CHAPTER 180 *
Jesus appears, fully materialised, to the Apostles in Jerusalem. Gives them his instructions. * Promises them a special endowment for their work on Pentecost. Goes to Mount Olives and in full view of many disciples ascends to heaven. The disciples return to Jerusalem.
THE eleven apostles of the Lord were in Jerusalem and in a spacious room that they had chosen by the Lord's command.
2 And as they prayed the Lord appeared to them and said,
3 Peace be to all; good will to every living thing. And then he talked with them a long, long time.
4 And the disciples asked, Will you restore the kingdom unto Israel now?
5 And Jesus said, Be not concerned about the governments of men; the masters will direct.
6 Do that which has been given you to do, and wait and murmur not.
7 All power in heaven and earth is given unto me, and now I bid you go to all the world and preach the gospel of the Christ, the unity of God and man, the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal life.
8 And as you go and preach, baptise the people in the name of Christ.
9 * They who believe and are baptised shall rise up in the newness of the life of Christ, and they who disbelieve shall rise not in the newness of the life of Christ.
10 * And you shall give to men the power I give to you.
11 * They who believe and are baptised shall heal the sick; shall cause the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk;
12 * Shall cast the unclean spirits out of those obsessed; shall tread on deadly serpents and be not harmed; shall pass through flames and not be burned; and if they drink a poisonous draught it shall not kill.
13 * You know the sacred Word, which is the word of power.
14 * The secret things that I have told to you that may not now be told to all the world, you shall make known to faithful men who shall in turn reveal them unto other faithful men.
15 * Until the time shall come when all the world may hear and comprehend the words of truth and power.
16 And now I will ascend to God, as you and all the world will rise to God.
17 * Behold, upon the day of Pentecost you all shall be endowed with power from on high.
18 But here you shall remain till then in holy thought and prayer.
19 Then Jesus went to Olivet, and his disciples followed him, and in a place not far removed from Bethany, he met the Marys and Salome;
20 Met Martha, Ruth and Miriam; met Lazarus and a host of others who had come from Galilee.
21 And Jesus stood apart and raised his hands and said,
22 The benedictions of the Holy Ones, of the Almighty God, and of the Holy Breath, of Christ the love of God made manifest.
23 Will rest upon you all the way till you shall rise and sit with me upon the throne of power.
24 And then they saw him rise upon the wings of light; a wreath encircled him about; and then they saw his form no more.
25 But as they gazed up into heaven two men, in robes of white, appeared and said,
26 You men of Galilee, why gaze you thus so anxiously upon the ascending Lord? Lo, he will come again from heaven as you have seen him go to heaven.
27 Then the eleven and Lazarus, and other men from Galilee together with the faithful women, not a few, returned unto Jerusalem and there abode.
28 * And they were constantly in prayer and Holy thought. They waited for the Holy Breath, and for the coming of the promised power from on high.
*V. 9-15. Here Jesus gets specific regarding what we are to do in his Ministry.
Why are we not doing this? Where are we doing this? When?
*V. 17. On the day of Pentecost it was to happen. Which Day?
*V. 28. What are they waiting for? Is it not already theirs?