Never Going Down

"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." - Acts 1:11b ESV

I have always found this to be an interesting passage. Why did the angels word it the way that they did? This is no ordinary exit. He Is raised up then He 'will come' as they saw Him go. The Greek word for 'will come' is Erchomai (Strong's G2064) and it is in the middle voice which means it is an action that is performed by a person to themselves. Jesus appears and He does it in like manner. He leaves rising and He also appears rising.

"...teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' " - Matthew 28:20 ESV

He was but He did not leave them.

"In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." - John 14:2-3 ESV

His present preparation is not for a return to Earth but to bring us to Himself.

"For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 ESV

He appears and His cry of command descends to bring us up.

He Is going to meet us like we meet someone at the airport but it is more like an elevator because we will be going up with Him in the same manner that He went up in the first place. We will never see Him descend. We will all rise together joining Him in the air to rise with Him.

Even in judgement He swoops in from the side.

"For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man... Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." - Matthew 24:27, 30 ESV

He descended once to become a man and the angels marveled at that. Then He descended into Hell after the cross. He will never descend again nor will we. We have been as low as we will ever get. Once we got to know Him we move with Him in His direction. That direction is up or forward but never down.

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