No, The disciples did not see Jesus ascend since there was nothing to see, since only the spirit of Jesus ascended and one cannot see a spirit.
Two men dressed in white (angels) stood beside the disciples and they said to the disciples: “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
I think it is amazing that you can say that the disciples did not see Jesus ascend and then quote the very verse that tells us that the disciples saw Jesus ascend. I highlighted it just in case you missed it for the 1000th time.
John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
When Jesus said
“I will come again” He was not referring to coming back to earth again. Jesus said that His work was finished here and He was no more in the world: (
John 14:19,
John 17:4,
John 17:11).
John 14:2-3 is Jesus speaking to His disciples. It is not Jesus promising anyone else He will return to earth. When Jesus said “
I will come again” He was not talking about His physical body returning to earth, He was referring to His Spirit coming again, which it did, in another person who was the return of the Christ spirit with a new name (
Isaiah 62:2, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 3:12)
Jesus said to the disciples
“I will come again, and receive you unto myself” Jesus knew He was going to heaven, and He was telling His disciples that He would prepare a place for them in heaven so they could be with Him in heaven --
that where I am, there ye may be also.
Hypothetically speaking, if Jesus returned to earth now, the disciples could not 'receive Jesus' since the disciples are no longer living on earth.
John 14:3 is one of the most misunderstood verses in the New Testament so it is no wonder the Bible commentaries do not agree on what it means.
I like the way you are so organised and have passages which you have prepared earlier, to cut and paste.
When I answered this in my previous post I did miss out those verses that say it was the Christ Spirit with a different name.
Isa 62:2 is speaking about a new name for Zion.
Isa 62:1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
Rev 2:17 is speaking about those in the church at Pergamum being given a white stone with a new name on it. It does not say whose name it is.
Actually it looks as if there are many names, as the only person who knows the name is the one to whom it is given. So each person in the church who overcomes will get a new name.
Rev 2:17................To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Rev 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
For a start we should note that it is Jesus who is speaking to all the Churches in this section of Revelatin. We see this in Rev 1 where it starts.
Rev 1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One;
I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[
e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
So it is Jesus who is saying that He (Jesus) has will get a new name. You know,,,,,,,,,,, this same Jesus gets a new name. It is not someone else with a different name it is Jesus with getting a new name.
But you can cherry pick that verse if you want but it shows nothing about Baha'u'llah and it does not even say that Jesus is going to loose the name Jesus. It probably means that He will have another name added,,,,,,,,,,,,,, just as the white stone of Rev 2:17 means another name added to their initial name. (If it was not a name added in Rev 2:17 nobody would know what to call them, as only the people given the name know what it is)
Why change the subject? We are not talking about those verses. We are talking about the return of Christ.
It's not a change of subject really as it is still talking about Jesus saying that He would return,,,,,,,, but in them He calls Himself the Son of Man as He does in many places.
eg Jesus asked His disciples "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" (
Matthew 16:13).
But that is easy for you, He must be talking about 2 sons of man,,,,,,,,,,,, of course,,,,,,,,,,,,, the one who was on earth 2000 years ago and another one who comes to raise the dead and judge everyone.
But Jesus said that all judgement has been given to Him (Jesus) (John 5) and that all those in the graves will hear His voice.
John 5: 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the
Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because
he is the Son of Man.
That's one of those predictions that Baha'u'llah did not and could not do and it is definitely about Jesus, the Son of God anyway.
But Baha'u'llah's followers don't care if it is about Jesus, to them it MUST be about Baha'u'llah and it does not actually mean that people will be raised back to life.