Chapter­­­­­­ 8.

Jesus Ascends To Heaven

 

Luke wrote 2 of the 27 New Testament Books, the Gospel that bears his name and the Book entitled “The Acts of the Apostles”.  Both of these Books are addressed to “Theophilus”.  Probably, Luke and a man with this name were friends.  But, since the Greek version of this name translates to “Loved by God” or “Friend of God”, some believe the name to be an honorary title Luke assigned to a particular man.  And, others believe the name to be a generic title pointing to every adherent to the Christian faith, including you and me.

 

In the opening verses of Acts, Luke provides an overview of the events that transpired during the 40 day period that began with the day of  Christ’s Resurrection.  He commences by referring to his earlier Book, the Gospel of Luke.

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 ... (Acts 1:1-2a)

The phrase, “taken up”, in this passage depicts the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven.  Counting Easter Sunday as day 1, on the 40th day, Jesus said farewell to His

disciples, floated upward, and sat down on Heaven’s Throne at the right hand of Father God.

 

 

 

Jesus Prepared the Apostles

For His Ascension.

 

Luke highlights some things Jesus did after His Resurrection and before His departure for Heaven.

... 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 ... 

(Acts 1:2b-3)

Here, Luke mentions 3 ways Jesus interacted with His Apostles before He Ascended.

 

1.  He gave commandments to them “through the

 Holy Ghost”.  About a week after Jesus went to

 Heaven, on the holiday known as the “Day of

 Pentecost”, the Holy Spirit took up residence

 inside every Christian on Earth.  And since that

 day, everyone who has become a Christian has been

 filled with the Holy Spirit.  But, even in that 40

 day period of transition from the “Age of the Son

 of Man” to the “Age of the Holy Spirit”, ­­­­­­­­­­the

 Spirit actively interacted with the Apostles. 

 And, Jesus worked through the Spirit to plant His

 commandments in the minds of His Apostles.

 

  2. As we have seen in earlier chapters, Jesus “showed

 Himself alive” to them “by many infallible

 proofs”.

 

  3. He spoke to them of things “pertaining to the

     Kingdom of God”.  We know that Jesus and the Holy

     Spirit gave the Apostles visions of the formation

     of the New Testament Church and of the future His

     followers would face, because the writings of the

     early Christians in the New Testament delineate

     how Churches should function and what future

     events Christians should anticipate.  We are not

     sure how much of this information was given in the

     period between Christ’s Resurrection and His

     Ascension and how much was revealed later.  So

     here, we have sketched topics that Jesus may have

     discussed as He portrayed the “Kingdom of God”.

 

·        The Beginning of the Kingdom:

Jesus taught, “To form a kingdom there must be a body of people who recognize one person as their king.  From the moment I became flesh and began living among men, I attracted a fellowship of followers.  Mary and Joseph believed I was divine and destined for greatness.  Elizabeth and Zacharias and even their unborn son, John, recognized Me as their Lord.  The wise men from the East called Me the ‘King of the Jews’.  And, Simeon and Anna recognized Me as the long-awaited Messiah.”

 

·        The Flourishing of the Kingdom:

Jesus stated, ”When I was 30, I began My earthly ministry.  John the Baptist hailed Me as ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’.  Some of you men were followers of John and you became My first Apostles.  Soon, I added the rest of you to My team.  And, as we ministered throughout Israel, many became convinced that I was the promised Messiah.  By Palm Sunday, the Sunday preceding My Death, Burial and Resurrection, thousands believed Me to be the ‘King of the Jews’.  My Crucifixion raised serious doubts.  Then, My Resurrection and subsequent appearances in My glorified, Resurrection body sparked enduring faith in the hearts and souls of you and your fellow believers.”

 

·        Until I Return, the Kingdom Will Be the Church: 

Jesus explained, “As you take the Gospel to the world, believers will congregate for prayer and worship.  These groups, called ‘Churches’, will be local parts of the worldwide New Testament Church which will become known as ‘The Body of Christ’ and ‘The Bride of Christ’.  From Heaven’s Throne, I will serve as the King and High Priest of the whole movement.”.

 

·        The “Age of the Holy Spirit” Will Dawn, Soon:

Jesus disclosed, “Shortly after I depart, the

Holy Ghost will come to you and reside inside

each of you.  He will comfort you when times are tough.  He will endue you with joy.  And, He will empower you to soldier on, taking the Gospel to the nations.  Also, He will take up residence in every new believer.  He will motivate the Church till I return to Earth to establish My Kingdom, and He will remain in each of you forever.”

 

·        The “Rapture” Will Re-locate the Church:

Jesus revealed, “The Church will eagerly witness to every tribe and nation and tongue, but many non-believers will despise it and fight against its teachings with help from Satan and his minions.  Shunning moral constraints, worldly cultural, commercial and political entities will plunge into chaos and corruption.  Out of this dark turbulence a wicked strongman will arise and become the absolute ruler of the whole world.  Christians will call him ‘The Anti-Christ’.  He will seek to eradicate the Church.  But, just before his reign begins, I will whisk the Church off the face of the Earth.  I will come to the upper atmosphere flanked by all the believers who have died and entered ‘Pre-Millennial Heaven’, previously.  These heavenly saints will be wearing beautiful, ‘Pre-Rapture’ bodies.  From the clouds, I will call forth from the Earth the remains of each heavenly saint and merge them with that saint’s ‘Pre-Rapture’ body to form that saint’s ‘Eternal’ body.  Then, I will transform the body of each saved soul on Earth into that soul’s ‘Eternal’ body and cause that soul to float upward to meet Me in the clouds.  It will be a rapturous moment.”

 

·        7 Years of Tribulation Will Ensue:

Jesus taught, “The Anti-Christ will rule the nations for 7 years.  He will come to power promising peace and prosperity, but after he has formed a mighty, global police force, loyal only to himself, he will exert ruthless, dictatorial authority.  At the midpoint of his reign, he will outlaw all known religions and say, ‘I am god.  Worship me!’  He will insist that every person on Earth display an indelible mark on his or her forehead or hand, signifying that he or she believes that he, the Anti-Christ, is the only true god.  Those who refuse to wear the mark will be murdered.  These outrageous deeds of the Anti-Christ will cause Me to throw down dreadful judgments upon the Earth, tribulations even greater than those inflicted on the ancient Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  So, the last half of the Anti-Christ’s reign will be filled with horrors.  I will blast the Earth with plagues of vicious insects, bombardments by fiery comets, and pandemic diseases, provoking the Anti-Christ and his partisans.  Even in these trying times, some of Earth’s residents will put their faith in Me and the Spirit and the Father.  And, many of these believers will migrate to Jerusalem.  This will infuriate the Anti-Christ.  He will muster his armies and come against the Holy City.  And then, I will intervene.  I will come with the angels and slaughter him and his combatants in the Valley of Armageddon.”

 

·        My Kingdom Will Grace Earth For 1000 Years:

Jesus stated, “After the Anti-Christ and his armies are destroyed, I will place My Kingdom on Earth.  I will reign from Jerusalem for 1000  years, and all believers of all times will reign with Me.  At the onset of this ‘Millennium’, the Earth will be restored; everywhere, it will be like the Garden of Eden.  All its creatures will be tame.  None will be predators.  None will be dangerous.  There will be non-believers on Earth, those who survived the 7 year tribulation.  You and all the other believers, wearing your ‘Eternal’ bodies, will be priests to them.  You will tell them about Me and urge them to make Me their Lord.” 

 

·        Satan Will Lead Unbelieving Millennials To Hell:

Jesus said, “At the beginning of the Millennium, Satan will be jailed in a ‘bottomless pit’.  So, evil entities like the pornographic industry, low-life musical groups, worldly entertainers, wicked war-lords and their ruthless armies, and large criminal organizations will not be seen for 1000 years.  Even so, the ‘natural’ inhabitants of Earth will have to deal with the more personal, sinful attractions that tempt men and women, such as pride and the allure of sexual immorality.  Amazingly, though I am governing Earth and millions of priestly saints, wearing their eternal bodies, are evangelizing the ‘natural’ inhabitants, many of these will remain unsaved.  At the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be loosed from the ‘bottomless pit’ and allowed to tempt the citizens of the world.  He will find followers, rebels who hate Me.  He will organize these malcontents into a large army and lead them against Me and the Holy City.  Just as the Anti-Christ will have done earlier, he will approach Jerusalem through the Valley of Armageddon.  And again, I will defeat My adversaries there and dispatch them to Hell.”
 

·        Then, the Final Judgment Will Commence:

Jesus disclosed, “The end of My 1000 year reign will trigger 2 spectacular events.  The Earth will vaporize in a fiery blast.  And, I and My Father and the Spirit, the Triune God, will gather together every soul that has ever lived on Earth upon a vast surface somewhere in the expansive Universe.  Billions will be there.  I and the other members of the Trinity will sit on a Great White Throne.  Every soul there will kneel and confess that the Triune God is the Lord of all.  Each soul will be examined.  And, I will set the ‘sheep’, the saved souls, on My right side and the ‘goats’, the unsaved souls, on My left.  The goats will be sent to everlasting punishment in Hell; the sheep to the eternal joys of Heaven.” 

 

·        A New Heaven and Earth  Will Receive the Saved:

Jesus revealed, “When the Judgment is complete, the saints will behold a beautiful structure descending from above.  John, you will see this marvelous site in a vision I will present to you in your latter days.  And, you will describe it in your writings.  You will say ...

...  I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (Revelation 21:1-3)

Thus, the Kingdom of God , the Church, will settle into its permanent home.”

 

 

 

Jesus Commanded,

“Stay Here

Till the Spirit Comes!”

 

Frequently, in the period between His Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus emphasized that He was leaving Earth and that the Holy Spirit was coming to guide the activities of Church members.  He indicated that the Spirit would reside in each believer and endue him or her with “power from on high”.  And, He referred to this blessing as the “promise of My Father”.  As the day for His departure drew near, He told His Apostles to wait for the “promise” in the city of Jerusalem.  He said ...

... behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 

(Luke 24:49)

And probably, on the Day of Ascension ...

... being assembled together with them, [He] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.  (Acts 1:4-5)

And, about 7 days later, on the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit arrived and the “Age of the Holy Spirit” began.   So, some basic tenants of the Christian faith were set in place.  For sure, when a repentant man invites the Lord into his heart, the Holy Spirit baptizes him; He enters the man and washes every sin-stain from his soul.  The man becomes a brand new person inside.  Then, to show the world that he is a new creature in Christ, he publicly professes his faith and is dipped in water to proclaim that his sins have been washed away.  He is doubly baptized, immersed in the Spirit and immersed in water.

 

 

 

Still, Some Apostles

Wanted Jesus

To Reign Immediately.

 

Even after all Christ’s explanations and prophecies about the future development of the Church, a few of the Apostles were confused.  They wanted Jesus to take charge of the world immediately.  Patiently, once again, Jesus declared, “My Millennial Kingdom will be established after the Church has taken the Gospel to the world.”  Luke says ...

When they [the Apostles] therefore were come together [on the Day of Ascension], they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  (Acts 1:6-8)

 

 

 

Jesus Led the Apostles

To the Mount of Olives.

 

With intense emotions, Jesus led His devoted men to a spot near Bethany on the Mount of Olives, just East of Jerusalem.  It was a beautiful day in May.  Many manly hugs were shared.  Eyes were moist.  Great joy and great sadness abounded.

... he [Jesus] led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.  (Luke 4:50)

 

 

 

Slowly,

Jesus Floated Upward.

 

Standing in the glow of the afternoon sun, with a gentle breeze fluttering His magnificent garments, glowing with the radiance of Heaven, Jesus blessed His intimate friends.  As He did, His glorious, Resurrection body drifted upward, majestically.  His men were in awe as they watched.  Luke discloses ...

... it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 

And they worshipped him ...  (Luke 24:52a)

And, in his latter book, Luke adds ...

... when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  (Acts 1:9)

 

 

 

Two Angels

Materialized in the Midst

Of the Apostles.

 

Two angels joined the assembly of Apostles.  Were these the angels who opened and monitored Jesus’ empty tomb on Easter morning?  We do not know.  But, this we do know,, they voiced an interesting prophecy.  Luke states ...

... while they [the Apostles] looked stedfastly toward heaven as he [Jesus] went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which 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. 

(Acts 1:10-11)

So, we know that when Jesus returns to Earth for the Rapture and, later, for the destruction of the Anti-Christ and his armies, He will appear among the clouds, initially.  For the Rapture, He will remain in the air, but for the battle with the Anti-Christ, He will descend to Earth, defeat his adversaries. and install His Millennial Kingdom.  Presumably, the angels returned to Heaven shortly after they delivered their prophecy.

 

 

 

The Apostles

Returned to Jerusalem.

 

The occasion put the Apostles into an upbeat mood.  They knew what Jesus wanted them to do, and they were eager to do it.  They anticipated the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  They were determined to build the New Testament Church.  They fervently desired to see men and women saved and Heaven-bound.  In obedience to Christ’s command, they returned to Jerusalem to await the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Luke tells us ...

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.  (Acts 1:12)

And ...

... [they] returned to Jerusalem with great joy ...  (Luke 24:52b)

 

 

 

Awaiting the Spirit,

The Apostles

Worshipped in the Temple.

 

While the Apostles awaited the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit, they spent most of their waking hours worshipping in the Temple.

... [They] were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.  (Luke 24:53)