The ascension of the Messiah is something that most believers know about but don’t really know anything about because there isn’t much in Scripture said about it. In fact, Matthew, Mark, and John don’t even mention the ascension. The last four verses in Luke mention the ascension in only one of those verses. It is not until Luke continues his account in Acts that we are given a little more detail about the ascension.
What can we learn about the ascension with so little detail, and is it even an important doctrine?
I read an article by Dr. Paul Allen, a pastor, entitled “Jesus Ascension is odd.” In this article, he shares an excerpt from a book that makes five points about the oddity of the ascension, including “The ascension seems like a bad plan”, “The implications are unclear”, and “The resurrection subsumes the ascension”. These are all reasons why Christians may overlook the ascension in connection with the resurrection. If you want, you can read the article here. But aside from little being said about the actual event, there may be more to the ascension than we realize. Credit goes to James Ridener who posted a facebook live video about this topic.
As was noted before, the Gospels say nothing about the ascension with the exception of Luke who only mentions that it happened. Matthew and Mark end with The Great Commission. John ends with the third appearance of the Messiah to His Disciples. And Luke 24:51 says, “He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” That’s it. All of the details of the ascension come from the first eleven verses of the first chapter of Acts. But there are some details that may shed some light on the topic.
First, let’s look at the very end of John’s Gospel. John 21:25 “There are also many other things that Yeshua did. If all of them were to be written one by one, I suppose that not even the world itself will have room for the books being written!” Not everything that Yeshua did has been recorded. The same is true in Luke’s accounting of the ascension. Acts 1:3 “To [His Disciples] He showed Himself to be alive after His suffering through many convincing proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” Luke says He was with them for forty days speaking about the kingdom of God, but he doesn’t record anything that was said. That could be because Luke wasn’t an eyewitness or because it’s not pertinent to Luke’s letter to Theophilus. Or it could be that there was too much to write about. Either way, it’s important to note that Luke said He spent forty days speaking to them.
The number 40 is a significant number in the Bible. I’m not talking about numerology, but the way that God uses the number forty throughout Scripture. It rained for forty days in the flood account. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. And the Messiah was tempted in the wilderness for forty days. But why did He stay for forty days to teach them more before His ascension? Was it so they wouldn’t have to wait too long until the pouring out of the Spirit on Pentecost? I mean, on the road to Emmaus, He explained everything from the Law and the Prophets and how it pertained to Him to two of the disciples. Did He really need more time to explain it all to the rest of His Disciples? Or is there significance to the forty days?
Consider this. Paul wrote this to the believers in Rome, “5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on Torah, ‘The man who does these things shall live by them.’ 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks in this way: ‘Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Messiah down), 7 or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead).’ 8 But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’—that is, the word of faith that we are proclaiming.” (Romans 10:5-8) All of the quotes in this passage are from Deuteronomy 30:11-14. “11 For this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in the heavens, that you should say, ‘Who will go up for us to the heavens and get it for us, and have us hear it so we may do it?’ 13 Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross over for us to the other side of the sea and get it for us, and have us hear it so we may do it?’ 14 No, the word is very near to you—in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.”
“The WORD is very near to you—in your mouth and in your heart, to DO it.”
Moses is talking about the commandments (Words) that God gave to them to obey. Paul is talking about the faith to believe and obey. John 1:16-17 says, “Out of [Christ’s] fullness, we have all received grace on top of grace. 17 Torah was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.” They were told back then that the Word was not far from them for they had received it. But they didn’t recieve it with faith. Hebrews 4:2 “For we also have had Good News proclaimed to us, just as they did. But the word they heard did not help them, because they were not unified with those who listened in faith.” The faith they lacked came through the Messiah. Any who believes in Him will have that faith to follow and obey Him. But what does this have to do with the forty days before the ascension?
Mount Sinai is a pattern of the Tabernacle. The people could go inside the Tabernacle, but only the priests could go inside the Holy Place. And the Holy of Holies was reserved for the High Priest. God told Moses to bring the 70 elders up the mountain. The people were to stay at the base of the mountain but not touch it. Moses alone went up to meet with God. Three levels in the Tabernacle. Three levels up the mountain. And Moses stayed there for forty days.
Moses said not to ask who will go to heaven to bring the Word down to them. That’s because Moses went up the mountain to get the Word from God already. Moses said it is not across the sea, but Paul says not to ask who will descend into the abyss to bring the Word up. This he equates to bringing Christ up from the dead to hear the Word. And what did the Messiah do after raising from the dead? He spent forty days speaking to His followers. He had already ascended to heaven after talking to Mary at the tomb. And then he returned to meet the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Just as Moses ascended the mountain for forty days to get the Word from YHWH, Yeshua came down to teach His followers for forty days before returning to heaven at the ascension.
Now consider this. Jude 1:5 says, “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Yeshua, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” Jude equates that a pre-incarnate Messiah was the one to bring the people out of Egypt. He therefore was also the One to lead them to the mountain where He gave Moses the Torah and then told them they could not enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. There’s a whole other message there, but let’s stick with the forty days.
Here’s the crux of the matter. Moses went up to the mountain where Yeshua gave him the Torah over forty days. Yeshua in the flesh brought grace and truth to the Torah through His death, burial, and resurrection. And the last forty days He spent on earth, He taught His followers how it all fits together. Aside from a few stories from John when He told the Disciples to cast their net on the other side of the boat, and told Peter to feed His sheep, we don’t know exactly what He taught. But, I think those forty days can be summed up in the words of John.
1 John 2:1-2 “My children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Intercessor with the Father—the righteous Messiah Yeshua. 2 He is the atonement for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
– John 14:6
If you want to watch James Ridener’s video on this topic, you can find it on facebook here.