Chapter 2. 12
The Ascension
Of Christ
The ascension of the Saints in Abrahams Bosom
The ascension revealed the mystery of the
Gentiles
First
Word
Much emphasis is placed
on the second coming of Christ and rightfully so; but this study is to
look at the implications of His leaving this world and the impact it has on the
Christian’s life.
The
Mountain
Definition: Ascension; to be taken up; the
exaltation of Christ into the presence of the Father in GLORY after His resurrection from the dead
Location: There are two
places on the Mount of Olives that Christ is said to have ascended.
1)
The Russian Orthodox Church has The Bell Tower as one of the locations
and;
2)
The Chapel of
the Ascension which covers a rock which Christ is said to have ascended
from. It was built by Queen Helena, the
mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine.
The Chapel has been destroyed and rebuilt twice. No one knows
for sure where the exact place is.
Setting
the Stage
In the Old Testament
the High Priest only would enter the “Holy of Holies” once a year[1]
and offer “Atoning” sacrifices and
prayers for himself as well as prayers for the sins of the people including
sins that they had committed in ignorance. This was a BLOOD sacrifice given once a year with the SMOKE of the fat ASCENDING up to heaven
with the prayers of the people, this was done EVERY year. This offering could not ever take away the
sin, but only cover it up with atonement.
When Christ ascended; He did not enter a manmade sanctuary, but He
entered Heaven itself in the presence of Almighty God. His Crucifixion made the
FINAL Atoning Sacrifice once and forever,
doing away with the Sin sacrifices that were offered over and over again.[2]
Jesus become our High Priest FOREVER after the order
of Melchizedek
and is READY at this very minute to bring salvation to
those that are waiting for His second coming
Prophecies
In the Psalms; David
writes about two processional events;
The
first procession being His
ascension into heaven accompanied by those in “Abrahams Bosom” or Paradise,
those that the Lord set free and took with Him to Heaven.[3]
The second procession is when He
returns to earth with the Angels and the Saints; that would be US. This is a procession of the Angles singing for
“The Gates”
in heaven to be flung open for The King of Glory and
a voice comes back, “Who is this King of Glory?”
I wish everyone could hear the anthem “Lift up your heads O you gates” [4]
with a full orchestra and choir; singing the antiphonal question “Who is this
King of Glory?” then responding with the answer” The Lord mighty in
Battle” It will make you want
to shout. SELAH
Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up,
you ancient doors that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Jesus
speaks
Jesus prophesied about his own
ascension. He tells His
Disciples that He is going to the One who sent Him. Jesus tells them this before it all happened,
so they would be comforted, that when it did happen they would all believe and
not doubt. Speaking of His death on the
Cross, Jesus said He would be lifted up to draw men to Him. This lifting up was
only “a
shadow” of Him being lifted up at His ascension to the Father.[5]
Jesus came to minister and to give His life as a ransom for many, and that
had now been accomplished. He said He
must ascend so that the comforter; the Holy Spirit can descend on them with
Spiritual Gifts.[6]
In the Old Testament we find God
is center stage and in the New Testament, Jesus is center stage, now in the church age, the Holy Spirit has now become “Center Stage”.
Paradise
In Jewish theology,
the “Blessed
Souls” or those in the “Friendship of God” await in a compartment of
Hell that is called Paradise or Abraham’s bosom. After Christ’s death on the cross, He
descended into Hell to preach to the captives in Abrahams Bosom and when He
ascended to Heaven, He took the whole compartment with Him with all the
captives that were in it.[7] When Paradise was relocated to heaven, Hell
was enlarged.
The Term Friend is used loosely today, like an
acquaintance, but back then it meant someone that you were in a blood covenant with. What your
FRIEND had was yours
and what you had was his. When we get to
heaven we will realize the promise made to us through the down payment of the
Holy Spirit, what Jesus has will be ours.
He takes our sins and we take part in His glory. Those in the “Friendship of God” embrace the
blood covenant made by God; first to Adam then to Abraham and now to Jesus the
Christ. The Believer is in Blood Covenant with Jesus’s sacrificial blood on the cross.
Instructions
During a forty day period
after the resurrection, there were ten recorded appearances of Jesus
before He ascended to the Father. He showed Himself to many and gave convincing
proofs that he was alive and explained all things about the “Kingdom of God”
to His Apostles starting with Moses and down through all the Prophets.[8] Before the ascension, Jesus gave instructions
and teachings directly to the disciples and then after the Ascension; from the
right hand of God, His instruction came through the indwelling of The Holy
Spirit.
Human
knowledge must be understood to be believed; but Divine
knowledge must be believed to be understood. (Pascal)
The Bible must be “Divinely” understood.
Minds must be opened by the Holy Spirit.
The Ascension
Traditionally
it is believed that the Ascension occurred on the Mount of Olives where they spent so much time. Jesus told them not to “hold on to him” here
on earth that He must return to His Father.[9] He did not transfer from one position to
another, but from one condition to another; matter transformed into “Shekinah Glory”
energy. He lifted up his hands and
blessed his Disciples and while He was blessing them he was taken up into
Heaven[10]
and a Shekinah
Glory cloud hid Him from their sight.[11] He will return the same way blessing
the Church; but judging the world.
As He ascended to Heaven, He took the
Saints in Paradise or “Abraham’s Bosom” with Him and then poured out the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples and
other believers on earth.[12] The Gifts are given as the Spirit determines
for the building up of the body of Christ; no gift is given to develop YOU personally, it is given so you can function
within the body. Each person has been
given at least one Gift and the grace to use it. To NOT exercise your Gift is a loss to the body of
Christ; the whole body suffers from the loss of any gift. SELAH
The Life of Christ did not save anyone. It was His Death, resurrection
and ascension that brought “The Redemption” that saves man.
The
Significance
The
Old Covenant was removed in order to establish The New Covenant. Both Covenants were given by God. The sacrificial system in the OT began with
Abel and ended in the NT with Jesus Christ.
The Significance of the ascension was the hyper-exaltation of Christ to the HIGHEST PLACE; to the right hand of God signifying that His
atoning work is COMPLETE and FINAL.
When he set the captives free in “Abraham’s Bosom”, it signaled His Victory over death and the grave.[13] His Glory, His position of Fellowship and
Honor with God that He had before the world began was restored and He resumed
His work. He received a Name above
His perfect manhood lets Him identify with man; to sympathize and
intercede for him and stands as his advocate before the Father.[15] God made Him head
over everything of the Church.[16] The ascension did not make a Physical remoteness,
but a Spiritual nearness.[17] He waits for the time His enemies are subdued
and become His footstool; then He will return again and establish the awaited “Kingdom of God”.[18]
SIDEBAR: A Specific Law of
gravity was suspended at the
Ascension of Jesus
Christ and is a miracle in a category all by itself
and it will happen again at the second coming of Christ with His Saints. The
Bible implies instances of “specific Law of Gravity
suspension”; in the OT Enoch was taken up to heaven; Elijah
went up to heaven in a whirlwind; An Ax head floated
on water. In the NT Paul was taken up to heaven and Peter walked
on water.[19]
This is the miracle of not ALL gravity being suspended, but “Specific”
Gravity. Ponder that.
It’s
in the Book
In God’s presence
After
Jesus was raised from the dead and by his own blood ascended into the
heavens into the
Most Holy Place, God set him as co-regent at his right hand in the
Heavenly realm and gave him authority to rule with power and dominion and
raised Him above every title that can be given now or even “thought of” in the
future.[20] God placed all things in the universe under
his feet and appointed Him “Head over the Church”; we as believers make up the
Church coming under His Authority and Grace.
All powers, authorities and Angles are in submission to Him. He is our High Priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek.[21]
Then Christ poured out the Holy Spirit on
the believers to write His laws on their hearts and now intercedes at the right
hand of the Father for us and remembers our sins no more.[22] He has prepared a different place for each
believer that no one else can occupy; and we will be where He is. If you can just grasp the concept that He is
Omnipresence or that He is everywhere at once, then you can grasp the thought
that you might just have your own planet
where you get to rule and reign with Him somewhere in the House of His
universe.[23]
Think about it. We
are in His house right now and a better one is coming. SELAH
He will reign in Heaven till His SECOND COMING,
then He will return to Earth as the
reigning Messiah.
Good News for the Gentiles
It
was after Jesus had ascended to the Father that Jesus arrested Paul on
the road to Damascus. This was
significant as Paul would be the one CHOSEN; predestined
to take the “Good
News” to the Gentiles as Peter was taking it to the Jews. What an amazing impact THE ASCENSION has had on the
Church and on the bride of Christ; what an impact it has had on ME and on YOU.[24]
Trinity
The Stage is the World where life is
played out as the INVISIBLE WAR continues and all creation observes God’s
patience and grace.
In the Old
Testament, God is center stage with Jesus and the Holy Spirit in
the wings
In the New
Testament, Jesus
is center stage with God and the Holy Spirit in the wings.
Today, in Modern
Times, The
Holy Spirit is center stage with
God and Jesus in the wings.
The Trinity has always been present, at all times.
The Return
Christ
will come back to earth in bodily form to receive the believing saints
in the same way that he ascended. There
will be a loud Trumpet CALL and He will
come on the clouds
with power and great glory gathering the Elect from the North, East, South and
West. The “Clouds” are interesting, as in
the OT the “Shekinah
Glory” of the Lord was in the form of a cloud resting above the
tabernacle and because of Israel’s sin; God’s Glory left.
It seems good to me that the Shekinah Glory cloud
will once again appear at His return.[25] SELAH
He will rule as the “Reigning Messiah”
with an iron scepter.
The Take Away
Jesus’
Ascension restored Him to His former Glory and power and He now sits at
the right hand of God the Father interceding for us as our High Priest forever. He has defeated the curse of death and has
won victory over the grave setting the captives in Paradise free. He
There is no Lone Ranger Christians; we all make
up the body of Christ with each member supplying the gift that God has given
you. If you are not using your gift in
the body, the whole body suffers, not just you.
The gifts are given to edify the church, to encourage each other. Don’t forsake the gathering of the flock in
church as many have become accustomed to doing.
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.
A faith without works is a
dead faith.[26]
It’s in the Book
[1] Hebrews 9:7-9 – Only the
High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies
[2] Hebrews 6:20 – Jesus
become our High Priest FOREVER
-- Hebrews
10:11-14 – Jesus made the FINAL sacrifice for our sins --
Hebrews 9:24-28 – He did away with the Believer’s
sin with His own sacrifice
[3] Psalms 68:18 – The
procession included those in Abrahams Bosom
[4] Psalms 24:7-10 – Heaven get ready; The King of Glory is coming
[5] John 6:62 – Jesus
prophesizes about his own ascension. -- John 7:33-34 – I now go to the one who
sent me -- John 14:28-29 - I have told you now before it happens so you will
not doubt -- John 12:32-33 – When I am lifted Up; Men will be drawn to me
[6] John 16:7-8 – I will send
the Holy Spirit to descend on you
[7] Luke 23:43 – Jesus died and went to Paradise; Abrahams Bosom --
Ephesians 4:8-10 – He descended first to hell to lead
out the captives in Paradise
[8] Acts 1:2-3 – Jesus gives
instructions to the Believer through the Holy Spirit -- Luke 24:26-27 – Jesus
explained what the prophets said: that He must suffer -- 1 Corinthians 2:14 –
The Things of God are spiritually discerned
[9] John 20:17 – Do not hold
me back, for I am, returning to my Father -- Acts 2:4 – The Spirit enables them
to use their spiritual gifts
[10] Luke 24:50-51 – Jesus was
blessing the Disciples as He was taken up
[11] Acts 1:6-9 – As Jesus was
taken up, a cloud hid Him from their sight --
[12] Ephesians 4:7-8 – When He
ascended, He gave Spiritual Gifts to men. -- Acts 2:4 – Spirit enables them to
use their spiritual gifts
[13] Ephesians 4:8 – Jesus has
Victory over the grave and death
[14] When Jesus ascended to
Heaven He was restored to His previous Glory -- Philippians 2:9 – Jesus was
exalted and received THE name above every name -- Hebrews 6:19-20 – Jesus is of the Order of the High Priest Melchizedek --
Hebrews 4:14 – Jesus became our High Priest in Heaven -- 1 John 2:1 – He is now
our advocate with the Father
[15] Hebrews 2:18 – Because Christ was tempted, He understands the temptations of
man -- Hebrews 7:25 – Christ intercedes for the Believer and saves them
completely
[16] Ephesians 1:22 – Jesus
became Head over everything for the Church
[17] Acts 2:33 – Jesus’
ascension poured out the PROMISED Holy Spirit
[18] Psalms 110:1 – When His
enemies become His footstool He will return
[19] 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 –
The Rapture; Gravity suspended -- Genesis 5:24 –
Enoch was taken up to heaven; Gravity suspended
-- 2 Kings 2:11 – Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind; Gravity suspended -- 2 Kings 6:5-6 –An Ax head floats
on water for the Prophet; Gravity suspended -- 2 Corinthians 12:2 – Paul was taken up to
the third heaven; Gravity suspended --
Matthew14:29 – Peter walked on water; Gravity suspended
[20] Hebrews 9:12 – Christ
entered the Most Holy Place by His own sacrificial blood -- Ephesians 1:18-22 –
Jesus is set at right hand of God and has been given every title &
authority -- 1 Peter 3:22 – Authorities, Powers and Angles are placed under
submission to Christ
[21] Psalms 110:4 – God has
sworn that Jesus is a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek -- Romans
8:34 – Christ is now interceding for us at the right hand of God
[22] Acts 2:32-33 – The Holy
Spirit is poured out on believers -- Hebrews 10:15-17 – The Holy Spirit will
write God’s laws in men’s hearts and minds
[23] John 14:2-3 – He is
preparing a place for us and will return and take us there -- 2 Timothy 2:11-12
– We will rule, reign and teach with Christ; we will be like Him
[24] Acts 9:1-6 – The Ascension of Jesus opened the door for the Gentiles to be
grafted into the Jewish vine
[25] Acts 1:10-11 – Jesus will
come back the same way he left; in the clouds -- Matthew 24:30-31 – He will
return with a loud trumpet call coming on the clouds -- Numbers 16:42 – The SHEKINAH GLORY appears in a cloud --
Revelation 12:5 – Jesus will rule the nations with an iron scepter
[26] Hebrews 10:25 - Do not neglect meeting together, as some people
do, but encourage one another -- Hebrews 2:4 – God gave Gifts to man according
to His will -- 1 Corinthians
14:12 – The Gifts build up the church -- James 2:26 – Faith without works is a dead faith -- Ephesians 4:30 – Do not grieve the Holy
Spirit
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