These few words keep running through my mind, "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?" They were said to the Apostles in Acts 1:1111Which 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. (Acts 1:11). " 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." In Luke 24 we read, " While He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven," so no wonder that they stood gazing up into heaven, rivetted to the spot; for the One they loved, the One Who loved them far more than they loved Him, had been carried up into heaven. Their eyes and hearts followed Him; their gaze was fixed on Him.
The Lord Jesus, before He left them, had told them that He would come again, come Himself, the same Jesus, and receive them unto Himself. Here in Acts the word is confirmed to them, and as surely as He fulfilled His first promise, and asked of the Father and He sent another Comforter, the Holy Spirit, so we may rest assured He will be faithful to His own word and come and fetch us to be with Him in the Father's house.
We need not fear He will forget us, as the butler forgot Joseph in Gen. 40. The chief butler was re-instated into his former position as Joseph had interpreted his dream, yet he did not think of Joseph who was still in prison, though Joseph had said, " Think on me when it shall be well with thee." No, we read, "Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him." Our precious Savior, although He is back again in the Father's house, His toils and sufferings over, will not forget His promise, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." He will faithfully fulfill it. With what joy will He descend from heaven with a shout, a shout of victory, of triumph, a shout that will assemble all His own, and too, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God.
It seems as if all heaven will rejoice; for if angels celebrated His birth by praising God, so will they at His second coming join in the universal delight, when Jesus comes, not now as Savior on account of our sins, but as Savior of our bodies, as those who are made fit through His precious blood to be His companions in glory. The dead in Christ shall rise first, " raised in glory," then we which are alive and remain-our bodies changed like unto His glorious body-shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.
What a meeting it will be! What a meeting! The Savior and the saved ones meeting! He gave Himself for us, and He comes Himself for us. Yes, the Bridegroom comes to fetch His bride. How different to His first coming. He came then in humiliation.
But we shall not see Him as He was; we shall see Him. as He is. Then His face was so marred more than any, now it is radiant with the glory of God. Then His head was crowned with thorns, now He is crowned with glory and honor, for crowns become the Victor's brow.
What joy for Him! and what joy for us to meet Him in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
" Forgotten then in glad surprise Shall be our years of weeping."
God Himself shall wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for these things shall have passed away, because sin the cause of all, has been taken away through the blood of the Lamb. (John 1:2929The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)). The "little while" that remains will soon be past, may we be found "till He come" gazing up into heaven.
I remember, many years ago, standing at the window gazing at a glorious sunset. It was very red, a lovely sight. When I looked again into the room, everything was red. I thought then, if we only looked oftener and longer on Jesus, where He. is in the glory, things down here would lose their color, their brightness, their value. " Earthly things " would be the same, hut gazing on Jesus they would cease to attract, to allure. They would be eclipsed because of the beauty, the glory, the brightness in Jesus.
" How oft we grovel here below,
Fond of these trifling toys
Lord, make our spirits rise and go,
To reach eternal joys."
In Col. 3, we are told to set our mind on things above, where Christ is at the right hand of God. There is, I am sure, enough in Him to attract us. May He draw us after Him. Let us gaze on Him where He is.