Les Feldick teaches that the 'clouds of heaven' are the heavenly host of angels rather than ordinary weather clouds.
At the Ascension, Les says the cloud that received Jesus was not a cumulus cloud but the heavenly host escorting Him into glory. He connects this to the angelic realm, including the living creatures around the throne in Revelation and the 'clouds' in Isaiah 14:14.
Acts 1:9 — This is the passage Les directly interprets when explaining that the cloud was not a weather cloud but the heavenly host.
Isaiah 14:14 — This verse uses 'clouds' in the context of Lucifer's rebellion against the angelic order, which Les ties to the heavenly host.
Acts 1:9 says, 'And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.' Isaiah 14:14 records the boast of the one in rebellion: 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.' Revelation 5:6 places the Lamb in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and the elders: 'And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.' These passages place clouds and angelic beings in the same heavenly setting.
Les addresses the phrase directly when he teaches on the Ascension in Acts 1. He says, 'I believe this cloud was a heavenly host. I don't think it was a cumulus cloud... but rather that heavenly host that just literally ushered and escorted him into glory.' For Les, the cloud that received Christ is pictured as an angelic escort rather than a weather event. Les also helps readers understand the language by explaining that the Bible uses the word 'heaven' for three different realms: the atmosphere, the stellar heavens, and the third heaven where God dwells. He points to Isaiah 14:14, where the rebel says, 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,' as part of the angelic context of Lucifer's rebellion. In Revelation 5, he identifies the living creatures as angelic beings surrounding the throne.
No, according to Les. He says the cloud that received Jesus was the heavenly host, not a cumulus cloud. He believes the heavenly host escorted Christ into glory. This is the clearest explanation Les gives of the 'clouds of heaven.'
Les explains that the Bible calls the atmosphere the first heaven, the area of the moon and stars the second heaven, and God's abode the third heaven. This is important because phrases like 'clouds of heaven' or 'fowls of heaven' can belong to the atmospheric heaven rather than to God's throne room.
In Isaiah 14:14, the rebel boasts, 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.' Les quotes this in the context of Lucifer's rebellion against the angelic host, connecting the 'clouds' with the angelic realm.
Les identifies the four living creatures in Revelation 5 as angelic beings in the midst of the throne. These angelic beings, along with the elders, make up the heavenly scene that surrounds the Lamb.
What Happens When the Lamb Opens the Seals — Revelation 6
Whenever you pray, never think for a minute that that's lost. The prayers of the saints, I feel, are accumulating up in glory as sweet smelling odors, as fragrances before the God of Heaven, and they are the prayers of the saints. In verse 9, "...
The Cloud at the Ascension
Les explicitly teaches that the cloud at the Ascension was the heavenly host, not an ordinary weather cloud, and that it escorted Christ into glory.
The First Heaven Defined
Les explains that Scripture calls the atmosphere the first heaven, where birds of heaven fly, helping readers understand 'heaven' in phrases like 'clouds of heaven.'
Angel Beings Around the Throne
Les identifies the four living creatures in Revelation 5 as angelic beings standing in the midst of the throne, part of the heavenly host.
The Third Heaven and Fowls of Heaven
Les clarifies that the third heaven is the very abode of God and that the fowls of heaven in Revelation are literal birds in the atmosphere, distinguishing heavenly realms.
Who Can Open the Scroll? Daniel 7 & Revelation 5 Explained
All right, now that's the picture here. Jesus comes before God the Father and the question is, Who can pay this mortgage? And now look what it says. Verse 6, And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts. Now again, that word is simply living creatures, angelic beings.
Paul's Vision of the Third Heaven
Les uses Paul's vision to confirm that the third heaven is God's abode, distinct from the atmospheric and stellar heavens.
Clouds in Lucifer's Rebellion
Les quotes Isaiah 14:14 about ascending above the clouds in the setting of Lucifer's rebellion against the angelic host, associating 'clouds' with the angelic realm.
Acts 1:9: And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
This is the Ascension passage that Les directly interprets as the heavenly host receiving Jesus.
Isaiah 14:14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Les quotes this verse in the context of Lucifer's rebellion against the angelic host, linking clouds to the heavenly realm.
Revelation 5:6: And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
This passage shows the Lamb surrounded by angelic living creatures and elders, illustrating the heavenly company Les associates with the cloud.
No. Les said he believes the cloud was the heavenly host that escorted Jesus into glory, not a cumulus cloud.
Les teaches that when the context is heavenly and angelic, the clouds can be understood as the heavenly host of angels. His clearest example is the Ascension in Acts 1.
Les sees the cloud at the Ascension as the heavenly host, and he points to the angelic living creatures around God's throne. He also shows that Scripture uses 'heaven' for several realms, so 'clouds of heaven' is not necessarily about weather.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens When the Lamb Opens the Seals — Revelation 6