THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
This proclamation serves as a beautiful and meaningful invitation to those seeking glory, whether it be from the Lord Himself or through the voice of a prophet. However, attention must be paid to the following. Despite that some who are completely lost may doubt Him, He still commands respect. Christ Himself declared to the unbelievers: “Amen I say unto you, Except ye have faith, as I am, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24); and again, “He that believeth on the Son shall not be judged: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not in the name of the Son of God” (John 3:18). For this reason, Christ is referred to as “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1 Pet.
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2:7); recognizing Him with reverence through faith is vital, while failing to do so towards the One who became like us for our sake, specifically to “save that which was lost” (Matt. 18:11), is detrimental.
The phrase “He rose from the clouds of His saints” conveys that He transitioned from a state of ancient stillness to active concern for humanity, coming from the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, Jesse, David, and others noted in genealogies (Mt. 1:1-18; Lk. 1:1-18; Luke 3:23-38), whom He refers to as clouds. This is because the minds of the saints aspire to higher realms, turning away from worldly and trivial desires while seeking things above, much like clouds that rain down spiritual nourishment on others. Additionally, the resurrection is supported by the Savior Himself, who speaks through the Psalmist: “For the passion of the poor, and the sighing of the needy, I will now rise again” (Psalm 11:6). He is the rescuer from all afflictions, the culmination of the old covenant, the beginning of all goodness, and the bestower of hope for the eternal life that is yet to come.