On The Day May 14 33AD

Christ Ascends Into Heaven

Khen Lim



Image source: novizinot.net

The number ‘40’ is used a total of 146 times in Scripture and so, symbolically, it has to be significant. To the Jews and Christians around the world then and now, it is a number used to measure a period of time in probation, trial, testing or chastisement (though not quite judgement, which is usually expressed using ‘9’).

In the Old Testament, we learn of the period of forty years as how long Moses lived his princely life in Egypt before he was brought into exile in the wilderness for the same period of years after which God called him to lead His people out of bondage.

On two different occasions, Moses also went up Mount Sinai and stayed up there for forty days and nights communing with God and ending up being the personal recipient of His commandments to be taught to His people.

In Numbers 13:25, Moses despatched his people on a reconnaissance mission for forty days to spy on the land that God promised them in readiness to claim it.

Also prophets like Jonah, Elijah and Ezekiel all went through their own symbolic ‘forty’ in their own significant ways also.

In the New Testament, the number ‘forty’ also finds its relevance in the life of Jesus on earth. For example, after His baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus was fasting in the desert for forty days and nights and through all that time, He faced great temptation from the devil prior to the commencement of His ministry on earth.

Then forty years after His crucifixion in 30AD, the mighty Roman Empire pummelled Jerusalem into submission and burned the Jews’ much-coveted temple to the ground. Years prior to that, a risen Jesus had appeared to His heartbroken but startled disciples (as well as others) for forty days.

According to Acts 1:6 (NLT), our Lord ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection: ‘So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking Him, “Lord, has the time come for You to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”’

In the next two verses were Jesus’ reply: “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”

A few verses before, Luke had also recorded the following: ‘Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised as I told you before. John baptised with water, but in just a few days, you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.”’

And then in verse 9, he wrote, “After saying this, He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see Him.”

One problem why the date of Jesus’ ascension is a challenge to pin down is because year after year, Easter falls on different dates. As a result, the date of His ascension shifts accordingly, adding to confusion. Then there was also the decision made by many countries beginning in Europe to move from the solar-based Julian to the Gregorian calendaring system and with that, the chronology of many Christian events had to be recalculated or realigned as the case may sometimes be. All of this impacted many of the significant Christian dates including Easter and hence, the Ascension.

Yet we do know – and agree – that Jesus’ ascension indubitably falls on the fortieth day counting from Easter. And since Easter will always be on a Sunday, it then goes that Ascension Day will unfailingly fall on a Thursday. It is for this reason that the day Jesus was taken up into heaven is also known as ‘Holy Thursday.’

The last time that Ascension Day was on May 14 last year, in 2015, which means Easter fell forty days earlier, on April 5. Interestingly for this year, May 15 is actually Pentecost and ten days ago, on May 5, was Jesus’ Ascension.

There is of course much to exalt and celebrate over Jesus’ ascension. On earth, Jesus came as a teaching servant but once He returned to heaven, He not only resumed His rulership and Lordship of all existence but very importantly, His ascension signals the completion of His work of our salvation and thus guarantees that those who love Him will share in His glory.

Just as Jesus ascended in the clouds, rest be assured that He will return one day in exactly the same way. Luke describes the scene in Acts 1:10-11 (NIV), saying, ‘As they strained to see Him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven but someday, He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go!”’

And that is the greatest hope for all Christians everywhere then as it is today and in the future. For just as Jesus ascended into heaven, so will all our Christian readers. Those long dead will arise before others. Then those who are living will be raptured at the Second Coming of Christ. And according to Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians, they will be caught up to meet Christ literally in mid-air.

With this prayerful wish clearly in mind, many Christians have been known to conclude their meetings with the following words:

‘Come, Lord Jesus.’