Jesus Ascends to Heaven

Acts 1:9-11 (Mark 16:19,20; Luke 24:50-53) 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, 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, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." NKJV 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Let’s review “the things spoken” that Christ has just presented to the disciples before He was caught up into heaven in a cloud. Jesus had just informed them that it was not the time for Him to restore the kingdom to Israel. All of the disciples were in agreement and understood that Christ was going to restore the kingdom to Israel at some point, but did not understand when. The disciples were told to wait for the Holy Spirit to help them understand when those things will take place. They were going to be sent on a mission to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth before Christ would come and restore His kingdom to Israel. This is how we need to understand it, because after the Holy Spirit came in power we hear Peter preaching "repentance in the Name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins". Acts 3:19-22

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. NKJV

This is a message that resulted from the healing of a lame man who sat at the gate called Beautiful in the Temple(Acts 3:2). Peter healed the man by the power of the Holy Spirit to confirm to Israel this message of repentance and that this same Jesus whom they crucified is coming again. But what we need to hear is that, “this time of refreshing” or the “times of restoration of all things”, will not come; until Israel repents of the rejection of her King and Messiah, which God has spoken through the all the holy prophets since the world began, whom Israel were once stewards over(Rom.9:4). But now the kingdom has been given to the church through the coming of the Holy Spirit(Acts 2:16). 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, As the resurrected body of Christ ascends into heaven slowly out of the disciple’s sight two men drew near them in white apparel. These two men are most likely angelic messengers, because they were dressed in white apparel. They may have been sent to reassure the disciples of what they are seeing and to pay more attention to what Christ commanded them to do, rather than, just stand in awe of what they witnessed. These angels were sent to keep the disciples focused on what they were expected to do next, not just remain daydreaming into the sky waiting for God to make the next move. The disciples were given something to do before God would send the Holy Spirit on their behalf. 11 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 so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Again, what these angels are confirming is that Christ will come again in the appointed time to restore the kingdom to Israel. These angelic men confirm that Christ will do this in Person, as the King of heaven, after His Name is spread throughout the whole world. (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 NKJV) In Israel‘s present condition God has "laid down" a stumbling block and cut them off until their appointed time of repentance. When the church was sent out it was always to the Jew first and then to the Gentile, but due to the stumbling block; Israel is continuously blinded, and until Christ removes this stumbling block(the church), Israel remains cut off until provoked to repentance(Rom.11:11). Rom 9:30-33 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." NKJV 1 Peter 2:4-10 The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a "spiritual house", a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." 7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. NKJV While Jesus Christ has ascended to the Father, His hands and His feet, remain on the earth in the form of the church whom He has purchased with His blood. Christ has “laid them” in what is spiritually called “Zion”(Heb.12:22), that is, the cross where Christ “laid down His life like a lamb who was slain”. This is a stumbling block and an offense to the nation of Israel, but Christ has also promised to “stand in Zion” as the Lion of the tribe of Judah when He restores His kingdom to the nation of Israel whom He also purchased with His blood. Rev 5:1-7 5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. NKJV Rev 14:1-3 14 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. NKJV

There is only one way for Israel to to be made "beautiful" again, and that is through the recognition of the One whom they pierced(Rev.1:7). It is only through His brokenness that they can be made beautiful in God's sight again. They must enter through the gate called "Beautiful". They must be broken by this stumbling block(Matt.21:44) and made beautiful again through "the times of refreshing" spoken of by the Apostle Peter(Acts 3:19).