Acts 1:11, commentary and pictures

The angels beside the gazing disciples declared that the same Jesus who had just been taken up from them into heaven will surely come again in the same way they saw Him go. He had risen slowly and bodily from the Mount of Olives with hands outstretched in blessing while they watched with straining eyes, until a cloud of glory received Him out of sight. The One to return is that identical, tangible person who walked and talked and prayed with them, so His coming is personal, literal and visible, not merely spiritual and not fulfilled at death or at Jerusalem's destruction. He will come on the clouds with power and great glory in His own and His Father's glory with all the holy angels, with shout and trumpet, no longer as a babe or a man of sorrows but as triumphant King, to raise the dead in Christ, change the living righteous, catch them up to meet Him and take them to the mansions prepared. That promise was spoken to turn their sorrow into joy with assurance that separation is not forever and that He intercedes for them still, and it entrusts all believers to watch, prepare a fit character, and proclaim His soon return to the uttermost part.

Ascension Scene Described

Jesus went up from the Mount of Olives near Bethany, the ground made holy by His presence, prayers and tears, by the triumphant shouts that hailed Him King, by His home with Lazarus at Bethany and by His agony in Gethsemane. That place was chosen rather than Mount Zion or Mount Moriah, where He had been mocked and rejected. His going was seen by the eleven disciples who were with Him there, and His coming again will be in the same literal manner in which He went.

He went in tangible human form, the very body in which He had walked and talked and prayed with them, broken bread, been with them in boats on the lake and in the groves, and toiled with them up Olivet that very day. He rose slowly, with hands outstretched in blessing and with His countenance shining with heavenly brightness and smiling lovingly upon them, His nail-bruised hands embracing the world in blessing with beams of light falling on the watchers. The disciples gazed with straining, riveted eyes for the last glimpse of their ascending Lord until a cloud of glory received Him out of their sight, while sweet music from the angel choir sounded. His ascent was bodily and visible, and He will return bodily and visibly on a great white cloud.

While their gaze was still riveted upward and they stood gazing up into heaven, two beings in the form of men in white apparel, whose heavenly character was at once discerned, stood beside them. They were angels of the company waiting in a shining cloud to escort Jesus to His throne, come in sympathy and love for those He left behind to remove all uncertainty from their minds. In comforting accents, with voices like richest music and like angel music, they asked why they gazed and promised that this same Jesus taken up from them into heaven will come to earth again in like manner as they had seen Him go. At that moment His promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, came back to them.

The full glory of His track to heaven was veiled from mortal eyes. Beyond what they saw lay the heavenly escort with myriads of angels, twenty thousand chariots of angels, cherubim and seraphim, triumphant song, the opened gates of God, the brightness reflected from the law as with Moses, a multitude of captives raised from their graves to join the armies of heaven, enthronement before the heavenly universe as gracious High Priest, mighty Redeemer and Commander of the heavenly host returning to His own dominion, and glorious reception with great honor by God at the home He had left and at His Father's throne. They could not have endured the sight, nor taken up earthly life with its commission, reproach and suffering, nor properly appreciated the Comforter, if their senses had become infatuated with heaven. It was hidden so they could return to Jerusalem full of joy and not mourning, take up their earthly work, keep clearly before them Christ's earthly character, the beauty and majesty of His life, the harmony of His attributes and the union of divine and human to be copied in themselves. His visible ascent thus ended earthly acquaintance in a solemn, quiet, sublime manner in harmony with the meekness and quiet of His life, and changed their thought of heaven from merely an unlimited region inhabited by bodiless spirits to the home of the Jesus they had known, loved and touched. From there He continues the work of atonement as humanity's Advocate and Intercessor, leaving as their last remembrance a sympathizing Friend and glorified Redeemer.

His going followed His resurrection and forty days with the disciples, with final instructions, repeated teachings such as the vine lesson of the union of His church with Himself and His Father, and the commission to witness and to preach the gospel to every creature. It stood with the promise of the Holy Spirit and just before the promised Spirit was given, when the disciples gathered after the ascension and sought God in united prayer in the upper room. The ascended Christ as Advocate then sent the promised Holy Spirit to strengthen them to bear witness with the truth's power and to reveal God's love.

Same Personal Jesus Returning

This same, very same Jesus who was taken up from the disciples into heaven will come again in like manner as they saw Him go, and this is a sure promise and the event for which His followers look. Their separation from Him will not be forever, for after He was taken up while they watched, two angels told them He would return in the same manner in which they had seen Him go. He ascended bodily and visibly and was received by a cloud, and He will return visibly on a great white cloud in the same literal manner in which He went. This promised return gave the disciples joy even as He left them, and it gives believers hope and joy as they await Him and look forward also to the promised coming of the Holy Spirit.

The returning One is the identical tangible person who walked and talked and prayed with the disciples, broke bread and ate with them, was with them in boats on the lake and in retirement in the groves, sailed, toiled with them up Olivet that very day, and blessed with nail-bruised hands. He ascended to heaven in tangible human form in the form of humanity as the divine Teacher, with countenance shining with heavenly brightness and smiling lovingly, and with hands that had blessed the sick and rebuked demons now embracing the world in blessing extended over them with beams of light falling on the watching ones. He ascended to occupy His Father's throne, leaving as their last remembrance a sympathizing Friend and glorified Redeemer, and the assurance that this same Jesus whom they saw go up shall come again in like manner is the hope and joy of all true lovers of Christ till the close of time.

His coming is personal, literal and visible, as the same person who ascended to heaven returning in person from Olivet in the same manner as they saw Him go into heaven. It is not merely spiritual and not a spiritualized event, for Jesus is a person and His return is a glorious and majestic personal appearing in the clouds with power, escorted by the angels and accompanied by the glory of the Father. It was not fulfilled at Jerusalem's destruction, and it is not a coming at death, but a joyful promise that He will come in power and glory to redeem His people.

Because He comes visibly from heaven in the same manner the disciples saw Him ascend, as the angels most explicitly declared at the ascension, claims that He is in the desert or in the secret chambers are to be disbelieved and not followed. All true prophesying about His coming must recognize His visible coming from heaven, and any prophesying or teaching that contradicts this plain and positive declaration, including that His second coming will be invisible, is to be rejected.

Manner of His Coming

He will return bodily and visibly on and with clouds, where every eye shall see Him. As He ascended bodily in tangible visible form and a cloud received Him out of sight, so He will return bodily on a great white cloud in the same visible manner in which He was seen to go into heaven. This fulfills His own promise to come again and receive His followers to Himself, so that where He is they may be also. Because His coming is visibly from heaven, claims that He is in the desert or in secret chambers are to be disbelieved and not followed, and any teaching that contradicts this plain declaration about His visible coming is to be rejected.

He comes with power and great glory, in His own glory and His Father's glory with all the holy angels. His return is personal and literal, escorted by the heavenly host, with a shout and trumpet, accompanied by the glory of the Father, with heaven emptied of angels. He ascended escorted by the heavenly host in a cloud composed of living angels, and He will return in like manner with power and great glory to redeem His people. This return is good news and reason for joy and patient watching to those who love Him, not a spiritual coming, not an event fulfilled at Jerusalem's destruction, and not a coming at death.

He will not return as at His first advent as a babe in Bethlehem, nor as He rode into Jerusalem, nor as a man of sorrows wearing thorns and mocked. He will not return in humiliation to wear the crown of thorns and the mocking robe amid cries to crucify Him, nor in lowliness and suffering, but as a glorious and triumphant King and divine conqueror wearing the crown of glory. He comes in His own glory, His Father's glory, and the glory of the angels, still bearing humanity, with hands pierced by nails now shining like gold and eyes like a flame of fire, in a robe whiter than the whitest white. He is greeted by the shout of angels and waiting saints, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and His return brings the declaration that no further sacrifice for sin remains.

His feet will rest upon and He will stand again on the Mount of Olives from which He ascended after His resurrection. He ascended from the Mount of Olives near Bethany, and He will come again in the same literal manner in which He went, descending to earth with the redeemed and angels. At the close of the thousand years He descends with the redeemed and angels to the Mount of Olives from which He ascended. He comes with the heavenly host amid Hebrew hallelujahs mingling with Gentile hosannas, while the voices of the redeemed as a mighty host swell the acclamation, Crown Him Lord of all.

What His Coming Will Do

He comes to take to Himself those who give themselves to His service, to reunite with them and welcome His obedient children into His heavenly kingdom. He fulfills His own promise to go to prepare mansions and to come again to receive His followers to Himself so that where He is they may be also. The same Jesus the disciples loved on earth, taken from them into heaven from Bethany, will return bodily in visible form as He went, received then by a cloud and returning on a great white cloud where every eye shall see Him. This promise turns sorrow into great joy and triumph, for He is risen and ascended and will return, giving lasting hope of reunion with Him. Therefore listeners are called to prepare during probation, keep His commandments, and show His life as His witnesses, and in Him He will be admired in all who believe.

At His coming He descends Himself with a shout and trumpet to raise the dead in Christ, change the living righteous, and catch them up together to meet Him in the air to be ever with Him. The sleeping saints are raised immortal and the living saints changed, never to be separated from Him, as the parting promise that sustained followers through sorrow, suffering and persecution. He is beheld with human eyes in His beauty as a divine conqueror, not in humiliation wearing thorns and mocked amid cries to crucify Him, but in glory wearing the crown of glory and a robe whiter than the whitest white. His nail-pierced hands shine like gold and His eyes are like flame of fire, greeted by the shout of angels and waiting saints crying Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, coming with clouds to be seen by every eye in His own glory with all the holy angels to sit on the throne of His glory. Those who waited for Him and loved Him He crowns with glory, honor, immortality and eternal life, welcoming them with the voice that their warfare is accomplished and calling them to enter the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the earth.

His return also brings the final accounting, when He comes in flaming fire to take vengeance in wrath on those who do not know God. It will be the terrible fulfillment of the sentence the priests and people passed upon themselves and their children when they took His blood upon them, meeting them in vengeance and wrath.

At the close of the thousand years He descends from the holy city with the redeemed and angels to the Mount of Olives from which He ascended after His resurrection. Clothed with brightness like lightning He comes upon that mount, and as His feet touch the mountain it parts asunder and becomes a very great plain prepared for the reception of the holy city.

His resurrection, personal appearances and ascension confirm the resurrection and future immortal life of the just for those who believe in Him. His ascension as humanity's representative pledges that heaven is open to those made clean through the Lamb's blood, and God will bring those who reflect Christ's image to behold and share His glory, assuring His triumph over death and the grave. The disciples' testimony to His ascension therefore brought gladness and triumph, not sorrow over disappointed hopes, for they knew He remained their Saviour in heaven and looked forward with joy to His return with the holy angels.

Comfort of Promised Return

The two messengers spoke to comfort the sorrowful watchers, to remove all uncertainty and to assure them that the departure was not final. They spoke in comforting accents of sympathy and love, as members of the company waiting in the shining cloud to escort Him to His throne. Their word was that this very same Jesus who had been taken up from them into heaven, who had sojourned thirty-three years, endured scorn and mockery, yet had not withdrawn sympathy and love, and who slowly ascended with hands extended in blessing as assurance of protecting care until a cloud of glory received Him out of sight, will come to earth again in the same manner as they had seen Him go. That promise turned sorrow into great joy and triumph, for the disciples rejoiced not that He had left but that He would come again, and it reminded them of His pledge to prepare a place and to be with them always even to the end.

The assurance that separation is not forever gives lasting hope and joy to all true lovers of Christ till the close of time. His return is a sure promise and encouragement, the personal second advent for which followers look, when He will come in power and glory to redeem His people. The disciples found joy even as He left them, both in looking forward to seeing their Redeemer again and in expecting the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. Those who accept Him by living faith and repent of sins can therefore meet Him in peace, called by this promise to prepare.

Until He returns He remains a sympathizing Friend at the Father's throne, pleading the cases of all who accept Him as Saviour. He went to occupy His Father's throne and continue the work of atonement as humanity's Advocate and Intercessor, keeping His human heart of pity, knowing burdens and giving hope, strength and courage. His full heavenly glory was veiled from mortal sight, yet He will return in like manner with power and great glory, accompanied by the heavenly host, to be admired in all who believe. This second appearing is the great event to be kept fresh before minds, contemplated, talked of and proclaimed, while the world is warned to prepare.

That assurance filled the disciples with holy boldness as witnesses, with confidence that Jesus would be with them as they carried out their mission. They had a Friend at court in heaven, and the certainty that He is the Son of God and would be with them always by His Spirit as truly as when visibly present. His visible ascension changed their thought of heaven from merely an unlimited region inhabited by bodiless spirits to the home of the Jesus they had known, loved and touched, bringing joy, hope and comfort. As He slowly ascended from among them near Bethany on the Mount of Olives with hands outstretched in blessing, a cloud of glory hid Him from straining sight amid sweet music, and His parting promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, came back to them at that moment as their representative and Advocate at God's throne.

Proclaiming and Preparing for Return

The promise was given by two angels very shortly after the commission to preach the gospel to every creature, while the disciples gazed for a last glimpse as He was received up, and it entrusts the message of Christ's second coming to the disciples to pass on to later generations and to sound until the end of time. This same Jesus who was taken up into heaven will come again in like manner as He was seen going, personally returning at His own appointed time without sin unto salvation, accompanied by the heavenly host. His second appearing is the great event to be kept fresh before the minds of the people, to be contemplated, talked of, and proclaimed, and to be kept before people's minds as the event for which followers look. Ministers are to present His coming again with love and deep earnestness alongside His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The same Jesus who ascended escorted by the heavenly host in a cloud composed of living angels will return in like manner with power and great glory, and as Advocate and Friend at court pleading the cases of all who accept Him as Saviour He will come the second time to be admired in all them that believe. While watching and waiting for its soon fulfillment, believers are bidden to work courageously to proclaim the message of His return unto the uttermost part of the earth without losing heart, and to warn the world to prepare for it while the cry of peace and safety is sounded and the sleeping church and the world ask in scorn where is the promise of His coming.

After instructing the disciples to witness, Jesus was taken up while they watched until a cloud received Him out of sight, and as they looked steadfastly toward heaven the promise that this same Jesus will come again in like manner filled them with holy boldness with assurance that He would be with them always and that they had a Friend at court in heaven. This assurance gave them confidence as they carried out their mission, so they went forward as His witnesses strengthened by the Holy Spirit, whose power belonged with the ascension and promised return among the events revealing God's love and carrying the truth's power. Having witnessed the ascension firsthand and encountered the risen Christ, they possessed positive testimony to answer false reports about His resurrection and to declare that He is the Resurrection and the Life. The parting scene on Olivet stood just before days of prayer and communion in the upper room and before Pentecost, when mission and power followed the promise of His return.

The promise that the very same Jesus who ascended will return in the same manner calls each person to prepare, for those who accept Him by living faith and repent of their sins can meet Him in peace. It gives the message of Christ's soon coming as the coming King and calls for preparation now, turning from absorption in worldly business and pleasure to bearing fruit to His glory, because in the judgment the test will be what was done for Him rather than what profession was made. The message of present truth is to prepare a people for His return, and alongside His promise of prepared mansions listeners are called to prepare during their time of probation, keep His commandments, and show His life as His witnesses. Everyone should cultivate knowledge of His second appearing and search the Scriptures, because that chapter gives understanding of just what should be, and since wickedness will increase the promise calls for getting ready and doing the very work God has appointed to be done.

The promise is soon to be fulfilled, very, very soon, and believers are watching and waiting for its fulfillment, with foretold signs and distress showing His coming is near, even at the door. Holy angels in white apparel proclaimed the second advent at the ascension before the eyes of His faithful followers, proving the Lord's soon coming is an old doctrine preached by Christ Himself and dwelt upon with joy and triumph by Him and His apostles, giving high authority for believing and loving His appearing. Looking for Christ's return is therefore scriptural faith and not a new or heretical doctrine, but the reason for expectant Advent faith and for holding faith strong through trials and discouragement. It grounds the hope of His soon return and the gathering of His people, when the sheep now scattered are about to be gathered to a good pasture and to meet the blood-washed throng in the city of God.

Standing with Christ's commission and the promise of the Holy Spirit, the angels' message to the waiting disciples joins with Let not your heart be troubled to call believers to be educated to believe the Word of God and to show faith by works in practical godliness. Christ had opened the future beforehand in plain language, yet the disciples did not care to think about what He said, so the event came as a surprise and afterward brought sorrow over unbelief, and as they watched Him ascend and glorified before them they remembered His words. If while He lay in the tomb they had searched the Scriptures concerning Him they would have found comfort and hope, so all should now search the Scriptures for understanding of what should be and get ready amid increasing wickedness.