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The Ascension of Jesus Christ Seen from the Old Testament
by Samson Hutagalung

His Ascension to God’s Right Hand (Ps. 68:18; ref. Mark 16:19; Eph. 4:8)

The resurrection of Christ has given victory to those who believe in Him, for without His resurrection our service and faith will be in vain. He showed Himself to His disciples and others to prove that He had risen. In fact He was in this world for forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3). All the rumors and claims of the unbelieving Jews concerning the resurrection of Jesus were as if just thrown into trash. They could do nothing to prevent the Good News of the resurrection of Christ from being preached.

In the lives of the Disciples of Christ, His resurrection was their turning point in serving Him with boldness. They were totally different after the resurrection and appearance of Christ to them. Once they had been so fearful, such as Peter, even to forsake, deny and leave Christ alone to bear the pains. However the resurrection gave them strength to stand firm for the truth and preach to those unbelieving Jewish leaders the death and the resurrection of Christ. All this because they knew their Master and Lord had risen from the dead, and had won the victory over death.

When Jesus Christ was with the believers after His resurrection, Jesus reaffirmed the teachings that He had taught them before His crucifixion. The promise of the sending of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit would be soon realized. Toward the time of His ascension to heaven, He forbade them to leave Jerusalem and instructed them to stay there and wait for the filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). They will be witnesses of the death and resurrection of Christ. As Luke recorded, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).[1]

What Luke has recorded in the book of Acts is part of the Great Commission that Jesus Christ gave to a group of believers in Jerusalem. However on another occasion, Matthew recorded the heart of the Great Commission. When Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:18-20). This is truly the Great Commission that should not only be done by the disciples but rather all the believers in every century.[2] Century after century the believers have been evangelizing and yet the Great Commission is still the unfinished Great Commission that should be done by the believers, generation after generation.

The one hundred and twenty believers who were gathered on the Mount of Olivet witnessed the ascension of Christ after He had given the Great Commission. Luke recorded, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9; Mark 16:19). Christ’s words of to them about His second coming were reaffirmed by the angels of God which 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 1:11). When they heard these words, they returned to Jerusalem and stayed in the upper room waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus Christ.

Having studied clear evidences of the resurrection and ascension of Christ, it is important to take note of the prophecies in the Old Testament that record Christ would ascend to heaven. The Psalmist said, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou has received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them” (Ps. 68:18).  Paul added, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Eph 4:8). The death and ascension of Christ had been fulfilled as recorded in the Scripture for the glory of God the Father.[3]  

[1]For further explanation, please refer to writing of Ralph Earle. Ralph Earle, Acts: Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. VII (Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1965), 262-4.

[2]Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, 693.

[3]“To show how exactly the figure was fulfilled, Paul notices, that What David had foretold was accomplished in the person of Christ, by his being cast down to the lowest parts of the earth in the reproach and ignominy to which he was subjected, before he ascended to the right hand of his Father (Ps.xxii. 7).” Calvin, Psalm, 26.