Jesus Christ has returned to earth after His ascension and for the past 40 days has taught His disciples  about the subject of their assigned ministry–the Kingdom of God. In answer to a question He has told them that no one knows when He will return to restore Israel to its former glory. He has also told them to return to Jerusalem and wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that they could minister God’s Word throughout the world with power.

Verses nine through twelve: All of the above took place on the Mount of Olives (vs 12) which is a short walk from Jerusalem. I have stood on this beautiful mountian and gazed in wonder at the “City of Peace” hoping that at some point in my journey I might have stepped in the exact same place where My Messiah had stepped or stood where He had stood. Verses 10 and 11 speak of a future episode in which Jesus will return to the Mt. of Olives following His Second Advent.

After teaching His disciples about His Father’s coming earthly kingdom, Jesus then ascended into heaven as the men watched, no doubt transfixed by what they were witnessing. As Jesus disappeared from view, they noticed two “men” standing in their midst who told them that this same Jesus Christ would one day return to the exact same place from which He ascended–the Mt. of Olives. This tells us that His return to earth will take place in the exact reverse order as he left it. This is confirmed in Zechariah 14:4 where we read that upon His return to earth His feet will touch down on the Mt. of Olives. Later, the Apostle Paul would describe this event in his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, chapter 4, verses 14-17. Here he assures those who believe God’s Word that Jesus will one day return to a place just above earths surface and, with a shout from the archangel and a blast from God’s trumpet, He will call His true saints to Himself. Upon hearing His call they will rise to meet Him and His angels (not saints–2 Thes. 1:7) in the clouds. As noted, the dead in Him will rise from their graves where they will have remained since their deaths. Then those who are alive at that time will follow them to where their Savior awaits in the clouds. After joining Him they will accompany Him down to the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4) where they will then proceed into Jerusalem where Jesus will go about establishing the Kingdom of God. Thus “we,” which included the Gentiles in the Thessalonican church, will “ever be where He is”–in God’s earthly kingdom headquartered at Jerusalem. See the Kingdom of God. The Scriptures tell us that only one human being is living, has lived or ever will live in heaven–Jesus Christ. The series titled The Kingdom of God proves Scripturally that the teaching that has church people ascending to heaven at death where they will live forever is a heathen myth proclaimed initially by the Catholic Church and later embraced by the whole of Protestantism. The same is true of the belief that, upon death, sinners go directly to a burning hell where they burn in agony forever. See Life After Death. If the serious Truth- seeker obeys God’s command to “prove all things” relative to church theology (1 Thes. 5:21) he/she will find that much, if not most of what is put forth as “the word of God” is in reality Satan’s theology. For this reason God commands that we “study (His Word only) to show yourself approved” of Him (2 Tim. 2:15). True God-seekers obey Him. L.J.