And when he had spoken these things
That the times and seasons were not to be known by them, but to
be kept a secret by the Father: that they should tarry at
Jerusalem, and in a few days be baptized with the Holy Ghost, and
receive such power, abilities, strength, and courage thereby, as
to bear a noble testimony for Christ, not only there, but in all
the world; and when he had given them a fresh commission, and
told them where they should go, what they should preach, and what
miracles they should perform, and blessed them.
While they be held;
all the Oriental versions, add, "him"; that is Christ, while they
looked wistly at him, being attentive to what he said to them, so
that they were not asleep; nor did Christ become invisible to
them, or disappear before his ascension, but was visible to them
in it; hence they were eyewitnesses of it:
he was taken up.
Luke in his Gospel says, "carried up": very likely by angels,
since these not only attended him in his ascension, but are the
chariots of the Lord, in which he went up to heaven; see (
Psalms
68:17 Psalms 68:18
) nor is this at all inconsistent with his proper deity, or that
divine power he had of elevating himself, which he could do
without the assistance of others; but this makes for the glory of
his majesty.
And a cloud received him out of their sight;
which was done partly for the same purpose, to add to the
grandeur and magnificence of Christ's ascension; and partly to
check the curiosity of the disciples, and prevent their gazing
any more at him: and it may be that this, cloud was no other than
a number of angels that appeared in this form; just as Elijah was
taken up to heaven by angels, who appeared in the form of horses
and chariots of fire; and the rather this may be the sense here,
since it is certain, that there was a large number of angels
which attended Christ at his ascension; and by whom he was then
seen, ( Psalms 68:17
Psalms
68:18 ) ( John 1:51 ) ( 1 Timothy
3:16 ) whereas, if these are not intended by the cloud, no
more than two are here taken notice of, and these not as going
along with Christ, but staying behind to converse with his
disciples; to which may be added, that Christ was "received" by
this cloud which descended to meet him, and joining him, escorted
him to heaven: at least it may be thought, if it was a real
cloud, that there was a multitude of angels in it, which
accompanied him to the heavenly regions; for it can hardly be
thought that a multitude of the heavenly host should descend at
his birth, and sing glory to God upon his coming into this world;
and not as large a number attend him with shouts and
acclamations, at his going out of it, when he had done his work
he came about, and was ascending to his God and Father, to take
his place at his right hand on his throne; see ( Psalms 47:5 ) . The
Ethiopic version adds, "and he ascended to heaven".