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| The Ascension of Jesus: |
| Ac1.9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. {Jesus went to heaven as a man – visible to His disciple on-lookers.} |
| Ac1.10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; {Note: Not 3 – God and Christ ALWAYS work with ONE or TWO and never sends THREE angels. ge19.1, lk9.30, lk24.4, jn20.12} |
| Ac1.11 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. {Jesus was taken to heaven as a man; He will return in LIKE MANNER as a man.} |
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| Re1.7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. {Jesus returns as a man – every eye shall see him.} |
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| What about Stephen: |
| Ac7.55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and SAW the glory of God, and JESUS standing on the right hand of God, {Note: Stephen could only see the glory of God but he SAW JESUS – Jesus was still a MANkind form.} |
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| So Jesus was in a MANkind form for His ascension to heaven, was likewise seen by Stephen when in heaven, and likewise, He will return as a man at His second coming, when all will see Him. |
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| What about later? What about until eternity? What about throughout eternity? |
| Christ took human nature upon Him and BORE IT, pure and spotless, INTO THE HEAVENLY COURTS. HE WILL BEAR THIS NATURE THROUGH THE AGES OF ETERNITY. In ascending to heaven with a GLORIFIED HUMANITY, Christ has declared what man can become if he will do the will of God, but it is only through the mediation of Christ that any human being can overcome. Of the redeemed we read, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” God will honor those who accept Christ, making them witnesses of Him to the world. {Lt257-1903} |
| Those who do not lay hold of and appreciate THIS POWER stand in their own light, keeping themselves from THOROUGH CONSECRATION. My brother, you have been losing a most valuable experience. Study to develop a sensitive appreciation of what Christ has done for you. Examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith. There is danger that your mind will continue to be so filled with business cares that you will not give yourself time to receive the grace of Christ. Your eyes have been so blinded that you have not seen your danger. But it is not too late for wrongs to be righted. {Lt257-1903} |
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| More textual evidence: |
| 1ti2.5 FOR [THERE IS] ONE GOD, AND ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS; [de6.4; is42.8; ml2.10; mk12.29-30,32; jn17.3; ro3.30; 1co8.4&6; ep4.6; ja2.19] {Note: A mediator is an impartial person. Note also the only reference to THE MAN CHRIST JESUS. Paul is writing to Timothy AFTER Christ’s ascension to heaven. Jesus’ work as the perfect mediator between God and man is not only dependent on His death but also in his continuing humanity. In His humanness, we are united to Him by faith, and only in Him are we united to God.} |
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| On the Isle of Patmos, Christ revealed Himself to John, enabling His servant to endure the seeing of things of eternal interest. No mortal being can endure the revelation of God. His presence has always been shrouded by a guard of angels. But to John was given the privilege of seeing Christ, not in the burning bush, but amidst the indescribable glory of the holy sanctuary. Never was there a grander meeting than the meeting between John and Christ on the Isle of Patmos. The wonderful vision was accompanied by the words, “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” It was no sophistry, but the presence of the divine Being who at the time of His ascension has taken into the heavenly courts a GLORIFIED HUMANITY. He announced Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, and He came to give John a message for the churches. {Ms168-1907} |
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| On the Isle of Patmos John saw in holy vision the One whom he honored and loved above all others. He says, “I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.” See the description in Revelation 1. The words uttered were not alone for John on the Isle of Patmos; they were not for the churches alone; but through these churches was to come the inspired message for the people, to have its powerful impression in every age to the close of this earth’s history. Why is not this being done? Christ presented Himself to John in His GLORIFIED HUMANITY. “I saw,” said he, “one like unto the Son of man.” His first words were, “Fear not.” It was the same voice that spoke to him from the cross through pale and quivering lips, “Son, behold thy mother.” {Ms53-1890} Also {1888 779.2} |
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| Was the human nature of the Son of Mary changed into the divine nature of the Son of God? No; the two natures were mysteriously blended in one person—the MAN Christ Jesus. In Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. When Christ was crucified, it was His human nature that died. Deity did not sink and die; that would have been impossible. Christ, the sinless One, will save every son and daughter of Adam who accepts the salvation proffered them, consenting to become the children of God. The Saviour has purchased the fallen race with His own blood. {Lt280a-1904} |
| This is a great mystery, a mystery that will not be fully, completely understood in its greatness until the translation of the redeemed shall take place. Then the power and greatness and efficacy of the gift of God to man will be understood. But the enemy is determined that this gift shall be so mystified that it will become a nothingness. If believers only knew what this means, the work would be done in our churches that must be done if the members ever enter the kingdom of heaven. But when men in responsible positions pervert their reason and give themselves up to Satan’s way of thinking, they will surely stand before the world on Satan’s side, however great their influence may have been and still is, doing the work that Satan did, led and inspired by his spirit. {Lt280a-1904} |
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| We need to come together as men who are amenable to God. We have been bought with a price. We have only one Judge, the MAN Christ Jesus. We have not been given the work of measuring one another’s characters. It is our own characters that we are to measure, by the truth contained in the Scriptures. God can enable us to do this and can impress on our minds what we must do in order to inherit eternal life. {Ms56-1904} |
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| What an exaltation is brought to view for those who will receive Christ. “To them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” It is through the MAN Christ Jesus that human nature is so exalted. Through His power men become partakers of the divine nature; and as He is honored, they through conformity to His character, and through the power of His grace, become one with Him as He is one with the Father. {Lt293-1905} |
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| While with the disciples, Christ had revealed to them all the knowledge of God that they could bear. The complete fulfilment of the promise that He would show them plainly of the Father was yet to come. Thus it is today. Now we know in part only. When the conflict is ended, and the MAN Christ Jesus acknowledges before the Father His faithful workers, who in a world of sin have borne true witness for Him, they will understand clearly what now are mysteries to them. {Ms124-1903} |
| CHRIST TOOK with Him to the heavenly courts HIS GLORIFIED HUMANITY. To those who receive Him, He gives power to become the sons of God, that at last God may receive them as His, to dwell with Him throughout all eternity. If during this life they are loyal to God, they will at last “see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” And what is the happiness of heaven but to SEE GOD? What greater joy could come to the sinner, saved by the grace of Christ, than TO LOOK UPON THE FACE OF GOD and know Him as Father? “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12). {Ms124-1903} Also {9MR 124.1 1990} |
| Some today are coming to hold false ideas of the invisible God and are presenting these ideas to others. Let those who do this know that their childish portrayal of God is a misconception. They know not God. Before the world, before angels, and before men, they are giving a false representation of Him. {Ms124-1903} |
| To those to whom these fanciful interpretations are presented, I would say, Let not these sentiments charm your senses and lead you into paths of Satan’s making. Beware, beware of spiritualistic ideas of God. Those who entertain such ideas greatly dishonor Him. Let every one humble his heart before God. {Ms124-1903} |
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| Sin-burdened, struggling souls, Jesus in his GLORIFIED HUMANITY has ascended into the heavens to make intercession for us. “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.” We should be continually looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; for by beholding him we shall be changed into his image, our character will be made like his. We should rejoice that all judgment is given to the Son, because in his humanity he has become acquainted with all the difficulties that beset humanity. {RH, April 28, 1891 par. 1} Also {RH, December 5, 1912 par. 1} {RH, January 2, 1913 par. 1} {RC 20.2 1985} |
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| But I will not hold you here. I want you to have a place in the kingdom of God. I want you to see the King in His beauty, and I want you to behold the loveliness of my Saviour. Every one of us that has a crown will cast it at the FEET of our Redeemer, and touch the golden harp, and fill all heaven with rich music and songs to the Lamb. I want you to be there. And God help you that you may have a place in that kingdom, to go no more out forever. It is life eternal that we are striving for, and you want to make everything of the talents that God has given you; and then you want to be just as humble and contrite and simple, as Christ was in His labor, and yet the simplicity was eloquence. God will work through us, and He will make us a power in His hands, and we can be fitted for the higher courts above. {Ms190-1903} |
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| “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” [Revelation 21:1.] The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin. One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of his crucifixion. Upon his wounded head, his hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. {4SP 489.2 1884} |
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| One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of his crucifixion. Upon his wounded head, upon his side, his hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in his glory, “He had bright beams coming out of his side; and there was the hiding of his power.” [Habakkuk 3:4 (MARGIN)] That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God,—THERE IS THE SAVIOUR’S GLORY, there “the hiding of his power.” “Mighty to save,” through the sacrifice of redemption, he was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that despised God’s mercy. And the tokens of his humiliation are HIS HIGHEST HONOR; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will SHOW FORTH HIS PRAISE, AND DECLARE HIS POWER. {GC88 674.1 1888} |
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| ….. We want THE HOLY SPIRIT, which IS JESUS CHRIST. If we commune with God, we shall have strength and grace and efficiency. {Lt66-1894} |
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| So, by sending and giving His Holy Spirit [the Holy Spirit of God] to us at Pentecost, Jesus can be with each believer in person until He finishes His work in the heavenly sanctuary. Jesus has not lost His Omnipresence just for a temporary period; as has been shown from the above scriptures, He has forfeited this for eternity. |
| By being the Only Begotten Son of God and by His Omniscience, Jesus at creation, would have known when He created man, that one day He, not only would have to die for us but would also have to forfeit His Omnipresence for eternity. Yet He still went through with both – because of His love to restore fallen man back to His heavenly Father. |
| Also, in heaven for all eternity, His crucifixion wounds are His SAVIOUR’S GLORY, HIS HIGHEST HONOR, and will SHOW FORTH HIS PRAISE, AND DECLARE HIS POWER. What undescribeable Love Jesus has gives to each one of us who fully accepts Him. |
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