Theme · christological
Ascension
Psalm 110 anticipates it: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool.' Daniel sees one like a Son of Man approaching the Ancient of Days and receiving an everlasting dominion. After the resurrection, Jesus ascends from the Mount of Olives and is received into a cloud. The apostles interpret this as his enthronement — he is now Lord of all, interceding for his people and pouring out the Holy Spirit. Hebrews portrays the ascension as Christ entering the true holy of holies, the heavenly sanctuary, to present his own blood once for all.
Related doctrines
Passages expressing this theme
- 1Pet 3:22 — Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
- Acts 1:2 — 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:
- Acts 1:9 — And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
- Acts 1:10 — And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
- Acts 1:11 — 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 2:33 — Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
- Acts 3:21 — Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
- Acts 7:56 — And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
- Col 3:1 — If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
- Dan 7:13 — I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
- Eph 1:20 — Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
- Eph 4:8 — Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
- Eph 4:10 — He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
- Heb 1:3 — Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
- Heb 1:13 — But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
- Heb 4:14 — Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
- Heb 8:1 — Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
- John 1:51 — And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
- John 3:13 — And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
- John 16:28 — I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
- John 20:17 — Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
- Mark 14:62 — And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
- Mark 16:19 — So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
- Phil 2:9 — Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
- Ps 47:5 — God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
The Church Fathers on Ascension
Three aspects of the ascension are discussed. First, He that descended is the same also that ascended indicates the person who ascends. It affirms the unity of person in the two natures of Christ, the divine and the human. For he who descended, as was said, is the Son of God taking on human nature. He who ascends is…
Spiritual birth happens when human beings, being earthly, become heavenly. And this can only happen when they are made members of me. So that he may ascend who descended, since no one ascends who did not descend. Therefore everyone who needs to be changed and raised must meet together in a union with Christ so that…
The third hierarchizing is that of grace above nature and diligence. When the soul is lifted higher than itself, and, having emptied itself out, receives divine illuminations, it looks above itself to what has been given to it. And out of this, it rises, or is lifted up, to divine concerns. These three acts are…
Dearly beloved, through all this time between the resurrection of the Lord and his ascension, the providence of God thought of this, taught this and penetrated their eyes and heart. He wanted them to recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as truly risen, who was truly born, truly suffered and truly died. The manifest truth…
Any one who takes into view the ascension into Heaven of our Lord Christ, and the angels clothed in white raiment announcing to the Apostles his second coming, would never cease magnifying Jesus who showed and opened up to men the ascent into the future heavenly state, which He had prepared from the foundation of…
After a long time, because there is a long interval between the Saviour's ascension and His second coming.