"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."--_Acts 1:11._
FOR forty days our Lord came in ways like what I have told you to see
and teach His disciples. Once, five hundred of them saw Him together;
but He never came to the wicked unbelieving Jews again.
But when the feast of weeks was near, the disciples went back to
keep it at Jerusalem. There our Lord came to them again, and He led
the eleven apostles out with Him to the Mount of Olives. He taught
them, and charged them much; and He gave them a great command, "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world."
[Illustration: THE ASCENSION.--Luke 24:50, 51.]
And then He bade them stay at Jerusalem until they should be endued
with power from on high. And while He talked with them, He was parted
from them, and went rising up into heaven, going higher and higher,
till a cloud received Him out of their sight.
While they still looked up after Him, two angels stood by them, and
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."
And so it was that our blessed Lord Jesus ascended up to His throne in
heaven again, after He had been born, and lived, and died to save us.
And there He is in heaven, now watching over us, and laying all our
prayers before His Father in heaven, and getting ready our home there
for each of us.