Acts 1:6-10

 

Acts 1:6 (KJB)

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

 

(Luke 24:50 KJV) And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. The Lord Jesus Christ is about ready to ascend into Heaven and has led the disciples out to the town of Bethany which would have been about two miles from Jerusalem toward the Mount of Olives. Even up to this point the disciples did not know what was about to happen. They were still focusing on the physical nation of Israel and were hoping that Jesus was going to restore it to the glory it had under Solomon and David. Their eyes were still focused on an earthly kingdom instead of refocusing them on the eternal kingdom which they were a part of and soon to be confirmed with the pledge of the Holy Spirit in ten days. (Eph 1:13-14 KJV) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, {14} Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

 

Acts 1:7 (KJB)

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

 

They were asking about the restoration of Israel and in 37 years in 70 A.D., the nation of Israel will cease to exist as the Romans will raze it. Jesus did not want to pass this information on to them because it was from Israel at that time that the true Gospel would be propagated from. This is why we are never told dates and times because if the disciples knew that Israel was going to be destroyed, they might have left and went elsewhere and that was not God’s plan. Date setters ignore this verse or either twist it to make it fit into their scheme. The times and seasons in view are not referring to the time of planting, or times of marriage, or times of anything else on earth. The times and seasons are referring to ultimately the day the Lord Jesus Christ will return. (Acts 17:31 KJV) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. A day has definitely been set for the return of Christ but it will never be revealed to any person on earth. This is because we are to concern ourselves with the propagation of the Gospel and we are not to stop working to try and figure out the day the Lord will return. It will be futile and wrong. (Luke 19:13 KJV) And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Since ten seems to be the number of completeness in the Bible, we see in Luke 19:13, that ten servants have been given ten pounds and are commanded to occupy till the master returns. It does not say 1 year before the master returns we stop what we are doing and go into date setting. All the time that is lost in date setting could have been well spent in evangelizing the world. The ten servants are the completed body of Christ who have the ten pounds which is the completeness of the Bible as their tool to occupy in the Lord’s work till He returns and not before.

 

(Mark 13:31-32 KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. {32} But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

 

(Mat 24:35-36 KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. {36} But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

 

If Jesus told them the future about the day of His return, then can you imagine how much evangelism would have been accomplished if the disciples were told what they were going to endure in the future? Future revelations would be detrimental to any and all people and that is why God keeps future events His secret.

 

Peter - Crucified Upside Down

Matthew - Ethiopia - there nailed to the ground with short spears and beheaded.

Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael - a missionary to Asia, he witnessed in present-day Turkey and was martyred for his preaching in Armenia, when he was flayed to death by a whip.

 

When we look at the way these three (according to tradition) had died, if any of us were to know we would face that type of situation, how many of us would run according to the flesh? This is why God has not given us the day of the Lord’s return because we are to occupy until He comes back.

 

Acts 1:8 (KJB)

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

Here Jesus continues his thread from the last verse. Instead of the Christians focusing on formation of an earthly kingdom, they are now to focus on the Kingdom of God by sending forth the Gospel. (Mark 3:27 KJV) No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. When Christ went to the cross, he bound the strong man, who is Satan, and no longer can Satan hinder any of the Elect from becoming saved. Acts 1:8 is a prophesy that the world, which lies in the power of the wicked one, will be plundered and many of Satan’s people will now be translated into the Kingdom of God through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. First the Gospel will go forth at Jerusalem when the Holy Ghost will come upon all the disciples and they will preach. They were not to do anything until they were empowered by the Holy Ghost. On the day of Pentecost, three thousand souls had become saved from Peter’s sermon. Then from these three thousand, the word had now begun to spread. Then the next area of evangelism was the entire nation of Judaea, and also the Gospel had now spread north to Samaria where Jesus met the woman at the well. Then the next area that was evangelized, especially through the Apostle Paul, was the Roman Empire. It was from here that the Gospel was now spreading throughout all the world. It went to Spain, Turkey, Greece, Northern Africa, Syria and other places. The last part of this verse is how you and I became saved. It was through the spread of the Gospel throughout the world, which continues to this day and will continue until the Lord returns.

 

Acts 1:9 (KJB)

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

 

Beheld - Looking

 

When Jesus had finished giving them their task which was the plan of world evangelism, He then was ascended into Heaven. It was from the Mount of Olives where Jesus ascended from. The disciples had a great privilege to see the Lord Jesus Christ actually ascend into Heaven. It must have been something to see a cloud receive Him out of their sight. It does not tell us if the cloud was lower to the earth than usual or if it was higher in the sky, but that does not matter, the fact is that His ascension shows us the ascension we will experience. (1 John 3:2 KJV) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

Acts 1:10 (KJB)

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

 

Looked Steadfastly - Looked intently or fix one’s eyes

Toward - Into

 

While the disciples were continuing to look steadfastly into Heaven, two men in white apparel stood by them. It is not told us that these men were angels but they definitely fit the heavenly pattern. We read that they were dressed in white which denotes purity and purity is one description of what Heaven is like. Just like the morning of the resurrection, the two angels which appeared to Mary Magdalene in the tomb were also dressed in white. (John 20:11-12 KJV) But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, {12} And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

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