H
Holland
Guest
Do we actually know how many people witnessed the Ascension?
Acts 1:1-12
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In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
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until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
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He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
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While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak;
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for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”
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When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
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He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.
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But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
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When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
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While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
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They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
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Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.
Luke 24: 33-36. 50-51
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So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them
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who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
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Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
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While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
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13 Then he led **them **(out) as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them.
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As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven.
So it looks like it was at least the eleven remaining Apostles (after the departure of Judas but before Matthias was chosen) plus perhaps (but not certainly) an undetermined, but small, number of others that happened to be with them.Mark 16:14-19
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(But) later, as **the eleven **were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised.
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He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
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Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
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These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
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They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
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So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.