Acts 1: The post-resurrection ascension of Jesus Christ
The New King James Version (NKJV) which this Orthodox Study Bible uses:
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Within the Orthodox Study Bible, notes, the text explains that Peter and the disciples were witnesses to the ascension of Jesus Christ. (272). 'Christ's Ascension is His enthronement in the fullness of divine authority and glory.' (272). Importantly, the text explains that believers are not to stand idly by, gazing up into heaven (v.11). (272).
John Calvin from his Acts commentary writes that 'The ascension is one of the chief tenets of our faith...' (18). Now importantly for my practical theology and philosophy, quote: 'If he had vanished secretly, the disciples might have been in doubt to what happened. (18). Calvin explains that there was no doubt that Jesus Christ had gone. (18). God-incarnate, the God-man as resurrected, disappeared into the heavenly realm and the men in white verified this in verse 11.
Practical theology & philosophy
Over the years, I have heard/read the concept that the resurrected Jesus Christ was departing by the clouds and this might mean that based on the New Testament rendering, and modern scientific understanding; Jesus Christ had to travel into the atmosphere, through space and then perhaps to the ends of the universe to reach heaven.
But in verse 11, the two men, that are reasonably perhaps, angelic beings in human form, appeared at the time of the ascension. To me this implies, theologically and philosophically that the men in white did not make a long trek in the physical universe to suddenly appear. In the same way, Jesus Christ did not make a long trek in the physical universe to get back to heaven.
Pastor Courson writes that some have suggested that the two men in white were Moses and Elijah which would correspond to their appearance at the transfiguration. (611). (Mathew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9, my add).
Rather in the case of the ascension, the resurrected Jesus Christ went from the physical universe to the non-physical heavenly realm, while the men in white, appeared from the non-physical heavenly realm to the physical realm of the biblical world. In agreement with John Calvin, the viewed ascension served as evidence that Jesus Christ had returned to heaven in a far more obvious way to the disciples than by simply disappearing.
CALVIN, JOHN (1552)(1995) Acts, Translated by Watermark, Nottingham, Crossway Books.
COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
