Mt OlivesThe resurrection isn’t the final reflection for Christians. He appeared to many for forty days after the resurrection. Then an event happened with future implications. In this passage we find the Apostles still didn’t get why Jesus came. Consider Acts 1:6-11…

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “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.”

They thought maybe NOW Jesus would overthrow the Romans… maybe NOW he would rule and reign on earth. But that wasn’t the plan… just yet. Instead they were to spread the Gospel of Jesus to all nations so all believers would be saved… Jew and Gentile. Then IT happened…

Jesus began to rise from the Mount of Olives, physically. They watched him ascend in amazement until they could no longer see him. They stood there looking up, wide eyed with jaws open. At some point two men (Angels) appeared and asked, “Why are you looking into heaven?” Odd question given what just occurred. But they followed it up with a hopeful and encouraging statement, “Jesus… will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

When I went to Israel, the one place I wanted to go to was the Mount of Olives. I wanted to see where Jesus would descend from heaven and touch earth again. I’ve been there. I’ve looked up toward heaven. I’ve looked down at the earth underneath my feet. I picked up a bunch of pebbles from there to bring home… that I have given away. This much I know…

One day… in God’s timing… Jesus WILL return! Now consider…

THE sign of Jesus’ return is… JESUSRETURN!

Matthew 24:29-31… “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 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. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

I don’t care about pre, mid, or post tribulation theology. I don’t care about pre, post, or ah millennial theology either. Bottom line it doesn’t matter what view of eschatology you adhere to as long as it includes… 1) Jesus is coming back the same way he left, 2) No one knows when it will happen, 3) You had better be ready.