14
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, 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.
Daniel 7:14
True Christianity #776
776. This Second Coming of the Lord Is Not Taking Place in Person but in the Word, Since the Word Is from Him and He Is the Word
Many passages say that the Lord is coming in the clouds of heaven; see, for example, Matthew 17:5; 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 9:34-35; 21:27; Revelation 1:7; 14:14; Daniel 7:13. Until now no one has known, however, what the clouds of heaven mean. People think the Lord is going to appear in person in the actual clouds in the sky.
The clouds of heaven stand for the Word's literal meaning, and the glory and power with which the Lord is going to come (Matthew 24:30) stand for the Word's spiritual meaning. The reason this has escaped everyone's notice until now is that no one yet, even in a theoretical flight of fancy, has guessed that there is any spiritual meaning within the Word of the type it actually contains.
Because the Lord has opened up the Word's spiritual meaning to me and has also allowed me to be with angels and spirits in their world as one of them, I have discovered that a cloud of heaven stands for the Word's earthly meaning, glory stands for the Word's spiritual meaning, and power stands for the power the Lord has through the Word.
Readers can see from the following passages in the Word that a cloud of heaven has this meaning.
No one is like the God of Jeshurun, who is riding a horse in heaven, and in magnificence on the clouds. (Deuteronomy 33:26)
Sing to God; praise his name. Celebrate the horse rider on the clouds. (Psalms 68:4)
Jehovah is riding a horse on a fast-moving cloud. (Isaiah 19:1)
[2] To ride a horse means to equip us with divine truths from the Word, since a horse means our understanding of the Word (see Revelation Unveiled 298). Surely everyone can see that God does not literally ride a horse on the clouds. For another passage,
God rode upon angel guardians and made the clouds of the heavens his tent. (Psalms 18:10-12)
Angel guardians, too, mean the Word (see 239, 672).
Jehovah binds the waters in his clouds and spreads his cloud over his throne. (Job 26:8-9)
Give strength to Jehovah, strength upon the clouds. (Psalms 68:34)
Jehovah created a cloud by day over every dwelling place in Zion; he placed a cover over all glory. (Isaiah 4:5)
The Word in its literal meaning was also represented by the cloud in which Jehovah came down onto Mount Sinai when he proclaimed the law. The commandments of the law that were proclaimed at that time were and are the primary principles of the Word.
[3] The following things I have witnessed can be added to lend further support. In the spiritual world there are clouds, just as there are in the physical world, although spiritual clouds have a different origin than physical clouds do. In the spiritual world there are sometimes shining clouds over the angelic heavens and dark clouds over the hells. The shining clouds over the angelic heavens symbolize a lack of clarity that the angels there are experiencing because of the Word's literal meaning. When those clouds are breaking up, they symbolize the fact that the angels are coming into goodwill as a result of the Word's spiritual meaning. The dark clouds over the hells symbolize that the Word is being falsified and desecrated there.
The fact that clouds have these symbolic meanings in the spiritual world is the origin [of their meanings in the Word]. The light that emanates from the Lord as the sun of the spiritual world symbolizes divine truth. Therefore the Lord himself is called the Light (John 1:9; 12:35). As a result, the Word itself, which is kept in the sanctuaries of the church buildings in the spiritual world, appears surrounded with shining light. Clouds dim that light.
Hebrews 12
1
Let *us* also therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race that lies before us,
2
looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured [the] cross, having despised [the] shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3
For consider well him who endured so great contradiction from sinners against himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.
4
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, wrestling against sin.
5
And ye have quite forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, despise not [the] chastening of [the] Lord, nor faint [when] reproved by him;
6
for whom [the] Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.
7
Ye endure for chastening, God conducts himself towards you as towards sons; for who is the son that the father chastens not?
8
But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9
Moreover we have had the fathers of our flesh as chasteners, and we reverenced [them]; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
10
For they indeed chastened for a few days, as seemed good to them; but he for profit, in order to the partaking of his holiness.
11
But no chastening at the time seems to be [matter] of joy, but of grief; but afterwards yields [the] peaceful fruit of righteousness to those exercised by it.
12
Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the failing knees;
13
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned aside; but that rather it may be healed.
14
Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord:
15
watching lest [there be] any one who lacks the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and many be defiled by it;
16
lest [there be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one meal sold his birthright;
17
for ye know that also afterwards, desiring to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, (for he found no place for repentance) although he sought it earnestly with tears.
18
For ye have not come to [the mount] that might be touched and was all on fire, and to obscurity, and darkness, and tempest,
19
and trumpet's sound, and voice of words; which they that heard, excusing themselves, declined [the] word being addressed to them any more:
20
(for they were not able to bear what was enjoined: And if a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned;
21
and, so fearful was the sight, Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling;)
22
but ye have come to mount Zion; and to [the] city of [the] living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to myriads of angels,
23
the universal gathering; and to [the] assembly of the firstborn [who are] registered in heaven; and to God, judge of all; and to [the] spirits of just [men] made perfect;
24
and to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant; and to [the] blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel.
25
See that ye refuse not him that speaks. For if those did not escape who had refused him who uttered the oracles on earth, much more we who turn away from him [who does so] from heaven:
26
whose voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, saying, Yet once will *I* shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.
27
But this Yet once, signifies the removing of what is shaken, as being made, that what is not shaken may remain.
28
Wherefore let us, receiving a kingdom not to be shaken, have grace, by which let us serve God acceptably with reverence and fear.
29
For also our God [is] a consuming fire.
