Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

January 14, 2009

Volume 8 Number 2


His Strength is in the Clouds

After the high priest had made false accusations against Yahshua (Jesus), he finally asked Him a direct question, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?"

61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said to him, Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed? -Mark 14

Finally asked to bear witness of the truth, Yahshua gave a direct and clear answer. He said, "I am:"

62 And Yahshua said, I am: and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. -Mark 14

When He said "I AM," He quoted the name by which Yahweh revealed Himself to Moses:

14 And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. -Exodus 3

In other words, Yahshua said He would return as the Great "I AM," sitting on the "right hand of power, coming in the clouds of heaven." The strength of God is in the clouds:

34 Ascribe you strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

35 O God, you are awesome out of your holy places: the God of Israel is he that gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God. -Psalms 68

Yahweh reveals His presence both as the appearance of clouds and as the appearance of fire. For example, after He showed His great power by saving Israel from Egyptian bondage, Yahweh was with them in a pillar of a cloud and also in a pillar of fire:

21 And Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. -Exodus 13

This was no ordinary cloud and it was no ordinary fire. Ordinary clouds are made of water vapor that condense into physical rain. Ordinary fire is seen as energy in the form of heat and light released from combustible material as it is consumed.

Yahweh used fire and clouds to show His presence. When He spoke to the children of Israel from Mount Horeb, He appeared in a mountain that was burning with fire in the presence of thick darkness and clouds!

11 And you came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

12 And Yahweh spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire: you heard the voice of the words, but saw no likeness; only you heard a voice. -Deuteronomy 4

The angel of Yahweh appeared to Moses in a burning bush. The bush, however, was not consumed!

2 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. -Exodus 3

John the Baptist said that Yahshua would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

16 John answered, saying to them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the lace of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: -Luke 3

Believers were baptized with the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost, which appeared as fire:

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. -Acts 2

Yahweh reveals the power of His spirit as fire. Likewise, He reveals His glory in the appearance of clouds:

10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud. -Exodus 16

After the priests brought the ark of the covenant into the most holy place of the newly completed temple, the glory of Yahweh filled His house. He revealed His glory in the appearance of a cloud:

11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of Yahweh had filled the house of Yahweh. -1 Kings 8

When spiritual clouds gather, it is time to expect the spiritual rain. Yahweh promised that He would send a "former rain" and a "latter rain:"

23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in Yahweh your God: for he has given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. -Joel 2

By pouring out rain, He was saying that He would pour out His spirit:

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. -Joel 2

Peter confirmed that God fulfilled Joel’s prophecy on the Day of Pentecost:

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God Yahweh, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: -Acts 2

The former rain is poured upon the seed that is planted in dry ground. It is the rain which enables the seed to germinate. Those who are thirsty will receive His spirit:

3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon your seed, and my blessing upon your offspring:

4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. -Isaiah 44

Those seeds that are watered by the former rain spring up and begin to grow. Watered with the Living Water of the Spirit of God, those seeds grow with spiritual blessings, knowing that Yahweh is God:

5 One shall say, I am Yahweh’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto Yahweh, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

6 Thus says Yahweh the King of Israel, and his redeemer Yahweh of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God. -Isaiah 44

They know that Yahweh, the King of Israel, also came as the Redeemer, Yahweh of Hosts. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. The only God. Yahshua says:

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. -Revelation 22

Before He was received into heaven in a cloud, Yahshua told His disciples that, through the power of the Holy Ghost, they would be His witnesses throughout the world:

8 But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the utmost part of the earth.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. -Acts 1

Paul confirmed that the gospel, which was preached through the Word and the power of the Holy Ghost, was received with joy in much affliction:

5 For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

6 And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: -1 Thessalonians 1

As the word is preached with the power of the Holy Ghost, the believers are multiplied and ready for the latter rain, in preparation of the final harvest:

1 Ask you of Yahweh rain in the time of the latter rain; so Yahweh shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. -Zechariah 10

Therefore, as Yahshua comes in "clouds with great power and glory," He comes in the glory and spirit of Yahweh for the final harvest:

14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in your sickle, and reap: for the time has come for you to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. -Revelation 14

When He comes for the final harvest, He will be seen "in the clouds with great power and glory:"

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. -Mark 13

7 Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all families of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. -Revelation 1

 

 

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