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Rev 1:7 Behold, He Cometh with Clouds…

[Updated August 25, 2023]

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

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

This seventh verse introduces us to the symbols of clouds and eyes, and the symbolism of piercing our Lord. We will also find out who is guilty of doing such a heinous sin, and we will find out who will be subjected to wailing for having done such an ungodly thing to the very Son of God.  Who do you suppose that great sinner to be?

What are clouds in scripture?

What we are about to learn is simply a little more confirmation that this is a book which is to be “read, heard, [meaning understood] and kept” by all who are given eyes to see and ears to hear.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

We will see that a cloud is both Christ and those who are in Him. ‘Clouds’ (plural) symbolize the christ of Christ, His elect, through whom He is doing all His Father has sent Him to do.

Luk 22:29  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Throughout the first five books of the Old Testament, a single cloud  typified Christ. In Genesis, the token of God’s covenant with Noah that He would never again destroy all flesh with a flood of waters, was never mentioned apart from the cloud in which it would appear (Gen 9:13-16).

Gen 9:12  And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
Gen 9:13  I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
Gen 9:14  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
Gen 9:15  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Gen 9:16  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
Gen 9:17  And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

The “bow in the cloud” is, in type, “Christ in you.” In fact, God specified that the rainbow would be preceded by the cloud coming over the earth (Gen 9:14). In every other instance of a single cloud in the Pentateuch, the cloud that preceded Israel thoughout the wilderness is under discussion. In these instances, the Hebrew word is a na n (Strong’s #6051). The cloud was a pillar that led Israel while they walked in the light of day, but while they walked in the darkness of night, the pillar was of fire.

Exo 13:21  And the LORD 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:

That being the case, we may conclude that we walk in light and are led by a shining cloud. We also walk in darkness and are led by fiery trials. Either way we are led by God, but we are being led in peace and in judgment.

1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world

This same pillar, while providing light for God’s people (then or now) during the night, showed only darkness to the “many called” of Egypt (the world). When the cloud would fill the tabernacle (and later, the temple) of the Lord with the glory of the Lord, neither Moses (the Law – Exo 40:35) nor the priests were able to stand to minister and were displaced from the temple (1Ki 8:11, 2Ch 5:14).

1Ki 8:10  And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy [place], that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
1Ki 8:11  So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
1Ki 8:12  Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
1Ki 8:13  I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.

2Ch 5:13  It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers [were] as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up [their] voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
2Ch 5:14  So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

When “the priests cannot stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord has filled the house of God,” what we are being told is that the seven bowls are being poured out upon the priests themselves. Those ‘vials’ or ‘bowls’ are the fiery Word of God, which judges us all. Just look at how this same event is portrayed in the fifteenth chapter of this book we are to keep:

Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Rev 15:5  And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
Rev 15:6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

If we see, hear and “keep what is written therein,” then we will understand why “no man [among us] will enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled.” If God’s Word is not really to you “is, was and is to come,” then you will see no personal application of these words. You will deny that these words are Christ and that these are a part of this prophecy for you, and when you do, you will have judged yourself with your own mouth:

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The temple of Solomon was in type, the “settled place” for Christ, the cloud that had led Israel through the wilderness. Where is God’s “settled place” today?  Where is “the cloud” today? Where is God’s temple today?

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The glory and light of the Lord are associated with and are in “a cloud” throughout the Old Testament as well (Job 37:15, Eze 1:28, Eze 10:3-4).

Job 37:11  Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
Job 37:12  And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.
Job 37:13  He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.
Job 37:14  Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.
Job 37:15  Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?
Job 37:16  Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?

Eze 1:1  Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth [day] of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

Eze 1:4  And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

Eze 1:26  And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne [was] the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
Eze 1:27  And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
Eze 1:28  As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Eze 10:3  Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
Eze 10:4  Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory.

The New Testament reveals to us that “the glory of the Lord” is revealed “in the church.”

Eph 3:21  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

The loftiness of clouds is used to describe the supremacy of the Lord in that He is higher than the clouds:

Psa 68:34  Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

Nah 1:3  The LORD [is] slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Heb 7:26  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

The Lord is commonly depicted as riding upon a cloud (Isa 19:1, Mat 24:30, Mat 26:64, Mar 13:26, Mar 14:62, Luk 21:27)

Isa 19:1  The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

Mat 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.

Luk 21:27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

In Psalm 104:3, clouds are said to be the Lord’s chariot.

Psa 104:3  Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

All of these verses are telling us that Christ does everything His Father sent Him to do through His “great cloud of witnesses” – the church.

Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

The negative application of clouds

In this sense of loftiness, clouds are also likened to our vain aspirations as evil men (Job 20:6, Isa 14:14, 2Pe 2:17, Jdg 1:12).

Job 20:4  Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
Job 20:5  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
Job 20:6  Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
Job 20:7  Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

Isa 14:4  That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

Isa 14:13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

Jude 1:12  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Jude 1:13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Every word has a personal application for anyone who truly sees himself as “chief of sinners.” We were all “children of disobedience… children of wrath, even as others.”

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

What others? We “were children of wrath” even as those who “abide in wrath,” and are “treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath” because they have been blinded to the fact that “no man can enter the temple of God until the seven bowls of the seven angels have been poured out.”

However, God’s people who know, and have been made deeply aware that they were “shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin,” who acknowledge that they are “marred in the Potter’s hand” have been given this grace, and willingly “give account” of the fact that they have sold their brother into Egypt, and have delivered Him up to be crucified for thirty pieces of silver and have denied Him with cursing and are truly “chief of sinners.”

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Psa 108:4  For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

There is much more that can be said about how this word ‘cloud’ or ‘clouds’ is used in God’s Word, but in Revelation 1:7, it is used to typify God’s elect, upon who He rides and through whom Christ is doing all His Father has commissioned Him to do; that is to save this whole world:

Job 37:11  Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:
Job 37:12  And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

“Every eye and they also which pierced Him…”

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

It is through our eyes (Eph 1:18) that we see and understand what is before us.

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Christ tells us that He has given the world eyes that do not see.

Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Neither the Jews nor the Romans understood that they were killing their own master. If they had known that, they would not haved killed Him:

1Co 2:8  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The whole world is spiritually blind and deaf. They simply cannot see what is before their eyes, and they cannot hear what is spoken to them. The end result is a total lack of understanding of what is right before their eyes and is in their ears. This part of verse 7 tells us that “every eye will see Him,” and if this is perceived as a future event only, and has not yet been realized within, then that is exactly what it will be for those who see it as such. On the other hand, if you see this as every eye within, and you understand that these words, as all of Christ’s words which “will never pass away” are, were and will be true for you now in this life, then you will see that it was you and I who pierced Him, and it is you and I who must “wail because of Him.” If you deny this, you are denying the words of Christ that do not pass away, and you are saying that these words of Christ do not have, and never have had any personal application. In denying Christ’s words, we deny Christ:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but [man shall live] by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

So who is guilty of this offense? If you say it was not you who crucified Christ, then you will give account for that in “the wrath to come”, because it is through the sins of all men that Christ was delivered up to be crucified, and it is through the justification of all men that Christ was resurrected to bring life to us all.

1Ti 1:15  This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

“Every eye” and “they also which pierced Him” are one and the same. If you think that the story of Judas’s betrayal of Christ is about Judas, or if you think the story of Peter’s denial of Christ while cursing, is just a story about Peter, then you still have no idea what the meaning is of…

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Peter knew when the Lord caught his eye, just as he was swearing that he did not even know Christ, that he, Peter, was guilty of Christ’s death. He knew what Christ meant when He told James and John that they would indeed drink of His cup. Peter knew at that moment the significance of “drinking of the Lord’s cup.”

Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all [twelve] of it;

When we fail to give account of our part in the death of our own Savior, then that is just part of “the things that are written in this book” which will in this present time be taken away from us. We must come to see our part in the death of our Savior. We must come to see ourselves as chief of sinners.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Christ had told His disciples that He would be delivered up to be slain and that all of His disciples would be offended because of Him. Peter and all of Christ’s disciples told Christ that those words had no personal application for them. They felt they had never and would never deny their Lord or be “offended because of Him.”

Mat 26:31  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Mat 26:32  But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
Mat 26:33  Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Mat 26:34  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Mat 26:35  Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

Whenever we say that we have never, and will never, live any of the words that have proceeded out of the mouth of God, we have at that very moment witnessed against ourselves that we will indeed live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. At the moment Peter was cursing the name of Christ and caught Christ’s eye looking at him from the palace of the high priest, he was not looking down on Judas and blaming this all on Judas. At that moment, Peter felt lower than Judas, and Peter then knew that He was living by every word that had proceeded out of Christ’s mouth. Peter was then, at that point, more than willing to admit that he was indeed guilty of the blood of all the prophets, because He had “pierced” our Lord Himself, just as surely as if He had been that Roman soldier with the spear.

We now know that Christ has given the kingdom received from His Father to His own elect to rule and to reign:

Luk 22:29  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

We now know that the only way to receive this kingdom is to acknowledge and to “give account” of the fact that we have lived by every word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God, and that we have seen Him whom we have pierced, and we have gone out and wept bitterly and “have wailed” because we acknowledge our part in the things that are “written therein.”

Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

We now know these words, which have proceeded out of the mouth of God, are talking to us about us and that the abominations in the midst of Jerusalem are our own personal sins.

We have seen that the clouds in which Christ returns are the clouds which “He turns about to do His counsel in the whole world.” They are the “great cloud of witnesses” of Hebrews 12:1. They are Christ’s anointed, Christ’s christ, whom Christ has sent to carry out the commission given Him by His Father. We have seen that these ‘clouds’ are the saviors of Obadiah 1:21.

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, includes receiving the blessings, such as not being hurt of the second death and ruling and reigning with Christ a thousand years.

Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Next study we will cover verse 8 and be once again reminded that Christ and His Words all “are, were and are to come,” and we will see clearly who the scriptures reveal was responsible for John being on the Isle of Patmos.