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there were many who saw the risen and the disciples could see Him no longer. But
glorified Lord, so there were witnesses to His ascension was visible. They saw it all.
His glorious ascension.
The Vindication of His
The Visibility of His Ascension Ascension
Christ’s followers were not all receiv- The ascension validates the claims
ing some simultaneous vision or having of Christ. We have already pointed out
an ecstatic experience. They watched the that the cloud received Him, yet another
Lord Jesus ascend with their own eyes. indication of heaven’s approval of His
Luke notes that they “beheld” the event finished work. But note Luke’s use of the
and that “a cloud received him out of their passive voice in the two verbs translated
sight” (Act 1:9). They “looked stedfastly “was taken up” (Act 1:2,9). This seems to
toward heaven as he went up” (v10) and imply the action of the Father who took
were “gazing up into heaven” (v11). They Him up, thus vindicating Christ’s claims.
saw with clear vision the ascension of Remember also that the ascension fulfills
the Savior. Notice also that He did not the Lord’s words spoken to the members
suddenly vanish, leaving the world one of the Jewish council, “Hereafter shall the
moment and arriving in heaven the next. It Son of man sit on the right hand of the
appears that some of His post-resurrection power of God” (Luk 22:69). As He took His
occurrences ended with His vanishing seat on His heavenly throne, His claim to
(see, e.g., Luk 24:31), but this was radically be the Son of God (see v70) was confirmed
different. And the ascension is the only once more. And we must not rush past
thing that explains the sudden end of His the significance of where the risen Lord
post-resurrection appearances. is presently seated. His ascension was not
So, the disciples watched as He left just a departure but an arrival, an arrival to
them. They not only saw Him but they the most exalted position in the universe:
saw a cloud – “while they beheld, he was Christ has “gone into heaven, and is on the
taken up; and a cloud received him out of right hand of God; angels and authorities
their sight” (Act 1:9). Perhaps it was the and powers being made subject unto him”
Shekinah, the visible representation of the (1Pe 3:22). Paul agreed with Peter: God
pleasure and presence of God, the cloud “raised him from the dead, and set him at
Moses encountered on Sinai, the cloud his own right hand in the heavenly places,
which guided Israel in the wilderness, Far above all principality, and power, and
the cloud that lay over the tabernacle might, and dominion, and every name
and filled the temple, the cloud which that is named, not only in this world, but
Ezekiel saw departing over the east gate, also in that which is to come: And hath put
the cloud that overshadowed Moses and all things under his feet, and gave him to
Elijah at Christ’s transfiguration and out be the head over all things to the church,
of which could be heard the Father’s Which is his body, the fulness of him that
voice, “This is my beloved Son.” Now filleth all in all” (Eph 1:20-23).
3
the cloud received Him approvingly and
The One who was dishonored on earth,
being spit upon, scourged, stripped,
3 R. Kent Hughes, Luke Volume 2: That You May
Know the Truth (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1998), struck and spiked to a tree, has been
423. greatly honored in heaven, completing
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