642.启14:14.“我又观看，见有一片白云，云上坐着一位好像人子”表主的圣言。“云”表示字义上的圣言，“白云”表示诸如内在那样的字义上的圣言；“人子”表示主的圣言或圣言方面的主；故经上说“云上坐着一位好像人子”。 “云”表示字义上的圣言（参看24，513节）；“白云”之所以表示诸如内在那样的圣言字义，是因为“白”论及光中的真理（167，367节），而且，处于天堂之光的属灵真理就内在于字义中。“人子”表示主的圣言，或圣言方面的主（参看44节）。这一点在《新耶路撒冷教义之主篇》（19-28节）一书也有大量证明。
主经常说：
他们要看见人子驾着天上的云降临。（如马太福音16:27；24:30；26:64；马可福音14:61-62；路加福音21:27）
没有人知道它还有其它含义，只知道当主来审判时，祂将出现在天上的云彩中；但不是这个意思，因为含义是，当祂来审判时，祂将出现在圣言的字义中。由于如今祂已经来临，所以祂已经通过揭示圣言字义的每个细节都含有一个灵义而显现在圣言中；并且灵义唯独论述主；论述唯独祂是天地之神。这些就是“主驾着天上的云降临”所表示的事。圣言字义的每个细节都含有一个灵义，并且灵义唯独论述主，论述唯独祂是天地之神；这一点在新耶路撒冷的两大教义中有所说明，其中一个涉及主，另一个涉及圣经（即《新耶路撒冷教义之主篇》和《新耶路撒冷之圣经篇》）。
由于“主驾着天上的云降临”表示祂以自己的圣言降临，就在祂即将施行审判之际降临，并且这就是启示录所论述的，故经上说：
看哪！祂驾云而来。（启示录1:7）
还有此处：
我又观看，见有一片白云，云上坐着一位好像人子。（启示录14:14）
使徒行传：
他们正看的时候，耶稣就被接升天，有一朵云彩从他们眼前把祂接去；有两个人身穿白衣，说，这被接升天的耶稣，你们见祂怎样往天上去，祂还要怎样来。（使徒行传1:9-11）
“云”表示圣言的字义，因为字义是属世的，在属世之光中的神性真理在处于属灵之光的天使眼前，看上去就像一朵云彩；在那些处于源自圣言字义的纯正真理之人看来，就像白云；在那些未处于纯正真理的人看来，像乌云（dark cloud）；在那些陷入虚假的人看来，像黑云（black cloud）；在那些因陷入生活的邪恶而陷入与仁分离之信的人看来，则像夹杂着火的黑云。我曾见过这种云。
642. 14:14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man. This symbolizes the Lord in relation to the Word.
A cloud symbolizes the Word in its literal sense, and a white cloud the Word in its literal sense as to what it is like interiorly. And the Son of Man means the Lord in relation to the Word. Therefore we are told that on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man.
That a cloud symbolizes the Word in respect to its literal sense may be seen in nos. 24, 513 above. A white cloud symbolizes the literal sense of the Word as to what it is like interiorly because whiteness is predicated of truths in a state of light (nos. 167, 367), and the literal sense has interiorly within it spiritual truths, which appear in the light of heaven. That the Son of Man means the Lord in relation to the Word may be seen in no. 44 above, and confirmed by numerous proofs in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 19-28.
[2] The Lord often said that His disciples would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. He said this in Matthew 24:30; 26:64, Mark 14:61-62, Luke 21:27, and no one knows that this symbolically means anything else than that when He comes to execute judgment He will appear on clouds in the sky. But this is not what it means. Rather it means that when He comes to judge, He will appear in the literal sense of the Word; and because He has now come, He has appeared therefore in the Word by revealing the existence of a spiritual meaning in every particular of the Word's literal sense, having the Lord alone in it as its subject, teaching that He alone is God of heaven and earth.
This is what is meant by the Lord's coming on the clouds of heaven.
That every particular of the Word's literal sense has in it a spiritual meaning, that this has the Lord alone in it as its subject, and that He alone is God of heaven and earth, is something we have shown in two Doctrines of the New Jerusalem - The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, and The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture.
[3] Because the Lord's coming on the clouds of heaven means His coming in His Word, at a time when He is ready to execute judgment, and because this is the subject of the book of Revelation, therefore we are told there, "Behold, He is coming with clouds" (Revelation 1:7). And in the present verse, "I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man."
Moreover, in The Acts of the Apostles we are told:
...while they watched, (Jesus) was taken up (into heaven), and a cloud received Him out of their sight... And... two men... in white apparel... said, ."..This same Jesus, who was taken up... into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11)
A cloud symbolizes the Word's literal sense because that sense is natural, and in the sight of angels, whose light is a spiritual light, Divine truth in natural light appears as a cloud - as a white cloud in the case of people who possess genuine truths from the Word's literal sense, as a dark cloud in the case of people who lack genuine truths, as a black cloud in the case of people caught up in falsities, and as a black cloud combined with fire in the case of people caught up in a faith divorced from charity, because they are engaged in evil practices. I have witnessed it.
642. [verse 14] 'And I saw and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sitting like the Son of Man' signifies the Lord as to the Word. By 'a cloud' is signified the Word in the sense of the letter, and by 'a white cloud' the Word in the sense of the letter such as it is interiorly; and by 'the Son of Man' is understood the Lord as to the Word; and therefore it is said 'upon the cloud One sitting like the Son of Man.' That by 'a cloud' is signified the Word as to the sense of the letter may be seen above (24, 513). The reason why by 'a white cloud' is signified the sense of the letter of the Word such as it is interiorly is because 'white' is predicated of truths in the light (167, 367), and interiorly in the sense of the letter there are spiritual truths that are in the light of heaven. That by 'the Son of Man' is understood the Lord as to the Word may be seen above (44), and it may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD 19-28, 1confirmed by many things.
[2] The Lord often said that 'they were going to see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven'; He said this (Matthew 17:5; 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 9:34-35; 21:27); and no one knows that by this anything else is signified than that when He comes to the judgment, He is going to appear in the clouds of the sky. Yet this is not understood [in the spiritual sense], but it is understood that when He comes to the judgment He will appear in the sense of the letter of the Word. And because He has now come, therefore He has appeared in the Word by this means, that He has revealed that the spiritual sense was in the details (singulis) of the sense of the letter of the Word, and that in it [the Word] treats of Him Only, and that He Only is the God of heaven and earth. These are the things that are understood by His coming in the clouds of heaven. That the spiritual sense is in the details of the sense of the letter of the Word, and that in that sense it treats of the Only Lord, and that He Only is the God of heaven and earth, has been shown in two DOCTRINES OF THE NEW JERUSALEM, one CONCERNING THE LORD and the other concerning SACRED SCRIPTURE.
[3] Since by 'the Lord's coming in the clouds of heaven' is understood His coming in His Word, and this at the time when He is going to execute judgment, and the Apocalypse treats of this, it is therefore said there:
Behold, He comes with clouds. Revelation 1:7; and here:
I saw and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sitting like the Son of Man.
Also in the Acts of the Apostles:
While they beheld, Jesus was taken up into heaven, and a cloud caught Him up from their eyes; and two men in white raiment said, This Jesus Who has been taken into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him going into heaven, Acts of the Apostles 1:9, 11.
By 'a cloud' is signified the sense of the letter of the Word, because that sense is natural, and Divine Truth in natural light appears as a cloud before the eyes of the angels, who are in spiritual light; as a white cloud with those who are in genuine truths out of the sense of the letter of the Word, as a dark cloud with those who are not in genuine truths, as a black cloud with those who are in untruths, and as a black cloud mingled with fire in the case of those who are in faith separated from charity because in evils of life. I have seen.
Footnotes:
1. Original Edition has SACRED SCRIPTURE, but the references show that THE DOCTRINE OF THE LORD was intended.
642. Verse 14. And I saw, and, behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sitting like unto the Son of man, signifies the Lord as to the Word. By "a cloud" is signified the Word in the sense of the letter, and by "a white cloud" the Word in the sense of the letter such as it is interiorly; and by "the Son of man" is meant the Lord as to the Word; therefore it is said, "on the cloud One sitting like the Son of man." That by "a cloud" the Word is signified as to the sense of the letter, see above, (24, 513). The reason why "white cloud" signifies the sense of the letter of the Word such as it is interiorly, is because "white" is predicated of truths in the light, (167[1-2], 367), and interiorly in the sense of the letter there are spiritual truths, which are in the light of heaven. That by "the Son of man" is meant the Lord as to the Word, see above, (44[1-2]). The same is also abundantly proved in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord 19-28). 1
[2] The Lord frequently said:
That they should see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven (as in Matthew 16:27; 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 21:27; 22:69).
And no one knows that it has any other signification than that when He comes to judgment, He will appear in the clouds of heaven; but this is not meant, for the meaning is that when He comes to judgment, He will appear in the sense of the letter of the Word. And because He has come now, He has therefore appeared in the Word by revealing that there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the literal sense of the Word; that in it He alone is treated of; and that He alone is the God of heaven and earth. These are the things that are meant by His coming in the clouds of heaven. That there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the sense of the letter of the Word, and that in it the Lord alone is treated of, and that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, is shown in the two Doctrines of the New Jerusalem, one concerning the Lord, and the other concerning the Sacred Scripture.
[3] Since by "the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven" is meant His coming in His Word, and this at the time when He is to execute judgment, and this being what Revelation treats of, therefore it is said:
Behold, He cometh with clouds, (Revelation 1:7).
And here:
I saw, and, behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sitting like the Son of man, (Revelation 14:14).
And in the Acts of the Apostles:
While they beheld, Jesus was taken up into heaven, and a cloud received Him from their eyes; and two men in white raiment said, This Jesus, who is taken up into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him going into heaven, (Acts of the Apostles 1:9, 11).
By "a cloud" is signified the sense of the letter of the Word, because that sense is natural, and Divine truth in natural light appears as a cloud before the eyes of angels who are in spiritual light; as a white cloud with those who are in genuine truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, as a dark cloud with those who are not in genuine truths, as a black cloud with those who are in falsities, and as a black cloud mingled with fire with those who are in faith separated from charity, because in evils of life. I have seen it.
Footnotes:
1. The original Latin has "Scripture."
642. (Vers. 14.) "Et vidi, et ecce nubes alba, et super nube Sedens similis Filio Hominis," significat Dominum quoad Verbum.--Per "nubem" significatur Verbum in Sensu literae, et per "nubem albam" Verbum in Sensu literae quale est interius; et per "Filium Hominis" intelligitur Dominus quoad Verbum; quare dicitur, "super nube Sedens similis Filio Hominis." Quod per "nubem" significetur Verbum quoad Sensum literae, videatur supra (24, 513); quod per "nubem albam" significetur Sensus literae Verbi qualis est interius, est quia "album" praedicatur de veris in luce (167, 367); 1ac interius in Sensu literae sunt vera spiritualia, quae sunt in luce Caeli; quod per "Filium Hominis" intelligatur Dominus quoad Verbum, videatur supra (44); et id in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino 2(19-28), multis confirmatum. Dominus saepius dixit, quod "Visuri sint Filium Hominis venientem in nubibus caeli" (haec dixit Matthaeus 16:27; 324:30; 26:64; Marcus 14:61-62; Luca 21:27; 22:69); 4
et nemo scit, quod per id aliud significetur, quam, quod cum venturus est ad judicium, appariturus sit in nubibus caeli; verum hoc non intelligitur, sed intelligitur quod cum venturus est ad judicium, appariturus sit in Sensu literae Verbi. Et quia nunc venit, ideo apparuit in Verbo per id, quod revelaverit quod Sensus spiritualis esset in singulis Sensus literae Verbi, et quod in eo de Solo Ipso agatur, et quod Ipse Solus sit Deus Caeli et Terrae: haec sunt quae per Adventum Ipsius in nubibus caeli intelliguntur. Quod Sensus spiritualis sit in singulis Sensus literae Verbi, et quod in illo agatur de Solo Domino, et quod Ipse Solus sit Deus Caeli et Terrae, ostensum est in binis Doctrinis Novae Hierosolymae, una de Domino, et altera de Scriptura Sacra. Quia per Adventum Domini "in nubibus caeli" intelligitur Adventus Ipsius in Suo Verbo, et tunc quando judicium facturus est, et Apocalypsis de eo agit, ideo dicitur ibi,
"Ecce venit cum Nubibus," (Apocalypsis 1:7);
et hic, "Vidi et ecce Nubes alba, et super Nube Sedens similis Filio Hominis." Et in Actis Apostolorum:
Videntibus illis Jesus sublatus est in Caelum, "et Nubes suscepit Ipsum ab oculis eorum; et duo viri in vestitu albo dixerunt, Hic Jesus Qui sublatus est in Caelum, sic veniet quemadmodum Ipsum vidistis euntem in Caelum," (1:9, 11).
Per "nubem" significatur Sensus literae Verbi, quia ille Sensus est naturalis, et Divinum Verum in luce naturali apparet ut nubes coram oculis angelorum qui in luce spirituali sunt, ut nubes alba apud illos qui in genuinis veris ex Sensu literae Verbi sunt, ut nubes obscura apud illos qui non in genuinis veris sunt, ut nubes atra apud illos qui in falsis sunt, ac ut nubes atra intermixto igne apud illos qui in fide separata a charitate sunt, quia in malis vitae. Vidi.
Footnotes:
1. 367 pro "369"
2. de Domino pro "de Scriptura Sacra"
3. 16:27 pro "17:5"
4. 22:69 pro "9:34, 35"