The Glory: Past, Present, and Future.

If you dwell in the past, you can't know the present. If you don't know the present, you can't know the future. Christ gave a command to move into the present that will usher us into the future today. The past glory is past. Therefore, let us reach out into the future by moving into the present. We know that the Promise was that the glory of the latter will surely be greater than the former, Hag 2:9.

Act 1:4    "And, being assembled together with them, COMMANDED them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for THE PROMISE of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me."

Even when Christ commanded them to go to Jerusalem and wait, the apostles didn't get it at first. They had to ask Christ a question of restoration to the past glory, and here is there question, a very similar one still being asked by many today.

Act 1:6    "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?". To not know what is past from present, we will not know the future. The Apostles at this moment of gathering, didn't know the present and therefore the future wasn't clear to them. They have the knowledge of the old order, and not that of the new.

Christ knowing this, gave them this answer, which is an explanation of what He had earlier said to them in Act 1:5    "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Here He is taking about the "New Life", the "New Kingdom", they all MUST enter into the new through the Baptism of the Holy Spirt, and they do not, they remain in the old where the greatest of them is the least in the new, Luke 7:28.

Christ further gave this for an answer to their question on restoration of the kingdom of Israel in Act 1:7:   "And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."Christ is refocusing the Apostles on the present change that will eternally affect their future. The Apostles were being informed of the change in the structure of the kingdom of God.

Act 1:8    "But YE (the Apostles) SHALL RECEIVE POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and YE SHALL BE WITNESSES unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." [Note that this is known by many in the church as "the Apostolic mandate" of demonstration of the power of Resurrection!].

The Witnesses shall receive the power of Resurrection to usher in people into the kingdom of God, different from the old, Act 1:22. The disciples Christ made Apostles( fishers of men) are sent to the outer world to be Witnesses of the Resurrection. Many are called into this ministry, but few are chosen to receive the power of resurrection.