Will the Second Coming Christ Come on the Literal Cloud?

Many people think that when Christ comes a second time, he will come in a literal cloud. However, the viewpoint of many is far from the teachings of the Bible.

Many people claim to believe in God. But the sad truth is that they do not know anything about God. Even those who study theology all their lives do not know the fundamental truth about God. For example, many people do not even know that there is the second coming of Christ. Still, many think that the time when Christ comes a second time is the last day when God comes to judge this world.

It is prophesied that Christ is to come a second time, and that he is to come in a cloud. Little did they know that the clouds on which Christ comes a second time is a parable and not a literal cloud in the sky. People who look up in the sky waiting for the Messiah to come in the real clouds will wait in vain and will be destroyed in the end.

The Prophecy of the Second Coming Jesus Coming on a Cloud

Is the Second Coming the Day of Judgment?

There are people who think that when Jesus comes a second time, the world will be destroyed and that both the dead and the living believers will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This is the “rapture” that many Christians believe will happen on the last day. However, this belief is very much problematic, and when studied thoroughly, one will find many contradictions.

Firstly, when Jesus comes a second time, he will not find anyone with faith.

Luke 18:8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

Here, Jesus was talking about His second coming. When He comes, will He find faith on this earth? To emphasize that he will not find faith, he said, ‘will he find faith?’ This means that though many claim to believe in God, no one has the correct faith deserving of salvation. Salvation is given by faith, and if Jesus comes a second time to judge this world where there is no faith, not one will be saved. Then religion and belief would be meaningless. Praying and going to church, and doing good will mean nothing, and there will be no need to believe in God. However, the Bible prophesied about the people who will be saved (1Corinthians 15:51-54; 1Thessalonians 4:13-18). If so, it means that the day of His second coming is not the same day as the Day of Judgment.

Secondly, his appearance and purpose in His Second Coming are not the same as His coming as Judge.

Isaiah 66:15-16 See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword, the Lord will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord

2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 …This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus…

The prophecies are consistent both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. When God comes to punish and execute judgment upon all men, He will come in blazing fire. But when He comes a second time, He will come on a cloud to gather His elect and restore their faith for them to be saved on the last day. Jesus Himself testified about His second coming as follows.

Matthew 24:30-31 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

Lastly, the time when Jesus comes a second time is not the same time as His coming as the Last Judge.

Luke 21:27-28 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Jesus said that when you see Him coming on a cloud, stand up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near. In other words, when you see Him coming on a cloud, prepare, for the day when you enter the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. This greatly contradicts the “rapture” that many Christians talk about.

How will Christ Come a Second Time on a Cloud?

By studying the prophecy about His first coming, one will find the answer to this question.

Daniel 7:13-14 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 (kingdom KJV); all peoples, nations and men 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.

One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven refers to Jesus’ first coming, as He received all authority, glory and kingdom when He came down to this earth 2000 years ago.

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…

John 17:10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

Luke 22:29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me…

When Jesus came the first time, He did not come on a literal cloud of the sky but was born as a man through the body of Mary. So the cloud on which Christ comes means flesh or man.

Jude 1:12 These men are blemishes in your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm – shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain..

Shepherds who feed only themselves are false prophets. They are likened to clouds without rain. And since rain refers to the words of God, clouds without rain mean that they are men without the words of God. Though they are false prophets, they are men like all of us. Here, clouds mean flesh or man.

Proverbs 25:14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.

Through this verse, too, it can be understood that cloud means flesh or man.

Why Must Christ Come on a Cloud?

God’s glory is likened to the sun’s light (Revelation 10:1,21:23; Matthew 17:2). It is an unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16), that no one can see nor touch. By covering God’s glory with the clouds of the sky, people will be able to go near God. In order to lead all people towards God, God must cover his glory with the flesh, that He may be able to convey His love to His people and save them.

Christ Comes a Second time as a Man to Bring Salvation to Mankind

In Hebrews 9:28, it is written that Jesus is to appear a second time to bring salvation. Though many claim to believe in God, without His second coming, no one could be saved. It is because no one has the correct faith deserving of salvation. Almost all Christian churches keep Sunday worship and Christmas, the doctrines to worship the sun-god, instead of the Appointed Feasts of God like the Sabbath and the Passover. Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah that he who follows the rules of men worships God in vain (Matthew 15:6-9). It is because the promise of eternal rest is given through the Sabbath and not through Sunday worship, and the promise of forgiveness of sins and eternal life is given through the Passover, and not through Christmas.

To save and restore the faith of mankind, the Second Coming Christ Himself is to come in the flesh, gather His elect and lead them to Zion and teach them His laws and commands.

Micah 4:1-2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple (Mount Zion) will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

In the last days, Jesus will come a second time on the clouds of heaven, meaning, He will come in the flesh as a man, and will restore and teach the truth of the new covenant for the salvation of mankind. Like a shepherd guides his flock of sheep to green pasture, so the Second Coming Christ appears as the True Shepherd in the last days and will gather all people from all nations to Mount Zion, so that they will be taught by God, Himself.

John 10:16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They, too, will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

It can be understood from the verse that there is the flock of sheep that are of the sheep pen and the flock of sheep that are not of the sheep pen. The sheep that are of the sheep pen refers to the saints whom Jesus saved at His First Coming. And the sheep that are not of the sheep pen are the saints whom Jesus will save at His Second Coming. Jesus said, ‘I must bring them also’, meaning, He is to come in the flesh to lead the saints to Zion for their salvation in the last days.

Those who are still looking at the clouds waiting for His coming will be disappointed on the last day. The second coming of Jesus will pass by them without them knowing, and salvation will be out of reach. They will only be seeing the coming of God in blazing fire when He comes to judge this world.

The only way to receive the Second Coming Christ who is to come in the flesh is by studying the Bible prophecies and its fulfillment. Only then can we truly build our faith on the rock, and receive eternal salvation in the kingdom of heaven.