The Ascension Of Christ And It's Meaning
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Dive with me into the scriptures related to the ascension of Christ. Let's cross examine the texts to extract fuller details of the event and its meaning.
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Bible verses related to the ascension of Christ
Mark and Luke wrote about some of the Lord's appearances on the day of His Resurrection. However, they did not write about the forty day period that He spent with them.
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Luke's account of the ascension of Jesus
Luke said that Jesus led the disciples out to Bethany and ascended there.
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Book of Acts account of the ascension of Jesus
The writer of the Book of Acts said that Jesus remained with His disciples ascended on the Mount Olives.
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:...And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Act 1:11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
Apostle Paul documents appearances of the Lord to the twelve and to His Church
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
Significance of the ascension of Christ
The ascension
Jesus ascended to Heaven and is alive forevermore. The scriptures documents post ascension visions of the Lord:
- Stephen - Acts 7: 55 & 56.
- Apostle Paul - 1 Corinthians 15: 8.
- He is at the right hand of God - texts
- He rules over angels, powers and authority - 1 Peter 3: 22.
- He is the Head of the church and all fullness dwells in Him - Colossians 1: 18 & 19
Meaning of the 40 day stay with the church
For completion of the work - He had to give infallible proofs of His resurrection
Location of the ascension
Jesus ascended on Mount Olives (Acts 1: 12) in the region of Bethany. Bethany means "house of dates" or, "house of misery." It was a village on the Mount of Olives, about two miles (3 km) from Jerusalem, on or near the normal road to Jericho.
According to the AI review, Biblical Bethany is located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Modern day Bethany is the Palestinian town of Al-Eizariya (or al-Azariyeh), which is derived from the name Lazarus.
Bethany featured during the Lord's ministry:
- The home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha was located here, and He often spent time with them.
- It was that Lazarus who He raised from the dead.
- Lazarus' sister Mary was the one caught in the act of adultery, was the one out of whom He had cast seven devils; and it was this Mary who had anointed His feet with an expensive ointment.
- The house of the Pharisee Simon the leper was here, and Jesus was hosted in him home.
Mount Olives will be the location of His return as King of Earth
Jesus will touch down with His saints on Mount Olives when He returns in the ninth millennium to reign in the earth. The Angels thus confirmed Zechariah's prophecy when they said, "this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1: 11):
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Zec 14:5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.Zec 14:9And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Bethany in Jerusalem, Israel
Appearance of the Angels at the ascension of Jesus
Angelic visitations were normal in the life of Jesus. They appeared to Mary and Joseph before His birth, to shepherds at His birth, during His temptation, at His resurrection and now at His ascension.
The purpose of the Angelic visitation is to bear witness on behalf of Heaven that He indeed ascended to Heaven.
So we have, in keeping with the order of God, the witness of His disciples and the witness of Heaven via the Angels of God. The order of God is to establish His Word by two or three witnesses:
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
Jesus' Ascension maps the first resurrection
The first resurection is documented in the scriptures as the ascension of the saints into Heaven to be with the Lord. We must watch and pray and keep our lives clean in order to be counted worthy:
1Th 4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1Co 15:42
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:51
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Co 15:53
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Rewards wull be given to those who are resurrected
Luk 14:14
And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Luk 20:35But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
The saints will rule and reign with Christ over the earth for 1000 years
The first resurrection will precede the 1000 year rule of Christ with His saints. People who died outside of Christ will remain in the graves until the second resurrection which will take place at the end of the world:
Rev 20:1
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
NB:
Enoch ascended and never died
Elijah ascended and never died
Saints in the earth live the heavenly life because of the ascension of Christ
The scriptures teach that the saints are assigned a priviledged position in the heavenly places because of Christ's ascension:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Conclusion
Jesus ascended to take up His position of authority as Head of the Church and to continue to rule over all of the powers of darkness.
Everything in heaven and earth is under His authority. They must obey His commands.
He arose to continue His ministry of edifying or teaching His church through he elders He appointes.
We believe He ascended and is returning - first to catch His saints away in the First Resurrection then secondly to rule as King over earth for 1000 years:
Revelation 1: 18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
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