The Coming of the King

3. "He cometh with clouds" (CONT.)

The underlying meaning of all the allusions likening the Second Advent to the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, then, embraces the progressive fashion in which the Advent is perceived by humanity in general. There are two associated principles, judgment and blessing, and God, unseen, is behind the sending of both. His storm‑clouds of judgment and his bright light of blessing advances swiftly upon the world and men perceive their onset but do not see the Power behind them which is driving events on to their inevitable climax. What they do see is the figure of a man, one like a son of man, one like themselves, who once dwelt with them on earth and shared their sorrows and healed their diseases and finally was put to death by them because they could not understand him, and who now comes again to them having all power in heaven and in earth to rule them in justice and wisdom until the last trace of evil has been purged away and the human race has attained its destiny. They do not see all this at once; at first the clouds do not more than mark the disappearance from the terrestrial scene of those who have been watching for his appearing and have already seen the astrape, the early dawnlight, flaming over the eastern hills to tell that the time has come. It must be so, for those who thus go to meet their Lord "in the clouds" must later on be revealed with him to all the world as his associates and willing followers in the work of world evangelism which will then commence. And so the picture of the one "like a son of man" appearing in the clouds for judgment and blessing merges with those of passages like Rev.19 and Zech.14 where that same son of man becomes a Rider on a white horse descending from the heavens, accompanied by armies of his followers, to the execution of judgment and the termination of the Age preparatory to the blessing that will follow.

The clouds of heaven, then, picture the onset of judgment and blessing associated with the end of this Age when the works of man perish in utter confusion. In the early stage of this period the resurrection and "change" of the Church takes place, thus fulfilling 1 Thess.4.17. Next comes the disintegration of world institutions and the "kingdoms of this world". Men will only gradually come to see that this disintegration is inevitable and that there is "no way out", the expression which is the literal sense of Jesus' words in Luke 21.26 describing this time. Only then, when the Rider on the white horse is apparent to men and they realise that the powers of Heaven are concerned in this cataclysmic downfall of human institutions, will it be true that they "see the Son of Man" in "power and great glory". But once they have thus seen the Son of Man they will not lose the vision, for the time of judgment will pass and the time of blessing will come. The Son of Man will still be in the clouds of heaven, no longer against the dark background of storm clouds, but resplendent in the radiance of light. This is where the Millennial Kingdom is established in power and this is where Caiaphas will experience the fulfilment of Jesus' words of so long ago. Awaking from death he will see for himself the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. For men like Caiaphas they will still be clouds of judgment, for even then it must remain true that what a man soweth, that he shall also reap, and retribution for the past cannot be avoided even although repentance may ultimately bring cleansing and a fresh start.

In a sense the Son of Man will remain seen in the clouds of heaven during the entire Millennial Age, in that the glories of that Age and the progressive elimination of evil will be tangible evidences of his presence. Elihu's magnificent conclusion to his defence of God in the debates of Job (Job 37.21‑24 LXX Septuagint) is the finest Biblical expression of this truth. "But (For) the light is not visible to all: it shines afar off in the heavens, as that which is from him in the clouds. From the north come the clouds shining like gold: in these great are the glory and honour of the Almighty; and we do not find another his equal in strength...wherefore men shall fear (be in awe of) him; and the wise in heart shall fear (reverence) him."

After the storm, the calm. After the darkness, the golden light of Messiah's kingdom. The light is there, mingled with the storm clouds, but it has not yet penetrated all the darkness, and the people who sit in darkness have not seen the great light. But it will come. "From the north come the clouds shining like gold." Nothing can hinder their advance. And in the glory of those shining clouds men will see the power of God and know that, at last, the Lord from heaven has returned to earth and established that new order of things which the prophet so long ago promised would be "the desire of all nations".

AOH

(To be continued).