What is the symbolic meaning of the clouds?

Answer 1

Clouds in The Bible signify Divine Truth in ultimates, consequently the Bible in its literal sense which covers the spiritual sense. "The Lord spread a CLOUD for a covering"(Ps. Cv. 39). Here signifying the Word in its literal sense that is called a covering upon the glory, "for upon all the GLORY shall be a COVERING" (Isa. iv. 5). The GLORY of the tabernacle was the gold, the wood represented the flesh, the gold represented the glory of the hidden knowledge or "hidden manna" (Rev 2:7).

Most Bible students are aware that there is a literal sense and a symbolic sense within the Bible. It is said that the symbolic sense of the Bible or the metaphoric sense (which includes parables and allegorys) is the sense in which we discover the "glory of God" or the gold, i.e "it is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the honour of kings to search a matter out". Proverbs 25:2. This is telling us the "glory of God" is concealed within the literal sense of the Bible.

So the "power" of the Word is in its literal sense, that when combined with the spiritual sense reveals His coming with POWER and great GLORY; "the Son of Man (coming) in the CLOUDS of heaven with (power and great glory)" Matt. 24:30 or in the literal and spiritual sense of the prophetic Word.

In the Bible what is natural is used metaphorically for what it spiritually represents, so the "clouds" represent the literal sense of Gods Word/the Bible.

In the Word a "cloud" signifies the Word in the letter, which is the same as the Word in its literal sense. And that we will see His "coming in the clouds of HEAVEN", signifies revelation, as light is given from heaven. Likewise, as the strength or power of the Word is contained in its ultimate sense, which is its literal sense, so the Lord says, "Ascribe ye strength unto God, His excellency is over Israel, and His STRENGTH is in the CLOUDS"(Ps. 1xviii.34). This is because "He maketh the CLOUDS His CHARIOT" (civ. 3), or the literal sense of His Word His doctrine. As the word "Chariot" in the symbolic sense of the Word signifies doctrines, and horses signify proud and carnal teachers (of the Word) who empower them -as horses empower chariots; "the EGYPTIANS are men and not God, their HORSES are FLESH and not spirit". As horse or horseman signifies a teacher, and a chariot a doctrine or ideology in which many ride. "THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL and the HORSEMAN thereof"; "Jehovah will make Judah a Godly HORSE". While it is said "concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might show them that they themselves are BEASTS" (Eccl. 3:18).

Their is a hidden internal spiritual sense and an external natural sense that covers the former, as there is in man, "for upon all the GLORY shall be a COVERING" (Isa. iv. 5). The spiritual sense is called the glory, and natural sense is called the power, as the power is in the sense of the letter, and the glory is the spiritual sense revealed to the true Church in the NT era, "it is the GLORY of God to conceal a matter, but the honour of kings is to search out a matter" (Prov 25:2).