The Scriptures do no teach that Jesus' return with power and great glory will be visible for everyone to "see," descending out of a literal cloud or sitting atop it, as you believe. To "see" does not always mean to look upon what is visible to the eye. Often it can refer to seeing something in the way of understanding it. It is in this sense that Jesus said to his disciples, when they had failed to understand the significance of one of his miracles in feeding a crowd of 4,000 with just a few loaves of bread, "Do you still not see or understand? Are your minds closed? You have eyes, but you don't really see. You have ears, but you don't really listen.'" It is also in this context that Jesus referred to the Pharisees as "blind guides." On one occasion they took exception to what he said, complaining: "We are not blind also, are we?" Jesus answered: "If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, 'We see.' Your sin remains." By saying that they were not blind, but could see, the Pharisees were admitting that they understood what Jesus was teaching, and yet it did not move them to repent, therefore there was no forgiveness for them. (Mark 8:17,18; New Century Version; Matt. 15:14; John 9:39-41; see John 3:1,2)

Another example: After grappling with an angel Jacob exclaimed, "I have seen God face to face..." (Gen. 32:30) Some claim that the angel was God himself, but it is not possible for Jacob to actually have seen God and have wrestled with him. When Moses requested of God, "Cause me to see, please, your glory," Jehovah replied, "You are not able to see my face, because no man may see me and yet live." That is why the apostle John assures us, "No man has seen God at any time." (Exodus 33:18,20; John 1:18) As you note, the Son of Man is coming on the "clouds of heaven," and that alone would render him invisible, as it says in Acts, "[Jesus] was lifted up and a cloud caught him up from their vision." (Acts 1:9) His disciples could behold Jesus only until he was concealed by the cloud. A cloud blocks any view of an object, such as an airplane flying into or above it. That is the idea behind Job 22:14, "Clouds are a concealment place for him so that he does not see." When Jehovah delivered his people from the pursuing Egyptians he used a cloud as a screen to hide them from their enemies. (Exodus 14:19,20; Psalms 105:39) Clouds are never used in the Scriptures as rendering something observable.

Further, when Jesus said that he, as the Son of man, would be "coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” he was referring to Daniel's prophecy: "I saw in the night visions, and behold, on the clouds of the heavens came One like a Son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And there was given Him [the Messiah] dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed." (Matt. 24:30; Daniel 7:13,14; Amplified Bible)

When Jesus was lifted up in full view of his disciples until he was caught up in a cloud, concealing any further sight of him, he ascended to heaven to appear “before the person of God for us,” and “sat down at the right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet.” (Acts 1:9; Heb. 9:24; 10:12,13) Jesus did not immediately receive his kingdom rulership upon his ascension to heaven. He would have to wait for God's appointed time. (Ezek. 21:26,27; Dan. 2:44) The prophet Daniel saw in vision that future time arrive, when the Son of man would come “on the clouds of the heavens” in order to appear before the "Ancient of Days," Jehovah God himself, to be glorified and receive “dominion and glory and kingdom.” There are no literal clouds in heaven for the Son of man to come on and appear before God. There are not even any clouds beyond earth's atmosphere. What is happening in the heavens is invisible to us here on earth, as if concealed by clouds.

How many times is the Son of man “coming on the clouds of heaven,” according to the Scriptures? Just once! What Daniel saw in vision is referring to the same one occasion that Jesus spoke of.

You make the valid point that Jesus arrives in his glory and sits on his throne with authority to separate the sheep from the goats “after being seen coming in the clouds.” Is that not what the prophet Daniel says he saw? Further, regarding this, the apostle John adds that when Christ is coming with the clouds "every eye will see him." As already pointed out, his coming with the clouds takes place in the heavens, invisible to mankind on earth. "Every eye will see him" is meant in the same way that Jesus mentioned earlier to his disciples regarding their lack of understanding, for "the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven," and everyone on earth will perceive and clearly understand the meaning of what is taking place. There will be no doubt, no misunderstanding, “at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” No confusing this event with some natural disaster. As crowned king, the time will have arrived for carrying out his long awaited judgment. (Matt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:7,8; Acts 17:31)

The judgment of whether one is a sheep or a goat will be based upon what a person did or did not do prior to Christ's return as king. There will be no opportunity for a person's last minute effort to turn into a sheep. "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory (majesty, splendor) of His Father with His angels, and then He will render account and reward every man in accordance with what he has done." (Matt. 16:27, Amplified Bible; 24:46, 48-51) It will be “just as the days of Noah were, . . they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.” That is why Jesus cautioned his disciples, "Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." (Matt. 24:37-39, 42) "That day is a day of fury, a day of distress and of anguish, a day of storm and of desolation, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick gloom, . . And I will cause distress to mankind, and they will certainly walk like blind men; because it is against Jehovah that they have sinned. And their blood will actually be poured out like dust, and their bowels like the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s fury; but by the fire of his zeal the whole earth will be devoured, because he will make an extermination, indeed a terrible one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Zeph. 1:15-18; Joel 2:1,2)

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