Page 9 - Acts Student Textbook

Verses 6-8 discuss a very crucial issue about the kingdom. The apostles have seen the glorious
appearances of Jesus after conquering death and His fulfillment of many Old Testament prophesies.
They did not have an idea of the ascension. The only one sure question that would rest in their minds
is whether this was the right time for Jesus to set up His kingdom and reign as Israel’s Messiah on the
throne of David. So they ask, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6
(ESV). Some suggest that the apostles asked about the kingdom because they had some selfish
motives of acquiring high positions in Jesus’ kingdom. But I argue that acquiring top positions is not
an issue since it is justifiable that those closer and trusted by the king would reign with Him whether
they ask or not. I think the major issue here is that the apostles might have recalled the teachings of
Jesus before He died about the kingdom. So they might have thought the fulfillment of those
teachings where at this point.

Key to this discussion could be Mark 9:1, “And he said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, there are some
standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with
power’" (ESV). A great number of evangelical scholars suggest that Jesus was here referring to the
mount of transfiguration experience for contextual reasons. However, I would say that if the mount
of transfiguration experience could be considered, then it was a partial fulfillment. If the apostles
believed that the experience fulfilled the full promise of Jesus, they wouldn’t have asked in Acts 1:6.
In response to their question, Jesus completes it in verse 8 saying, “But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (ESV). So the apostles ask Jesus about when the kingdom
would come (Acts 1:6). He answers by telling them they would receive power when the Holy Spirit
came (v8). If the above logic is true, then the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost in Acts 2, could
be the ‘coming of the kingdom of God with power’ as Jesus promised in Mark 9 :1. This too could be
another Partial fulfillment of the teachings of Jesus about the coming of the kingdom.

1:9-11 - Jesus’ Ascension

The ascension actually proves a lot more that Jesus came from Heaven and taught the truth. Some
scholars suggest that Jesus already returned and is now reigning in righteousness in the lives of the
believers. But here in Acts, the ascension is a clear indication that there will be a visible and
observable return of Christ, “this Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in
like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven” Acts 1:11 (ASV). Matthew 25:31-46; John 12:48;
Acts 1:9—11; 10:42; 17:30,31; Romans 2:4-11; 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;
2 Thessalonians 1:5-9; 2 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 9:27; 10:26-31; Revelation 20:11-15; Ecclesiastes
12:13,14.

There are a number of different Greek words used to describe Jesus' ascension back to heaven: (1)
Acts 1:2,11,22; analambanō, to take up (cf. I Tim. 3:16), which is also used in the Septuagint of II Kgs.
2:9,11 for Elijah's translation to heaven and also I Maccabees 2:58; (2) Acts 1:9, epairō, to lift up, to
raise up, to elevate: (3) Luke 9:51, analēpsis (form of #1); (4). Luke 24:51, diistēmi, to depart (5) John
6:62, anabainō, to ascend.
All the words above indicate a visible ascension! We can rest on the fact that Jesus is alive in heaven
and will come again in the same way He went.

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