The  Messiah’s Secret – Celebrating  the  Ascension

Christians Together Haslingden 

 

  In Acts 1 we read that Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, “As the disciples were looking on, Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

Jesus was greeted into his Father’s kingdom David’s Psalm captures the moment. “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the king of glory may come in. Who is the king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.”Psalm  24: 9, 10.

The  welcome the Lord must have received on his return to heaven.  

How the angels must have praised and sang just as we read they did at his birth. A multitude of heavenly hosts saying,”Glory to God in the highest and peace to all men.”

I liken it to the Queen’s coronation the crowds lined the streets, cheering and singing ‘God save our gracious Queen’ flags waving, trumpets sounded and bands played and bells rang out throughout the land.

Pearly gates 

The heavenly Jerusalem has 12 gates, each gate made of a single pearl.  

Pearls are found in oysters, they are the result of a parasite entering the oyster's shell. The oyster sends a solution to the parasite, over a period of time this solution becomes the pearl. If the parasite represents our sin and the solution that destroys the parasite the blood of Jesus. Jesus' blood blots out our sin and the beautiful pearl represents our salvation.   Revelation 21: 21 We enter the heavenly city by grace and faith in Jesus. 

 Where is heaven?    

Isaiah wrote of the Kingdom of heaven being in the North of the universe above the stars.  Isaiah 14: 13 Acts 1: 9, 12.                                                                                                                                 

Jesus’ Ascension signalled the start of the union between heaven and earth. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 1: 10. “God’s plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him in heaven and on earth.”

The Ascension is a crucial part of our eternal salvation. Jesus has united heaven and earth through his death, resurrection and his Ascension.

Paul in his letter to the Colossians 1: 13. Wrote that every Christian has been united with Christ, and transferred while we live on earth by the Spirit into Christ’s heavenly kingdom.

Our entrance into heaven, scripture says there is joy in heaven when a person repents, how we rejoice when a person comes to faith in Jesus and I wonder how much more in heaven will the angels be rejoicing when a new Christian is passing through the gates. Revelation 4: 1.

Paul in his letter to the Ephesians wrote “When Jesus ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

The captives ascended with Jesus, these were the people, who Jesus preached his message to in prison or  as we say in the creed ‘ Jesus died and went to hell’ these people  had died  before Jesus lived on earth and in God’s justice he gave them the opportunity to hear and believe in Jesus.

‘And he gave gifts to men’ His Ascension made it possible for the Holy Spirit to come and reveal to us the truth about Jesus’ Ascension and giving us spiritual gifts.

“And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.” Ephesians 4: 8, 11 

These gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit to build up and bless the church, Christ’s body.  

Again in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he wrote, “We have been blessed with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places.” Ephesians 1: 3.   

 What are the spiritual blessings?   

While on earth:  We are citizens of heaven. Philippians 2:20

Children of God and joint heirs in Christ. Romans 8:16, 17.

Imitators of God empowered to imitate Jesus by his Spirit and word in us. Ephesians 5: 1 

Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 20.     

In heaven after Jesus returns

Reign and rule with Christ in his kingdom. Revelation 20: 4. Daniel 7: 22

Judge angels. 1 Corinthians 6:3

Authority over cities. Luke 19: 17. 

When Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives he also fulfilled Daniel's prophecy of 70 weeks of years. 
From the completion of Zerubbabel's temple 515 BC on the 69th week the Christ would be cut off from his people, which was fulfilled when Jesus ascended into heaven. 
Daniel prophesied this would be followed by by wars, famine, earthquakes and floods. In 70 AD the Jerusalem temple and city were destroyed. 
What has yet to be fulfilled: the last 7 years of the 70 weeks, which will begin with three and a half years of peace followed by what is called the great tribulation were the antichrist turns on Israel and her allies." Daniel 9: 27. 

So when will Jesus return?     

Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonians 1: 10 he writes that Jesus will call out his church to go to the marriage supper of the Jesus and his bride, the church before the start of the tribulation. 

The difference between being ascended like Jesus and being translated.

Jesus died before being taken up from the earth to heaven. Jesus had his own body in his resurrection, a body without blood that had the marks of the nails and the sword that pierced his side.  

Translated 

Enoch and Elijah were alive when they were taken up from the earth into heaven.   

The writer of Hebrews wrote, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he attested as  having pleased God.” Hebrews 11: 5   

Elijah was translated, “And as Elijah and Elisha still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven.” 2 Kings 2: 11.

 Jesus’ ascension and our ascension when Jesus calls out his church from the earth.     

The Christians who have died and hear the call ascend to meet Christ in the air, the dust that once was their earthly body will be gathered to create a resurrected body with the marks on the body that will tell us it’s our own.  

We come together in heaven with those who are alive and are called and translated from the earth to meet Christ in the air,  these Christians will not die before meeting the Lord, but their bodies will be changed into a resurrected body.   

We take possession of our inheritance when we become Christians we have been transferred into Christ’s kingdom whilst on earth. Colossians 1: 13. 

In John's Vision in the book of Revelation 19: 11-21. Jesus returns with all the saints and his heavenly armies and defeats the antichrist and his allies. Jesus takes up again with the remnant of Jewish people and rules the nations with a rod of iron.

Christians reign and rule with Christ.