Ascension To The Right Hand Of God

by J.J. Park, Glasgow | Category: The Days Of His Flesh | Dec 1974

Great Days

The Lord's ascension took place at a time of great importance historically and spiritually. In Old Testament times God revealed His purposes to a chosen man, Abraham; later to a chosen people, Israel, but now He was about to make a great change in His dealings with men. He had set aside the chosen nation and was about to visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His Name (Acts 15:14). His purposes were widening out to ocean's farthest bound, all because of the crosswork of the Lord Jesus Christ. In our day we see that the Christian message has spread all over the world and that the Bible is printed in very many languages.

Beneath the Cloud

In Acts 1:1-14 we have record of the Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, teaching His disciples during forty days the things concerning the kingdom of God in its New Testament form. Then He began to ascend from the earth into the air, not instantaneously but slowly enough for the disciples to observe until a cloud received Him out of their sight. Their rapt attention was sharply interrupted by the words of two men in white apparel who 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" (A.V.).

In His going He left, firstly, His disciples, secondly, this world. His coming again also will be in two phases. First, He will come to the air for His saints (1 Thess. 4:17), as though He were returning to the underside of the cloud to call them up to Himself. Later, He will come right down to the earth, to the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4), to set up His kingdom and to reign from shore to shore. His going was at the beginning of this present dispensation of time; His coming again to the air will mark the end.

Beyond the Cloud

We have no detailed record of what transpired on the upper side of the cloud. A few references, however, tell us that He was received up in glory (1 Tim. 3:16), into heaven (1 Pet. 3:22), to sit down at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him (Co!. 3:1; Heb. 10:12,13). Such references, reinforced by those in Acts 7:56; Acts 9:4-6,17; Rom. 8:34, make it clear that the Lord Jesus had a triumphal reception into heaven where His worth and work were rightly esteemed. This stone which the builders rejected was made in heaven the head of the corner. The Man of Calvary now had angels worshipping at His feet. He had returned to the glory and continuous praise of heavenly ones as seen by Isaiah in the year that King Uzziah died (Isa. 6:1,2).

Prophecy Fulfilled

In Psa. 24:7-10 the psalmist calls for the lifting up of gates and doors that the King of Glory might come in. He seems to have in mind the great portcullis gates fitted in the walls of citadels in days gone by. These gates were kept closed until the credentials of one seeking admission had been fully checked. Then they were lifted vertically by a pulley mechanism operated from within. The psalmist is calling for the previous lifting up of the gates in anticipation of the arrival of the King of Glory, He being expected and awaited with joy.

This prophecy had some fulfilment in the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ when the heavenly host awaited him expectantly. The call to have the gates uplifted expresses the readiness and the joy with which He was received into heaven.

The prophecy will, no doubt, have further fulfilment when the Lord returns to reign on earth.

Return to the Father

In the Gospel by John the Lord Jesus spoke of His being sent by the Father. In 1 John 4:14 this is put very clearly, "... the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world". The work of salvation He was sent to do necessitated His self-humiliation even unto death, yea the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8). This is touchingly foretold in Isa. 50:4-9, where the devotion of the Servant is complete. The morning commandment to go to the cross was obeyed without question or deviation. In the days of His flesh His Father broke silence twice to declare, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 17:5; 3:17). In 1 Pet. 2:4 He is said to be "with God elect, precious". From these indications we may deduce that the reunion with the Father was an occasion of deep joy beyond our understanding. The will of the Father as regards the redemption of the sinner had been done to perfection. The Servant had served with distinction. The wise Son had made a glad Father whose sad experience of bereavement had given place to resurrection joy.

A Sabbath Rest

There are four references to Christ's being seated in heaven. This fact is significant as indicating that His work is completed, never to need amendment or addition. His sitting down at the right hand of God teaches us that the Lord has, as regards His earthly work, entered into a sabbath rest, the rest of One who has no more to do. The place of sitting, at the right hand of God, indicates divine approval of His earthly work and of His enthronement in a place of authority over the powers of heaven and of earth, He having proved Himself worthy of such honour and such power. Obviously, divine favour of this sort is not lightly given.

Present Day Work

However, His being seated does not bespeak idleness. Joseph, a type of Christ in the Old Testament, was raised to high place in Egypt that he might be the saviour of the Egyptians and of his own family (Gen. 45:5). Similarly, the Lord Jesus, having finished completely His earthly work, has entered upon a mediatorial work on behalf of the Lord's people in this dispensation, of which work much has been taught in this magazine over many years. It remains for the Lord's people today to appreciate the glory associated with His ascension to the Father and to share together in that form of collective approach to God now made possible by the presence in heaven of our Saviour, our Lord and our Great High Priest.

J.J. Park, Glasgow | Dec 1974
The Days Of His Flesh