What is the spiritual meaning of clouds? What does it mean when you see God in the clouds? The cloud symbol is a spiritual symbol that has many meanings. One of the most common meanings of cloud symbolism is that it represents uncertainty and change. Clouds can obscure our view, and they can also be part of beautiful sunsets. Find out what the cloud symbolism means.
The Hebrew meaning of clouds is similar to the English meaning. The Hebrew word for “cloud” is kapporeth, which means “covering.” The first use of this word was in Genesis 1:6-7, when God created the heavens and earth. He separated light from darkness by creating a “firmament” (Genesis 1:6). Then he made two great lights—the sun and moon—and placed them in the firmament (Genesis 1:14–19).
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What is The Spiritual Meaning of Clouds
The spiritual meaning of clouds in dreams is often related to your personal life or your future. If you see clouds while you’re dreaming, it may mean that there are things going on in your life that are unclear right now or that things will change dramatically in the future.
Everyone loves a sunny day, and everyone hates a cloudy day, right? After all, we have a singular medical classification for the negative effects of cloudy days on the human psyche. We tend to speak of the beauty of any given day in relation to how much of the sun and sky we are able to see. However, Scripture encourages us to view the clouds in such a way as to think of the glory and presence of God.
The Scriptures everywhere utilize the imagery of clouds to signal the immediate presence of God in time and space. This is one of those biblical-theological themes that has not often been given due consideration. Surprisingly, the Scriptures have much to teach, by way of illustration or allusion, about the symbolic and redemptive-historical significance of clouds.
Spiritual Meaning of Clouds In Dreams
The first place where clouds play a prominent role in redemptive history is in the flood narrative. No sooner had Noah and his family stepped off of the Ark than the Lord placed his bow in the clouds—a sacramental reminder of the covenant mercy that he was promising in preparation for the coming Redeemer. Clouds are those created as symbols of transcendence and imminence. They reflect both the transcendent glory of the Lord and His imminent approach to us.
The apostle John tells us that there is a rainbow around the throne of Christ (Rev. 4:3). How fitting then, when God promises to give mercy from his covenant throne, that he puts his bow in the clouds, as if to say, “From my majestic and transcendent throne, I will bring my mercy down to you.” The Lord promised in the Noahic covenant,
“It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Gen. 9:14-16)
God led his people out of Egypt and through the wilderness by means of the pillar of cloud.
When the Lord brought his people out of Egypt in the Exodus, he led them out and through the wilderness for 40 years by means of the pillar of cloud. Through this theophany, the Lord was promising his people that he would be with them. It is a symbol of his presence and protection. The cloudy pillar shielded God’s people from the blistering sun, as well as keeping them hidden from the sight of their enemies. Additionally, it served to teach them that God would lead them in a way that they did not know. As Moses explained,
The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way.” (Ex. 13:21; emphasis added)
The people could not see through the pillars of clouds. They would have to trust the Lord and believe that his presence was sufficient to lead them to the place where He was taking them.
The coming of the Lord in the pillar of clouds is the first clear example in Scripture of the Lord using clouds to symbolize His presence. The Psalmist declares, under figurative language, that Jehovah “makes the clouds His chariot” (Ps. 104:3). Nahum tells us that “the clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). Clouds serve as the best picture in creation of the imminent presence of the transcendent God.
What Do Clouds Symbolize In Literature
Clouds continued to play a significant role in the further revelation and theophany at Sinai. When Jehovah came down on the Mount, he did so by means of a cloud. As Moses went up into the mountain to receive covenant revelation from the Lord, “a cloud covered the mountain.” We are told that
the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.” (Ex. 24:15-16; emphasis added)
Continuing his redemptive work among his people, the Lord came and dwelt in the Tabernacle in the pillar of cloud:
It came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. (Ex. 33:9–10; 40:34)
The people knew that the Lord had come to dwell with them when they saw the cloudy pillar come down on the Tabernacle. Additionally, the Lord would make his presence known to the Priest when he would come and dwell over the Ark of the Covenant. He promised that when he came, he would “appear in the cloud above the mercy seat” (Lev. 16:2). The Shekinah glory was a glory cloud in the Most Holy Place.
Israel journeyed in light of the descension and ascension of the glory cloud.
As Israel journeyed, they only did so in light of the descension and ascension of the glory cloud. We read,
Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. (Ex. 40:34-37)
As God had come down on and gone up from the Mount when he revealed himself to his people through the mediation of Moses, so too did he come down and go up in the cloud as he led his people forward through their pilgrimage to the Promised Land.
Cloud Symbolism Meaning
Here are the main meanings we often connect to clouds:.
1. Emotion
One of the main cloud meanings is that of emotions. The main feeling we connect to clouds is heavy-heartedness and depression, although that’s not always the case. Different clouds can bring you different meanings, and it also depends on your current situation.
For instance, grey clouds can bring about negative emotions. They’re much darker than other types of clouds, and they also make us feel a bit more down and depressed. On the other hand, white clouds are much lighter, and they represent positivity and direction in your life, as well as a feeling of lightness.
You might not be aware of it, but clouds can have a direct effect on how you feel. That’s because they control your emotions, and they might command how you live your life.
2. Secrets
What’s hidden behind the clouds is invisible. That’s what happens when the clouds form and collect over the sun. It becomes invisible, and the only thing we see is a cloudy sky. That’s why we often say that your emotions can cloud your judgment.
Clouds are full of secrets that are not visible to us. So they’ve become a symbol of mystery and secret. It’s one of the most common cloud meanings and also one that is often used to describe something that’s hiding or secret.
3. Burden
Clouds are not always a positive symbol. In fact, more often than not, they represent negative meanings. And one of them is the meaning of burden.
We often connect clouds to the meaning of burden and even obstacle. They obscure the sun, so we see them as unwanted and a burden. They bring about bad weather, just like they can bring bad and negative emotions and feelings to your life.
That’s why clouds often symbolize doom and gloom and all the negativity they bring with them. That’s especially common when the clouds are dark and gray and when they look imposing and unpleasant.
4. Cleansing
But there’s also a silver lining to the clouds. Just like they can bring negativity, they also bring rain with them, and rain is the ultimate symbol of cleansing. So there’s one positive that they bring with them, even though there’s that initial period of negativity and heaviness.
Perhaps this meaning might be a bit surprising to some, but it’s the meaning that can be closely connected to what clouds bring to your life. At first, you might have to suffer to achieve your goals, but when you do manage to achieve them, you’ll feel cleansed and ready to go further.
5. Confusion
When clouds descend onto the earth, we get fog. And fog represents confusion and a feeling of a lack of clarity. You normally can’t see a few feet in front of you when fog descends, which can make it hard for you to find your path, especially if the fog is thick.
This can be symbolic of confusion that you might experience in your life and in your mind. We often say that you might have a foggy mind when you don’t have clear thoughts or ideas. And clouds can bring about confusion and there’s also no clarity when they enter your life.
Clouds come and go. They’re never there in the sky; they’re always present. They can form in a matter of minutes, and they’ll also travel quite quickly, depending on the winds that carry them around.
And the same happens to us. As it’s frequently difficult to go against this flow of life, we frequently let it carry us away. Just like clouds come and go, almost nothing in our lives is constant—we keep changing all the time, which is what the clouds can symbolize.
7. Consciousness
We often see the clouds as this entity that separates the sky from the ground. What is beyond the clouds is also beyond our consciousness. This might represent your mind and how you think about the things around you.
Too often, we struggle to find our real thoughts, and we’re constantly clouded and bombarded by various stimuli that make it hard for us to focus on what’s really on our minds. So we have to break through the clouds and peer to the other side, which represents our consciousness.
8. Dreams
Clouds also represent dreaminess and drowsiness. They move around swiftly and quickly, and they’re secret and have something to hide from us. When you dream, it’s almost always not clear what you dream about, as it is shrouded in clouds. This can be symbolic of dreams.
White Cloud Spiritual Meaning
Clouds are a spiritual metaphor for our own consciousness.
Clouds are constantly changing, just like our thoughts and feelings. They come and go. But the sky is always there, even when the clouds are not. So too with our own consciousness: we may be experiencing sadness, anger or joy, but all of these emotions come and go; they are part of a greater whole.
The sky represents our connection to the divine, and so too do clouds represent our connection to ourselves—it’s all connected!