"Behold He cometh in the clouds and every eye shall see Him" by Holger Neubauer

**"Behold he cometh in the clouds;**

**and every eye shall see him”**

by *Holger W. Neubauer*

            Countless
individuals both within and without the church cite Revelation 1:7 as proof
positive that when Jesus returns every single person on the face of the earth
will witness the event. In their minds, our position that affirms that Jesus
returned when Jerusalem fell is falsified. Yet, John affirmed in Revelation 1:1
these things would “shortly come to pass” and that the “time was at hand”
(Revelation 1:3). These time statements are repeated at the end of the book as
well (Revelation 22:6,10). John affirmed the book of Revelation was “signified”
or “symbolized” (Revelation 1:1). Could it be that the phrase “and every eye
shall see him” has a deeper symbolic meaning? This writer affirms it does.
Revelation 1:7 says, “behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and they that pierced him: and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him.” Notice please the statement, “behold he cometh with clouds.”
The very fact that Jesus was coming with the clouds is evidence that he would
not be seen by the naked eye. Clouds describe the fact that the presence of
Jesus was shrouded. No one would  see Him
except by the signs that were about to come to pass. This fits the prophetic
language of Isaiah as he pointed to the end of Old Covenant Israel when he
said, “Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they shall see”
(Isaiah 26:11).

                In Exodus 19:9 the Lord told Moses, “I will come to
thee in a thick cloud.” The Lord's presence was shrouded by the cloud. Exodus
34:5 records, “And the Lord descended in the cloud.” The Lord's presence was
again shrouded by a cloud. Isaiah 19:1 records these words, “the Lord rideth on
a swift cloud.” There the Lord's presence was shrouded from the Egyptians as
God punished their nation with the armies of Sargon of Assyria (Isaiah 20:1-5).
In Matthew 17:5 the presence of Moses and Elijah was shrouded by a “bright
cloud.” The cloud “overshadowed them” as the Lord spoke “out of the cloud.” The
cloud shrouded the presence of the Lord but the presence of the Lord was
clearly known.  This is the idea that
John is affirming. John also mentions “and they that pierced him” (Revelation
1:7), a clear reference to the Jewish nation that put Jesus to death. Now
consider Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
Jesus affirmed what he just prophesied would come to pass in that generation
(Matthew 24:34).  Who would see the Son
of man coming in the clouds? All THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH! This is exactly the
idea of “EVERY EYE WOULD SEE HIM.” Jesus said His coming would be “as the lightning
cometh out of the east, and shineth unto the west; so shall the coming of the
Son of man be” (Matthew 24:27). This shining from the east to the west would be
true of a land but not of a globe. All in the land would see! This agrees
perfectly with Revelation 1:7! Every eye would see Him! But how? Through the
signs and the ultimate fall of Jerusalem! Isaiah said, “They will not see, but
they will see.” Jesus also said, “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall
say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:39). Jesus
here foretold that those Jews would not recognize him without recognizing his
people of His church. Jesus on another occasion said, “and ye see me no more”
(John 16:10). Paul affirmed though they knew Jesus after the flesh, “yet now
henceforth know we him no more” (2 Corinthians 5:16). He would only be seen
through His words which were coming to pass!

But
will not Jesus return in “like manner” (Acts 1:11)?  Absolutely, shrouded by the cloud! Let us
carefully look at Acts 1:9-11, “And when he had spoken these things, while they
beheld, he was taken up; and a CLOUD received him out of their sight.” Then the
two men in white apparel said, “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
Jesus went into heaven by means of the cloud. The cloud took Jesus out of their
sight. The imagery is the same. The Lord would be shrouded by the cloud. If
someone leaves his friends wearing jeans and a polo shirt and then boards a
plane but is promised to come back in the same way, would we conclude that the
friend is returning in jeans and a polo shirt or that he was returning in a
plane? Just be honest. Our friend would obviously be coming back on a plane.
The same imagery of being shrouded by the cloud is found when the two witnesses
“ascended up to heaven in a cloud” (Revelation 11:12).  In this same verse we have the Lord's words,
“Come up hither” (Revelation 11:12). There, after Jerusalem fell, heaven was
opened and the dead were judged (Revelation 11:18,19).

            The name of
the book of Revelation is from the Greek “apokalupsis.” This word refers to the
revealing or unveiling of Christ. The book begins with the statement, “The
Revelation of  Jesus Christ” (Revelation
1:1). The same Greek word is found in Luke 17:30 where the Lord said, “Even
thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” In the very next
verse Jesus said, “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his
stuff in the  house, let  him not come down to take it away: and he
that is in the field, let him likewise not return back” (Luke 17:31).  Luke 17:30,31 is a clear reference to
Jerusalem's fall. Jesus was revealed in Jerusalem's fall. But, Jesus was
revealed in the Revelation. Therefore, the fall of Jerusalem is synchronous with
the Revelation and they refer to the same exact event.  Jesus words were proven to be true as every
stone of the temple was removed (Matthew 24:2). This event is corroborated in
Revelation 11:1-8 as the temple is measured and the Great city that was about
to be judged is identified as the place where Jesus was crucified. This coming
would be seen in the sign (Matthew 24:3). The great coming of the Revelation
was the coming of Jesus in the clouds as Jerusalem fell, and Heaven was opened
and dead saints would hear the voice of God say, “come up hither”(Revelation
11:12). All of these events were shrouded by the cloud. Thanks be to God that Jesus
returned in the clouds and now heaven is open to all the saints.