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God's Word Pertaining To Clouds

When asking a friend a question concerning the cloud of Rev.14:16  the answer I received prompted me to consider what the Bible had to say about the subject of clouds.  I was gratified by all that I found.  The word "cloud" was used 107 times in 94 verses.  The word "clouds" was found in 49 verses.  The variety of the way they have been used was interesting to me and I found several distinct categories that most, if not all, fell in.  The following are the categories that I found. 

Pagan Beliefs:

I found several verses that were direct references to the pagan use of clouds. But, you wouldn't know it if you used the KJV as your only source. The following is an example of the KJV plus Strong's number

Lev 19:26   Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times^H6049. 

Strong's gives the direction of a more accurate translation for that term.

H6049 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.

The Young's Literal gives a more "direct meaning" in its translation. The following are from Young's Literal Translation:

 

Lev 19:26 `Ye do not eat with the blood; ye do not enchant, nor observe clouds.

Deu 18:10 there is not found in thee one causing his son and his daughter to pass over into fire, a user of divinations, an observer of clouds, and an enchanter, and a sorcerer,

Deu 18:14 for these nations whom thou art possessing, unto observers of clouds, and unto diviners, do hearken; and thou--not so hath Jehovah thy God suffered thee.

2Ki 21:6 and he hath caused his son to pass through fire, and observed clouds, and used enchantment, and dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards; he hath multiplied to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah--to provoke to anger.

2Ch 33:6 And he hath caused his sons to pass over through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and observed clouds and used enchantments and witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and a wizard; he hath multiplied to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.

Jer 27:9 `And ye, ye do not hearken unto your prophets, and unto your diviners, and unto your dreamers, and unto your observers of clouds, and unto your sorcerers who are speaking unto you, saying, Ye do not serve the king of Babylon, --

Posted in Methods of Divination, Visual Divinations | Tagged Clouds, Nephomancy |

Nephomancy or Nephelomancy is divination by studying clouds. This involves observing and interpreting the color, shape and position of clouds in the sky. The Celtic Druids made extensive use of nephomancy, which they called neladoracht.

Celtic shamans sometimes practiced a form of Nephomancy that was closely related to Hydromancy and Scrying. After finding a hollowed stone or other depression that was filled with rain water, priests would look into it studying the cloud formations reflected on the water’s surface.

Throughout history symbols of political or religious importance have been seen in the clouds. In A.D. 312 when Emperor Constantine was marching against the army of Maxentius at Rome, both he and his entire army saw a shining cross of light amid the clouds. It was said the cross contained the Greek words "By This Conquer". Later that night Christ appeared to Constantine in his dreams bearing a cross in his hand ordering Constantine to have a military standard made in the same image. Under this standard his outnumbered army was victorious. Down through history entire military battles have been witnessed in the clouds.

Weather:

This is how we naturally relate to the clouds we observe. Living in the Central Highlands of Arizona we look forward to the "Monsoon Season". It's when our clouds disgorge themselves with heavy rain accompanied by dramatic displays of thunder and lighting. It is something that is most impressive. The following are some of the verses that speak directly to the physical clouds.

Psa 77:17   The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. 

1Ki 18:44   And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 

Job 26:8  He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. 

Eze 32:7  And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. 

Ecc 11:4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Isa 5:6  And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. 

Luk 12:54  And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. 

 

Symbolism:

God's Word often uses the symbolism of a cloud or clouds in portraying something. The following is a partial list.

Job 3:5  Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.  (speaking of Job's birth)

Pro 16:15  In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. 

Isa 44:22   I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto

me; for I have redeemed thee. 

Hos 6:4   O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. 

Hos 13:3  Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney. 

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, 

Jud 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; 

God's Presence:

By far, most of the time a cloud or clouds are referenced it is in relation to the presence of God. In the interest of keeping this paper "three pages or less" I will try to use the verses that are most impactful to me. There are though two distinct circumstances where cloud verses are concentrated. The first is when God was with Israel during the time in the wilderness and the second is when Jesus returns, being on a cloud, when He reaps or gathers the first fruit to himself.

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: 

Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 

Exo 24:16  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 

Lev 16:2  And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. 

Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so is the appearance of the brightness round about. (speaking of the portable throne of God)

Mar 9:7 And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, `This is My Son--the Beloved, hear ye him;' (this is evidently the only time that the Bible records the voice of "God the Father" being heard)

Luk 21:27 `And then they shall see the Son of Man, coming in a cloud, with power and much glory;

Mat 24:30 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth smite the breast, and they shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the heaven, with power and much glory; (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.) 

Rev 14:14 And I saw, and lo, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like to a son of man, having upon his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle; (see Rev 1:13-20 and Dan 7:13)

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

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

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