Jesus Is Taken Up into Heaven

⁶ When the apostles were all together, they ·asked [kept asking] Jesus, “Lord, are you ·now [at this time] going to ·give the kingdom back [restore the kingdom] to Israel [^CIsrael had lived for centuries under the oppression of foreign nations; Jer. 16:15; 23:8; Hos. 11:8–11; the disciples were expecting the messianic kingdom; Is. 9:1–7; 11:1–16]?”

⁷ Jesus said to them, “The Father is the only One who has the ·authority [or power] to ·decide [set] dates and times [Mark 13:32]. These things are not for you to know. ⁸ But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem [2:1—8:3], in all of Judea, in Samaria [8:4—11:18], and ·in every part of the world [to the ends of the earth; 11:19—28:31; Luke 24:45–48].”

⁹ After he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud ·hid him from [or took him out of; ^Ca reference to the cloud chariot; Dan. 7:13–14] their sight [^Ca description of Christ’s ascension into heaven]. ¹⁰ As he was going, they were ·looking [staring; gazing] into the ·sky [heavens]. Suddenly, two men wearing white clothes [^Cangels] stood beside them. ¹¹ They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here ·looking into [staring at] ·the sky [heaven]? Jesus, whom you saw taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go [^Con a cloud; Luke 21:27].”