Today I want to talk about Acts chapter 1.
The Bible reads in verse number 8, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost
has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up 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, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner
as ye have seen him go into heaven.
So I want to point out something that's emphasized in this passage.
Three times the Bible makes it very clear that they are watching him as he goes up into
heaven.
It says, when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, beheld means looked on,
he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight, that's the second mention,
and while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, and then again it's brought up,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
So really four times it's saying that they're watching him go up and of course a cloud receives
him out of their sight.
And they are told by these two angels that Jesus Christ will so come in like manner as
they've seen him go into heaven.
So what's the like manner?
Well, first of all, he went up in a cloud.
The Bible says he's coming back in a cloud.
He went up with them watching.
People will be watching when he returns.
Let me read for you Revelation chapter number 1, which is where we'll see the same thing.
It says in Revelation chapter 1, in verse 7, Behold, he cometh with clouds, consistent
with Acts 1, and every eye shall see him.
Does that sound like Acts 1?
And they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even
so.
Amen.
Now many people will say, well Pastor Anderson, Revelation 1.7 does not have anything to do
with the rapture.
That's talking about when Jesus comes again after the seven years is over, when he comes
in great power and glory after the seven years.
That's what that's referring to.
Well here's the problem with that.
The Bible says in Revelation 1.7, Behold, he cometh with clouds.
Now cometh is present tense.
In our modern vernacular, we would say he is coming with clouds, denoting the present
tense meaning that the next time he comes, it's going to be with clouds.
Not he's going to come with clouds in the future, he is coming with clouds.
You know, when he shows up, it'll be with clouds.
I mean if you read that verse, that's the way it reads in Revelation 1.7.
So this isn't talking about the third coming of Christ, it's talking about the second coming
of Christ.
And the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming
of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
And then he goes on to talk about the rapture.
So in 1 Thessalonians 4, he calls the rapture the coming of the Lord.
And in Revelation 1.7, it says he cometh with clouds.
Revelation 1 matches up perfectly with 1 Thessalonians 4, which has Jesus coming in the clouds.
Matthew 24 has him coming in the clouds.
And so very clearly from Acts 1, Revelation 1, Matthew 24, it's also consistent with 1
Thessalonians 4 that when Jesus Christ returns, the trumpet will sound, he will come in the
clouds and every eye shall see him.
And the unsaved will be wailing because of him, but we will be rejoicing, we will look
up and know that our redemption draweth nigh according to Luke 21.