“When He had spoken these things, while they looked, He was taken up. And a cloud removed Him from their sight. While they looked intently toward heaven as He ascended, behold, two men stood by them in white garments. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why stand looking toward heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you to heaven, will come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:9-11 (Read verses 1-11)
Today is Ascension Day, a Christian festival that is often overlooked by churches today. It is the day to remember Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the fact that He now rules over and fills all things (Eph. 1:15-23) and will soon return to judge the living and the dead and establish His everlasting kingdom. Today, we consider the words of the angels to Jesus’ disciples when Jesus was taken up into heaven.
This Word of God teaches us that Jesus Christ will return visibly in the clouds of glory on the Last Day. The Bible also says this in Revelation 1:7: “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
As Jesus ascended into heaven, so He shall return on the Last Day, the Day of Judgment. He will come again in clouds of glory. Every eye will see Him! His return will be no secret rapture — both the believer and the unbeliever will see Him coming in glory!
In Matthew 24:29-31, we read: “Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Note that the angels will come with a great sound of a trumpet and gather the elect from the four winds at the same time that Jesus returns and the unbelieving people of this world mourn His coming.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, verses often used as a proof passage for a secret rapture, God’s Word says that the Lord Jesus “will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And the dead in Christ will 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 we shall be forever with the Lord.” And the next verses (in chapter 5) make clear that Jesus’ coming will be unexpected, like a thief in the night, for the unbelievers, but expected by those of us who believe and are awaiting His return.
My question for you is: Are you ready for His return and judgment? Are you prepared to meet Him?
Those who do not trust in Him for salvation will wail in sorrow at His return because they stand condemned for not trusting in the only begotten Son of God. In John 3:18, we read: “He who believes in Him is not condemned. But he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Mark 16:16 says: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved. But he who does not believe will be condemned.”
And, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, God’s Word says that “the Lord Jesus [will be] revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They shall be punished with eternal destruction, isolated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at by all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”
But those who do believe in Christ Jesus as their Savior — trusting in God’s promise to pardon and forgive their sins for the sake of Christ’s innocent sufferings and death in their stead — will rejoice at His return because He comes to take them to be with Him forever in heaven.
In John 14:1-3, Jesus says: “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also.” (Cf. Luke 21:25-28; Heb. 9:27-28; 1 Thess. 4:13-18.)
Do you acknowledge your sins and look to Christ and His cross for mercy and forgiveness? If not, the day of His return will be for you a day of sorrow and mourning as you face His eternal judgment and condemnation!
But, if you agree with God about your sins and trust in Christ and the atonement He made for the sins of the world when He died on the cross, that day will be a day of joy and gladness for you as you receive His mercy, His pardon, and life eternal in His glorious kingdom!
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, as You have ascended up into heaven to the right hand of God the Father, so come again and take us to be with You forever. Graciously keep us in the true faith so that, on that Day, we may greet You with joy and not with sorrow. Grant this to us for the sake of Your holy life and bitter sufferings and death upon the cross in our stead. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version, Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.]