Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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Acts 1

What should I learn from this chapter?

• When Jesus returns His feet will touch Mt. Olives and the mountain will be split in half

Prologue

Acts 1:¹ The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

Acts 1:² until the day in which He was taken up (He ascended into heaven), after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,

Acts 1:³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible (unmistakable)  proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit Promised

Acts 1:⁴ And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

Acts 1:⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

• They were baptized with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Acts 1:⁶ Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

• They were asking whether He was going to become the King of the Jews and rule from Jerusalem.

Acts 1:⁷ And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

No one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will return to earth with his saints and angels; However, the apostle Paul made some interesting statements for believers:

• ^{1 Thessalonians 5:4 But you, brethren, are NOT in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
  9 For God did not appoint us to (the day of) wrath (the Tribulation), but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (a knowledge of the time, an escape from the tribulation and a pre-trib rapture)}

Acts 1:⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me (My witnesses) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

Acts 1:⁹ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Acts 1:¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

Acts 1:¹¹ who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

• ^{Acts 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. [They were on Mt. Olives when Jesus ascended]}
• ^{Jesus’ Return: Zechariah 14:4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.}

The Return of Jesus is a separate event from the Rapture which takes place just prior to the tribulation:

• At the rapture believers meet the Lord in the air:
  • ^{1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.}
• At Jesus’ return:
  • ^{His foot will land on Mount Olives Zech 14:4}
  • ^{He brings the saints and angels with Him: Jude 1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,}

The Upper Room Prayer Meeting

Acts 1:¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.

• Note: Bethany is on Mt. Olives (Olivet) where Jesus stayed. His triumphal entry was on the Sabbath, according to the law (~2 miles), a Sabbath’s day journey.
• 

Acts 1:¹³ And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.

1. ^Peter
2. ^James
3. ^John
4. ^Andrew
5. ^Philip
6. ^Thomas
7. ^Bartholomew
8. ^Matthew
9. ^James
10. ^{Simon the Zealot}
11. ^{Judas the son of James}

Acts 1:¹⁴ These all continued with one accord (purpose of mind) in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

• The last time scripture wrote about Jesus’ brothers was in John chapter 7 when they tried to get Jesus killed. Now they are in the upper room with the disciples.
  • ^{John 7:5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.}
  • ^{His (step) brothers: James, Joses (Joseph), Judas (conventionally known in English as Jude) and Simon. Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3}

Matthias Chosen

Acts 1:¹⁵ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (brethren) (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,

Acts 1:¹⁶ “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

• ^{Psalm 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. (Acted as a traitor)}
• ^{Acts 1:16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;}
• ^{Matthew 26:14 [Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus] Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests}
• ^{Luke 22:48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”}
• ^{John 18:5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.}

Acts 1:¹⁷ for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”

Acts 1:¹⁸ {Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity (reward of unrighteousness); and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his (intestines) entrails gushed out.

• Judas must have hung himself over the side of a cliff.

Acts 1:¹⁹ And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.}

Acts 1:²⁰ “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate (deserted), and let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office (Gr. episkopen, position of overseer).’

Acts 1:²¹ “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Acts 1:²² beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

• They had to be with the disciples from the day of Jesus’ baptism to His resurrection.

Acts 1:²³ And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

• Joseph Barsabas Justus and Matthias were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.

Acts 1:²⁴ And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen

Acts 1:²⁵ to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.”

Acts 1:²⁶ And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.