Gen. 9:13, 14; Judg. 5:4; Ps. 36:6; Eccl. 11:4); the pillar of cloud in the desert which accompanied supernatural appearances and events (1 Cor. 10:1, 2 [cf . Sept .: Ex. 13:21, 22]); in connection with Christ (Luke 9:35, “a voice out of the cloud”); at His transfiguration, a luminous cloud (Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34); as receiving Christ up at His ascension (Acts 1:9); as surrounding Him at His Second Coming (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7; 14:14–16); as surrounding ascending or descending saints or angels (1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 10:1; 11:12 [cf . in regard to God in Sept .: Ps. 18:12; 97:2; Is. 19:1]).

Meet with the resurrected dead in the cloud...then congregate in the air/ero?

Then turn around in resurrected bodies to hang around in the amorphous heavenly clouds again for seven years? Doesn’t sound very sound. Meeting Him in the descending NJ; driving the P & P of the aer...absolutimente Loco; to the extent he has someone like Kim to shoot a nuke at us...as Brother Marzulli suggests...then circling the last Jerico for the Seven years of the Great Tribulation? I am going to go with that until corrected or verified by two more witnesses. Amen.

2597. καταβαίνω katabaínō; fut . katabḗsomai, 2d aor. katébēn, aor. imper. katábēthi and katába (Mark 15:30), from katá (2596), down, and baínō (n.f., see apobaínō [576]), to go or come. To come or go down, descend from a higher to a lower place. Intrans.:

(I) Spoken of persons, followed by apó (575), from, with the gen. of place meaning from which (Matt. 8:1, “when he descended from the mountain” [a.t.]; 14:29, “from the boat” [a.t.]; 17:9; Mark 9:9; 15:30, “from the cross”; Sept.: Ex. 34:29 followed by ek; Judg. 4:14 followed by katá). Followed by eis (1519), into, with the acc. of place, meaning whither, to which (Mark 13:15, “let him . . . not go down into the house”; Acts 8:38; Eph. 4:9; Sept.: Job 7:9; Jon. 2:7). Followed by epí (1909), upon, meaning “down upon the seashore” (a.t.) from the mountain (John 6:16); by prós (4314), toward someone (Acts 10:21; 14:11; Sept.: Ex. 19:14). Used in an absolute sense in Matt. 24:17; Luke 6:17; John 5:7. Spoken of those who go from a higher to a lower region of a country, e.g., apó Hierousalḗm, from Jerusalem (Mark 3:22; Luke 10:30). Followed by eis (John 2:12, “unto Capernaum” [a.t.]; Acts 7:15, “unto Egypt” [a.t.]; 14:25; 16:8). Used in an absolute sense (Luke 2:51; John 4:47; Acts 8:15; 24:1; Sept.: Gen. 12:10; 42:3). Spoken of those who descend or come down from heaven, e.g.: of God as affording aid to the oppressed (Acts 7:34 quoted from Ex. 3:8); of the Son of Man and followed by ek (1537), out of (John 6:38, 42); followed by apó (575), from (1 Thess. 4:16); of the Holy Spirit followed by ek (1537), out of (John 1:32), epí (1909), upon someone (Luke 3:22; John 1:33); of angels followed by ex ouranoú (3772), heaven, out of heaven (Matt. 28:2); en (1722), in, with the dat. of place meaning into (John 5:4); epí (1909), upon someone (John 1:51; Sept .: Gen. 28:12); of Satan as cast down from heaven (Rev. 12:12 [cf . Rev. 12:9, 10]).

1 Zodhiates, S. (2000) The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. electronic ed. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

1 Zodhiates, S. (2000) The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. electronic ed. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.