13-Chapter 6. The Ascension Of The Victor

Chapter 6. The Ascension Of The Victor The risen Victor has gone into heaven. He who by men was lifted up on a cross (John 12:32-33; John 8:28; John 3:14), by God was taken up into the glory (Php 2:9; Acts 2:33; Acts 5:31). “Sit thou at my right hand, until I lay thine enemies as the footstool of thy feet” (Psalms 110:1). For all three offices of the Redeemer the ascension to heaven has the most decided significance. It is for the prophetic office—transition from the realm of immediate prophecy into that of spirit prophecy; for the priestly office—transition to the high priesthood “after the order of Melchizedek;” for the kingly office—extension of royal authority into royal rule.

[1] The Prophetic Office This was first of all and chiefly

1. Testimony by Walk. From the incarnation of the Redeemer until His public appearance the manifestation of God by Christ (John 1:18) was throughout a prophesying by means of His personality. The life of the child, the boy, the growing man revealed the holiness of God. “He who sees me sees the Father” (John 14:9). It displayed the divine ideal for the normal development of human life (comp. Luke 2:40; Luke 2:52). The theme of this prophecy was, so to speak, “The Man of God,” and therefore that word of the Baptist, “I have need to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?” (Matthew 3:14).

After the baptism there followed

2. Prophecy by Word. To prophesying by life was added that by teaching. Christ “taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:29; John 7:46). His theme now was the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). But His ascension to heaven indicated this transition of direct prophesying into indirect, and, connected with Pentecost, there commenced a prophesying which was effected from heaven, even

3. Prophecy by the Spirit. To us who are to be instructed there is now a “coming” of the exalted Prophet by word and in spirit (John 14:18; John 14:28). Not only do His messengers “come”—the apostles, prophets, shepherds and teachers (Ephesians 4:11), and His witnesses in general (Acts 1:8), but in them and in their message Christ Himself comes (Matthew 10:40), and from the glory continues His prophesying through the Spirit. Thus Paul says of the One crucified and risen, “He came and proclaimed peace to you who were for off (non-Jews) and peace to those ‘near’ (the Jews)” (Ephesians 2:17). As the context shows, this does not speak of the coming and preaching of Christ in the days of His life on earth before Golgotha, but of the time after His finished peace-making work on the cross, and therefore of His “coming” in the present time, in word and spirit, to Israel and the peoples of the earth (comp. vv. 13-16). His present theme is the completed redemption, with its peace and light (Acts 26:23). The ascension is of still greater significance for [2] The High Priestly Office On earth Christ brought the essential fulfilment of the Aaronic priesthood (Hebrews 5:1-4; Hebrews 9:6-23; Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:16-17), by the atoning sacrifice for the salvation of the sinner; yet as raised from the dead, and gone into the heavenly world (Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 4:14), indeed, become higher than all heavens (Hebrews 7:26; Ephesians 4:10), He is now saluted by God as High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:10). Therefore His ascension is not only the turning point between His humiliation and exaltation, but also between two forms of the exercise of His high priestly work. At His ascension Christ entered the Most Holy place above “not with the blood of others,” as the high priests of the Old Testament entered the most holy place on the great day of atonement (Leviticus 16:15-19), but “by virtue of His own blood,” that is, on the ground of His personal merit through His self-offering on Golgotha; so as on this ground to appear now before the face of God for us (Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 9:24-25; Romans 8:34). On this account the ascension of Christ became at the same time the justifying of the Crucified One (John 16:10; 1 Timothy 3:16), see p. 41, showing the acceptance by the Father of the work of the Son. The Highest Majesty in the heavenly world thus pronounced valid the earthly high priesthood of Christ (Acts 2:34-36). the ascension was the essential meaning and the central fulfilment of the most solemn high priestly act on the greatest of all Israel’s festivals, the entrance into the most holy place (Hebrews 9:7), which took place on one single day of the year, the yom kippur, the great day of atonement (Leviticus 16:1-34).

1. Melchizedek and Christ. Who was Melchizedek ? He was king of the city of Salem (city of peace). Where this city lay is not quite certain. The church fathers thought it was the Salem by Aenon mentioned in John 3:23 (Scythopolis on the Jordan). More probable is the assumption of Josephus and the rabbis that it was the later Jerusalem, the Urusalim of the Tel el Amarna letter (about 1200 B.C.). Ir = Ur = city. Salem = shalom = peace (comp. Psalms 76:2).

According to ancient Canaanite law (which was general in the ancient world) the king was at the same time chief priest of the city. And Melchizedek (as was Job in his day), in the midst of heathen surroundings, was a representative of the original revelation (Genesis 1:1-31; Genesis 2:1-25; Genesis 3:1-24; Genesis 4:1-26; Genesis 5:1-32; Genesis 6:1-22; Genesis 7:1-24; Genesis 8:1-22; Genesis 9:1-29; Genesis 10:1-32; Genesis 11:1-32) and therefore a priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18). Hebrews 7:3 does not mean that he was the Son of God Himself, for then there would have been an incarnation before the incarnation. Nor was he a kind of angelic appearing of the Son of God (comp. Genesis 18:2), for as a lawful king of a city he had ruled an ancient Canaanite city State. He was a natural God-fearing man of the time of Abraham who in Hebrews 7:3 was simply compared to the Son of God. His faith in God was rewarded in that he was ennobled by being made the highest of all types of the Redeemer. He is a type of Christ by the union of his priesthood and kingship; he is at once priest and king; by his personal name, Melchizedek, which means king of righteousness (Hebrews 7:2); by the name of his city, Salem, that is peace (Hebrews 7:2); by his appearing in the life of Abraham (Genesis 14:17-20). His significance here is treated only typically. Historically and in salvation’s history, Abraham is the greater personally (Romans 4:11-12; Romans 4:16-17); but typically Melchizedek is the greater. He is a type of Christ for he “tithed” the patriarch, and is therefore greater than the law (Hebrews 7:4-6); for under the law men who die received the tithes, but in Melchizedek they were taken by one of whom it is testified that he liveth. Moreover, as a consequence of the organic connexion of descendants and ancestors, in Abraham, Levi, the receiver of tithes under the law, was himself tithed (Hebrews 7:8-10). Then also, Melchizedek, “blessed” the holder of the promise and so is greater than the promise (Hebrews 7:6-7). He tithed and blessed in Abraham the tribe of Levi, and is therefore greater than the Levitical priesthood, the human ministers of the law and promise (Hebrews 7:9-10). Thus he is greater than all that the old covenant included, for law and promise were the two pillars of and the summary of the whole Old Testament. But above all Melchizedek is a type of Christ by the silence of the Bible as to his ancestry, birth, and death (Hebrews 7:3). In this especially he is made completely like Him who is in truth without beginning of days, whose descent is eternal, and Who remains King and Priest eternally In this eternity of the priesthood lies the express emphasis of the order of Melchizedek. So also the priesthood of Christ is not something transferred, but is for ever His personally, and is therefore higher than the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 7:16). It is not granted to mortal man, but to One to whom witness is borne that He lives.

Therefore He is the only High Priest and His office is for ever non-transferable (Hebrews 7:23-24), founded on an oath of God the Lord. And because He, as the Son of David, is descended from the tribe of Judah and not that of Levi (Psalms 110:1; Psalms 110:4; Matthew 22:42-45; Hebrews 7:11-14), His priesthood intimates at the same time an eternal doing away of the Levitical order and therewith a definite annulling of the Levitical law based upon it 15 (Hebrews 7:12-18).

Footnote 15: [In Jeremiah 31:32 and Hebrews 8:9 it is stated distinctly that it was the covenant made at Sinai that was declared void. This leaves the prior and basic covenant with Abraham in force, which is the argument in Galatians 3:15-17. By consequence, any provisions or features of the Abrahamic covenant which were incorporated in the Sinai covenant must also be still in force. Much follows from this. It calls for care in considering how much of the Mosaic economy has lapsed. Trans.] 2. The Priestly Order of Melchizedek. This heavenly priesthood is the necessary complement of the earthly. On earth Christ was at once priest and sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12-14): in heaven He is Priest and King (Hebrews 7:2; Hebrews 8:1). On earth the centre of gravity was His death, the dissolution of His life on Golgotha (Hebrews 9:15-23): in heaven the centre of gravity is His life, the indissolubility of His life in the power of resurrection and ascension (Hebrews 7:16; Hebrews 7:3; Hebrews 7:24; Psalms 110:1-4); As the essential fulfilment of the Aaronic priesthood He acquired salvation, legally, through His sufferings, as Christ for us: as the Melchizedek Priest He grants salvation, as Christ in us, organically, through His victory (Colossians 1:27); As priest on earth He laid once for all the basis (Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 10:18); His work here below is historical and concluded (Hebrews 9:26): as Priest in heaven He works without intermission (Hebrews 7:25); His Melchizedek service is never concluded, is eternal. As priest in lowliness He served for the redemption of the whole world, and without their co-operation He offered the reconciling sacrifice for all: as Priest on high He serves only His chosen; only for “us’ His members, does He appear before the throne of God (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; John 17:9).

Yet both belong together, eternally inseparable: the sacrifice and the intercession, the acquiring of salvation and the maintaining of salvation, the historical and the eternal, the suffering and the glory. In all this His Melchizedek-priesthood is the perfecting of the Aaronic. As Priest in heaven He entered before the Father on our behalf, in the power of that which He won as Priest on earth (Hebrews 9:24-25); and so to the acquiring of salvation He adds the appropriation, preservation, and glorification; and the eternity of His eternal Melchizedekian dignity becomes therewith the earnest of the eternity of our own redemption. “Wherefore also He is able to save completely 16 those who draw near to God through Him, seeing He ever loveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). But the chief significance of the ascension relates to

Footnote 16: [“completely” eis to panteles. See the only other occurrence in the New Testament, Luke 13:11. The woman bound by Satan was not bedridden, but could not completely lift herself up; a picture of many believers. Trans.] [3] The Kingly Office It is the enthronement of the King of glory. He who possesses by birth kingly right (Matthew 2:2; John 18:37), in His person kingly dignity (John 1:49), and in His kingly service full authority (Mark 1:27; Mark 4:41; Matthew 7:29), by His ascension took possession of kingly rule. In heaven His hidden kingship became revealed (1 Timothy 3:16), and His personal moral authority became world embracing, exalted above all principalities, rule and power (Ephesians 1:20-21). Now we see Jesus on the throne of God (Hebrews 8:1; Php 2:9), “exalted to the right hand of the Majesty” (Hebrews 1:3; Psalms 110:1; Romans 8:34; 1 Peter 3:22), “crowned with glory and honour” (Hebrews 2:9). In the ascension Jesus was properly made Christ (Acts 2:36), made Lord and Governor (Romans 14:9), made ruler of all lands (Matthew 28:18). From heaven Christ displays His kingship in various ways: in the founding of His church—by the outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 2:33; 1 Corinthians 12:3): in the extension of His kingdom—by the confirming of the message of salvation (Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:17-20): in the control of His kingdom—by authoritative command (1 Corinthians 9:21): in the defense of His kingdom—by overcoming hindrances (Acts 5:19; Acts 12:7; Acts 12:23): in the perfecting of His kingdom—by His coming in glory (1 Timothy 6:14-15).

Scripture distinguishes three “thrones,” corresponding symbolically to the three chief periods of His heavenly sovereignty.

1. In the present time, between His ascension and His return, Christ is on His Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 8:1). “Sit thou at my right hand, until I lay thine enemies as the footstool of thy feet” (Psalms 110:1). Throughout His “waiting” time (Hebrews 10:13) His kingship is super-national, purely spiritual, invisible, concerned with the course of salvation. This is the kingdom of grace.

2. In the Millennial kingdom Christ is on David’s throne (Luke 1:32; Acts 2:30). The throne of this His earthly ancestor if then His throne (Revelation 3:21; Matthew 19:28; Matthew 25:31), and He Himself, as the true perfect David, rules over Israel and the peoples of the world (Hosea 3:5; Ezekiel 37:24-25). His kingship is then visible, nationally universal from the point of view of both world history and salvation’s history. This is the kingdom of glory.

3. The throne of God and of the Lamb belongs properly to the new world (Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:3). Then the kingship of the Son, under the kingship of the Father, is universal, eternal, super-historical. It is the kingdom in consummation.

Now a kingdom must have subjects, a king servants. But no one can own Christ as Lord except through the Holy Spirit alone (1 Corinthians 12:3). For the law of His kingdom is a spiritual law (Romans 8:2), and the nature of His rule is righteousness, peace, and joy “in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Therefore the outpouring of the Spirit was the prerequisite for the actual coming of His kingdom. Before that time the kingdom of heaven was not so real and open on earth. Pentecost was the outflow of His kingly office, and with the ascension there came by the Spirit a spiritual association of the subjects of the kingdom. And the King must be on the throne before He can begin to rule. The ascension must precede Pentecost. Without the ascent of the Son there could be no descent of the Spirit: “It is good for you that I go away; for if I go not away the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go away, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7; comp. 7:39). But when He sent the Spirit He thereby united Himself with His people. His person and His work are now for ever in them. Therefore everything which Christ experienced is also their portion. Crucified with Him, dead with Him, they are also made alive with Him, and with Him sit in the heavenly places made alive with Him, and with Him sit in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6; Ephesians 1:3; comp. 1:20). Their home country is now above, with Him in the height (John 14:2-3; Php 3:20). Through the Spirit they have been associated with Christ in His ascension. And at last their literal ascension to heaven will come, their rapture and exaltation to His presence (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The ascension of Christ was fundamentally the entrance of the Head of the new humanity into the heavenly glory. From then heaven—the heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ—is our heaven (Php 3:20; Hebrews 13:14; Colossians 3:1-3). He, the Head, has gone in advance, as the Leader of His members to glory. For “does a head leave one of its members which it does not draw after it ?” “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2-3). For “where I am there shall also my servant be (John 12:26; John 17:24). The path to the glory is free.