And where the Lord speaks to His disciples of the consummation of the age, He says:--

By "the clouds of heaven" in which He is to come, nothing else is meant but the Word in its literal sense; and by "the glory" in which they will see Him, the Word in its spiritual sense. That this is the case, is difficult to be believed by those who do not think beyond the sense of the letter of the Word; with such, "a cloud" is a cloud, and thence is their belief that the Lord will appear in the clouds of heaven, when the Last Judgment is at hand. But this idea falls, when it is known what "a cloud" is, and that it is the Divine truth in ultimates, thus the Word in the sense of the letter. In the spiritual world there appear clouds as well as in the natural world; but the clouds in the spiritual world appear beneath the heavens, with those who are in the sense of the letter of the Word, darker or brighter according to their understanding and reception of the Word; the reason is, that the light of heaven there is the Divine truth, and darkness there is falsities; consequently "bright clouds" are the Divine truth veiled in appearances of truth, such as the Word is in the letter with those who are in truths; and "dark clouds" are the Divine truths covered with fallacies and confirmed appearances, such as the Word is in the letter with those who are in falsities. I have often seen those clouds, and it was evident whence and what they are. Now because the Lord, after the glorification of His Human, was made the Divine truth, or the Word, even in ultimates, He said unto the high priest, that, "Hereafter they should see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven." But His saying to His disciples, that "in the consummation of the age the sign of the Son of man should appear, and that they should see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory," signifies that at the end of the church, when the Last Judgment shall take place, He will appear in the Word, and reveal the spiritual sense, which is also accomplished at this day, because now is the end of the church, and the Last Judgment has taken place, as may appear from the small works recently published. This, therefore, is what is meant in the Apocalypse, by "behold He cometh with clouds": also in the following passages:--

As also in Daniel:--

That by "the Son of man" is meant the love as to the Word, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord (L n. 19-28). That also by "clouds" in other parts of the Word, is meant the Divine truth in ultimates, and thence the Word in the letter, may be seen in other passages where clouds are mentioned; as in these:--

"To ride upon the clouds," signifies to be in the wisdom of the Word, for "a horse" signifies the understanding of the Word; who cannot see that Jehovah does not ride upon the clouds?

"Blood and water" are the Divine truth, spiritual and natural, thus the Word in its spiritual and in its natural sense; and "to pierce the Lord’s side" is to destroy both by falsities, as was also done by the Jews; for all things of the Lord‘s passion represented the state of the Jewish church as to the Word, on which subject, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord (L n. 15-17). The reason why "piercing" Him, signifies to destroy the Word by falsities, is, because this is said of Jesus Christ, who presently is called the Son of man, and by the Son of man is meant the Lord as to the Word, therefore "to pierce the Son of man," is to do the same to the Word.

These things are said of the consummation of the age, which is the end of the church; "the sun shall be darkened," signifies that there is no longer any love and charity; "the moon shall not give her light," signifies that there is no longer any intelligence and faith; "the stars shall fall from heaven," signifies that there are no longer any knowledges of good and truth; "all the tribes of the earth shall wail," signifies that there are no longer any goods and truths; "affliction" signifies that state of the church.