Search
God led the children of Israel in their crossing of the Red Sea and journeying in the wilderness with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire as the guidance (Exo. 13:21-22). Both the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire are types with rich spiritual significance.
In biblical typology the cloud signifies the Spirit. Sometimes the Spirit comes to us as the cloud to cover and shelter us. After keeping the Passover, the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea and went out of Egypt under the covering and sheltering of the pillar of cloud to run the race in the wilderness. Likewise, after we, the New Testament believers, take Christ as our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7), the Spirit of God comes to be with us that we may be freed from the usurpation and enslavement of the world, and to lead us to run the Christian race (9:24-27), just as the pillar of cloud led the children of Israel.
The cloud that covered and sheltered the children of Israel became the pillar of cloud that guided them. First the cloud was above them, and then it appeared before them and became the pillar of cloud that stood firm with strength. All the New Testament believers have the indwelling Spirit with them, who not only shelters them but also guides them (Rom. 8:14; Heb. 12:1). The Spirit’s leading of the believers is as definite and strong as the pillar of cloud.
In the daytime it was the pillar of cloud that led the way for the children of Israel, and in the night it was the pillar of fire. The cloud signifies the Spirit; the fire signifies the Word of God, which is a shining light to us, the believers. Second Peter 1:19 says that the word in the Scripture, as a lamp shining in a dark place, gives forth spiritual light to shine over the believers’ footsteps. Moreover, Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet / And a light to my path.” Whenever we are in darkness, the Lord’s word is the fire, the burning fire, the brightening light, shining over us and guiding us that we may take the way before us in the Lord’s presence.
The children of Israel could journey not only in the daytime but even in the night because the fire gave them light. This fire became a tall pillar of fire, standing firm with strength, leading them in their journey on God’s way. In the dark night, as long as we have the word of the Lord, we can have the Lord’s definite and strong guidance, as the pillar of fire, to overcome all the darkness, that our faith may be established and we may go on boldly.
The two pillars, the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, that guided the children of Israel in their journey actually were one. When night came, the cloud became the fire. But when day dawned, the fire became the cloud. Whether as the cloud or the fire, God’s guidance is always a pillar. In the Bible a pillar denotes strength. Hence, God’s guidance to us is strong; it stands upright, firm, and solid. Not only so, both the cloud and the fire are symbols of God, for He is both the Spirit and the Word (John 4:24; 1:1). Furthermore, the Word is also the Spirit (John 6:63; Eph. 6:17). The Lord, the Spirit, and the Word are one to lead us and guide us continually. In our Christian journey there should be no difference between day and night. Whether it is day or night, whether it is clear or dark, God guides us through His Spirit and His Word that we may walk firmly on the way in which He leads.
Israel, God’s redeemed, had God’s leading and guidance in the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire all the way from their going out of Egypt and their crossing of the Red Sea to their journeying in the wilderness. After the setting up of the tent of meeting, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle (Exo. 40:34-35). The cloud was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys (v. 38). This indicates that the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire are the glory as the manifestation of God’s presence with His redeemed.
God was with the children of Israel day and night, never departing from them. In the day God’s presence appeared as the pillar of cloud to cover and shelter them. Today He is the same to us, the believers. The Spirit of God as the pillar of cloud is the economical Spirit to be poured upon us, to fill us outwardly, for our work and move (Acts 1:8; 2:17). First Peter 4:14 says, “The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” The Spirit of God covers and shelters us all the time everywhere as the pillar of cloud, bringing to us God’s intimate and glorious presence.
When the dark night descended on them, the pillar of cloud that covered God’s redeemed in the daytime became the pillar of fire to give forth light to shine over them (Exo. 40:38). This shining light comes mainly from the Word of God. The glory as the manifestation of God’s presence is not only in His Spirit but also in His Word (2 Pet. 1:19). The word of the Scripture as God Himself is like a pillar of fire in the night to us. It conveys the light of life to shine in our darkness, leading us to walk in God’s way of light.
When the children of Israel went out of Egypt boldly, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, made ready his horses and chariots and took his army with him to pursue them and, eventually, arrived at the place of their encampment. “And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. And the cloud was there with the darkness, yet it gave light by night to them. Thus one did not come near the other all night” (Exo. 14:19-20). This shows us that the cloud and the Angel of God, who is the very God Himself, moved together to protect God’s people. Furthermore, the pillar that protected the children of Israel was like a wall of separation that separated the two camps. On the side of the Egyptians there was darkness, but on the side of the Israelites there was light. This pillar of cloud, a pillar that gave light, not only guided God’s people but also protected them from the hand of the Egyptians.
On our way of following the Lord, the light which we receive from the Lord through the Spirit and the Word first guides us. Then when opposition rises up against us, the guiding light becomes the protecting light to save us from the persecution and attack of the opposers. As long as we are guided by the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire, even if we are opposed, we are still in the light, but the opposers are in darkness. Consequently, the opposers will perish, but we will be completely unharmed.
The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire not only protected the children of Israel but also fought the battle and gained the victory for them. After the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, the Egyptians also went in after them into the midst of the sea. “And at the morning watch Jehovah looked down upon the camp of the Egyptians in the pillar of fire and of cloud and threw the camp of the Egyptians into confusion. And He caused their chariot wheels to swerve and made them drive with difficulty” (Exo. 14:24-25). The Egyptians were drowned and buried in the Red Sea; there remained not so much as one of them. So the children of Israel were altogether saved.
Whenever we suffer opposition or attack, we do not need to fear or do anything. We have God’s pillar of fire and of cloud, the glory as the manifestation of God’s presence, to guide and protect us and to fight for us to deliver us from the hand of our enemy that we may enjoy His full and complete salvation.
In Deuteronomy 1 Moses said to the children of Israel, “Do not be terrified, neither be afraid of them. Jehovah your God, who goes up before you, He will fight for you according to all that He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness,...who went before you in the way, to seek out for you a place for you to camp, in the fire by night to show you by which way you should go and in the cloud by day” (vv. 29-33). In all the way that the children of Israel journeyed, from the crossing of the Red Sea to the crossing of the Jordan River, it was God Himself who led them and carried them (v. 31). In the pillar of cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night, God protected them and shined over them by the manifested glory of His presence; He sought out a place for them to camp and fought for them to overcome all their enemies.
This picture clearly portrays that from the time we were baptized into Christ, we, the New Testament believers, have the Spirit of God (the pillar of cloud) covering and sheltering us, and we also have the Word of God (the pillar of fire) giving forth light to shine on us and to lead us on the proper way. In the entire course of our journey we should neither act according to man’s opinion and choice nor depend on our own method and strength. Rather, we should allow the Spirit of God and the Word of God to lead us, protect us, and fight for us. In this way we are able to get through any environment, encounter, and even hardship and opposition to reach God’s purpose and accomplish God’s economy.
God led the children of Israel in their crossing of the Red Sea and their journeying in the wilderness with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire as the guidance. The pillar of cloud typifies the Spirit, and the pillar of fire typifies the Word. Both the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were the glory as the manifestation of God’s presence with His redeemed. In the day God’s presence appeared as the pillar of cloud for covering and sheltering, signifying the Spirit of God as the economical Spirit being poured upon us, filling us outwardly, for our work and move, and also covering and sheltering us all the time everywhere to bring to us God’s intimate and glorious presence. In the night God’s presence appeared as the pillar of fire shining forth, signifying the Word of God that conveys the light of life to shine in our darkness, leading us to walk in God’s way of light. The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire were not only for guidance but also for protection and fighting. When opposition rises up against us, this guiding light becomes the protecting light to save us from the persecution and attack of the opposers and to fight for us to gain the victory. The children of Israel had the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire leading them, protecting them, and fighting for them all the way from the crossing of the Red Sea to the crossing of the Jordan River. This portrays that after we, the New Testament believers, are baptized into Christ, we have the Spirit of God covering and sheltering us, and we also have the Word of God giving forth light to shine on us and lead us on the proper way.
