"..I will come back again" - John 14:3 (AMP)

Jesus will rise on the earth, does that mean He is coming back? 
Yes, it does!

But how? By taking a look at how He left, it might give us a clue into how His return might look.

Right after he spoke those words, the disciples saw Jesus lifted into the sky and disappeared into a cloud! As they stared into the sky, watching Jesus ascend, two men in white robes suddenly appeared beside them. They told the startled disciples, “Galileans, why are you staring up into the sky? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but he will come back the same way that you saw him ascend.” 

Acts 1:9-11 (TPT)

Scholarly footnotes from the Passion bible translators add this as another translation option “A cloud came under him and took him up from their sight.” The Aramaic is 
“A cloud accepted him and covered him from their eyes.” He did not start from a cloud and ascend to outer space. 
He started from their visible presence, and disappeared from view in a cloud, ascending by that means into heaven. And when he returns, it will be in reverse order. We will see him appearing from out of a cloud and descending back into our visible presence where we can see him and be with him.

The other times when God appeared as a cloud was when the children of Israel were leaving Egypt and heading toward the promised land.

During the day, the Lord went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way, the Lord could lead them at all times, whether day or night. 

Exodus 13:21-22 (CEV)

I have been in many Church meetings during worship where a cloud would fill the room, and the presence of the Lord would be almost tangible.  (This was before theatrical smoke was used in Church services during worship.)

How would one describe the Lord’s presence when His identity is obscured from people recognizing Him? He is described as a fire burning from within.

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a town named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking about everything that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. Then he said, “What are these things you are talking about while you walk?”

The two followers stopped, looking very sad. The one named Cleopas answered, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know what just happened there?”

Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about?” They said, “About Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet who said and did many powerful things before God and all the people. Our leaders and the leading priests handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we were hoping that he would free Israel. Besides this, it is now the third day since this happened. And today, some women among us amazed us. Early this morning, they went to the tomb, but they did not find his body there. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive! So some of our group went to the tomb, too. They found it just as the women said, but they did not see Jesus.” 

Then Jesus said to them, “You are foolish and slow to believe everything the prophets said. They said that the Christ must suffer these things before he enters his glory.” Then starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures. They came near the town of Emmaus, and Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they begged him, “Stay with us because it is late; it is almost night.” So he went in to stay with them. When Jesus was at the table with them, he took some bread, gave thanks, divided it, and gave it to them. And then, they were allowed to recognize Jesus. But when they saw who he was, he disappeared. They said to each other, “It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us.” 

Luke 24:13-32 (NCV)

A cloud by day and a fire by night seems to be a pattern throughout the bible of how the Lord reveals Himself to His people. 

We have been taught that the consuming fire of God throughout scripture was for the destruction of the wicked much like the city of Sodom was destroyed by fire. But it is not so with the children of God, the consuming fire purifies our lives and makes us more like our King and consumes anything that hinders love. 

Our God is looking for a resting place within us so that His peace may rest in us and upon us, and we may become the beautiful city on a hill with the Lord being our walls and our boundaries. His peace emanates through us, and we are called His children, His sons, and daughters who dwell in the everlasting burning passion of His love.

“Blessed are the peacemakers—they will be called 

children of God.” 

Matthew 5:9 (VOICE)

We have been chosen and appointed as directors of heaven on the earth, which makes us representatives (and ambassadors) of the kingdom of heaven. We have a God who loves us and has given us the keys to the kingdom.

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you forbid on earth will be what is forbidden in Heaven and whatever you permit on earth will be what is permitted in Heaven!”  

Matthew 16:19 (PHILLIPS)

The keys of the kingdom are the words (or proclamations) of God we speak back to Him as He reveals His heart to us.  Speaking the words of God's heart into the heavens and the natural world are the keys that open the doors of God's kingdom on the earth.

Prophetically, God wants to inhabit a city called Jerusalem (which being interpreted means "a city of peace"), it was revealed by Jesus that, “we are that city.”  

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride on her wedding day, adorned for her husband and for His eyes only. And I heard a great voice, coming from the throne. “See, the home of God is with His people. He will live among them; they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them. The prophecies are fulfilled: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning no more, crying no more, pain no more, for the first things have gone away.” And the One who sat on the throne announced to His creation, “see, I am making all things new. Write what you hear and see, for these words are faithful and true.” 

Revelation 21:2-5 (VOICE)

I have never seen myself as a city before, but that is how our God sees us, a holy city descending out of heaven.  And God lives in that city in and among His people.  Apparently, God also sees this city as His beautiful bride, fully decked out for her husband to be.  All of the former things of this life will be gone, all things are being made new!

We are esteemed and valued by the Lord as being someone that He would die for, so precious to Him.  We are family to Him, someone to express His love through.  That firey love causes a yearning in the heart that desires only Him.  

As I wrap up the cloud and fire description of God's presence here, there is one more thought I would like to add, as I have approached God in prayer or have received visions from Him from time to time, I have noticed that He is usually surrounded by a haze or mist which is descriptive of the other-dimensional reality our God exists in, and I tend to perceive the haze or mist as clouds.

It will be amazing when "the veil" (or separation) is lifted between the natural and the spiritual world and we see Jesus rise on the earth as He is.  I can't wait for the day! 

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett