The Beauty of the Clouds at Sunset
Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
God must be an Artist
The God who created this world must be an artist. He has created a lot of beauty. I have no doubt that Adam was smitten by the beauty of Eve. Men have been smitten by the beauty of women ever since. We have all been smitten by the beauty of nature. The beauty of a rainbow, the shimmering of the northern lights, the twinkling of the stars on a dark night, the brightness of a harvest moon, the beauty of those first tulips in the spring, the beauty of the trees as their leaves take on hues of red, orange and yellow in the fall have left us all breathless at times. Lately, sunrises and sunsets have been particularly beautiful. Some of that beauty has been photographed and posted on public social media sites. Many evenings I have watched the sun send forth rays of sunshine that are simply majestic as it begins to set behind the western clouds. Some would like to convince us that the beauty of this created world does not reflect the brush strokes of an intelligent mind, but any reasonable person would have to believe that such beauty doesn’t just “happen.”
The Majestic Beauty of the Evening Clouds
I have been particularly taken by the beauty of the evening clouds lately. I would probably be taken with the beauty of the morning clouds if I were a morning person. When I see the rays of sunshine shining through the clouds, I always think of the coming of the Lord. When the Lord ascended into heaven, a cloud received Him in Acts 1:7. When He comes again there will be two parts to His coming. The first part is His coming is for the believers of this age and is often called the rapture. When that happens, the believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The second part will be the Lord’s revelation to this earth. He will come to judge sin and to set up a righteous kingdom. That coming will also be with clouds in Revelation 1:7.
The Dread of Storm Clouds
The clouds associated with the rapture are clouds of comfort and hope. The clouds of the Lord’s coming to set up His kingdom are associated with His power and glory. I think they will be beautiful and majestic but these clouds will cause great mourning and wailing. While those who are believers in the Lord can take comfort in the Lord’s coming, those who have rejected Him will find that justice is going to be carried out. The One who was crucified is the One who is going to have the last word. I have watched thunderheads develop in the summer and have marveled at their majestic peaks and their beauty as the sun shines on them. But when I am driving and I get caught in the center of one of those storms, they are anything but beautiful. They are scary and the best thing one can do is to find shelter. When I am driving, I usually do my best to take a route that doesn’t take me through the center of one of these storms.
Yes, the Lord is coming again and His coming will be with clouds. His beauty and majesty will be seen in the clouds. He will not be revealed the second time as a carpenter’s son, He will be coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will not be coming to die for the sins of mankind, but He will be coming to judge those who wouldn’t believe in Him and then to set up a righteous kingdom.
Hope or Dread?
When I see the majestic beauty of the sun setting behind clouds, I find myself anticipating the soon coming of the Lord. It gives me hope because I expect to be delivered from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). This world will never be right until the Lord is reigning. I have trusted Him and am on the winning team. If I was not a believer and understood God’s warnings about the wrath to come, the beauty and majesty of these clouds associated with the setting sun would fill me with dread. I would not want to be caught in the vortex of the thunderclouds of God’s wrath
Yes the clouds have been beautiful but they have been ominous as well.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of September 28, 2014