Shalom,
We are indeed still living in this world; however, we gather together in the atmosphere of Heaven because we do not belong to the world. We were chosen by God out of the world to live in the atmosphere of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Today believers all around the world commemorate the Ascension Day of Jesus Christ. The problem is, if Jesus only ascended to Heaven without anything happening after that, we were only limited to remembering the event and then forgetting it because it has nothing to do with our future. Is that right?
What does the Bible say about the event of Jesus taken up to heaven? Acts 1:10-11 writes, “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 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 soon come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
We must read or listen to the reading of the verses as a whole. Do not cut the verses that can cause other perceptions. Or are we afraid of His coming because He will come as a Judge who will open up our mistakes?
If we believe He is coming again, are we sure that He has ascended to Heaven? Why did He ascend to Heaven? Where does He come from? Why will He come back? Did He ascend to Heaven alone and will come back alone? It turns out that He will come again followed by a mass of Heaven's angels / armies and loud trumpets to prove that He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.
Introspection: What about our faith? Do we believe but don’t have any follow up actions? Remember, faith without works is essentially dead (James 2:17,26). One of the signs of life is that we can move and do many activities, including listening. That is why we gain faith by hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).
What are the consequences if one's faith dies? He may call himself a Christian, but in fact he is a mocker who does not believe the Lord's promises because he prefers living according to his own lusts (2 Peter 3:3-4). What about us who have heard the news of His coming since more than 2,000 years ago? Do we still believe it?
After His resurrection, Jesus still spent 40 days on earth proving and convincing people that He had really risen from the dead. He appeared to Mary in the tomb, to the two disciples who were going to Emmaus, to all of His disciples and others. At first, His disciples were afraid and did not recognize Him. Then He showed the evidence by showing them His nail-pierced hands and feet as well as His pierced side. Has not His hand touched, lifted and supported us when we need His help? Has not His feet walked, searching for sinners as looking for lost sheep which have gone astray following their own will?
After ± 60 years since Jesus ascended to Heaven, He appeared to the Apostle John who was exiled to the island of Patmos. The Apostle John was terrified and fell at His feet like a dead man (Revelation 1:12-17). He did not recognize whom he was talking to because Jesus' appearance was not like the One he had seen before. John only saw the vision of Jesus, and he was very frightened. So, don’t be fooled by the illustrations of Jesus’ images based on human imagination! Remember when Saul met Jesus of Nazarene, he saw a light that blinded him (Acts 9:3-8). If the Apostle John barely recognized Jesus after 60 years of separation, how much more we who have never seen Him physically before.
Question: Will we recognize Him when He returns? Let us imagine this illustration: after not having seen each other for 60 years, classmates of an elementary school hold a reunion. There must have been many physical changes in their appearances: white hair, body postures becoming thin/fat, no longer beautiful or handsome, and having many wrinkles on the face and neck which cannot be hidden, etc. It must be too hard to recognize each other in an instant.
What were Jesus’ last words to His disciples before He was taken up to Heaven? He said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
They got a mandate to preach the gospel not only in their hometown, but to the ends of the earth. They had to think globally but act locally. They did what Jesus told them to do; after being filled with the Holy Spirit, they spread out – some to India, Ephesus etc. – without knowing what would be happening to them. Jesus blessed them and they joyfully entered the temples and houses praising and magnifying the Lord's Name. The early church grew with the joy of Heaven and continues to this day. Do we still believe in His coming as the King of kings and the Lord of lords?
What will be the situations and conditions when Jesus returns? “He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him…. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, …, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:7-8). Notice, all that we do is recorded in our book (Revelation 20:12) and all of our mistakes are still written unless the blood of the Lamb of God has blotted them out.
Which group will we belong to when He returns?
- Those who will see Him → we who are still alive and have our life changed.
- The dead → which will be resurrected.
- A nation that will mourn because of Him → the world that rejects and hates God, those who are ready to be punished.
Enoch had prophesied that the Lord would come with his thousands of saints to judge the wicked with his wicked words. They are scoffers who have walked in their own lust (Jude 1:14-16,18-21).
Application: We should be careful in our actions and words. Do not redo evil deeds after having repented, being forgiven, and being sanctified by His Word.
Talking about His coming, let us not easily believe in dreams and visions outside the Bible. The Apostle Paul said that we who are still alive cannot precede the dead. The important thing is, are we ready to welcome His coming?
When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He blessed His disciples (as well as us); and when He returns, He will also bring blessings/rewards. Considering the importance of His coming:
- Jesus said to the Philadelphian congregation (through the Apostle John) to keep on obeying His Word, patiently waiting for Him and holding fast to what they had so that they might receive a crown (Revelation 3:7,10-11). There are various crowns (crown of righteousness, crown of salvation, crown of glory) reserved for those who are entitled to become kings to reign with Him for 1,000 These crowns are so precious that no one may take them away from us.
- Jesus said to the Apostle John that the words concerning His second coming were faithful and He is coming quickly, so blessed are those who keep the prophetic words of the book of Revelation (Revelation 22:6-7). It is God who determines what is going to happen soon, not we who predict it according to our own calculation. If even until now He has not come yet, it is because He is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Let us be aware for there will be a time when men can no longer repent. Those who are unjust and filthy will continue being unjust and filthy (Revelation 22: 10-11). This had happened to Pharaoh who was stubborn and did not let the Israelites go. God then hardened his heart because His sovereignty is able to harden a person's heart.
Application: Let us not continue hardening our hearts because there will be a time when our hearts can no longer be softened. Instead, let us "clothe ourselves with white linen" which are the righteous acts (Revelation 19:8) and live in holiness which is done by God alone, because no one can sanctify himself except the Lord because He is holy (1 Peter 1:16).
The Lord also said that He would come to bring rewards and punishments to everyone according to their works (Revelation 22:12). He asks us not to add or take away the words found in the Bible (Revelation 22:18,19). Also, let us not add the experience of great people into the word of God or reduce them when they are not in accordance with our cultures and customs. Our emotions must not exceed the authority of the Bible.
Question: Where will be our positions when the Lord comes? Will we be brought to a place to live with Him or will we lose that place?
- Jesus told the Apostle John that He was coming Then he responded enthusiastically, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). At first, when the Lord said that He was coming soon, the Apostle John immediately fell down at the feet of the angel who showed him those things (Revelation 22:8). John was wrong in his way of responding.
Then the second time the Lord said that He was coming, the Apostle John did not respond, but he knew that the Lord was coming with rewards and punishments.
But the third time He declared that He would come, the Apostle John responded favorably and welcomed His coming as a bride welcomes her Bridegroom. The Apostle John closed the Book of Revelation with a statement, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with us all".
We believe that Jesus has been taken up to Heaven and poured out His blessings, messages and presence. He also pours out the Holy Spirit on us so that we become His witnesses to preach the gospel of salvation while waiting for His return by living in holiness. By being so, we will be found to have firm faith when He comes to pick us up to live with Him forever. Amen.