The disciples said to Jesus, What shall be the sign of thy Coming, and of the consummation of the age? Then the Lord foretold the successive states of the Church even to the end; and concerning the end He said, Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man ... and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and glory. Matt. xxiv 3, 30; Mark xiii 26; Luke xxi 27

By the consummation of the age is meant the last phase of the Church; by the Coming [of the Son of Man] in the clouds of heaven with glory, is meant the opening of the Word, and a manifestation that the Word was written concerning the Lord alone.

In Daniel:

I saw ... and, behold, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. Dan. vii 13.

In Revelation:

Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye hall see Him. Rev. i. 7.

This also is said of the Son of Man, as appears from verse 13 of the same chapter. It is also said in another part of the same Book,

I looked, and, behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of Man. Rev. xiv 14.

[2] That the Lord meant one thing in Himself by the Son of God, and another by the Son of Man, is evident from His answer to the high priest:

The high priest said to Jesus, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto Him, Thou hast said: I am. Nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Matt. xxvi 63, 64.

Here He first confessed that He was the Son of God, and afterwards said that they should see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. By this is meant that, after the passion of the cross, He should possess the Divine power of opening the Word and establishing the Church. This could not be effected before, because He had not yet conquered hell and glorified His Human. What is signified by sitting on the clouds of heaven and coming in glory, is explained in the work HEAVEN AND HELL, No. 1.