Texts in Conversation
Isaiah describes God riding on a swift cloud as he prepares to judge Egypt, imagery taken from ancient Near Eastern traditions. In Mark, Jesus echoes this language when describing the Son of Man coming with the clouds in the final judgment.
Share:
Isaiah 19:1
Hebrew Bible
1 This is an oracle about Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift-moving cloud and approaches Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him; the Egyptians lose their courage. 2 “I will provoke civil strife in Egypt: brothers will fight with one another, as will neighbors, cities, and kingdoms. 3 The Egyptians will panic, and I will confuse their strategy. They will seek guidance from the idols and from the spirits of the dead, from the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, and from the magicians. 4 I will hand Egypt over to a harsh master; a powerful king will rule over them, ”says the Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Date: 7th-5th Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Mark 13:26
New Testament
24 “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 28 “Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
Date: 60-75 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Search:
Notes and References
"... Another important initial observation is that the actions of God referred to in Psalm 68 not only look back at what happened in the past, but also look forward to what He will do in the future. Hence, it has an eschatological direction and is based upon not only the Psalter, but extends to several Old Testament passages found in different sections of the canon ... The second strophe (verses 4-6) is a call to praise that continues what is said earlier and presents YHWH as the Champion of the oppressed, who exercises His office of a Father and an Advocate from His “holy habitation.” There is an interpretive issue in verse 4 in relation to the phrase. If taken as “He Who of the clouds,” as opposed to “He Who rides the deserts,” which is strongly favored due to verse 33, which depicts God as the one who “rides on the sky,” this title has vast intertextual connections extending all the way through the Old Testament canon (Deuteronomy 33:26; Psalm 18:10; 68:33; Isaiah 19:1; Daniel 7:13) into the New (Matthew 24:30; 26:64 compare Mark 13:26, 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9) ..."
Leliovskyi, Mykola
Biblical Intertextuality: Explained and Illustrated
(pp. 15-17) European Bible Training Center, 2015
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.