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Nathan Martin
This is why it says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
(Eph
4:8 NIV)
Ephesians 4:8 is a beautiful verse of poetry. It doesn't have the
rhyme and meter of English poetry but it carries beauty in the
parallelism of Hebrew prose. (These words are quoted from
Psalm 68:18.) I'd like you to take a look at this verse through
the eyes of my imagination.
After Jesus was resurrected He spent forty days with the
disciples, teaching them and explaining more fully the issues of the
New Covenant. One day, as they're walking through the countryside
together, He begins speaking differently. There's a longing in His
voice .... and a farewell. He seems to be saying goodbye. He begins
to bless them, to speak into their lives in a real personal way. And
then He begins to rise from the ground.
The apostles have never seen David Copperfield or some magician
levitate a lovely assistant using hidden pulleys and counterweights.
And yet they're not as stunned as you might think. This is the same
One they witnessed being supported by water when He walked across
the Sea of Galilee. This is the same One who called forth Lazarus
from four days of death. This is the same One who they witnessed
dead and now see alive. So floating in air isn't as strange as you
might think.
 Then
He begins to disappear, enveloped in a cloud that seems to welcome
Him. The cloud gathers around Him, hugging Him, almost caressing Him
.... as if it were created for this purpose. And then He's gone. An
angel appears, giving them a message of hope, that this same Jesus
who left with a cloud will return in a cloud. The disciples return
to Jerusalem with the memory of Jesus in that beautiful cloud.
Now let's replay this scene from heaven's perspective. You're
looking down on the Majestic One, the Ancient of Days, clothed in
human flesh, speaking to the ones selected to carry the good news of
this redemption to the ends of the earth. And then He finally begins
to bless them. You've longed for this because now He's about to come
take His seat .... it's time for His coronation. You rush to His
side, along with hundreds... no, thousands... no, millions of others
who longed for this day as well. All those who had righteous faith
down through the ages. Those who had longed for His appearing. Those
whose names are recorded in Hebrews 11. And those whose names are
not recorded, but their faith was seen from Heaven's throne.
As you rush to Him, you are caught up in the crush of those
welcoming Him. You all fall behind Him into a large gathering that
trails Him from eternity and beyond. Such a magnificent gathering
flowing behind Him, all in new white linen clothing, glowing in the
Light, creating the image of a train behind a bride or a long
flowing cloak behind a prince about to be crowned. And you rejoice!
To the people below it looks like a cloud. To heaven it looks
like the host of faithful who had been held captive but are now set
free because of their faith in the Redeemer. They didn't know His
name while they lived on earth. But they had waited for God's
Salvation - God's Yeshua! (Yeshua is "Jesus" in Hebrew and means
"salvation".) And how they rejoiced, as Simeon did in the temple the
day his eyes beheld God's Yeshua/Salvation in the eyes of an infant.
Such rejoicing! Such delight! Such joy! No wonder the cloud was
especially bright! Its silver lining was the redeemed of the Lord!
The angel said when Jesus returned it would also be in a cloud.
So every time you see a cloud, just think, "Jesus might be on the
other side!" If the Lord comes quickly, you and I will see that
cloud. But if He tarries, you and I will be a part of that cloud!!!
(Cf.
Revelation 19) Regardless, we'll never look at clouds the same
way!
This article was adapted from Nathan's
devotional commentary on Eph 4:8 as shared with the
CCI-Devo group
at YahooGroups.com.
Nathan Martin is the Associate Pastor of Christian Challenge and
the director of the School for Christian Workers. He served four
years as a missionary to southern Mexico before returning to
minister with his father at CCI. He oversees the worship and
technology ministries and teaches the High School group along with
his wife Lori. They have three daughters, Joi, Faith and Hope.
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The
Cloud's Silver Lining
