Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall gaze upon Him and beat their breasts and mourn and lament over Him. Even so [must it be]. Amen (so be it). Revelation 1:7 (AMPC)
God put on flesh and He physically came and lived and walked among us. He physically died and was buried. On the third day He physically rose from the dead and was seen by many. See-1Corinthians 15:3-8.
He spent forty days appearing and speaking to His disciples. See-Acts 1:3. While they were watching He was literally physically caught up and carried to heaven.
This same Jesus will in the very same exact way – literally, visibly to all, physically, come back to earth to establish His eternal kingdom in the world.
Acts 1:9-11 (AMPC) And when He had said this, even as they were looking [at Him], He was caught up, and a cloud received and carried Him away out of their sight. And while they were gazing intently into heaven as He went, behold, two men [dressed] in white robes suddenly stood beside them, Who said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, Who was caught away and lifted up from among you into heaven, will return in [just] the same way in which you saw Him go into heaven.
What does this mean?
Just as His birth, ministry, crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension was real, His coming back is as real. Jesus is real, the salvation He brought and offers is real and eternal. The life He gives is real and lasts forever.
There’s more to life than the here and now. There’s life and meaning beyond the grave.
This ought to change, realign and influence our attitude and view of ourselves, others, and everything around us.
We should live, build relationships, work, set priorities, be motivated, invest ourselves and our possessions, basing on and towards this ultimate goal – the one true lasting substance, meaning, and satisfaction of everything including our lives is forever being with the One who gave birth to us, sustains us and propels us.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (AMPC) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. Then we, the living ones who remain [on the earth], shall simultaneously be caught up along with [the resurrected dead] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always (through the eternity of the eternities) we shall be with the Lord!
