Acts 1:9-11 In Like Manner Ascension No 1

Hello and welcome to this video series. I'm William Bell with All Things Fulfill, All Bible Prophecy Fulfill. And what we're going to do in this video is we're going to talk about Acts 1 and verse 11, or Acts 1-9-11. We're going to be looking at that context. One of the reasons we're doing this is because there are so many people out there who are futurists. They go to Acts 1-9-11 because they believe that it teaches that Christ is going to return a third time. That is, that he's going to come in our lifetime. And this is a passage for many. We've seen it in debates. We've seen it in all kinds of discussions and people bring it up all the time, but they don't understand the text. They are misrepresenting what is taught in the Bible. And so I'm going to take some time to go through that briefly, but to show you what's being missed when the subject of Acts 1-9-11 comes up, when they're studying Acts 1-9-11. So let's go ahead and dive into the text. The scripture says, now when Jesus, or when he had spoken these things while they watched, he was taken up in a cloud and a cloud received him out of their sight. 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 so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven. Now there's your text. All right. We all know that it teaches that Jesus ascended to heaven. So there was a going away and that it says that he would return. The problem comes in when we try to figure out what he means, because some are looking at this and, you know, they will make some arguments like he was coming back personally. He's coming back audibly. He's coming back visibly. And we haven't seen that yet. And because we haven't seen it, it hasn't happened. Well, we're going to say something about that later on. We're going to talk about those arguments too. But before we get to that, that'll probably be in another video. As I said, these videos are going to be relatively short, but let's talk about some of the things that are involved in this text. Now, acts one 11 is one of several times that Jesus spoke about going away. But there was another time that he spoke about going away. That was very, very similar to acts one 11. And when we look at the two compared, it's going to reveal some things from acts one 11, or rather from the other narrative that must be imposed on acts one nine through 11. And that being the case, it's going to demonstrate the utter fallacy of trying to make this a future text. Now, the passage that I'm referring to is John chapters 14 through 16, because in the first three verses of John 14, Jesus said in my father's house or many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and they'll receive you to myself. So what do we have there? We have a going away of Christ going to the father, to the father's house, and then he's going to come again. According to the text, same thing in acts one, we have a going away of Christ. A lot of people don't get it, but he's going to the father's house and he's going to come again, according to that text. So they all teach both passages teach the same thing. Now, when we look more closely at the passages, there are some correlations there that we need to pick up on and discuss. One of the common elements of acts one and John 14 is that Christ was going in order that he might send the Holy spirit. In John chapter 14, Jesus spoke about going away or 14 through 16 and particularly chapter 16 and verse seven, he says, it is expedient that I go away because if I do not go away, the Holy spirit will not come to you. So what was his purpose of going away to the father's house? It was in order that he might send the Holy spirit. Now let's look at acts one. What was the purpose of Jesus going away? Well, the scripture tells us very clearly in acts one and verse four, that he was assembled together with them, commanded them to dip, not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the premise of the father, which he said, you have heard from me for John truly baptized with water, but you should be baptized with the Holy spirit. Not many days from now. And if you look at some marginal references, if you have a decent Bible, you're going to see Luke 24 verse 49, which was the promise of the spirit where they were told to wait in Jerusalem. And you're going to see John 14 and verse 16, verse 17 and verse 26. And of course you can walk right through that to John chapter 16 and verse seven. So what do you got here? You've got the exact same coming or rather going away in John 14 that you have in acts one 11. And if these are the same, then anyone who is familiar with the chapter knows that that's going to be a tremendous problem to anyone who is trying to teach a future return of Christ. Now, if you're new to these studies, you might want to grab a seat, grab a pen, open your Bible and hang on because you're going to be in for quite an exciting ride. Uh, even if you are familiar with these things and you are a futurist, you are still believing Roman Catholic doctrine, that Jesus is going to come out of the sky. Then you need to take a seat and maybe grab a pen as well. But in verse 17 of John 14, 16 and 17, he says, I will pray the father. He will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever. The spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. And so Jesus talks about going away to send the Holy spirit. So where's, where is he going? But see, when you read acts one or acts chapter two, after he has gone into heaven on the day of Pentecost, when they are discussing what's the meaning of all of this, we hear them speaking in our tongues, the wonderful works of God. What's the meaning? Maybe they're drunk and full of new wine. No, no, they weren't drunk. This was the promise that Jesus had made that when he ascended, he was going to send the Holy spirit. And that is precisely what Peter told them in the explanation. When he said, these are not drunk as you suppose seeing it is, but the third hour of the day, this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel that the Holy spirit was going to be sent in the last days. Now watch this in verse 32, the Bible says this Jesus, God has raised up of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father, the promise of the he has poured out this, which you now see and hear for David has not ascended into the heavens, but he says himself, the Lord says to my Lord, sit in my right hand until I make your enemies, your footstool. So the purpose for Jesus going back to the father's house in John 14 and in was to send the Holy spirit. Now that has some powerful and awesome implications for the return of Christ. And we're going to look at those in the next video. So you want to stay tuned because you need to understand the power of that concept and of that teaching that Jesus went to the father's house that he might send the Holy spirit. That means that acts one and John 14 through 16 are discussing the very same subject. And if they're discussing the very same subject, it means that we need to study from the both of them to pull the information together and see what we come up with in terms of when Jesus was going to return in light of the fact that his going away was all about the sending of the Holy spirit. Now I've got some links at the bottom of this video with some simple actions that I would encourage you to take. And I'm giving you several choices so you can pick the one that appeals to you the most, but please take the time. If you're interested in what we've said, if it intrigues you, but also if you'd like to hear the next video to see where we're going with this, then take one of those actions that you see at the bottom of the page, simply by clicking a link and then following through. And with that, I'm William Bell. I'll see you in the next video. And we're going to dig deeper into this concept of John 14 and acts one 11. Thank you.