Acts 1:9-11 9And after saying these things, while they were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, and behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven.”
Luke’s description of Jesus’ ascension is briefly stated in verse 9. Jesus had finished his last commission and promise to his disciples. Their job was now beginning, and the first thing to do was wait for the Holy Spirit. Luke is the only one to record the specific event of Jesus’ ascension to heaven. This verse echoes Luke 24:51 and adds a few more details. Other passages build on this event in reference to Jesus’ exaltation to the right hand of the Father (1 Timothy 3:16; Ephesians 1:20). Although Jesus would be in heaven, as a spiritual being, he can appear to people, including Stephen (7:56) and Paul (9:5).
The word for sky (ouranon) can also be translated as “heaven.” Although the disciples saw Jesus disappear in the clouds, the clouds represent disappearance into heaven, God’s spiritual abode. The Bible has other references to God’s presence in the clouds, such as during the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. The transfiguration in Luke 9:28-36 also reflects the idea of God’s presence in the clouds. Jesus’ departure in the clouds represents in a physical and vivid way his return to the Father.
The disciples must have been awed by what they saw. Jesus’ earthly presence ended with a spectacular departure. The appearance of two men dressed in white was the final confirmation of Jesus’ exaltation. Obviously, these were angels by their white appearance. Two of them served as witnesses to the truth of what had just happened (Deuteronomy 19:15). God gave confirmation to the disciples at a moment that was both awe-inspiring and possibly deeply disappointing. They would be on their own for the first time, which could be an overwhelming thought.
The two angels give further revelation in verse 11. Their message was actually not new but a reminder of what Jesus had already told the disciples (Matthew 24:30). Jesus would come on the clouds when he returns again. He will be visible for all people to see. It will be the end of the age, and the new age of God’s kingdom would come in fullness, never to be defeated or ruined by the forces of evil.
The angels address the disciples as Men of Galilee, the place where Jesus’ ministry began. The mention of Galilee contrasts with Jesus’ commission to take the good news to the ends of the earth. The disciples at one time were in Galilee but would be going out to the farthest reaches of the world with the message of Jesus. No longer would they be small village fishermen but leaders of a new global movement. This powerful experience marks the beginning of a hope that Christians have had ever since. We look for the clouds to split in the east with the coming again of Jesus.
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