Acts 1:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They use a demonstrative word: "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw Him going into heaven." Again, a radiant image! Certain angels, clothed in human form, suddenly stood before them and said, "Men of Galilee."

By saying, "Men of Galilee," they already appeared worthy of trust to the disciples. If this had not been their purpose, why would they have needed to point out to the disciples their own homeland, which they already knew? By their very appearance they drew the disciples to themselves and showed that they were from heaven.

Why does Christ Himself not say this to the disciples, but the angels? He Himself had spoken with them beforehand about all these things. Through the angels He only reminds them of what they had already heard.

The angels did not say, "Him whom you saw taken up," but, "Him whom you saw going into heaven." This was to show that His being taken up is an ascent. Yet it belongs to the flesh to be taken up.

Therefore they say, "who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner." He will not be sent, but He "will come." Where, then, is the inferiority of the Son?

"A cloud received Him." This is fitting, because He Himself ascended upon the cloud. Therefore He who ascended is the same as He who descended (Eph 4:10). But observe how one thing is said in accordance with their thoughts, and another according to the dignity of God.

Yet the mind of those who were watching was now also raised up. The Lord granted them no small knowledge of the second coming. The words, "will come in the same manner," mean that He will come with the body. This is what they desired to hear. They also mean that He will again come to judgment in the same manner, upon a cloud.

"Suddenly," it says, "two men stood by them in white garments." Why does it say "men"? Because the angels assumed the complete form of men, so that the disciples would not be afraid.

"And they said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?" By these words they show kindness, and they do not allow them to expect His return immediately. They speak about what is more important, and pass over what is less important in silence.

They say that He "will come in the same manner," and that He must be expected from heaven. But they are silent about when. In this way they drew the disciples away from that sight and turned them to their words.

The disciples could no longer see Christ. Therefore the angels acted so that they would not think He had not ascended, but would fix their thought on the angels' words. If even before this the disciples said, "Where are You going?" (Jn 13:36), they would have said it much more now.

"Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" They knew His meekness so well that even after His sufferings they asked Him, "Lord. Will You at this time restore?" True, He had already said to them, "See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet" (Mt 24:6). Jerusalem was not yet to be taken captive. But now they ask about the kingdom, not about the end.

After the resurrection, however, He no longer extends His discourse with them at length. They ask because they suppose that they themselves will be in glory if this comes to pass. But He does not declare whether He will establish that kingdom or not. What need had they to know this?

For this reason, being afraid, they no longer said, "What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?" (Mt 24:3). Instead they said, "Will You restore the kingdom to Israel?" They thought it had already appeared.

Yet He had shown even in parables that it was not near. When they asked Him, He did not answer the question. Instead He said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Observe: He did not say that the Spirit would be sent, but that He would "come upon" them, to show His equality in honor.

How then, O fighter against the Spirit, do you dare call Him a creature? "And you shall be witnesses to Me." He made an allusion to the Ascension. Or rather, even now He again reminded them of what they had heard earlier.

It had already been shown that He ascended into heaven. "Clouds and darkness are under His feet" (Ps 96:2; Ps 17:10). This is also what the words mean: "and a cloud received Him," that is, the Master of heaven.

As a royal chariot points to the king, so a royal chariot was sent for Him. This was so the disciples would say nothing sorrowful and would not suffer what Elisha suffered, when he tore his garment as his teacher was taken up.

What then do the angels say? "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner." Moreover, it says, "two men stood by them." This was fitting, because "by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established" (2 Cor 13:1). This is precisely how they speak.

"In white garments," it says. Just as before, at the tomb, the women saw an angel "in shining garments" (Lk 24:4), who announced to them what they were thinking about, so also an angel is witness to Christ's Ascension. Yet the prophets had often foretold this, as they had the Resurrection.

Angels appear everywhere as messengers. They appear at Christ's Nativity, again at the Annunciation to Mary, and also at the Resurrection. So too they appear at the Ascension. And at the second coming the angels will also appear as forerunners.

Since they had said, "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven," they added, "will come in the same manner," so as not to lead the disciples into perplexity. The disciples were somewhat comforted when they heard that He would come again, that He would come in the same way, and that He would not be inaccessible.

The word "from you" is not placed there without reason. It shows Christ's love for the disciples, their election, and that He will not abandon those whom He has chosen. Thus Christ Himself bore witness to the Resurrection.

After His birth, or rather even before His birth, the most wondrous thing of all was that He raised Himself. "Destroy this temple," He said, "and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19). But the angels testify to the future coming, saying, "He will come in the same manner."

Therefore, if anyone desires to see Christ, and if anyone grieves that he has not seen Him, let him hear of His future coming and lead a perfect life. Then he will surely see Him and will not be deceived in his hope.

He will come with greater glory, yet also upon a cloud and also with the body. It is far more wondrous to see Him descending from heaven than ascending from the earth. The angels said that He will come. They did not add why He will come.

This confirms the Resurrection. For if He ascended with the body, much more did He rise with the body. Where are those who disbelieve the resurrection? Who are they, tell me? Pagans, or Christians? I do not know. Or rather, I know perfectly well.

They are pagans, who do not believe even in the creation of the creature. It is their work not to admit that God creates anything from nothing, and not to acknowledge that He will raise what has been buried. But they are ashamed not to acknowledge God's power.

Therefore, to avoid being reproached for this, they say, "We say this not for that reason, but because there is no need for the body." Truly it is timely to say, "The fool speaks folly" (Isa 32:6). Are you not ashamed when you deny that God creates from nothing?

If He creates from something already existing, how does He differ from men? But they say, "Whence is evil?" Because you do not know whence evil is, must you introduce another evil into the knowledge of evil?

Here there are two absurdities. The first is that you dare to speak so. If you do not acknowledge that God created existing things from nothing, then still less will you know whence evil is. The second is that, by speaking so, you introduce evil as unbegotten.

Consider how wicked it is to wish to find the source of evil, and then, when you have not found it, to introduce yet another. Seek whence evil is, and do not blaspheme God. But you will say, "How do I blaspheme?" What are you saying?

Do you not blaspheme when you introduce unbegotten evil? Do you not blaspheme when you suppose that it is equal in power to God, has the same strength, and is unbegotten? See what Paul says: "His invisible things, His eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood through the things that are made" (Rom 1:20).

The devil, on the contrary, said that both came from matter, so that we might no longer know God from anything. Tell me, what is more difficult? Is it to make what is evil by nature beautiful, if indeed such a thing exists? I speak according to your opinion.

Nothing evil by nature can be made to cooperate with good. Or is it more difficult to create from nothing? What is easier, speaking of quality? Is it to bring in a quality that does not exist, or to change an existing one into its opposite?

What is easier, to build a house that does not exist, or to rebuild a house that has been destroyed? Obviously, the first. But according to you, this is impossible. Therefore, just as that is impossible, so is the other, namely, to change something into its opposite.

Tell me, what is more difficult: to prepare perfume, or to make mud produce the effects of perfume? Tell me, which of the two is easier? We are subjecting God to our reasonings. Yet it is not we who do this. No, it is you.

Is it easier to form eyes, or to make a blind man see while remaining blind? Is it easier to make him sharper than the sighted, using blindness in order to see and deafness in order to hear? It seems to me that the first is easier.

So tell me, you grant to God what is more difficult, but not what is easier? But why do I speak of this? In their opinion, souls themselves come from the essence of God. Yet see how much impiety and senselessness there is in their teaching.

First, while wishing to show that evil comes from God, they introduce another evil more impious than this. They say that evil is coeternal with God, and that God is not at all older than it. Thus they dare to ascribe so great a privilege even to evil.

Second, they say that evil is also immortal, because what is unbegotten does not perish. Do you see what blasphemy this is? From this it necessarily follows either that nothing came from God, or that there is no God.

Third, by this, as I have already said, they contradict themselves and bring upon themselves still greater wrath from God. Fourth, they ascribe such great power to matter, which cannot exist by itself. Fifth, they say that evil was the cause of God's goodness, and that without it the Good One would not be good.

Sixth, they block for us the paths to the knowledge of God. Seventh, they bring God down into men, plants, and trees. For if our soul is from the essence of God, and in transmigration it passes into gourds, melons, and onions, then the divine essence will also be in gourds.

If we say that the Holy Spirit formed the temple in the Virgin, they laugh. If we say that He dwelt in the spiritual temple, they laugh again. Yet they are not ashamed to bring the divine essence down into gourds, melons, flies, caterpillars, and donkeys, devising a new form of idolatry.

"But," you say, "the onion is not in God, but God is in the onion. Let the onion not be God." Why do you not allow the migration of God into bodies? "It is base," you say. In that case, what you say is still more base.

"No, it is not base." Is that so? At least among us, if it were so, it would truly be base. Do you see this heap of impiety? But why do they not want the body to rise? What will they say? That the body is evil?

Then tell me, how do you know God? Whence do you have knowledge of things that exist? How can a philosopher be a philosopher if the body contributes nothing to him? Damage the senses, and then learn something of what must be known.

He calls the angels men, showing the event as it appeared to sight. The angels truly assumed the form of men, so as not to terrify them. Two men appeared because "by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established" (Mt 18:16).

While they were looking up to heaven, struck by the vision of Christ ascending, suddenly two men stood by them, that is, two angels, in white garments, as heralds of joy (Lk 24:4).

As they continued looking at Him, as though thereby expressing a desire to follow their beloved Teacher, "behold, two men stood by them in white apparel."

The writer of Acts does not define more closely who these persons were, who suddenly appeared before the apostles. By calling them "men," he determines only the form of their appearance.

But that they were angels is directly indicated by the unexpectedness of their appearance before the apostles. Because of this, the apostles did not notice whence or how these two men approached them.

It is also indicated by their white, bright clothing, an image of heavenly purity and holiness. Finally, it is indicated by the message they brought to the apostles, which could be nothing other than a revelation from heaven.

In silent reverence the disciples stood motionless on the mountain, fixing their eyes on the departing cloud. The disciples would long have stood there in the forgetfulness of compunction, had the voice of the heavenly messengers not brought them out of this state.

"Men of Galilee!" they heard a voice addressing them. The disciples started, and before their eyes stood two men in white clothing.

"Why do you stand looking into heaven?" the heavenly messengers continued. "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw Him going into heaven."

"And while they were looking," and so forth. The Lord's disciples, undoubtedly struck by the majesty of what was taking place before their eyes and seized by many different feelings, silently and motionlessly fixed their gaze on heaven after the Lord departing in the cloud.

Probably they stood thus for a long time. This is implied by "Why do you stand," and by "who was taken up" in v. 11, after the Lord had already disappeared from their eyes in the height of heaven.

"Two men stood by them." These were undoubtedly angels. Thus the Evangelist Luke, in his first book, that is, in the Gospel, calls the angels whom the myrrh-bearing women saw in the tomb of the risen Lord (Lk. 24:4; cf. Mk. 16:5; Mt. 28:2; Jn. 20:12).

The appearance of the angels at the Lord's Ascension is likened to their appearance at the Resurrection. It is also noteworthy that there, as here, there were two angels, and they are called in the same way: men.

They are likewise presented as clothed in white garments. At the Resurrection these garments are called shining (see Lk. 24:4; cf. Jn. 20:12; Mk. 16:5; Mt. 28:3).

According to the Revelation of John the Theologian, such a color of clothing belongs to all the heavenly beings who stand before the throne of glory. It is a symbol of their purity and illuminating significance (see Rev. 3:4-5; Rev. 4:4; Rev. 7:9).

Explaining why precisely two angels appeared, Saint John Chrysostom points out that by the testimony of two every word is established (see Deut. 17:6).

"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven?" (Acts 1:10-11).

To me, however, this seems wondrous: that you, light-bearing men, ask these men of Galilee why they are looking toward heaven. How could they not look toward heaven, where Jesus ascended? There their treasure had been carried. There their hope and joy had been taken. There their life was hidden.

If they had now been looking at the earth, then it would have been fitting to ask them. Indeed, all followers of Jesus Christ who look upon the earth with a passionate eye must be asked: why do you look at the earth?

What can you seek on it, after your only treasure, and the earth's only treasure, has been taken away? It was found in Bethlehem and scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. It passed through the hands of robbers in Gethsemane, in Jerusalem, and on Golgotha.

It was hidden beneath the stone in the garden of Joseph of Arimathea. Then it was taken and carried into the treasury of heaven. You have been told, and so it must be, that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Mt 6:21).

Therefore, if your treasure is in heaven, there your heart also must be. There your eyes, your thoughts, and your desires must be directed.

The "two men in white apparel," who appeared to the apostles immediately after the Lord's Ascension and asked why they were looking toward heaven, were doubtless themselves inhabitants of heaven. Therefore one cannot think that this was displeasing to them, or that they wished to turn the eyes of the men of Galilee elsewhere.

No. They wished only to stop the inactive amazement of the apostles: "Why do you stand looking toward heaven?" Having awakened them from this amazement, they lead them into reflection. They instruct the apostles, and us, with what thoughts we must look toward heaven after the Lord Jesus, who ascended there.

"This Jesus," they continue, "who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

Although our Lord appeared many times to the apostles after His Resurrection and then became invisible, they could in some way have grown accustomed to these wondrous surprises. But when, parting from them on the Mount of Olives, He did not simply depart or become invisible, something new happened.

He visibly ascended above the clouds, and only because of immeasurable height did He cease to be visible to them. There is no doubt that this new manner of His departure seemed extraordinary to them, even after their experience of wonders. It was especially significant.

Then they saw the clear fulfillment of His words, which Mary Magdalene had repeated to them: "I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God" (Jn 20:17). They had to conclude that the present moment was bringing something to an end.

It ended His joyful visits, His instructive conversations with them, and their tangible communion with His God-manhood, which had continued for forty days. When their hands and voices could no longer reach the One who was ascending, they followed Him with eyes that wished to hold Him back.

"They looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went." One can imagine what immeasurable deprivation the apostles must have felt after Jesus withdrew into heaven. He alone had been everything in the world for them. The heavenly powers hasten to fill this immeasurable deprivation.

"This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come."

Christian, if you have known the Lord Jesus even a little, and have "tasted that the Lord is good" (Ps 33:9), then surely you notice, more or less, what emptiness there is in the world without Him. You feel what emptiness there is in the heart without Him.

And so it must be. Everything in the world is "vanity of vanities" (Eccl 1:2). Vanity cannot fill the heart, which was created by the Truth for truth. "All that is in the world" is "lust," or the object and bait of lust in various forms.

And since "the world passes away, and its lust" (1 Jn 2:16-17), the things that arouse lust soon disappear. However great the world may be, however varied its goods, however abundant the streams of its pleasures, none of this can fill the small vessel of the human heart.

Because the heart is immortal, it can be filled only by eternal life. If, amid such a sense of emptiness in created things, it seems to you that the Lord is withdrawing from you, then receive the word of the heavenly powers.

He is your truth, your life, your desire, and the fullness of all desires. Yet He seems to hide Himself and leave you not only without consolation, but also in sorrow. He seems to leave you not only alone, but amid the enemies of your salvation.

If your weary gaze cannot pierce the heavens hidden by a cloud, and the unfathomable judgments of the Most High present to you only uncertainty, then receive this powerful word. It can fill your emptiness, lighten your grief, end your loneliness, illumine the darkness, resolve uncertainty, and enliven your spirit with hope that cannot deceive or perish.

"This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come."

To the comforting and saving testimony about the future coming of the ascended Lord, His heavenly messengers add some explanation of how this coming will take place. They say that the Lord's coming will be like His departure, or Ascension.

"He will come in the same manner as you saw Him going into heaven." The heavenly preachers surely do not speak idle words, as we earthly men sometimes do. Even with a small word they give great instruction to the attentive. Let us be attentive.

"He will come in the same manner as you saw Him going into heaven." Following this indication and turning to the circumstances of Jesus Christ's departure into heaven, we may first note the blessing He then gave to the apostles.

"It came to pass," the Evangelist Luke recounts, "while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven" (Lk 24:51). The Lord Himself will bring this circumstance of His ascent into heaven and parting from His chosen ones to their remembrance.

He will do this "when He comes in His glory" (Mt 25:31). Meeting them again, He will call them to the actual possession of His kingdom. For "then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father" (Mt 25:34).

What an endless stream of Christ's blessing opens before us, Christians! He begins the blessing, and before completing it, He ascends. "It came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was carried up." Thus, even after ascending, He still continues invisibly to give the blessing.

It flows and descends without ceasing upon the apostles. Through them it is poured upon those whom they bless in the name of Jesus Christ. Those who have received Christ's blessing through the apostles spread it to others.

In this way all who belong to the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church become partakers of the one blessing of Jesus Christ and His Father, who "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph 1:3).

Like the dew of Hermon, "descending upon the mountains of Zion" (Ps 132:3), this blessing of peace descends upon every soul that rises above passions and lusts, and above the vanities and cares of the world. Like an indelible seal, it marks those who belong to Christ.

At the end of the age, by this sign He will call them out from the whole human race: "Come, you blessed." Let us consider, brethren, how necessary it is for us now to take care to acquire and preserve the blessing of the ascended Lord.

It descends also upon us through the apostles and the Apostolic Church. If we have received it and preserve it, then we too, with the apostles and all the saints, will be called at the future coming of Jesus Christ to share in His kingdom: "Come, you blessed."

But if, when He calls "the blessed of His Father," either no blessing is found upon us, or we possess only the false blessing of men, then what will become of us? Those men themselves have not inherited, by grace and mystery, the blessing of the heavenly Father.

Truly I say to you, let us consider this and take care for it in good time.

Another circumstance of the Lord's Ascension, when considered in relation to the expected coming of the Lord, is that the Lord ascended before the eyes of His disciples openly and solemnly. "While they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9).

What sort of cloud was this? It was a cloud of light and glory, like the one that once overshadowed and filled the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon. There they saw the glory, but they did not see the Lord of glory.

Later they saw Him too, but not in glory. Therefore they did not know Him and did not glorify Him. Here, glory does not hide the One who is glorified, and the One who is glorified does not hide the glory.

The apostles beheld the glory of the ascended Lord. The prophet also heard it, when he himself cried out solemnly: "God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet" (Ps 46:6).

Therefore, when the light-bearing preachers announced to us that He will come just as they saw Him going into heaven, they gave us to understand that He will come openly and solemnly. So too the Lord Himself foretold concerning Himself that "the Son of Man will come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him" (Mt 25:31).

So also the apostle explains that "the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a command," or with prior proclamation, "with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God" (1 Thess 4:16).

But someone may think: why are these details noted? They seem to stir curiosity more than give instruction. Things are foretold so that one may recognize and receive with faith an event sent from God. But who would not recognize Christ's glorious coming, even without being warned of its details?

Do not hasten, beloved, to conclude that these details are superfluous. No. The apostles, the angels, and the Lord Himself say nothing for curiosity, but everything for instruction.

Christ's coming has been foretold as open and solemn because heralds of the contrary will appear. This will happen when a spirit of deception is sent upon unworthy, unbelieving, and corrupt Christians.

"The hour is coming," or the time of temptation, and perhaps "now is," when they will say, "Look, here is Christ, or there. Look, He is in the wilderness. Look, He is in the secret chambers" (Mt 24:23, 26).

"He is with us," say the schismatics. They leave the city of God, the spiritual Jerusalem, the Apostolic Church. They flee not into the true wilderness of peace and stillness, but into spiritual and sensual desolation, where there is no sound teaching, no holiness of mysteries, and no good rules for private and public life.

"He is with us," say those who secretly hereticize, pointing to their hidden assemblies. It is as though the sun ought to shine only underground. It is as though He did not say and command, "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops" (Mt 10:27).

When you hear such cries or whispers, Christians, remember the angelic voice and the preaching about the ascended Lord. "He will come in the same manner as you saw Him going into heaven," openly and solemnly in the same way.

Therefore, "if anyone says to you, Look, here is Christ, or there, do not believe it." Neither coarse cries nor crafty whispers resemble the proclamation of the Archangel and the trumpet of God. "Do not go out" after those who call you from the city of the Lord.

Remain in your place, and guard your faith for the true coming of Christ, glorious and solemn.

A third circumstance of the Lord's Ascension, significant for the future, is that it was sudden and unforeseen for His disciples. From the brief Gospel narratives, one may learn that it happened in this way.