WARNING: KEEP AN EYE ON THE CLOUDS!

ACTS 1:1-11 - THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST!

[1] The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, [2] until the day in which He was taken up, after that He, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen:  [3] to whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:  [4] and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said He, you have heard of (heard about from) Me.  [5] For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

[6] When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?  [7] And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own power.  [8] But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

[9] And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, 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, You men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, Who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.

Notes:

[Verse 1 - "treatise" is Luke's account of the life of Jesus Christ:  it is translated "account" in Mt. 12:36; 18:23; Lk. 16:2; Acts 19:40; Rom. 14:12; Phil. 4:17; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 4:5.  "Theophilus" was a man whose name means "one who loves God.]
[Verses 2, 5, 8 - "Holy Ghost" is translated "Holy Spirit"; the Greek word translated "Ghost," is translated "Spirit" 136 times in the New Testament!]
[Verse 3 - "passion" is from the Greek word meaning "to feel; to suffer."  It occurs 46 times in the New Testament; 39 of them say "suffer."]
[Verse 4 - "the promise" here refers to the Holy Spirit - see Lk. 24:49; Acts 2:33; Gal. 3:17; Eph. 1:13.]
[Verse 8 - "Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" - the Gospel was received in faith in Jerusalem and Judaea (Acts 2:5, 14); Samaria (Acts 8:5); and throughout the entire Gentile world (Acts 10:34-35)!]

THE ASCENSION OF THE CHURCH!

John 14:1-3 - Let not your heart be troubled:  you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 - Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:  for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 4:13-18 - For they themselves show - - - how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, Who delivered us from the wrath to come. - - - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede; go before) those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

WARNING:  THE LORD WILL COME IN THE CLOUDS FOR HIS CHURCH PRIOR TO THE SEVEN-YEAR TRIBULATION.  UNLESS YOU HAVE TRUSTED IN HIM BEFORE HE COMES FOR US, YOU WILL BE LEFT BEHIND TO SUFFER UNDER THE TYRANNICAL REIGN OF SATAN, ANTICHRIST, AND THE FALSE PROPHET!