It turns out the "Lord riding upon a swift cloud" was the Assyrian Army. LOL!
This is a perfect example of where we disagree. I would encourage everyone to read and focus upon Is 19 for the moment.
I understand what you are getting at Phillip, but can you defend your position with a synopsis of how Is 19 is fulfilled by the Assyrians?
major points particularly:
- When was it that the Nile was turned - It seems self-evident that the passage is talking of the Nile, as the Nile is 'the' river of Egypt.
- When was it that Egypt quaked in fear at the name of the House of Judah?
- When was it that Egypt and Assyria turned to YHWH and especially when was this time of peace wherein YHWH called Judah in the middle of Assyria and Egypt, when all three are called 'My People'?
This is titled the "Burden of Egypt." The Lord described many events of that burden over two chapters, many of which are very difficult to understand, and on which famous commentators, like John Gill and Matthew Henry, struggled. But the final burden in this sequence is the humiliation of the once proud Egyptians being led away captive by the Assyrians in little or no clothing. The following to me, are the two key verses:
"The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it." (Isa 19:1 KJV)
"So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt." (Isa 20:4 KJV)
Whatever the case, when the Lord arrived on a cloud, like in Matthew 24 and Revelation 1, or as he predicted to Caiaphas, the high priest, in reference to Matt 24, the Lord was coming in judgement. This is Jesus to Caiaphas:
"But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy." (Mat 26:63-65 KJV)
Why did Caiaphas get so bent out of shape? Because he knew, from his knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures, that when Jesus claimed he was "coming in clouds of heaven," He was claiming to be the Lord coming in judgement: against Israel in this case.
And He did, exactly like He predicted in Matt 24, Luke 21, Mark 13 and Rev 1; and like in the parables of the vineyard in Matt 21:33-42, and in the parable of the wedding feast in Mat 22:2-7. Let's look at that last one:
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city." (Mat 22:2-7 KJV)
The armies in that passage were the Roman Armies, and the murderers were the "Jews," which in those days was just another name for the unbelievers of house of Israel. In reality, the armies were not sent against Jews, or the house of Israel: Jesus and all his disciples were Jews, and all of the Lost Sheep he was sent for, who became his elect, were also of the house of Israel. The armies were sent against evil men who had way too much influence over the world. Those evil men claimed to be children of Abraham; but John the Baptist and Jesus, and later Paul, rejected that notion.
Philip