One might be tempted to interpret this scripture figuratively if the literal events had not already taken place. When Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, he protected and guided them by means of a cloud of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night:
’And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to do by day and night.’ (Ex 13:21).
’And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.’ (Ex 14:19-20)
Apparently, the glory of Zion will be as when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand. He will fight their battles such that the wicked (who are soon to be destroyed) will say, ’Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand’ (DC 45:70). As literally as described in Exodus, Zion will be protected by the cloud of smoke by day and the pillar of fire by night.
Orson Pratt
"The time is to come when God will meet with all the congregation of his Saints, and to show his approval, and that he does love them, he will work a miracle by covering them in the cloud of his glory. I do not mean something that is invisible, but I mean that same order of things which once existed on the earth so far as the tabernacle of Moses was concerned, which was carried in the midst of the children of Israel as they journeyed in the wilderness. Did God manifest himself in that tabernacle that was built according to the pattern which he gave unto his servant Moses? He did. In what way? In the day time a cloud filled that tabernacle. The Lord intended his people to be covered with the cloud continually, and he intended to reveal himself unto them, and to show forth his glory more fully amongst them; but they sinned so much in his sight that he declared—’My presence shall not go up with this people, lest I should break forth upon them in my fury and consume them in a moment.’ Because of their wickedness he withdrew his presence, and his glory in a great measure was taken from them; but still Moses was permitted to enter the tabernacle, and to behold the glory of God, and it is said that he talked with the Lord face to face--a blessing which God did intend to bestow upon all Israel had they kept his law and had not hardened their hearts against him. But in the latter days there will be a people so pure in Mount Zion, with a house established upon the tops of the mountains, that God will manifest himself, not only in their Temple and upon all their assemblies, with a visible cloud during the day, but when the night shall come, if they shall be assembled for worship, God will meet with them by his pillar of fire; and when they retire to their habitations, behold each habitation will be lighted up by the glory of God--a pillar of flaming fire by night.
“Did you ever hear of any city that was thus favored and blessed since the day that Isaiah delivered this prophecy? No, it is a latter-day work, one that God must consummate in the latter times when he begins to reveal himself, and show forth his power among the nations. This is what the words of our text mean, the first verse of the 60th chapter of Isaiah—’Arise and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.’”(Journal of Discourses, vol. 16, pp. 82-3)