The bitter truth versus fiction. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:9-11 (NKJV) The passage above is often brought up as proof that a first century fulfillment of the Second Coming of Christ could not have possibly happened. Yet, if we allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture it is obvious that Jesus did return in 70 A.D. It is agreed by all that Acts 1-11... this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven, refers to the Parousia of Christ. And we agree that Jesus Ascends to Heaven in his resurrection body at this time. That is indeed correct. In addition to this, the angel at the ascension of Jesus said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” The emphasis of the angel in this passage is that Jesus will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. The is important. Many commentators have taken for granted because Jesus was taken up bodily and visible that he must return bodily and visibly for all eyes to see. A careful study of the Scriptures, however, reveals that this is not a necessary interpretation in order for these verses to be fulfilled. Lets take a closer look at verse 11, which says, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so (COME IN LIKE MANNER) as you saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11) The expression in like manner must not be pressed over. Now what was the (MANNER) that the disciples saw Jesus go into heaven? Verse nine contains the answer. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and (A CLOUD RECEIVED HIM OUT OF THEIR SITE) (Acts 1:9) Verse 9 is speaking of the (manner in which Jesus goes into heaven). What was that manner? A CLOUD RECEIVED Him out of their sight. In addition to this, the angel ties the disciples to the ones who would see his Parousia. This same Jesus, who was taken up (from you into heaven), will so (come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven).” It is the language that the high priest understood when he charged Jesus with blasphemy (Matthew 26:64-65). They understood that Jesus was identifying Himself with Yahweh Himself and claiming all the glory of deity! The angels in Acts 1: 11 never made any kind of contradiction from anything that Jesus and Daniel the prophet had already said, “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14 (NKJV) In like manner means that His coming was to be in the exact same manner as in the Old Testament. Jehovah came many times in the clouds of heaven in judgment. David described the time he cried to God when in trouble from his persecutors. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. (2 Samuel 22:7) Now look at Gods response: Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. (2 Samuel 22:8-14) God came in judgment against his enemies! Did David physically see God with these things? Of course not! But David was inspired of God to describe Gods judgment on his persecutors as a coming in clouds. The Lord said that He would ride into Egypt on a cloud to punish them: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud, and is about to come to Egypt. The idol of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. (Isaiah 19:1). In the above verse. the Lord did NOT literally ride on a cloud. However. Egypt did receive this judgment at the hands of the Assyrians (Isa. 20:1-6) . When God used the means of a nation or people to carry out a judgment. He was said to come on the clouds Psalm 68:32-35 also speaks of God who rides on the heaven of heavens and his strength is in the clouds. Psalms 104:3 tells us God makes the clouds his chariots and walks on the wings of the wind. The angels verify that Christ would return in the “same manner” as God did in the old testament as how Jesus promised the (High Priest Caiaphas) that he would see the Son of man... coming on the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64) The cloud, of course, symbolizes the Divine Glory of God, A cloud, or clouds, are the key. Clouds of course also speak of vengeance, wrath, and judgment against the enemies of God. (Isaiah 19) Jesus was also a Jew, this is one of the reasons why he chose to use the language of Clouds as he described His soon Parousia to the people of His day. (Matthew 26: 63-64) The angels in Acts 1: 11 never made any kind of contradiction from anything that Jesus had already said. No one literally saw God in a cloud in judgment in the Old Testament and no one literally saw Jesus in a cloud at the time of his judgment on Israel either.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 14:53:23 +0000
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