He holdeth back the face of his throne, [and] spreadeth his cloud upon it.
Ver. 9. He holdeth back the face of his throne] i.e. Of heaven, Isaiah 66:1, which he soon overcloudeth and muffleth up, or masketh, with a veil. Mystically, by the face of his throne, we may understand the knowledge of his glory; for this is held from us so in this world, that we cannot perfectly know him as he is, but must content ourselves with a learned ignorance, 1 John 3:3. Here darkness is, and will be, under his feet, Psalms 18:9 .
And spreadeth his cloud upon it] It is fitly called his cloud, because, 1. It is his handiwork, Psa 18:11; Gen 9:14; Job 28:26,27; Job 37:15,16; Job 38:9; Psalms 104:5. His sun draweth up those vapours, which, being thickened in the middle region of the air by the cold encompassing and driving them together, become a cloud. 2. He used it of old as a sign of his glorious power and gracious presence with his people, Exodus 13:21; Exo 16:10 2 Chronicles 5:13,14; and as a figure of Christ's guiding and protecting his Church through the wilderness of this world, Isaiah 4:5,6 Isaiah 4:3. He still rideth in state upon the clouds, Isaiah 19:1. Christ was by a cloud coached up to heaven, Acts 1:9, and shall come in like manner, Revelation 1:7; Revelation 10:1. We also shall then be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord, 1 Thessalonians 4:17. - O mora! Christe, veni.