☆ The Son of Man Will Come in a "Cloud" ☆

At first, we need to carefully study Jesus’ first coming, because He was also prophesied to come in a cloud. If this prophecy meant that He would come in a physical cloud of the sky, the people who do not believe will fall into destruction. But if this prophecy meant that He would come in the flesh-and not on an actual cloud-then those who insist on His coming on a physical cloud of the sky will be destroyed.

When Jesus came for the first time, 2,000 years ago, the Pharisees were aware that Elijah would come before the Messiah (Matt. 17:10-13; cf. Matt. 11:14). Elijah had gone up to heaven in a whirlwind, riding a chariot of fire (2 Kin. 2:11), so the priests, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, all believed that the Elijah to come would also come down from heaven in a chariot of fire-the same way that he had gone up to heaven. Because of their incorrect beliefs, they failed to receive Elijah-John the Baptist?and persecuted him; thus, they were all destroyed. While they eagerly looked forward to Elijah’s coming in a chariot of fire, Elijah-John-had already been born, as a child, through the body of Elizabeth (Luke 1:57-66).

All of the evildoers who had waited for Elijah’s coming in a chariot of fire were destroyed. This is God’s warning to us. In the last days, the people who believe that Jesus will come in a physical cloud of the sky will be destroyed.

We should be careful not to follow the Pharisees’ example, and make every effort to study the prophecies of Jesus’ coming in a cloud. The Bible says, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near," and, "He will send his angels...and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other."

Most Christians assume that when Jesus comes in a cloud, as the Judge, the earth will be destroyed and the "saved" will be caught in the air to meet Jesus. The Bible says, however, that "when these things begin to take place [when the Son of Man comes in a cloud], stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." The Bible also says that when Jesus comes in a cloud He will gather His elect from the four winds.

In other words, the purpose of Jesus’ coming in a cloud for a second time is not to destroy the earth, but to gather the elect. In order to be recognized as the elect, we must receive the Second Coming Christ who comes in a cloud.

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