How and when will Christ return?
The cloud is not the “vehicle” that transported Jesus into heaven because God’s dwelling place is not “up there.” The cloud signals to the apostles that Jesus has just left them permanently—not as he left them during the last forty days, only to appear again for further instruction and fellowship. The reference to the cloud, which was real enough, provides a clear demarcation between earth and heaven.
It emphasizes that Jesus is in heaven, the place where God dwells, sovereign and independent of the control of human beings.1 Jesus’ departure for heaven must not be misunderstood in terms of Jesus now being absent from earth. Luke’s narrative in the book of Acts demonstrates that the heavenly Jesus Christ continues to be present and actively involved in the mission of the church. The ascension is a moment of “spatial realignment” as Jesus relocates from earth to heaven, from his earthly ministry to his heavenly ministry.2
The “two men in white robes” (angels) assure the disciples that Jesus’ ascension is a guarantee that he will return in the same manner in which he was taken to heaven: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). This had been prophesied by Jesus, when he told his disciples that when the end comes, the people “will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27; also Mark 14:62). The two angels speak about the manner of Jesus’ return: he will return “in the same way” in which he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11). What does this mean?
Schnabel, E. J. (2011). 40 Questions about the End Times. (B. L. Merkle, Ed.) (pp. 251–252). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional.
The “two men in white robes” (angels) assure the disciples that Jesus’ ascension is a guarantee that he will return in the same manner in which he was taken to heaven: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). This had been prophesied by Jesus, when he told his disciples that when the end comes, the people “will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27; also Mark 14:62). The two angels speak about the manner of Jesus’ return: he will return “in the same way” in which he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11). What does this mean?
Schnabel, E. J. (2011). 40 Questions about the End Times. (B. L. Merkle, Ed.) (pp. 251–252). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional.
