Coming with the Clouds of Heaven

Sometimes I think that part of the reason it can seem difficult to understand how the Bible fits together is that the New Testament uses Greek idiom to describe the fulfillment of Hebrew hope. What do I mean by that? Well, it is commonly known that the Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew (with portions of Jeremiah and Daniel written in Aramaic), while the New Testament was written entirely in the Greek language. So what happens is that Greek terms (translated for us into English) are used to talk about Old Testament themes. Sometimes that's not much of a problem. For example the Greek word pascha (πάσχα) translates rather easily into English as Passover (as in John 2:13). But other times it is not easy. For example, the New Testament uses the phrases "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God" even though those precise terms are never used in the Old Testament. But these are terms loaded with Old Testament significance as they describe the reign of the Messiah over restored Israel and the nations of the world.

The reason I bring it up is that sometimes it is not immediately clear that a New Testament passage might be drawing heavily on an Old Testament theme or promise, when it was likely more apparent to first century believers. That isn't a slam against modern Christians, it is just sometimes reality. It is the job of the leaders of the Church, particularly its teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11) to help Christians in their understanding of Scripture.

One of the areas where I believe more clarity would be welcome is in connecting specific passages of the Old Testament together with the New Testament to find out how Old Covenant hope is fulfilled in the present New Covenant/Kingdom age. My purpose today is to show how Christ's session at the Father's right hand in the "heavenly realms" fulfills, at least partially, the vision Daniel received in the seventh chapter of the book that bears his name. 

Daniel 7 describes a vision that the prophet Daniel received at the beginning of the reign of Belshazzar, king of Babylon. In it, Daniel saw four beasts which coincide with four empires that would arise subsequent to Daniel. Daniel also saw a vision of the Ancient of Days seated on his throne and the ultimate fate of the Beast and the "little horn" that speaks blasphemies against God. But it is verses 13 and 14 that most concern me here:

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. 

(Daniel 7:13-14 NIV)

On the surface of it, it may seem like this is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled at the second coming of the Lord Jesus. After all, "coming with the clouds" sounds like second advent language. And it comes immediately after the destruction of the Beast and his being thrown alive into the blazing fire (Daniel 7:11; Revelation 19:20). But a closer look as well as an investigation into relevant New Testament texts reveals that actually this portion of the vision has already, and continues to be fulfilled. 

So how do I know that? Firstly let us consider the very words of Jesus. In Mark's gospel, we find Jesus arrested and standing before the Sanhedrin. The council found false witnesses against Jesus in an attempt to find excuse to have Jesus put to death. Frustrated in that attempt and seeing Jesus give no answer, the high priest directly questioned Jesus:

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. 

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"

"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

(Mark 14:60-62 NIV)

Jesus himself tells the Sanhedrin (and us) that Daniel's vision finds fulfillment in him and very shortly. Notice that his "coming on the clouds of heaven" is contemporaneous with his "sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One", which fulfills Psalm 110 (the most frequently cited Psalm in the entire New Testament, and obviously fulfilled). Further evidence is found in Jesus' words to the high priest, "...And YOU will see the Son of Man..." Jesus is saying that those in that very room would see Jesus glorified, sitting at God's right hand and coming on the clouds. It can't refer to the second coming since the high priest and all the members of the Sanhedrin are obviously long since dead. They would "see" the Son of Man glorified when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the fledgling Church and through its preaching.

So how exactly is it fulfilled in the first century in the days of Jesus and his opponents? A careful look at the passage in Daniel and a comparison of it with Acts 1 will make it apparent that it was in the ascension of Jesus that he "comes with the clouds of heaven".

Concerning Daniel 7:13-14, notice the movement of the Son of Man. As he comes with the clouds, he approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. In other words, this scene is not taking place on earth at all. It is an entirely heavenly scene. So how does that work with what we know of the New Testament? Consider first Acts 1:6-9:

Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

That a cloud hid Jesus from the sight of the Eleven Apostles is not a coincidence. It was when Jesus ascended to the Father and was glorified at his right hand that Jesus came with the clouds and received his kingdom. Similar language is found in Ephesians. There, Paul speaks of: ...his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.  (Ephesians 1:19-20 NIV). Much of Paul's descriptions of the blessings that Christians enjoy in Christ in the heavenly places comes right out of the book of Daniel!

Hopefully I have shown briefly that Jesus' ascension to the right hand of God in heaven is the fulfillment of at least part of Daniel's vision. There is still more yet to be fulfilled. The Kingdom of God has come upon us (Matthew 12:28; Luke 17:20-21; Colossians 1:13), but it has not yet come in all its fullness (Luke 22:15-16). Still to come is the day when: the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him (Daniel 8:27 NIV). 

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: 

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.

(Revelation 11:15 NIV).