Acts 1:9 kjv
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Acts 1:9 nkjv
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Acts 1:9 niv
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Acts 1:9 esv
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
Acts 1:9 nlt
After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.
Acts 1 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ascension Accounts | ||
| Lk 24:50-51 | "...He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven." | Luke's gospel account of the Ascension, aligning with Acts. |
| Mk 16:19 | "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." | Another brief Gospel account of the Ascension and enthronement. |
| Enthronement & Exaltation | ||
| Psa 110:1 | "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.'" | Prophecy fulfilled by Jesus' ascension and heavenly reign. |
| Eph 4:8 | "Therefore it says, 'When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives...'" | Connects Jesus' ascension to His triumph and bestowal of gifts. |
| Php 2:9-11 | "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name..." | Describes God's exaltation of Jesus after His suffering and resurrection. |
| Heb 1:3 | "...When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high..." | Highlights Jesus' completed work and His enthroned position. |
| 1 Pet 3:22 | "Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him." | Reinforces Jesus' authority and supreme position after ascension. |
| Col 3:1 | "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." | Christian's focus should be on Christ's heavenly realm. |
| Cloud Symbolism & Divine Presence (OT) | ||
| Ex 13:21-22 | "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them..." | The cloud as a visible manifestation of God's presence and guidance. |
| Ex 19:9 | "The LORD said to Moses, 'Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud...'" | God's revelation and presence associated with a cloud. |
| 1 Kgs 8:10-11 | "And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD..." | The glory of the Lord filling the temple as a cloud. |
| Ezek 10:4 | "The glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud..." | Cloud representing God's glory and departure from the temple. |
| Promise of Return (on Clouds) | ||
| Acts 1:11 | "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." | Direct angelic promise of Jesus' return in the same manner. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man..." | Key prophecy of the Son of Man's future glorious coming. |
| Matt 24:30 | "...They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." | Jesus' own teaching on His future, visible return. |
| Rev 1:7 | "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him..." | Prophetic vision of Jesus' universally witnessed return. |
| Purpose of Ascension (sending the Spirit) | ||
| Jn 16:7 | "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." | Jesus' explanation for His departure to send the Holy Spirit. |
| Jn 14:16-18 | "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever... I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." | Promise of the Spirit as the "Helper" and Christ's ongoing presence. |
| Heavenly Intercession | ||
| Rom 8:34 | "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." | Jesus' role as heavenly intercessor after ascension. |
| Heb 7:25 | "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." | Highlights the perpetual nature of Christ's heavenly ministry. |
| Eyewitness Testimony | ||
| Acts 10:39-41 | "And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem... After he was raised on the third day, he appeared..." | Emphasis on eyewitnesses to Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and implicitly, ascension. |
| Lk 1:2 | "...delivered them to us who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word..." | Luke's method rooted in eyewitness accounts, including this pivotal event. |
Acts 1 verses
Acts 1 9 Meaning
Acts 1:9 describes the moment Jesus physically ascended into heaven, observed by His disciples. This event marked the visible culmination of His post-resurrection appearances, signifying His enthronement at God's right hand and the transfer of His physical presence to a heavenly realm, from where He would send the Holy Spirit to His followers, and from where He is promised to return.
Acts 1 9 Context
Acts 1:9 takes place shortly after Jesus' resurrection, during His forty-day period of appearing to His disciples and teaching them about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). This verse forms the climactic conclusion to these appearances and the transition from Jesus' physical earthly ministry to His heavenly session and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Historically, it situates the nascent Christian movement by explaining how its founder departed while simultaneously providing a basis for His spiritual presence (through the Spirit) and future physical return, all before the main event of Pentecost.
Acts 1 9 Word analysis
- When He had said these things: (Greek: ταῦτα εἰπὼν - tauta eipōn). This phrase signals the completion of Jesus' final instructions to His apostles on the Mount of Olives. It indicates a deliberate conclusion to His earthly teachings and appearances, marking a definitive end to this particular phase of His ministry.
- while they were watching: (Greek: βλεπόντων αὐτῶν - blepontōn autōn). This emphasizes the clear, direct, and conscious observation by the disciples. It underscores that the ascension was not a secret, spiritual, or symbolic event, but a visible, undeniable, physical reality witnessed by specific individuals. This public, verifiable nature establishes it as an authentic, historical event for those who would proclaim it.
- He was lifted up: (Greek: ἐπῃρθη - epērthē). This verb is in the passive voice, indicating that Jesus was being acted upon; He was elevated by divine power, not merely lifting Himself by His own volition or walking away. The act implies divine initiative and validation of Jesus' mission and authority. The Greek also conveys the sense of being "taken up," or "raised." This vertical movement signifies a transfer of location from earth to heaven, emphasizing exaltation to a position of glory and power at God's right hand.
- and a cloud: (Greek: νεφέλη - nephelē). In biblical literature, particularly the Old Testament, a cloud is a significant symbol of divine presence, glory (the Shekinah glory), and revelation (Ex 13:21; Ex 19:9; 1 Kgs 8:10; Dan 7:13). It is not merely a natural weather phenomenon but a supernatural, visible manifestation indicating God's intervention, concealment, or movement. Here, the cloud functions as a divine chariot or escort, ushering Jesus from the earthly realm into the divine realm.
- took Him: (Greek: ὑπέλαβεν - hypelaben). This verb, from hypolambanō, means "to receive," "to take up," "to intercept," or "to carry away." It indicates an active receiving action by the cloud. The cloud actively bore Him up and out of their view, rather than Him merely entering or disappearing into the cloud. It signifies a divine taking away and receiving of Jesus into His heavenly position.
- out of their sight: (Greek: ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν - apo tōn ophthalmon autōn). Literally, "from their eyes." This phrase indicates that Jesus moved beyond the range of human perception. It signifies a complete departure from their earthly sensory experience, transitioning from visible manifestation to invisible, heavenly enthronement. It doesn't mean He just moved behind a natural cloud, but rather entered a dimension beyond earthly sight, confirming His heavenly relocation and ending the period of post-resurrection appearances.
Acts 1 9 Bonus section
- The Ascension uniquely establishes Jesus as not only conqueror of death but also the reigning King, sitting at God's right hand (Heb 1:3), holding all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18).
- Unlike Elijah, who was taken to heaven but is still awaited (Mal 4:5), Jesus' ascension signifies a completed act and His full enthronement as sovereign, emphasizing His unique status as God Incarnate returning to His divine throne.
- The visible nature of the ascension provides theological certainty, acting as an irrefutable sign for the disciples and, through their testimony, for all believers that Jesus' bodily resurrection was complete and that He truly ascended to God.
- The departure was strategic; it necessitated the Spirit's coming, shifting the believers' reliance from Jesus' physical presence to His omnipresent power through the Spirit, enabling the Church to grow globally without Jesus' localized physical presence.
Acts 1 9 Commentary
Acts 1:9 provides the foundational understanding for Jesus' ascension, a pivotal event connecting His earthly ministry with His heavenly reign and the birth of the Church. This physical and observable departure, divinely orchestrated, affirmed Jesus' triumph over death and His exalted status, fulfilling ancient prophecies of a Son of Man returning to the Father on clouds. The presence of the cloud underscores the divine nature of the event and the glorious identity of Jesus, associating Him with God's very presence. This transition did not signify abandonment but initiated Jesus' mediatorial work in heaven, paving the way for the Holy Spirit's empowerment of His disciples to continue His mission globally, while simultaneously promising His future return in the same visible manner. It reoriented the disciples from a temporal, localized kingdom expectation to a spiritual, global mission under Christ's authority from heaven.