Acts 1:11

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܘܳܐܡܪܺܝܢ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܓ݁ܰܒ݂ܪܶܐ ܓ݁ܠܺܝܠܳܝܶܐ ܡܳܢܳܐ ܩܳܝܡܺܝܢ ܐܢ݈ܬ݁ܽܘܢ ܘܚܳܝܪܺܝܢ ܒ݁ܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܕ݁ܶܐܣܬ݁ܰܠܰܩ ܡܶܢܟ݂ܽܘܢ ܠܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܗܳܟ݂ܰܢܳܐ ܢܺܐܬ݂ܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܡܳܐ ܕ݁ܰܚܙܰܝܬ݁ܽܘܢܳܝܗ݈ܝ ܕ݁ܰܣܠܶܩ ܠܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Ye men: Acts 2:7, Acts 13:31, Mark 14:70

why: Acts 3:12, Luke 24:5

shall: Daniel 7:13, Daniel 7:14, Matthew 24:30, Matthew 25:31, Mark 13:26, Luke 21:27, John 14:3, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, Revelation 1:7

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 2:5 - thy master Zechariah 14:4 - his feet Matthew 26:64 - Hereafter Mark 16:19 - he was Luke 19:12 - and John 1:51 - and the Acts 3:21 - the heaven Acts 7:55 - looked 1 Corinthians 11:26 - till Galatians 4:25 - Arabia Ephesians 4:10 - ascended Philippians 3:20 - from 1 Timothy 3:16 - seen Hebrews 4:14 - that is Hebrews 9:28 - he appear 1 Peter 3:22 - is gone

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Which also said, ye men of Galilee,.... And which was said by them, not to reproach them with their country, but partly to let them know that they knew them, who they were, and from whence they came; and partly to observe the rich and distinguishing grace of God in choosing such mean and contemptible persons to be the apostles of Christ, and eyewitnesses of his majesty:

why stand ye gazing up into heaven? reproving them for their curiosity in looking after Christ with their bodily eyes, who was no more in common to be seen this way, but with an eye of faith; and for their desire after his corporeal presence, which they were not to look for; and as if they expected he would return again immediately, whereas his return will not be till the end of the world: and besides, they were not to remain on that spot, or stand gazing there; they were to go to Jerusalem, and abide there, as Christ had ordered, till they should receive the Holy Spirit in an extraordinary way; and then they were to preach a crucified Christ, and declare that he was risen from the dead, and was gone to heaven, and was ordained to be the Judge of quick and dead.

This same Jesus; and not another; the same in person, in body and soul:

which is taken up from you into heaven; who was taken up in a cloud out of their sight, and received into heaven, where he will be till the times of the restitution of all things; and which might be matter of grief to them, because of the loss of his bodily presence; though it should have been rather joyful to them, since he was gone to the Father, and as their forerunner, to prepare a place, and make intercession for them:

shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven; he shall come in the same flesh, in the same human nature; he shall come in the clouds of heaven, and shall be attended with his mighty angels, as he now was; he shall descend himself in person, as he now ascended in person; and as he went up with a shout, and with the sound of a trumpet, see Psalms 47:5 so he shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God; and, it may be, he shall descend upon the very spot from whence he ascended; see

Zechariah 14:4 and it is a notion of the Jews, that the resurrection of the Israelites will be there: they say m, that

"when the dead shall live, the Mount of Olives shall be cleaved asunder, and all the dead of Israel shall come out from under it; yea, even the righteous which die in captivity shall pass through a subterranean cavern, and come out from under the Mount of Olives.''

m Targum in Cant. viii. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye men of Galilee - Galilee was the place of their former residence, and they were commonly known by the name of Galileans.

Why stand ye ... - There is doubtless a slight degree of censure implied in this, as well as a design to call their attention away from a vain attempt to see the departed Saviour. The impropriety may have been:

1. In the feeling of disappointment, as if he would not restore the kingdom to Israel.
2. Possibly they were expecting that he would again soon appear, though he had often foretold them that he would ascend to heaven.

(3)There might have been an impropriety in their earnest desire for the mere bodily presence of the Lord Jesus, when it was more important that he should be in heaven. We may see here also that it is our duty not to stand in idleness, and to gaze even toward heaven. We, as well as the apostles, have a great work to do, and we should actively engage in it without delay.

Gazing up - Looking up.

This same Jesus - This was said to comfort them. The same tried friend who had been so faithful to them would return. They ought not, therefore, to look with despondency at his departure.

Into heaven - This expression denotes into the immediate presence of God; or into the place of perpetual purity and happiness, where God especially manifests his favor. The same thing is frequently designated by his sitting on the right hand of God, as emblematic of power, honor, and favor. See the Mark 16:19; Mark 14:62 notes; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1 notes; Acts 7:55 note; Romans 8:34 note; Ephesians 1:20 note.

Shall so come - At the day of judgment. John 14:3, “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again,” etc.

In like manner ... - In clouds, as he ascended. See the Acts 1:9 note; 1 Thessalonians 4:16 note. This address was designed to comfort the disciples. Though their master and friend was taken from them, yet he was not removed forever. He would come again with similar majesty and glory to vindicate his people, and to tread his enemies under his feet. The design for which he will come will be to judge the world, Matthew 25:0. There will be an evident fitness and propriety in his coming for such reasons as the following:

(1) Because his appropriate work in heaven as mediator will have been accomplished; his people will have been saved; the great enemy of God and man will have been subdued; death will have been conquered; and the gospel will have shown its power in subduing all forms of wickedness; in removing the effects of sin; in establishing the Law, and in vindicating the honor of God; and all will have been done that is necessary to establish the authority of God throughout the universe. It will be proper, therefore, that this mysterious order of things shall be wound up, and the results become a matter of record in the history of the universe. This will be better than it would be to suffer an eternal millennium on the earth, while the saints should many of them slumber, and the wicked still be in their graves.

(2) It is proper that he should come to vindicate his people, and raise them up to glory. Here they have been persecuted, oppressed, put to death. Their character is assailed; they are poor; and the world despises them. It is fit that God should show himself to be their friend; that he should do justice to their injured names and motives; that he should bring out hidden and obscure virtue, and vindicate it; that he should enter every grave and bring forth his friends to life.

(3) It is proper that he should show his hatred of sin. Here it triumphs. The wicked are rich, and honored, and mighty, and say, Where is the promise of his coming? 2 Peter 3:4. It is right that he should defend his cause. Hence, the Lord Jesus will come to guard the avenues to heaven, and to see that the universe suffers no wrong by the admission of an improper person to the skies.

(4) The great transactions of redemption have been public, open, often grand. The apostasy was public, in the face of angels and of the universe. Sin has been open, public high-handed. Misery has been public, and has rolled its deep and turbid waves in the face of the universe. Death has been public; all worlds have seen the race cut down and moulder. The death of Jesus was public: the angels saw it; the heavens were clothed with mourning; the earth shook, and the dead arose. Jesus was publicly whipped, cursed, crucified; and it is proper that he should publicly triumph - that all heaven rejoicing, and all hell at length humbled, should see his public victory. Hence, he will come with clouds - with angels - with fire - and will raise the dead, and exhibit to all the universe the amazing close of the scheme of redemption.

(5) We have in these verses a description of the most grand and wonderful events that this world has ever known - the ascension and return of the Lord Jesus. Here is consolation for the Christian; and here is a source of ceaseless alarm to the sinner.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 1:11. Gazing up into heaven — Not to the top of a mountain, to which an unbridled fancy, influenced by infidelity, would intimate he had ascended, and not to heaven.

This same Jesus — Clothed in human nature. shall so come in like manner-with the same body, descending from heaven by his sovereign and all-controlling power, as ye have seen him go into heaven. Thus shall he come again to judge the quick and the dead. It was a very ancient opinion among Christians, that when Christ should come again to judge the world he would make his appearance on Mount Olivet. Some think that his coming again to destroy the Jewish nation is what the angels refer to. See a connected account of the different appearances of Christ at the end of this chapter.