Of the ascension of christ to
heaven
John Gill
The ascension of Christ to
heaven was, at his death, burial, and resurrection, according to the scriptures;
he himself gave hints of it to his disciples, even before his death, as well as
after his resurrection; "What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?" #Joh 6:62 Joh 16:28 20:17.
It was pre-signified both by scripture prophecies, and by scripture types.
1. First by scripture
prophecies; of which there are many; some more obscurely, others more clearly
point unto it. As,
1a. First, A passage in #Ps
47:5 "God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a
trumpet". The whole Psalm is applied, by some Jewish writers, to the times
of the Messiah, and this verse particularly, who is the great King over all the
earth, #Ps 47:2,7 and more manifestly appeared so at his ascension, when he was
made and declared Lord and Christ; and who subdued the
Gentile world, #Ps 47:3 through the ministration of his gospel; by which, after
his ascension, he went into it, conquering and to conquer; and caused his
ministers to triumph in it. And though it was in his human nature that he went
up from earth to heaven; yet it was in that, as in union with his divine
Person; so that it may be truly said, that God went up to heaven;
in like sense as God is said to purchase the church with his blood; even God in
our nature; God manifest in the flesh; Immanuel, God with us: and though the
circumstance of his ascension, being attended with a shout, and with the sound
of a trumpet, is not mentioned in the New Testament, in the account of it; yet
there is no doubt to be made of it, since the angels present at it, told the
disciples on the spot, that this same Jesus should so come,
in like manner as they saw him go into heaven: now it is certain, that Christ
will descend from heaven with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of
God: and also, since he was attended in his ascension with the angels of God,
and with some men who rose after his resurrection; there is scarce any question
to be made of it, that he ascended amidst their shouts and
acclamations; and the rather, since he went up as a triumphant conqueror, over
all his and our enemies, leading captivity captive.
1b. Secondly, The words of the
Psalmist, in #Ps 110:1. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right
hand"; though they do not express, yet they plainly imply,
the ascension of Christ to heaven; for unless he ascended to heaven, how could
he sit down at the right hand of God there? and hence the apostle Peter thus
argues and reasons upon them; "For David is not ascended into the
heavens"; not in his body, and therefore the words are not spoken of him,
but of one that is ascended; "But he himself saith", not of himself,
but another, even of his Lord the Messiah; "The Lord
said unto my Lord", &c. #Ac 2:34,35.
1c. Thirdly, The vision Daniel
had of the Son of man, in #Da 7:13,14 is thought by some to have respect to the
ascension of Christ to heaven; he is undoubtedly meant by "one like unto
the Son of man"; that is, really and truly man; as he is said to be "in the likeness of men", and to be "found in
fashion as a man"; the same "came in the clouds of heaven"; so a
cloud received Christ, and conveyed him to heaven, at his ascension; and he was
"brought near to the Ancient of days", to God, who is from
everlasting to everlasting; and was received with a welcome by him; and there
were given him "dominion, glory, and a kingdom"; as Christ, at his
ascension, was made, or made manifest, openly declared Lord
and Christ, Head and King of his church. Though this vision will have a farther
accomplishment at the second coming of Christ, when his glorious kingdom will
commence in the personal reign; who will deliver up the kingdom until that
reign is ended. Once more,
1d.
Fourthly, The prophecy in #Mic 2:13 may be understood as referring to this
matter; "The breaker up is come up before them"; which, in the latter
part of the verse, is thus explained; "And their King shall pass before
them, and the Lord on the head of them"; so that a divine Person is meant,
who is head and king of the church, and plainly points to Christ, who may be called
Phorez, "the breaker"; as Pharez had his name from
the same word, because he broke forth before his brother; as Christ, at his
birth, broke forth into the world in an uncommon way, being born of a virgin;
and at his death, broke through the troops of hell, and spoiled principalities
and powers; broke down the middle wall of partition, that stood between Jews
and Gentiles; and at his resurrection, broke the cords of death, as Samson did his withs, with which he could be no more nor
longer held by them, than he with them; and at his ascension he broke up, and
broke his way through the region of the air, and through legions of devils; at
the head of those that were raised with him when he rose, angels and men
shouting as he passed along. But,
1e.
Fifthly, What most clearly foretold the ascension of Christ to heaven, is in
#Ps 68:18 which is, by the apostle Paul, quoted and applied to the ascension of
Christ, #Eph 4:8-10 and all the parts of it agree with him: he is spoken of in
the context, in the words both before and after. He is the Lord that was among
the angels in Sinai, who spoke to Moses there; and from whom he received the
oracles of God, to give to Israel: and he is the God of
salvation, the author of it to his people. And of him it may be truly said,
that he "ascended on high", far above all heavens, the visible
heavens, the airy and starry heavens, and into the third heaven, the more
glorious seat of the divine Majesty: he has led "captivity captive";
either such as had been prisoners in the grave, but freed by him, and who went
with him to heaven; or the enemies of his people, who have
led them captive, as Satan and his principalities; the allusion is to leading
captives in triumph for victories obtained. Christ "received", upon
his ascension, "gifts for men"; and, as the apostle expresses it,
"gave" them to men; he received them in order to give them; and he
gave them, in consequence of receiving them: and even he received them for, and
gave them to, "rebellious" men, as all by nature
are "foolish and disobedient"; and even those be to whom he gives
gifts fitting for public usefulness; and such an one was the apostle Paul, as
the account of him and his own confessions show, who received a large measure
of those gifts of grace; the end of bestowing which gifts was, "That the
Lord God might dwell among men", gathered out of the world, through the
ministry of the word, into gospel churches, which are built
up for an habitation for God, through the Spirit.
2. Secondly, The ascension of
Christ was presignified by scripture types; personal ones, as those of Enoch
and Elijah. The one in the times of the patriarchs, before the flood,
and before the law; the other in the times of the prophets, after the flood,
and after the law was given. Enoch, a man that walked with God, and had
communion with him, "was not"; he was not on earth, after he had been
some time on it; "God took him" from thence up to heaven, soul and
body, #Ge 5:24. Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind, in a chariot, and
horses of fire; was carried up by angels, who appeared in
such a form; when he and Elisha had been conversing together, #2Ki 2:11. So
Christ was carried up to heaven, received by a cloud, attended by angels, while
he was blessing his disciples: more especially, the high priest was a type of
Christ in this respect, when he entered into the holiest of all once a year,
with blood and incense; which were figures of Christ's entering into heaven
with his blood, and to make intercession for men, #Heb
9:23,24. The ark in which the two tables were, was a type of Christ, who is the
fulfilling end of the law for righteousness; and the bringing up of the ark
from the place where it was to mount Zion, which some think was the occasion of
penning the twenty fourth Psalm, in which are these words, "Be ye lift up,
ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come
in"; and of the forty seventh Psalm, where are the above words, "God
is gone up with a shout", &c. the bringing up of which ark to Zion,
may be considered as an emblem of Christ's ascension to heaven, sometimes
signified by mount Zion.
Now as it was foretold by
prophecies and types, that Christ should ascend to heaven, so
it is matter of fact, that he has ascended thither; concerning which may be
observed,
2a. First, The evidence of it;
as the angels of God, who were witnesses of it; for as Christ went up to heaven
in the sight of his apostles, "two men stood by them in white
apparel", who were angels, that appeared in an human form, and thus
arrayed, to denote their innocence and purity; and other angels attended him in
his ascent, when it was that he was seen "of angels", who were
eyewitnesses of his ascension; see #Ac 1:10 1Ti 3:16. The eleven apostles were
together, and others with them, when this great event was; and while he was
pronouncing a blessing on them, he was parted from them,
and carried up to heaven; they beheld him, and looked stedfastly towards
heaven, as he went up, until a cloud received him out of their sight, #Lu
24:33,50,51 Ac 1:9,10. Yea, after this, when he had ascended to heaven, and had
entered into it, and was set down on the right hand of God, he was seen by
Stephen the proto-martyr, and by the apostle Paul: while Stephen was suffering,
looking stedfastly to heaven, he saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and at the same time declared it to
the Jews, that he saw the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the
right hand of God, #Ac 7:55,56. Christ "appeared" to the apostle Paul
at his conversion, when he was caught up into the third heaven, and heard and
saw things not to be uttered; and afterwards, when in a trance
in the temple, he says, "I saw him", #Ac 26:16 22:18 see also #1Co
15:8. Moreover, the extraordinary effusion of the Spirit, on the day of
Pentecost, is a proof of Christ's ascension to heaven, #Ac 2:33 for before this
time, the Spirit was not given in an extraordinary manner; "Because Jesus
was not yet glorified"; but when he was glorified, and having ascended to
heaven, and being at the right hand of God, then the Spirit
was given; and the gift of him was a proof of his ascension and glorification,
#Joh 7:39.
2b. Secondly, The time of
Christ's ascension, which was forty days from his resurrection; which time he
continued on earth that his disciples might have full proof,
and be at a certainty of the truth of his resurrection; "to whom he showed
himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them
forty days"; not that he was with them all that forty days, but at several
times in that interval: on the first day he appeared to many, and on that day
week again to his disciples; at another time at the sea of Tiberias; and again
on a mountain in Galilee. Now by these various interviews
the apostles had opportunities of making strict and close observation, of
looking wisely at him, of handling him, of conversing with him, of eating and
drinking with him, of reasoning upon things in their own minds, and of having
their doubts resolved, if they entertained any; and had upon the whole
infallible proofs of the truth of his resurrection: in this space of time also
he renewed their commission and enlarged it, and sent them
into the whole world to preach and baptize, and further to instruct those that
were taught and baptized by them; now it was he opened the understandings of
his apostles, that they might more clearly understand the scriptures concerning
himself, which he explained unto them, that so they might be the more fitted
for their ministerial work; he also spoke to them "of
the things pertaining to the kingdom of God", the gospel church state; of
the nature of a gospel church, of the officers of it, of ordinances in it, and
discipline to be observed therein; wherefore all that they afterwards delivered
out and practised, were according to the directions and prescriptions given by
him: and as all this required time, such a length of time was taken as that of
forty days; yet longer it was not proper he should continue
with them in this state, lest his apostles should think he was about to set up
a temporal kingdom on earth, which their minds were running upon, and inquiring
after and expecting, #Ac 1:5,6 and besides, it was proper that they should be
endued with the Holy Ghost in an extraordinary manner, to qualify them for the
important work Christ gave them a commission to do; and
which they could not receive until Christ was ascended and glorified.
2c. Thirdly, The place from
whence, and the place whither Christ ascended, may next be considered.
2c1.
The earth on which he was when he became incarnate, the
world into
which he came to save men, out of which he went
when he had
done his work, #Joh 16:28 the particular spot of
ground from
whence he ascended was mount Olivet, as appears
from #Ac 1:12
a place he frequented much in the latter part
of
his life; and it was in a garden at the bottom of the
mount where
his sufferings began, where his soul was
exceeding
sorrowful, even unto death; and where he put up
that prayer,
"Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from
me"; and where he was in such an agony, that his sweat
was
as drops of blood falling to the ground; and from this
very spot he
ascended to his God and Father, to enjoy his
presence, and
all the pleasures of it, and partake of the
glory promised
him, #Lu 21:37 22:39,44. One of the
evangelists
tells us, that he led his disciples as far as
Bethany,
and there blessed them, and was parted from them;
which must
not be understood of the town of Bethany, but of
a part of
mount Olivet near to Bethany, and which bore that
name, and
which signifies the house of affliction, from
whence Christ
went to heaven; and as it was necessary he
should
suffer the things he did, and enter into his glory,
so his people
must through many tribulations enter the
kingdom, #Lu
24:50,51 21:26 Ac 14:22.
2c2. The
place whither he ascended, heaven, even the third
heaven;
hence Christ is often said to be carried up into
heaven, taken
up into heaven, towards which the disciples
were gazing
as he went up; passed into heaven, and was
received into
heaven, where he remains; and which is to be
understood,
not merely of a glorious state, into which he
passed,
exchanging a mean, uncomfortable, and suffering one,
for a
glorious, happy, and comfortable one; which is meant
by the two
witnesses ascending to heaven, even a more
glorious
state of the church, #Re 11:12 but a place in which
he is
circumscribed in his human nature, where he is, and
not
elsewhere, nor everywhere; which has received him, and
where he is,
and will be retained until the times of the
restitution
of all things; from whence he is expected, and
from whence
he will descend at the last day; he is gone to
his Father
there, and has taken his place at his right hand;
who,
though everywhere, being omnipresent, yet heaven is
more
especially the place where he displays his glory; and
who is called
"Our Father", and Christ's Father, who is "in
heaven";
and of going to him at his ascension he often
spoke, #Joh
16:10,16,17,28 20:17.
2d. Fourthly, The manner of
Christ's ascension, or in what sense he might be said to ascend; not
"figuratively", as God is sometimes said to go down and to go up, #Ge
11:6 17:22 which must be understood consistent with the omnipresence of God;
not of any motion from place to place, but of some exertion of his power, or
display of himself; nor in appearance only, as it might
seem to beholders, but in reality and truth; nor was it a
"disappearance" of him merely, as in #Lu 24:31 for he was seen going
up, and was gazed at till a cloud received him out of sight; nor was it in a
"visionary" way, as the apostle Paul was caught up into the third
heaven, not knowing whether in the body or out of the body; nor in a
"spiritual" manner, in mind and affections, in
which sense saints ascend to heaven, when in spiritual frames of soul; but
"really, visibly", and "locally": this ascension of Christ
was a real motion of his human nature, which was visible to the apostles, and
was by change of place, even from earth to heaven; and was sudden, swift, and
glorious, in a triumphant manner: and he went up as he will come again, in a
cloud, in a bright cloud, a symbol of his divine majesty,
either literally taken; or if understood of the appearance of angels in the
form of a bright cloud, as by Dr. Hammond, it is expressive of the same; nor
does it at all affect the reality, locality, and visibility of Christ's
ascension, so to understand it: nor can Luke, as an historian, be chargeable
with an impropriety in his relation of it in such sense, any more than in the
same account by representing angels as appearing in an
human form, and in white apparel; nor than that the author of the book of Kings
is, in relating the ascent of Elijah to heaven in a chariot and horses of fire,
generally understood of angels in such a form, #2Ki 2:11 as the horses and
chariots of fire also are in #2Ki 6:17 which yet were really and visibly seen;
and the rather it may be thought that the angels are intended
in the account of Christ's ascension, since as the Lord makes the clouds his
chariots, #Ps 104:3 so certain it is, the angels are the twenty thousand
chariots of God among whom Christ was, and inclosed, as in a bright cloud when
he ascended on high, #Ps 68:17,18 all which serve to set forth the grandeur and
majesty in which Christ ascended.
2e. Fifthly, The cause or
causes of Christ's ascension; it was a work of almighty power to cause a body
to move upwards with such swiftness, and to such a distance; it is ascribed to
the right hand of God, that is, of God the Father; to the power of God, by
which he is said to be lifted up and exalted, #Ac 2:33 5:31 and therefore it is
sometimes passively expressed, that he was "carried
up, taken up", and "received up" into heaven; and sometimes
actively, as done by himself, by his own power; so it is said, "he went
up", he lifted up his own body through the union of it to his divine
person, and carried it up to heaven; so "God went up with a shout";
see #Ac 1:10 and often he speaks of it as his own act, "What if the son of
man ascend", &c. "I ascend to my God",
&c. the "efficient" cause of it is God; and being a work "ad
extra", Father, Son, and Spirit were concerned in it. The
"procuring" or "meritorious" cause of it was the
"blood" of Christ; by which he made full satisfaction to divine
justice, and obtained eternal redemption for his people: and therefore having
done the work he engaged to do, it was but fit and just that he should be, not only raised from the dead, but ascend to
heaven, and be received there; hence it is said, "by his own blood",
through the virtue of it, and in consequence of what he had done by it,
"he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us", #Heb 9:12. The "instrumental" or ministering
causes, were the "cloud" and the attending angels.
2f. Sixthly, The effects of
Christ's Ascension, or the ends to be answered, and which have been answered,
are,
2f1. To
fulfil the prophecies and types concerning it, and
particularly
that of the high priest's entering into the
holiest of all
once a year, to officiate for the people; and
so Christ has
entered into heaven itself, figured by the
most holy
place, there to make, and where he ever lives to
make,
intercession for the saints.
2f2. To take
upon him more openly the exercise of his kingly
office; to
this purpose is the parable of the nobleman,
#Lu 19:12 by
the "nobleman" is meant Christ himself; see
#Jer 33:21 by
the "far country" he went into, heaven, even
the
third heaven, which is far above the visible ones; his end
in going
there, was "to receive a kingdom for himself", to
take
possession of it, and exercise kingly power; to be made
and declared
Lord and Christ, as he was upon his ascension,
#Ac 2:36
which kingdom will be delivered up at the close of
his
personal reign, and not before.
2f3. To
receive gifts for men, both extraordinary and ordinary;
and this end
has been answered, he has received them, and he
has given
them; extraordinary gifts he received for, and
bestowed
upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost; and
ordinary
ones, which he has given since, and still
continues to
give, to fit men for the work of the ministry,
and for the
good of his churches and interest in all
succeeding
ages, #Eph 4:8-13.
2f4. To open the
way into heaven for his people, and to prepare a
place for
them there; he has by his blood entered into
heaven
himself, and made the way into the holiest of all
manifest; and
given boldness and liberty to his people
through
it to enter thither also, even by a new and living
way,
consecrated through the vail of his flesh,
#Heb 9:8,12
10:19,20 he is the forerunner for them entered,
and is gone
beforehand to prepare by his presence and
intercession
mansions of glory for them in his Father's
2f5. To
assure the saints of their ascension also; for it is to
his God and
their God, to his Father and their Father, that
he is
ascended; and therefore they shall ascend also, and be
where
he is, and be glorified together with him; and all
this is to
draw up their minds to heaven, to seek things
above, where
Jesus is; and to set their affections, not on
things on
earth, but on things in heaven; and to have their
conversation
there; and to expect and believe that they
shall
be with Christ for evermore.