Acts 1:1-3 The former treatise have I made, O 'Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen: To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, "which," saith He, "ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
1:9-11 And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye 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.
1 Corinthians 15:46-48 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
Once our Savior was "taken up" He gave and now gives commandments through the Holy Spirit to His chosen. Because of that I understand the way in which "He shewed Himself alive" to be of a spiritual nature. The "many infallible proofs" tell us that He didn't literally appear before them but that He made it evident He was alive through signs...infallible proofs. These signs are given us through our time of probation, our "forty days" in which we are taught of His kingdom. When we come out of that probationary period, our time in the wilderness as we leave (Egypt/the world/our carnal nature) behind, we should be prepared to witness for Him.
1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, "which," saith He, "ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
He is "together with" us now. He abides in us! We are the spiritual Jerusalem...His holy city and we are not to depart from this city.
What is the promise we have heard? What is it we await?
What is the promise we have heard? What is it we await?
1:9-11 And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye 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.
"They beheld" but was that seeing with their physical eyes or.....
The two men in white are symbolic of the two witnesses, which are two groups so are the many two witnesses that stand by the "men of Galilee." Galilee represents the circuit, the "heathen circle." These men of Galilee, as men of Galilee today, don't have His Spirit yet but....they await receiving power when the "Holy Ghost is come upon you," so they "shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." [1:8] Then, they/we shall be no longer "men of Galilee" but part of the cloud of witnesses...of His kingdom. The two men in white stand by them today...teaching, prophesying as the Spirit teaches them.
To answer the question of the OP...How does He return, we go to the above passages where we're told, "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."
The same Jesus, the one that is shown spiritually alive among us, returns just as He was seen entering heaven. That is seen spiritually, not seen literally. What is the "heaven" He entered? It is us. We are "caught up unto God, and to His throne," while we are in flesh bodies...spiritually caught up with Christ to heaven.
To have the power of seeing, to use the eyes, to look at; used of the act of looking, even though nothing be seen. Hence, to observe accurately and with desire; used of mental vision, and implying more contemplation than to perceive with the eyes as in bodily sight. ~ E.W. Bullinger
The two men in white are symbolic of the two witnesses, which are two groups so are the many two witnesses that stand by the "men of Galilee." Galilee represents the circuit, the "heathen circle." These men of Galilee, as men of Galilee today, don't have His Spirit yet but....they await receiving power when the "Holy Ghost is come upon you," so they "shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." [1:8] Then, they/we shall be no longer "men of Galilee" but part of the cloud of witnesses...of His kingdom. The two men in white stand by them today...teaching, prophesying as the Spirit teaches them.
To answer the question of the OP...How does He return, we go to the above passages where we're told, "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."
The same Jesus, the one that is shown spiritually alive among us, returns just as He was seen entering heaven. That is seen spiritually, not seen literally. What is the "heaven" He entered? It is us. We are "caught up unto God, and to His throne," while we are in flesh bodies...spiritually caught up with Christ to heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:46-48 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
