The doctrine of the ascension

1. The resurrection body of Jesus Christ was capable of space travel, and the ascension is space travel — John 20:17.

2. Once arriving in heaven Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. This is called the session of Christ — Psalm 110:1; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3,13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22.

3. The ascension and session of Christ formed the basis of victory in the angelic conflict — Hebrews 1:3-13.

4. The ascension and session of Christ began a new sphere of the angelic conflict — Ephesians 1:20-22; 4:7-10. Therefore the believer of the Church Age is involved in the intensified stage of the angelic conflict.

5. The ascension and session of Jesus Christ begin operation footstool, prophesied in Psalm 110:1 and quoted in Luke 20:42,43; Acts 2:33,34; Hebrews 1:13.

6. The second advent of Christ will conclude operation footstool — Daniel 7:13,14; Zechariah 13:2; Colossians 2:15; Revelation 20:1-3.

7. The ascension and session of Christ completes the glorification of Christ in His hypostatic union — Acts 2:33; 5:31; Philippians 2:9; 1 Peter 3:22.

8. The ascension and session of Christ explains the uniqueness of the Church Age and the importance of having a royal family in this dispensation only — John 7:37-39.

9. The ascension and session of Christ is the key to victory in the angelic conflict — Hebrews 1:4.

10. The ascension and session of Christ after resurrection make possible the second high priestly function of our Lord, namely intercession or praying for all members of the royal family on earth — Hebrews 7:25.

The doctrine of ascension and session

1. Definition.

a) The ascension is that doctrine of Christology pertaining to the change of residence of Jesus Christ after the resurrection when He went from earth to heaven in resurrection body.

b) The session is that doctrine of Christology pertaining to the glorification of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union being seated at the right hand of the Father.

c) These doctrines are closely related to and based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

d) Both ascension and session were accomplished in resurrection body.

e) These two doctrines form the climax of the strategic victory of Jesus Christ in the angelic conflict.

2. The capabilities of the resurrection body. The resurrection body of Christ was capable of horizontal and vertical travel. In horizontal travel He could go through walls or open doors. The atomic structure of the resurrection body is of such a nature that it passes through walls or closed doors without any trouble. Vertically the resurrection body has unlimited ability to travel anywhere in the universe without any damage to body at all. Our Lord Jesus Christ travelled through the outer atmosphere, the stellar universe, and then entered the third heaven, the throne room of the Father, the abode of God.

3. The historical account of the ascension — Acts 1:9-11.

4. The significance of the session of Christ.

a) The first significance has to do with the prophecy of the session. It was so important that it was prophesied in the Old Testament as an integral part of the angelic conflict. The prophesy is found in Psalm 110:1 — “The Lord said unto my Lord,” — the first use of Lord is for deity, the second use of Lord is for deity — “Sit down at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” This particular prophecy indicates the strategic victory of angelic conflict, so the session is related to that.

b) The session and the authority of Jesus Christ — Romans 8:34, “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is he who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” The Lord Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father is the only one who has the ability to condemn. We stand or fall through Jesus Christ . He has appointed the scripture as the means of giving us standards whereby as believer priests, members of the royal family of God, we can condemn ourselves, which is what we do every time we use the rebound technique.

c) The session and the ministry of the Holy Spirit — Ephesians 1:20, “Which power [of the Holy Spirit] has been operational in Jesus Christ” — Jesus Christ was indwelt by God the Holy Spirit in His humanity during the first advent, during the time of His hypostatic union on earth — “the Father having raised him from the dead, and having seated him at his own right hand in the heavenlies.” The ministry of God the Holy Spirit is related to the death, burial, resurrection and session of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, since God the Holy Spirit sustained the humanity of Christ during all of these things there is a relationship between the session of Christ and the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. In fact it sets the pattern for the royal family in relationship to the Holy Spirit in the dispensation of the Church.

d) The session and mental attitude — Colossians 3:1,2, “If, therefore, you have been raised in Christ, keep on desiring to possess and endeavouring to obtain the above things” — referring to doctrine — “where Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Keep thinking about above things [doctrine], not things on the earth.” Due to the fact that Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father we have the privilege of mental attitude dynamics divine viewpoint, and this of course is related to doctrine.

e) The session and the celebrityship of Jesus Christ — Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the radiance, the flashing forth of the glory, and the exact image of his essence, also sustaining all things by the verbal expression of his power, having himself accomplished purification of sins, was caused to sit down at the right hand of the majesty in high places.” In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ is portrayed during the period of His hypostatic union the manifestation of the members of the Godhead, He was deity, He was the exact image of His essence, He sustained all things by His verbal expressions. While He was on earth he held the universe together, He accomplished eternal salvation at the cross, finally entering into the heavens and the very presence of God, and was seated. All of this is related to His celebrityship.

f) The session and the angelic conflict — Hebrews 1:13, “But to which of the angels has he said at any time, Sit down at my right hand until I appoint your enemies the footstool for your feet?” No angel was ever told to be seated at the right hand of the Father, once again the significance of the doctrine of session. Jesus Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father as a man and the moment He was He became superior in His humanity to all angels. As deity He is infinitely superior to all of the angelic creatures, and as humanity He was raised to that high station and at that point He became superior forever to the angelic hosts. Because of this we are members of the royal family of God and in our resurrection bodies we will be superior to angels also. At the present time we are inferior creatures to the angelic hosts but all of that is going to change in resurrection.

g) The session and the priesthood — Hebrews 8:1, “Now the main point on what is being communicated is this: We have such a category of high priest who is sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens.” In that particular passage Jesus Christ is pointed out to be superior to all Levitical priests of the past and all high priests. They dealt with shadows; He dealt with the reality. They could only offer animal sacrifices; He offered Himself. They never sat down in the tabernacle, and therefore Jesus Christ by sitting down is pointed out to be infinitely superior to all. So the session is used to show the superiority of Jesus Christ as our high priest.

h) The session and the sacrifice — Hebrews 10:12, “But this one [Jesus Christ], when he had offered a unique sacrifice on behalf of sins for all time, sat down on the right hand of God.” To indicate that the sacrifice of Christ was totally efficacious and that it is the only way of eternal salvation the Lord Jesus Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father. This demonstrates the principle “it is finished,” and indicates the fact that what was finished was totally and completely efficacious, so that anyone at any time in any part of the world who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ immediately enters into the palace forever. The baptism of the Holy Spirit makes every believer a member of the royal family of God forever.

i) The session and occupation of Christ — Hebrews 12:2.

j) The session and strategic victory — 1 Peter 3:22, “Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of god, having gone into heaven after the angels and authorities and powers had been subordinated to him.” All angelic forces, evil type, all types of demons, have been subordinated to Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely superior and has dominion over all creatures. This is demonstrated by the session.

5. The session, therefore, confirms the celebrityship of Jesus Christ. The ascension and session of Jesus Christ completed His glorification and the second person of the Trinity in hypostatic union has received the maximum glory — Acts 2:33, “Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God.” Acts 5:31, “He is the one exalted at his right hand the Prince and saviour.” Philippians 2:9, “Therefore also, the God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name.” As eternal God Jesus Christ is pre-eminent. As the God-Man at the right hand of the Father Jesus Christ is unique, overwhelming. He has the distinction of highest nobility and the most illustrious of all celebrityships. His eminence and prominence defy hyperbole.

6. The strategic victory of the angelic conflict. The ascension and session of Christ form the basis for strategic victory of the angelic conflict. Hebrews chapter one teaches this principle. Furthermore, the ascension and session of Jesus Christ begin a new sphere of the angelic conflict — Ephesians 1:20-22, “Which power has been operational in Christ, the Father having raised him from the dead, and having seated him at his own right hand in the heavenlies, over and above all principality [the super demons], and authority [the commissioned demon], and power [the gifted demons], and lordship [the ruling demon],” — in other words, Jesus Christ is superior and over all of these categories of demons — “and every name that is named [rank and file demons], not only in this age but also in the one to come; and he has subordinated all demons under his feet, and has given absolute sovereignty over all the royal family of God with reference to the Church.” And there lies the intensification of the angelic conflict, the demons who have been strategically defeated and are still tactically resisting, and the Church, the royal family of God.

The same concept is amplified in Ephesians 4:7-10. This means that the Church Age is the dispensation of the intensified stage of the angelic conflict. The royal family of God is therefore subjected to the most unusual types of pressures throughout this dispensation.

7. The ascension and the royal family of God.

a) Jesus Christ is a resurrection body is seated alone at the right hand of the Father.

b) It is not good that the last Adam should be alone. This is what was said about the first Adam.

c) Therefore the Age of Israel is interrupted and a new dispensation is inserted or intercalated.

d) The Church Age is destined to call out the royal family of God so that in eternity the last Adam will not be alone. And the royal family is the basis for providing a bride for the last Adam.

e) In eternity the palace of heaven will be filled with royal family and/or the Church Age believers.

f) The royal family is formed by means of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as mentioned by Jesus Christ in Acts 1:5.

g) For the first time in history, then, God the Holy Spirit actually takes up His residence in the body of every believer. That is because we are royal family of God — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

h) This could not occur until Christ was glorified — John 7:37-39.

8. The ascension and the new priesthood.

a) The ascension and session of Christ abrogates the Levitical priesthood. The Levitical priesthood was a specialised priesthood, they had special holy days related to this priesthood, a lot of special activity, but they did not have the effectiveness that we have today.

b) The Levitical priesthood is replaced by the royal priesthood of the Church Age — 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race [a race of election], you are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation, a people of God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light ” Cf. Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6. Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father is the new high priest — Hebrews 10:1-10 — and our high priest even makes intercession for us — Hebrews 7:25.

9. The ascension verifies the efficacy of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross — Hebrews 9:23, 24, “Of necessity, therefore, on the one hand that the copies [or models] of things in heaven be cleansed with shadows; but on the other hand the heavenly realities themselves with better sacrifices than these” — the work of Christ on the cross is superior to animal blood on the altar — “For Christ has not entered into a holy of holies made with hands [the tabernacle], a model of the reality [heaven], but into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God on behalf of us.” The Levitical priesthood dealt with shadows; our priesthood deals with realities. However, these realities are not realities apart from Bible doctrine resident in the soul.

10. The ascension and the ultimate defeat of Satan. The ascension and session of Christ begin operation footstool, according to Psalm 110:1, quoted in Luke 2:42 and 43, and quoted again in Acts 2:33,34 and Hebrews 1:13. The quotation of the prophecy in those three passages indicates the fact that operation footstool began with the session of Christ. The second advent terminates operation footstool. Christ will superseded Satan as the ruler of the world at that time — Daniel 7:14 describes that, “And to him was given dominion, glory and sovereignty, that all peoples, nations and languages might serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away, furthermore his kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed.” Zechariah 13:2, “And it will come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of armies, that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; furthermore I will also remove the false prophets and demons from the land.” The removal of demons means that they are bumped off the earth as it confirmed by Revelation 20:1-3. Colossians 2:15 describes the same thing, “Having disarmed demon archons … he made a public display of them, having celebrated a triumphal procession over them by means of him [His victory].”