The Truth About The Christ (continued from www.truthaboutthechrist.com/thetruthaboutthechrist/resurrection.html)
The Ascension and Enthronement of Jesus Christ
On the ascension and
enthronement of Jesus Christ , the
basic doctrine is again best examined from Dr. Cambron's Bible
Doctrines book. It is given in the block quote below: [block
quote of Dr. Cambron's Bible Doctrines
(Zondervan) 109-113, (TheCambronInstitute.org) 84-87.]
Cambron's VI. THE ASCENSION AND
ENTHRONEMENT OF JESUS
CHRIST
His
ascension is a historical fact. If His resurrection is denied, then
His ascension must also be denied. It is hard for some people to
grasp the thought that a glorified, living Body is in glory; but He
is
up
there, nevertheless.
A.
The Meaning of the Ascension and Enthronement.
1.
Of
the Ascension. It
is that event, after His resurrection, in which He departed visibly
from the earth to heaven. “When he had spoken these things,
while
they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their
sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 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 1:9-11).
2.
Of
the Enthronement (Exaltation).
This is that act of God by which he gave to the risen and ascended
Lord full power and glory, allowing Him to sit down on the right hand
of God’s throne. “This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we are
all witnesses. 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 2:32, 33).
“To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as
I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His
throne”
(Rev. 3:21). Christ is not now sitting on His own throne, but upon
His Father’s throne. 84
B.
The Message of the Ascension and Enthronement.
1.
In
Prophecy.
a.
Testimony
of a Psalmist. “Thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One
to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for
evermore” (Ps. 16:10, 11). See also Psalm 68:18; 110:4, 5.
b.
Testimony
of the Saviour. “What
and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was
before?”
(John 6:62). See also John 16:28.
c.
Testimony
of Luke. “It
came to pass, when the time was come that he should he received up,
he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).
2.
In
History.
a.
Testimony
of Mark. “So
then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into
heaven, and set on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).
b.
Testimony
of Luke. “It
came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and
carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). See also Acts 1:9-11.
c.
Testimony
of Stephen. “He,
being full of the Holy Ghost, looked stedfastly into heaven, and saw
the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and
said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on
the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55, 56).
d.
Testimony
of Peter. “Who
is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and
authorities and powers being made subject unto him” (I Peter
3:22).
See also Acts 3:15, 20, 21; 5:30, 31.
e.
Testimony
of Paul. “Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us” (Rom. 8:34). See also Ephesians 1:20,
21;
4:8-10; Colossians 3:1; I Timothy 3:16.
f.
Testimony
of John. The
entire first chapter of the Book of Revelation declares
John’s
testimony of the ascended and enthroned Christ.
C.
The Nature of the Ascension and Enthronement.
1.
He
Bodily and Visibly Ascended. Luke
wrote “of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 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 1:1,
2). See also Acts 1:9-11.
2.
He
Passed Through the Heavens. “Having
then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus
the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession” (Heb. 4:14).
3.
He
Was Made Higher Than the Heavens. This
means that He was made higher than all the created beings in heaven.
“Such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens”
(Heb.
7:26). 85
4.
He
Sat Down on the Right Hand of God. “Now
in the things which we are saying the chief point is this: We have
such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of
the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb. 8:1, R. V.). See also
Ephesians
1:20; Colossians 3:1.
D.
The Necessity of the Ascension and Enthronement.
1.
For
the Demonstration of His Complete Achievement. “Him
hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins”
(Acts
5:31). He said, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. .
. . By
the
which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10: 9, 10). In the
tabernacle here
upon earth there were no chairs, and this fact signified that the
showing work was never complete. He entered heaven and sat down on
the throne, and thus declared that the work of our redemption was a
finished act.
2.
For
the Facilitation of Human Worship. “The
hour cometh and now is. when the true worshippers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship
him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24).
3.
For
the Bestowment of the Holy Ghost. “I
tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I
go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I
will send him unto you” (John 16:7).
4.
For
the Constitution of His Headship Over the Church. “[God]
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over
all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that
filleth all and in all” (Eph. 1:22, 23).
E.
The Purpose of the Ascension and Enthronement.
1.
He
Entered Heaven as a Forerunner. “The
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest forever
after the order of Melchisedec” (Heb. 6:20). Another word for
“forerunner” is “captain,”
“prince leader,” one who has
others to follow him.” The Lord Jesus precedes us; if death
comes
while He tarries, we will go on to be with Him.
2.
He
Entered Heaven as a Gift-Bestower. “He
saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive. and
gave gifts unto men. .
. and
he
gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:8, 11).
3.
He
Entered Heaven as a Place-Preparer. “I
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also” (John 14:2, 3). 86
F.
The Results of the Ascension and Enthronement.
1.
Gives
Us an Intercessor with God. “Christ
is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24). See also Hebrews 7:25.
2.
Gives
Us Access to God. “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. For
we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings
of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need”
(Heb. 4:14-16).
3.
Gives
Us Ableness for Service. “Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I
go unto my Father” (John 14:12). “Greater
works” does not mean
healing or speaking in tongues, but the spreading of the Gospel of
salvation. For example, Peter spoke, and three thousand believed; he
spoke again, and five thousand others believed.
4.
Gives
Us Confidence in God’s Providences. “We
know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom.
8:28).
5.
Gives
Us
Our Heavenly Position. “[God] hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6).
[This ends the block
quote of Dr. Cambron. Dr. Cambron's book, Bible
Doctrines
will, with the permission of the Cambron Institute,
be given in block quotes throughout this effort. The book is readily
available through http://www.thecambroninstitute.org,
and it forms the foundational basis for much of this Systematic
Theology.]
Critique
of Other Theology Works
www.truthaboutthechrist.com/thetruthaboutthechrist/critique_others.html
This Series' Table of
Contents