In the text above, Luke writes that the angels spoke to the disciples as they gazed upward watching Jesus ascend into heaven. No doubt they were very sad to see Him go away. I would have been. These are just ordinary men we must not forget.
The angels told the disciples that first, Jesus WILL come back. This is an important note here because the disciples are on earth, Jesus is now in the sky. The angels declare that Jesus will come back to the earth. Secondly, the angels declare that Jesus will come back in the same way, or the same manner. Jesus departed from their sight ascending in a cloud. Logic tells us that the "same manner" would be then that Jesus comes back descending in a cloud. Lastly, the angels proclaim that the manner in which Jesus would come back is in a specific manner. It is the same manner in which they saw Him go away. They saw Him go away physically. Thus, Jesus will come back physically.
Some confusion enters the picture when we observe Daniel 7. In Daniel 7 it is as though Daniel sees not the departure of Jesus, but the other end of it: the arrival in heaven, although I personally do not believe Daniel's vision happens at the same time as the ascension. Nevertheless, Daniel's text is as follows:
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14)
Thus, here we have two "comings" that happen "with the clouds." One, in Acts, is clearly a reference to Jesus coming to earth, while the other, in Daniel, shows Jesus coming, not to the earth, but to the Father in heaven.
There is yet another mention of Jesus' coming. In Matthew 24:30 Jesus told his disciples, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory."
The word "nations" can also be translated as "tribes," and the word "earth" can also be translated as the word "land." In Revelation, those who "dwell on the earth" are juxtaposed against those who "dwell in heaven." Furthermore, the text in context is further qualified by verse 34: "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
Thus, Jesus' coming being spoken of here is yet another kind of coming. It is a coming of judgment against Israel in which the temple was destroyed. It is forced from the context that Jesus is using Old Testament figurative language. Notice these other similar verses in the Old Testament:
Jeremiah 4:13 "Look! He advances like the clouds, his chariots come like a whirlwind, his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! We are ruined!" God's coming against Old Testament Jerusalem in judgment through Babylon is termed as a coming with clouds.
Isaiah 19:1 "The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it." God's coming in judgment upon Egypt is spoken of God coming upon the clouds.
The key idea in these verses is to notice that God comes upon a cloud, but He isn't seen physically. Thus, Jesus' words in the Olivet Discourse carry this same idea inherently.
Thus, if we look at all the "comings" of Christ through the Bible, and consider that Christ is the principle agent through Whom God performs all His acts, even the creation, it is easy to see that there are many comings of Christ:
1. The coming of Christ upon Israel through the Assyrians.
2. The coming of Christ upon Egypt
3. The coming of Christ upon Jerusalem through the Babylonians
4. (The inter-testamental coming of Christ upon Jerusalem through Antiochus Epiphanies.)
5. The coming of Christ to the Father
6. The coming of Christ upon Jerusalem in 70 AD
7. The final, physical, visible coming of Christ to earth
We could even consider Sodom and Gomorrah a coming of Christ, for Jesus compares His coming to that very event, and even the flood of Noah.
We must, therefore, look very carefully at the direction and context of which coming is being referred to in the text. However, I am very cautious about this because in my opinion, many who are orthodox preterists indeed confess the second coming, but virtually every verse in the New Testament is explained as Jesus' coming in judgment upon Israel in 70 AD. So it's like, "I believe in the Second Coming of Christ. I have no Scripture really to support that, but I don't want to be a heretic..."
(To Be Continued...)
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