Acts 1:6-8   Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”   He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.   But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I love this passage of scripture. If you can imagine the disciples on this day - they had gone through a roller coaster ride of emotions over the past 50 days. They had seen their Lord crucified. And then had gone into hiding … until they discovered in amazement, He was alive! Just over 7 weeks had transpired and they were now watching Jesus departing Earth and returning to His Father. The disciples were understandably unsure what was next, and so they asked a very reasonable question — "Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?"

Notice that Jesus did not answer the question directly or give them the details they were expecting. He merely said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons…." But then He called them to be Holy Spirit empowered witnesses for Him and His Kingdom.

We don't know the exact timing of His return and the coming of His Kingdom either, but just as those disciples were called, we also are called to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses. We must seek the fullness of His Spirit, become empowered, and eagerly participate in this great end time mission, a harvest that likely will dwarf all that has gone before, and be part of a rich welcome for our glorious and awesome God!