Clouds of Glory

Where I live, it’s cloudy and rainy today. The heavens are literally weeping water down to the earth bringing nourishment to parched life. Not coincidentally, I’m preparing for a Bible study tonight — the water of the Word. The natural clouds have a spiritual truth to teach. Below, I simply did a concordance search on cloud and clouds and then placed similar themes together. This is far from exhaustive, but if you put your figurative and spiritual thinking cap on,  you’ll gain a new appreciation for the clouds and the upcoming fall feast days. (This is also helpful for dream symbolism!)

Have these questions in mind:

1. Clouds have both a positive and negative connotation. In the natural, they also can appear as white or dark grey. What do we learn from these opposites?
2. What creatures fly in the clouds? What day were they created? Which moed are they associated with (fifth feast/fifth day, Is. 60:8)?
3. How can the idea of clouds being covering denote both righteousness and wickedness?
4. Who are the great cloud of witnesses?
5. Which feast day or days are associated with clouds? With water?
6. What fills the House of Adonai?
7. What is Adonai’s army compared to in Joel 2?
8. When rain (from clouds) is withheld, what is the result? (Consider Zec. 14:16-19.)

H6051 עָנָן ‛ânân aw-nawn’ From H6049; a cloud (as covering the sky), that is, the nimbus or thunder cloud: – cloud (-y). Total KJV occurrences: 87

H6049 עָנַן ‛ânan aw-nan’ A primitive root; to cover; used only as denominative from H6051, to cloud over; figuratively to act covertly, that is, practise magic: –    X bring, enchanter, Meonemin, observe (-r of) times, soothsayer, sorcerer. Total KJV occurrences: 11

Covenant in the Cloud

I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. “It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Pillar of Cloud & Fire

Exo 13:21  The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

Isa 4:3-6  It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.

Sinai/Mountain

Exo 19:16  So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

Exo 24:15-16  Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.

Tabernacle/House

Exo 33:9  Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.

Lev 16:2  The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

Num 9:15  Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until morning.

1Ki 8:10-12  It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

Mat 17:5  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

Great Cloud of Witnesses

Heb 12:1  Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Eze 1:4-5  As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire. Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.

Joe 2:2  A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.

1Co 10:1-2  For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

1Th 4:17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

1Ki 18:44  It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’”

Rev 11:12  And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.

Nah 1:3  The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

Day of the LORD

Eze 30:3  “For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time of doom for the nations.

Zep 1:15-16  A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.

Coming with Clouds

Exo 19:9  The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.

Dan 7:13  “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.

Mar 14:62  And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

Rev 1:7  BEHOLD, 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.

Waterless Clouds

Jud 1:12  These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;

Pro 25:14  Like clouds and wind without rain Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.

Isa 14:14  ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’