The God-Man
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INTRO— Clouds
About Clouds
Different shapes/kinds/purposes
Come and go as they please
Significance (50/50)
Transcendence (regular part of life, but beyond our reach)
Baal, the Caananite warrior God is said to ride on clouds
Zeus gathers clouds to wield their power and rule the people (lightning)
Hindus, Buddhists, even new agers…
Even Care Bears ride on clouds as they go to bring justice to the children of the earth
Clouds are powerful and mysterious in the ancient world and play a significant role in the biblical storyline.
Clouds are powerful and mysterious in the ancient world and even play a big role in the biblical storyline
BODY
Clouds
Clouds
symbolize God’s presence (veil of Yahweh)
symbolize God’s presence
When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.
The Cloud Rider ()
Cloud that enveloped the mountain Sinai under threat of death
C often represent God’s judgment
Ex. Egypt — The Lord enacts judgment from the cloud
A pronouncement concerning Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt’s idols will tremble before him, and Egypt will lose heart.
The Lord rides a swift cloud
In prophetic passages, used to transport divine beings (Rev & OT Passages) — but there is one specific cloud rider
The Cloud Rider
Jesus is Yahweh
Examples
The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe you.” Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord,
YHWH’s Chariot
There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, the clouds in his majesty.
My soul, bless the Lord! Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with majesty and splendor. He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe, spreading out the sky like a canopy, laying the beams of his palace on the waters above, making the clouds his chariot, walking on the wings of the wind, and making the winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
He will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
The Winds that carry the clouds are God’s Messengers
cf.
He will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
(previously read)
Not the cute care bear cloud cars
Large cloud full of lightening
the mechanics of the cloud
Controlled by 4 divine beings, “The spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”
The beings discerned where the Spirit of God wants them to go
In the center is an expanse with a throne covered in jewels in it.
A human was on the throne, but the human radiated God’s glory.
“On the throne, high above, was someone who looked like a human. From what seemed to be his waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around. From what seemed to be his waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around him. The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the Lord’s glory.”
When Ezekiel saw this man on the throne, riding the cloud, and radiating God’s glory, he fell down to worship him. This man was far more than any man and Ezekiel knew it.
CF.
Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
And all the tribes of the earth
will mourn over him.
So it is to be. Amen.
Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
And all the tribes of the earth
will mourn over him.
So it is to be. Amen.
When Ezekiel saw this man on the throne radiating God’s glory, he fell down to worship him. This man was far more than a man.
Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
And all the tribes of the earth
will mourn over him.
So it is to be. Amen.
When Ezekiel saw this man on the throne radiating God’s glory, he fell down to worship him. This man was far more than a man.
Who exactly is the Cloud Rider?
Jesus Is the Cloud Rider
From the OT it’s YHWH
But, what seems immediately clear as we look to the NT is that the cloud-rider is Jesus.
The authors of the NT make the jump with absolutely no explanation.
John in Revelation
Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be. Amen.
Revelatoin 1:7
John’s vision mirrored the imagery of an other passages to talk about the second coming of Jesus.
Back in the OT, Daniel continued this imagery, but he has the humanoid God riding on the cloud approaching the eternal Father. — a contrast
I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
This is the shadow in the OT of what we call the trinity.
Explain
Notice that the Ancient of Days gives the Cloud Rider everlasting dominion over all creation.
CF. Paul
Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Early Christian Hymn — probably not even written by Paul
Relies heavily on the thinking of to describe Jesus.
There is so much similarity that it’s impossible to believe that the author of this hymn was not thinking about when he wrote it.
NT Teaches JESUS IS THE CLOUD RIDER OF THE PROPHESIES OF THE OT
PAUSE
And Jesus knew it.
Context
Jesus told the High Priest that He would come on the clouds of heaven and the High Priest knew what He was saying…
The high priest stood up and said to him, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” But Jesus kept silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” “You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? See, now you’ve heard the blasphemy.
Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh riding on the clouds—either it was true or he was blaspheming and that’s why the High Priest wanted Jesus crucified.
The Cloud Rider in the End Times
Ascension
context, story from Matt 26 to Acts 1
After Jesus died and rose again, he came to earth and visited with many disciples. Then he rode a cloud up to heaven.
After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”
Notice, the angels here tell the men that Jesus will return in the same way he left—on a cloud!
Besides, Jesus himself said he would return on a cloud.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Compare the imagery here. Ezekiel said the coming of the Lord on the cloud would be loud—lightening and thunder, ‘like the sound of an army.’
Jesus says he will come with loud trumpets (instruments of war not music, lead armies) to send his angels to gather His people from every corner of the earth.
Visibility: All the earth will mourn.
That means … Secret Rapture doesn’t fit the motif of scripture.
RECAP
The cloud-rider motif is one of the primary messages that communicated to the Jews that Jesus was the God of the Old Testament, come in flesh to rescue Israel and reclaim the nations.
Some worshipped him for it
Some killed him for it
What will you do with it?
Return
APP: PS 68:4
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the Lord—and celebrate before him.
Worship Christ
Music has a way of communicating to the soul and from the soul. (R&B and Country have done the best at this in our day, but all do it).
APP:
Exalt Christ
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?
This is a reference to the OT Greek phrase Adonai Yahweh, or Lord Yahweh (Lord GOD).
Pharisees
Jesus was appealing to the P
They knew who he claimed to be
Jesus was calling them to follow
Your obedience to Jesus communicates how deeply you believe Jesus is who He says He is.
Obedience exalts (lifts up) Christ
Obedience is an expression that Jesus is on the throne.
Disobedience tries to tear Jesus from His throne.
Celebrate Before Christ
“Sing praises to Jesus and celebrate before Him.”
We gather on Sunday’s to celebrate the God who came down from heaven to rescue the souls of sinful humans.
One of the greatest ways we celebrate Jesus is through the celebration of the…
LORDS SUPPER
Oh the Blood, [Chorus] “Oh see the Lamb, the great I AM [YH[WH]] who takes away my sin.”
The Hebrew word for I AM is the Yah — the nickname version of Yahweh
This song recognizes that…
The God who created all things is the same God who came to save us from our sins.
The God who called Israel out of Egypt is the same God who called you out of this world and into His glorious Kingdom.
The God who came down to the temple of Israel to commune with His people is the same God who will commune with you for eternity if you are a follower of Jesus Christ.
Band plays
Hold elements
Pray
Dictionary of Bible Themes 4805 clouds
clouds
A natural feature of the sky, often associated with God’s judgment, presence and glory.
OBSERVATION: In prophetic passages, clouds are used to transport divine beings. This is true in Revelation as well as in the Old Testament prophets.
The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always believe you.” Moses reported the people’s words to the Lord,
YHWH Speaks from the cloud so that His people will believe.
The dense cloud (16) symbolizes the presence of God.
Later texts, clouds symbolize God’s judgment upon Israel.
Clouds are YHWH’s war chariots, bringing justice upon the unjust.
DDD
Caananite mythology paints Baal as the cloud rider, but Jewish theology says, not only does YHWH ride the cloud, but He speaks from the cloud, He transcends the cloud. YHWH is greater than the cloud itself, because He came before the cloud.
Greek mythology has Zeus as the one who gathers the clouds, the cloud-gatherer. He is the Greek god of the sky who comes with thunder bolts to judge the people of the earth and the other Greek gods. YHWH also takes the clouds and makes them His chariot to bring judgment.
When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.
The cloud is the veil of Yahweh
There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides the heavens to your aid,
the clouds in his majesty.
Clouds are God’s Chariot
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the Lord—and celebrate before him.
The one who rides on the clouds is named YHWH, not Baal!
My soul, bless the Lord!
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe,
spreading out the sky like a canopy,
laying the beams of his palace
on the waters above,
making the clouds his chariot,
walking on the wings of the wind,
and making the winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.
YHWH’s chariot is carried by the ‘wings of the wind’ — the angels (cf. Revelation and Ezekiel)
A pronouncement concerning Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud
and is coming to Egypt.
Egypt’s idols will tremble before him,
and Egypt will lose heart.
A pronouncement concerning Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud
and is coming to Egypt.
Egypt’s idols will tremble before him,
and Egypt will lose heart.
YHWH riding on the cloud means coming judgment.
A pronouncement concerning Egypt:
Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud
and is coming to Egypt.
Egypt’s idols will tremble before him,
and Egypt will lose heart.
I looked, and there was a whirlwind coming from the north, a huge cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire, there was a gleam like amber. The likeness of four living creatures came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze. They had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead. Their faces looked something like the face of a human, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle. That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved.
The likeness of the living creatures was like the appearance of blazing coals of fire or like torches. Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning.
When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures. The appearance of the wheels and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. Their rims were tall and awe-inspiring. Each of their four rims were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Over the heads of the living creatures the likeness of an expanse was spread out. It gleamed like awe-inspiring crystal,and under the expanse their wings extended one toward another. They each also had two wings covering their bodies. When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of a huge torrent, like the voice of the Almighty, and a sound of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stopped, they lowered their wings.
A voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stopped, they lowered their wings. Something like a throne with the appearance of lapis lazuli was above the expanse over their heads. On the throne, high above, was someone who looked like a human. From what seemed to be his waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around. From what seemed to be his waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around him. The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the Lord’s glory. When I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
I looked, and there was a whirlwind coming from the north, a huge cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire, there was a gleam like amber. The likeness of four living creatures came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze. They had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead. Their faces looked something like the face of a human, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle. That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved.
The likeness of the living creatures was like the appearance of blazing coals of fire or like torches. Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning.
When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures. The appearance of the wheels and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. Their rims were tall and awe-inspiring. Each of their four rims were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Over the heads of the living creatures the likeness of an expanse was spread out. It gleamed like awe-inspiring crystal,and under the expanse their wings extended one toward another. They each also had two wings covering their bodies. When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of a huge torrent, like the voice of the Almighty, and a sound of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stopped, they lowered their wings.
A voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stopped, they lowered their wings.
NOTE: Jesus seated on the throne in radiant light is the likeness of the Lord’s Glory.
The coming of YHWH on the cloud is not a cloud like in Care Bears. It’s a violent cloud with clashing lightening. There are divine beings in the cloud and the Spirit of God directs them to mobilize the cloud wherever YHWH wants it to go. In the center of the cloud there is a void. In the void is a throne and there is one like a son of man—a humanoid—on the throne. This was in the mind of John when he wrote .
I continued watching in the night visions,
and suddenly one like a son of man
was coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before him.
He was given dominion,
and glory, and a kingdom;
so that those of every people,
nation, and language
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that will not pass away,
and his kingdom is one
that will not be destroyed.
In this passage, the cloud-rider, who John says is Jesus, approaches the ancient of days, the eternal Father and the Father gives him dominion over a Kingdom that consists of all things and for all time. cf. .
JESUS
Then a voice came from the cloud, saying: “This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to him!”
YHWH speaks from the cloud, but as we will see further, Jesus is the one who rides the cloud. There is YHWH who speaks from the cloud and YHWH who rides the cloud. And in the NT, there is the transcendant Father who speaks from the cloud and there is Jesus who rides the cloud. Jesus and the Father are one and yet distinct.
After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”
Jesus ascended in a cloud (cloud-rider) and will return on the cloud according to the angels.
NOTE: Winds in Ezekiel and other passages. (cf. , he will send out his angels, not winds.)
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Jesus clearly identifies himself as the figure of when he calls himself the ‘Son of Man.’
Jesus identifies himself as the cloud rider of Daniel, Ezekiel and many other passages.
Here, the angels (4 winds) who are driving his chariot, will go forth and gather all of Christ’s people from the earth.
There is no secret rapture. Jesus returns on the cloud, which is a cloud of judgment. Lightning and clashes of thunder and all. And there is a loud trumpet—a war sound—that goes forth into all the earth and the angels go forth to gather the elect from all the earth.
s people
The high priest stood up and said to him, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” But Jesus kept silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
“You have said it,” Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? See, now you’ve heard the blasphemy.
The high priests believed Jesus was a blasphemer because he claimed to be the cloud-rider from , Ezekiel and many other texts. He was claiming the name YHWH (cf. the name given that is above all other names is not Jesus; it is YHWH, Lord).
Jesus actually comes from Yeshua (Hebrew), meaning YHWH saves.
APP: Jesus as YHWH
Why do you call me Lord, Lord (Adonai Yahweh) — obedience
Have this mind among yourselves… — extreme, sacrificial humility for the salvation of others
Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
And all the tribes of the earth
will mourn over him.
So it is to be. Amen.
We’re not just talking about another religion here. This isn’t an issue of which religion you think works best or which religion will make your life better. It’s an issue of who has true divine authority and that is YHWH. It’s not Baal. It’s not Zeus. It’s not Allah. It’s YHWH; it’s Jesus.
(ESV) — 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
CF. Matthew 28:19-20
LORDS SUPPER
Oh the Blood, “Oh see the Lamb, the great I AM [YH[WH]] who takes away my sin.
Have this mind among yourselves… — extreme, sacrificial humility for the salvation of others