R.C. Sproul

But again, the question of the time of Jesus' return, the manner in which He will come, both of these are issues of ongoing debate and controversy.

Let me take a second here to go to the record in the book of Acts of Jesus' departure from this world.

the account of the ascension that takes place in chapter 1 of Acts, beginning at verse 9, where we read these words.

Now, when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,

Behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?

And this same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven."

Now this is only one of the many predictions in the New Testament of the return of Jesus.

And when we read about the return of Jesus, we see certain elements that accompany these predictions.

The one is that the return of Christ will be personal.

That is, it's not just going to be the ongoing influence of his teaching, but that the church is expecting Christ to return to this planet personally.

Secondly, we see...

that the promise is that Christ will come back to this world visibly.

And third, the promise is that His return, His personal visible return, will be a return in glory with all kinds of majestic accoutrements surrounding it.

Now, before I go any further on this, let's see how that in this text these three elements are to be found.

This same Jesus, this person whom you are standing here gazing into heaven, watching His departure, this same Jesus,

will return in like manner.

Now that's critical to me for reasons that I'll explain in a few moments.

Because here in the book of Acts, the mode of Jesus' return is said to be parallel to the mode of His departure.

And His departure was visible.