Steve's Weekly Letter
Thursday, May 21, 2026
The sky was full of clouds on an evening last fall in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park.
Reflection
One of the most stunning ways the Old Testament pictures God is its description of him as the Cloud-Rider.
Deuteronomy 33:26 - There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.
Psalm 68:4 - Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him--his name is the LORD.
Psalm 68:32-33 - Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, who thunders with mighty voice.
Psalm 104:3 - He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
Isaiah 19:1 - A prophecy against Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt with fear.
What is the meaning of this image? And what is the significance of this portrayal of God as the Cloud-Rider?
The Meaning of the Cloud-Rider Image
A quick survey of the Scripture passages listed above reveals that the image expresses God’s mighty power (how else could he ride across the heavens?!) as well as the help he provides his people.
More specifically, the image of God as Cloud-Rider pictures him as a powerful warrior. Chariots were the most dangerous weapon of war in the ancient Near East. Not every nation had them, but Egypt did.
Notice, then, in the prophecy against Egypt in Isaiah 19:1 that the image of the LORD riding on a swift cloud to Egypt strikes fear into Egypt and its idols! They are terrified because God is coming to fight them as a powerful warrior riding on a chariot-cloud.
The Background of the Cloud-Rider Image
In 1929, an archaeologist discovered the lost city of Ugarit north of Israel in modern-day Syria (I tell the story here). Six of the ancient tablets found in the ruins tell stories about Baal, the god of the Canaanites. They frequently describe Baal, the storm god, as “rider of the clouds.” Here are a couple examples.
In one passage, the god Kothar says to Baal: “Let me tell you, Prince Baal, let me repeat, Rider on the Clouds.”
Later, the goddess Anat asks: “What enemy has risen against Baal, what foe against the Rider on the Clouds?”
But the writers of Scripture use this title—“Cloud-Rider”—exclusively of Yahweh, the God of Israel. They do this to assert that Yahweh is Lord of all. He is in charge of all the areas that Baal supposedly controlled. This put-down of Baal was needed because Israel struggled with Baal worship (see the account of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18).
The Son of Man as the Cloud-Rider
There is another remarkable passage in the Old Testament that alludes to the idea of Yahweh as the Cloud-Rider. In Daniel 7:13-14, the prophet Daniel describes a vision he had during a dream. He said:
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The Ancient of Days is a reference to Yahweh, the living God. But who is this “son of man” who comes with the clouds? Throughout the Old Testament, the expression “son of man” simply means “human being” (especially in the book of Ezekiel). But this son of man in Daniel 7:13 is doing what only God can do!
The mystery is solved when Jesus was arrested and stood before the high priest in Israel. According to Mark 14:61-62, the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Jesus, then, claimed to be the “son of man” in Daniel 7:13, the glorious warrior who rides the clouds of heaven—something only God can do!
Our Response
How, then, shall we respond?
Thank God that he alone is the Cloud-Rider who helps and fights for his people.
Thank God that Jesus, the Son of Man, will one day come on the clouds of heaven and establish a kingdom that will never pass away nor be destroyed.
Thank God that Jesus, the one who went to heaven in a cloud (Acts 1:9), will come back in the same way (Acts 1:11).
Give thanks to God for all of this the next time you see clouds in the sky.
Personal Update
I spent the last two days recording ten video sessions on “Preaching Old Testament Narrative” for Biblical eLearning—a ministry of Dr. Ted Hildebrandt, Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Gordon College. Ted drove here from his home near Boston, Massachusetts, and he filmed the sessions at an area church facility.
The mission of Biblical eLearning is to provide free online resources—especially video lectures—for the global community. Thanks to AI (Artificial Intelligence), Ted is able to offer these videos in various languages. He tells me that the response to these resources is especially remarkable in Africa. Although Ted has a lot of resources on Scripture (done by scholars such as Craig Keener, Robert Chisholm, Wendy Widder, Bruce Waltke, Elaine Phillips, John Oswalt, David Mathewson, Robert Yarbrough, and many others), he had nothing on preaching. So I was honored to provide something on preaching when he invited me to do so. In the future, Ted wants me to give some lectures on preaching the Gospels and on preaching Old Testament poetry. It is a privilege to serve the church in this way.
This Sunday, May 24, I plan to preach Ephesians 2:11-22 at the Evangelical Free Church of Des Plaines, where I serve as interim pastor. The title of my sermon is: “How the Gospel Creates a Church.”
I have not had time to read (or even start) a new books this week, but I have consulted a great resource as I prepared my article on the Cloud-Rider (above). This book is the Dictionary of the Old Testament Historical Books, edited by Bill T. Arnold and H. G. M. Williamson. You can view it here.
The book is hefty, and so is the price. However, $41.30 (the current price on Amazon) is a good investment since it is for a reference book you can use for a lifetime of Bible study. I consulted the article on “Canaanite Gods and Religion.” There are articles on all of the historical books in the Old Testament (OT), as well as places, characters, and all kinds of topics that help understand this part of the Bible. It is part of a series, which has volumes on the Pentateuch (first five books of the OT), OT Wisdom and Poetry, the OT Prophets, Jesus and the Gospels, Paul and his Letters, and the Later New Testament (other letters, including Revelation).
Grandkids Corner
Last week, our Colorado grandsons Jacob (4 1/2) and Dakota (3) were here with their parents. They had a great time with their cousins, especially our twin grandkids Mila and Jameson (4). The four are pictured below on their tricycles and Cozy Coupe Cars.
If the above photo suggests that these four rode around our driveway in single file, think again! Instead, they had fun trying to crash into each other—what we used to call a “demolition derby” when I was a kid. Thankfully, no one was hurt, even though Jamo got tipped over by the little driver of the Dinosaur car!
The only injury last week happened at school. Our grandson Miles (11) hurt his foot at home, and an orthopedic surgeon who examined it thought it might be broken. But X-rays proved inconclusive. So for now, his parents will avoid yet another boy with a broken bone (see my weekly letter two weeks ago).
Thanks as always for reading my weekly letter. Have a good weekend!