What does "Son of Man coming on the clouds" signify about Jesus' return? \Setting the Scene in Matthew 24:30\ “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” \Roots in Daniel’s Vision of the Clouds\ - Daniel 7:13-14 foretells “One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven.” - In that passage He receives dominion, glory, and an everlasting kingdom. - Jesus borrows Daniel’s language to identify Himself as that very figure—the divine, sovereign King. \Clouds as God’s Throne Room\ - Throughout Scripture clouds mark God’s immediate presence: • Exodus 13:21 – pillar of cloud guiding Israel. • 1 Kings 8:10-11 – cloud filling Solomon’s temple. - By arriving “on the clouds,” Jesus returns in the same shekinah glory that once hovered over the tabernacle and temple. \A Public, Visible, Bodily Return\ - Acts 1:9-11 – He was taken up “and a cloud received Him”; angels promised He will come back “in the same way.” - Revelation 1:7 – “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.” - No secret or symbolic coming; the whole world will witness His arrival. \Return in Power and Great Glory\ - Matthew 24:30 emphasizes “power and great glory.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 speaks of the Lord Jesus “revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” - The clouds underscore majesty; His omnipotence will be on full display. \Judge and King\ - Matthew 25:31-32 links His coming glory with the judgment of the nations. - Daniel’s vision shows worshipers from “every nation and language” serving Him; dominion and judgment go hand in hand. - The mourning of “all the tribes of the earth” (Matthew 24:30) signals universal accountability before the returning Judge. \Comfort for the Faithful\ - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – the Lord descends, the dead in Christ rise, and believers are “caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” - The same clouds that announce judgment also carry hope: Christ gathers His people and ushers them into His kingdom. - Titus 2:13 calls this event “the blessed hope”—a sure, literal promise to anchor our hearts. \Key Takeaways\ • “Coming on the clouds” ties Jesus to Daniel’s prophesied Son of Man—divine, authoritative, everlasting King. • The clouds highlight God’s tangible presence, ensuring a visible, bodily return. • Power, glory, judgment, and comfort converge in this moment: the King arrives to reign and to rescue His own. |
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