Acts 1:7

Acts 1:7 says, And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.  Just as the disciples were told then, it is not for us to know the times or seasons of God’s plan for the second coming of Christ.  We are simply to be ready at any time.  Verse eight adds, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  The di9sciples weren’t to be concerned about the return of Christ, but after the coming of the Holy Spirit they were to be witnesses for Him throughout the world.  They were to start where they were and move outward, and so must we today.  Verse nine continues, And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  After telling the disciples these things, He was taken up into Heaven, disappearing behind a cloud.  I can only imagine how the disciples felt.  They had to wonder what happened to the Kingdom that they thought Jesus was going to establish.  We may at times expect more of an earthly rule than we do of a heavenly one, but we shouldn’t.  Verse ten states, And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; While they were looking into heaven, two men in white apparel appeared beside them.  God did not leave them without a source of answers even before the coming of Holy Spirit, and He won’t leave us without answers today if we are truly looking for them.  They stood dazed, looking up into heaven.  They had been instructed to wait, but did that mean standing idly by in wonder?  We should not just be standing idly by awaiting the return of Christ.  Verse eleven adds, Which also 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. As they were standing there, these two messengers came to remind them that this same Jesus would be returning in the same way, from the clouds.  Our concern still should not be when Jesus will return, but we should be busy sharing the gospel until He does.  The disciples could not follow Him there, but they were not to be left alone.  The Holy Spirit was coming.  Verse twelve continues, Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.  Verse thirteen concludes, And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.  The disciples returned from Mount Olivet and went to an upper room.  There were only elven disciples at this time, because Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus and killed himself.  Even if some people who proclaim to be Christians betray Jesus, we can only continue to gather together and go on doing what He called us to do.