The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-29
CHRISTS ASCENSION.
LESSON I, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 8.

Verses, s-11-GoIden Text, Acts 4, 9.
Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearDs.
1. 1.-The former treatise have I made, o
Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both
to do and teach" As the Gospels are a
record Of all that Jesus began to do and
teach by the Holy Spirit so this book and
the epistles are a record Of all that Jesus
continued to do and teach by the same
Holy Spirit through the apostles. The
daily life Of every true believer should be a
further continuance of the same doing and
teaching by the same power in as John
xvi, Z, s; Math. K, 20). AS to the former
treatise see Luke I, IA Observe that do
ing comes before teaching, and compare
Math. V, 10.
2 ''Until the day in which He was taken
up, after that He through the Holy Spirit
had given commandments unto the apos-
ties whom He had chosen" He wrought
and taught until the day He was received
up. So should it be with us, all the mo-
ments filed for Him until absent from
the body present with the Lord +" or pos
sibly until He come" for bo5y and soul.
8. ITO whom also He showeth 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" See the record Of eleven
appearances during the forty days after
His resurrection in Mark xvi, g. Math.
xviii, O. 10; Luke xiv, 10, 81, SO; John Xxx,
26; xxi, 1; Math. xviii, 16, II; Cor XIV, 6,
4; Luke xiv, so, 81. In all His preaching
the kingdom was very prominent, see Math.
Nv, %; tx, IS.
4 "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-" Wherever it was
that He met them at this time the great
thing to be observed is that they were not
to go forth until qualified by special power
from on high. His presence with them for
two or three years was not a sufficient
qualification; they must receive in fullness
the same power which wrought in Him
self, and this could not be till He was
glorified John vii, 39).
8. For John truly baptized with water;
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence" AS to the
Spirits connection with Christ see Mark
|. Is; Acts X, SO; Luke iv, l; Math xii, rs;
Heb. TX, IA; Rom. viii, II. And if Christ
Himself was powerless apart from the
Spirit, how much more are wei See the
difference between an ordinary believer
and one filled with the Spirit, in Peter be-
fore and after Pentecost; observe also that
it is as much disobedience not to be filed
with the Spirit as it is to be drunk with
wine (Eph. V, 1S).
6. when they therefore were come to-
gether, they asked of Him, saying. Lord,
wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israeli" He had told them
that they were foolish not to believe all
that the prophets had spoken, and He had
also opened their understanding that they
might understand the Scriptures duke
xiv, %. 45), so that this question was not
from blind and carnal men, as many think
The kingdom of which the prophets are full
is a kingdom to be restored to Israel, and
such great promises as Isa. TX, Z; xiv, %;
xxxv, 10; TX, 81; Jer. iii. IL, IS; xiii, 8, 6;
XXI, IS, SO; Eek. xxxvii, q, %, and host
of others, have no reference to the church,
but to the kingdom for which the apostles
rightly looked.
T. And He said unto them, 1t is not for
you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in His own
power" He did not say that their ques
tion was wrong one, nor that they mis-
He spoke only of the knowledge of the
time being withheld. He had taught
them that it was to be postponed till His
return luke xix, II, 10, but they had not
received it. In chapter iii, 20, q, the Spirit
through Peter very plainly teaches that
when Jesus comes again He will restore
all things of which the prophets have
spoken.
s. But We shall receive power. after that
the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye
shall be witnesses unto me unto the utter
most part of the earth" The kingdom
promised at Horeb upon condition of ODE
dieuce EEK. xix, ;, g. Deut. V, 2, 81 having
been finally forfeited by Israel (Math. xxi,
49, that other nation q Pet. ii, o. the
church gathered out of all nations, must
now be completed by the preaching of the
Gospel as a witness unto all nations, and
then shall the end come (Math. xiv, I'd
The end Of this age, and the beginning Of
the next, when Jesus will return to fulfill
to Israel the unconditional promises which
were made to Abraham and a David, and
then will He restore the kingdom the
apostles sought.
g. And when He had spoken these
things, while they beheld, He was taken
up; and a cloud received Him out of their
sight" In the Gospel it is said duke
xiv, 81 that while He was blessing them
He was parted from them and carried up
into Heaven.
10. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven as He went up, behold two
men stood by them in white apparel"
Angels at His birth, at His death and at
His ascension; angels with Him in the
wilderness and in the garden; angels that
excel in strength, that do His command
ments. hearkening unto the voice of His
word Cps. CHI, 2O). Ministering spirits sent
forth TO minister for them who shall be
heirs of salvation Heb. |, l4).
IL. (which also said, this same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen Him 60 into heaven" The prophet
Zechariah tells US that He shall come to
that same Olvet, and that in that day the
mountain shall be cleft in two Czech. xiv,
A.. That He will come for the deliverance
~ Jerusalem from the nations gathered
ap linst her, that He will bring His saints
with Him, that He shall then be King
over all the earth, that Jerusalem shall
never be destroyed again, and that there
shall be held an annual conference of all
nations to worship the King, the Lord Of
hosts See the whole of Zech. xiv. Hav-
ing first come to the air for His saints, He
will then bring them with Him to judge
and to reign q Thess. iv. 10, IL; iii. IS;
Cor. vi, 2; Rev. V, 9. l0).
u. ''Then returned they unto Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is
from Jerusalem Sabbath days journey"
In Luke xiv, SO, it is said that they re-
t,r,oJ nth ,,raof iov KnovvipU that Ha