Basic HTML Version
492
From Heaven With Love
gathered about Him. He looked lovingly on them. He upbraided
them not for their faults and failures; words of deep tenderness were
the last that fell from the lips of their Lord. With hands outstretched
in blessing, as if in assurance of His protecting care, He slowly
ascended from among them, drawn heavenward by a power stronger
than any earthly attraction. As He passed upward, the disciples
strained for the last glimpse of their ascending Lord. A cloud of
glory hid Him, and the words came back as the cloudy chariot of
angels received Him, “I am with you alway.” At the same time there
floated down to them the sweetest and most joyous music from the
angel choir.
Received by Chariots of Angels
While the disciples were still gazing upward, two angels in the
form of men spoke, saying, “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.”
These angels, the most exalted of the angel throng, were the two
who had come to the tomb at Christ’s resurrection. They longed to
join the heavenly throng that welcomed Jesus, but in sympathy for
those whom He had left, they waited to give them comfort.
Christ had ascended in the form of humanity—the same Jesus
who had broken bread with them and who had that very day toiled
with them up the ascent of Olivet. The angels assured them that the
very One whom they had seen go into heaven would come again
[554]
even as He had ascended. He will come “with clouds; and every
eye shall see Him.” “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise.” “The Son of man shall
come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He
sit upon the throne of His glory.”
Revelation 1:7
;
1 Thessalonians
4:16
;
Matthew 25:31
.
Thus will be fulfilled the Lord’s own promise to His disciples:
“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto Myself; that where I am there ye may be also.”
John 14:3
.