PART ONE: FROM A JEWISH SECT TO THE BODY OF CHRIST

Students of the Bible are well aware that understanding God's Word requires much study and careful thought.  The Apostle Paul wrote:  "Study to show yourself pleasing to God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15 SLV). Amazingly, the Gospel message is simple enough for a child to understand and be born again, but it is so complex that even the greatest theologians are humbled by it!  This complexity often causes man to give up trying to understand it, or worse yet, having his pride crushed, to declare it to be false.  God forbid that you or I suffer such horrible results!  Today, I want to share my understanding of Acts 1:1-11.

Luke, who had previously written his Gospel about Christ's fulfillment of the Bible prophecies concerning His Life, His Teachings, His Death for the sins of mankind, His Burial, and His Resurrection, now was presenting the history of the transition from Christ's focus upon His people Israel, to the Gospel focus being that of His Body, the Church.  Israel has temporarily taken a "back seat" to Christ's creation of His Church (Rom. 11)!  Nowhere is this more obvious than in the first fifteen chapters of Acts.  Notice the "Jewish" mindset of His disciples in chapter one:

*  His disciples will become Apostles (v. 2).
*  His message is still "pertaining to the kingdom of God" (v. 3).
*  The baptism by John would soon give way to that of the Holy Spirit (v. 5).
*  Their question to Jesus about His kingdom, was not answered here (v. 6-7).
*  Their ministry would soon be to "the uttermost part of the earth" (v. 8).
*  The Ascension of Christ to heaven, similar to His return for His kingdom (v. 9-11 - this will not actually occur until after the Church Age, and after Daniel's Seventieth Week - Dan. 9:27 -  a.k.a. The Time of Jacob's Trouble - Jer. 30:7 - and the Tribulation - Mt. 24:3-29)!

Some think the return here is that of the Rapture of the Church, but that cannot be.  First, the Church rises to meet Christ in the air, and no mention is made of Him setting foot on the earth (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; 1 Th. 4:16-17).  No, it is referring to Christ's Second Coming, as it is described in Revelation 19, and THEN He will establish His earthly kingdom - Rev. 20:1-15).

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.  And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of His mouth went a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He ruled them with a rod of iron:  and He did tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He had on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:11-16 SLV).

 

BELIEVERS WILL COME WITH HIM; UNBELIEVERS WILL DREAD HIS COMING!