So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Acts1:6-11
Jesus ascended and He will return.
This passage links the return of Jesus to the "restoration of the Kingdom to Israel."
During the time of Christ, this expectation was highly politicised. The restoring of the Kingdom meant ousting their Roman Oppressors and seeing Israel reach the empire-like glory and majesty that it had when David was their king.
This was not a new expectation: the fervent hope and expectation that the Messiah would come and restore the Kingdom is found throughout the Old Testament. But in the Old Testament this expectation is richer and fuller and more beautiful than political power.
The Old Testament hopes and dreams are pointedly expressed in what the scholars call "eschatalogical prophecy." Eschatology has to do with the study of the "end of things." It has to do with the belief, hope and expectation that history is on its way to a definite conclusion and that there is a plan to it.
If the birth, incarnation, crucifixion and death of Jesus represent the steps of His humble descent into our humanity, then the resurrection, ascent, return, kingdom restoration and final judgement represent His rightful steps to His glorious enthronement and King and Lord of all.
Old Testament eschatology powerfully depicts the healing of a broken and sin-infected world with images of:
- The lion laid down with the lamb
- Trees bearing fruit along the river of life with food for feeding and healing
- Nations streaming to the glorified temple for worship
- And many other beautiful pictures.
Revelation 21 makes this hope even clearer:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
The ascension is part of Jesus' plan to restore all things!
Hallelujah!
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Theo Groeneveld theo @ emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at emmdev[dot]blogspot[dot]com/
