Cloud of Witnesses

By Nick Bibile

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God

We are living in the very last days and the Lord can come anytime, yet many are living on their own time, here is another reminder for all of us to wake up for the call of God!  Please read to the end, then pray and ask the Lord how it helps you in this message, what changes you need to take coming closer to Christ. Don’t allow your pride to be a hindrance.

The apostle starts with the word, therefore, which means he is referring to the previous verses.  Let us go back to chapter 11.

11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in the skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Scriptures are talking about the Old Testament prophets and true believers. Why were they stoned? Why were they killed? Why were they afflicted and mistreated? Because they were telling the truth of God’s word and people didn’t like to hear the truth. It’s the same today. These true believers were God’s people who were persecuted, they were not looking for treasures of this earth but the treasures of heaven.

We need to look them up as our witnesses, not a small number of witnesses for Christ but a cloud of witnesses.  The word cloud of witnesses is a picture of a stadium where there are thousands of runners, (That is us, running the race now) and witnesses who have finished the race on earth, they are like a cloud has risen above.

In this world we are running a race towards a goal. Some are running a race to hell as their goals are fleshly and earthly, but we are running a race to heaven. We have fixed our eyes on the Lord Jesus.  We have a cloud of witnesses who have set an example for us, they are our heroes, not the Hollywood stars, the sports stars, not the rich and famous but the poor and unworthy whom they called this world was not worthy. (11:38)

But Satan is unloading on us many obstacles in this race. See verse two, we are supposed to fix our eyes on Jesus but the enemy is distracting us with many temptations, the enemy is telling you to do other work than to meditate and pray. Satan has put a huge weight on sin, sins of pleasure, sins of selfishness, sins of procrastination, sins of the flesh and sins of pride. Yes, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and pride of life. Sins of pleasures, profits and honors.

So brothers and sisters, crucify those sins that are set before us, let’s focus on the Lord Jesus and run the race carrying the Bible, hiding  God’s word in our hearts, praying in the spirit all the time, so we can join the clouds of witnesses who ran the race before us as we go together not hell bound but heaven bound!