city wall and the little knoll near by outside.  That is Calvary.  With memories such as these suggest they listen with eyes as well as ears.  “Ye shall receive power,” the Master is saying, “and ye shall be My witnesses here in Jerusalem and in all Judea, your brothers, and in Samaria, the nearby people you don’t like, and unto the uttermost part of the earth, everybody else.”  They are held by the words and by that face.  Then He lifts up His hands in blessing upon them.  And as they gaze they notice He is rising, His feet are off the earth, then higher and higher.  Then a shining glory cloud sweeps down out of the blue, and now they see Him no more.

Coming Again.

They continue gazing, held spellbound by the sight, thinking maybe they may get another look.  Then two men in white apparel are in their midst and speak to them:  “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into the heavens?  This Jesus who was received up into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven.”  That word at once sends them back to the waiting-place of which the Master had spoken.  From that time they never lost the upward glance, but they were ever absorbed in obeying the Master’s command.

Jesus’ ascension was a continuation of the resurrection movement.  The resurrection was the beginning of the ascension.  Having finished the task involved in dying, Jesus responded to the natural upward movement of His life.  On His way up from the tomb to His Father’s home and throne, He tarried awhile on the earth for the sake of these disciples and leaders, then yielded again to the upward movement.  The two men in white apparel give the key to the ascension.  Jesus will remain above until the next great step in the kingdom plan.  Then He will return to carry out in full the Father’s great love-plan for man and for the earth.

His last act with these men was conducting them to the Mount of Olives.  That is ever to be the point of outlook for His follower.  Yonder in full view is Gethsemane and Calvary.  Following the line of His eyes and pointing finger, as the last word is spoken, leads us ever to the man nearest by, to the uttermost parts of the earth, and to all between.  Following His disappearing figure keeps us ever looking upward to Himself and forward to His return.

Study Notes

Analysis and References

The spirit-key to an understanding of God’s Word is surrender of will and life to His mastery.  “He that is willing to do His will will know of the teaching.”  The mental-key to a grasp of the contents of that Book is habitual broad reading.  It cannot be too insistently insisted upon that wide reading from end to end of the Book, and from end to end of the year, is the simple essential to a clear understanding and a firm grasp of the Bible.  It is the only possible salvation from the piece-meal, microscopic study of sentences