GOD can not ascend, unless He has first descended. This is different with us. We are here below. Our origin lies in the dust of the earth. Hence our whole calling in life is, to climb from the lowestmost parts of the earth up to the highest heavens. That is our pilgrim journey. Therein beckons our holy destiny.
But this is not so with the Lord our God. For the heavens are His throne. High in the heavens above is the trystingplace of His holiness. And in this lower sphere, in these lowestmost parts of the universe, His majesty can never become evident, except as God has bent Himself down, in compassion has turned Himself toward us, has visited us from on high, and has come down to us on this earth.
And this is not all.
For although in forbearance God does bend Himself down to us, this earth can never become His dwellingplace. His august palace is above, and as often as God the Lord has come down to us on this earth, an ascent has always been bound to follow after this descent. God in His majesty always goes back to the heaven, where He was before.
You learn this from Psalm 68, which celebrates in song, that Israel’s God, Who had come down to His people, and in a tent had journeyed with His people through the wilderness, now went up to Zion’s hilltop, as image and shadow of His august palace in the heavens.
You learn this from Psalm 47, when in Jehoshaphat’s days the peoples round about made it hard for His Israel; and the army of the priests, and the battle-ranks of Israel had gone into the fight; and the Lord had gone out with them; and before Jehovah, had driven forth every enemy of Israel from before His face. For then also at Israel’s return from the field of battle, Israel’s God turned back with them to Zion; and now once more He goes up in His holiness to His holy house, to the place which He had chosen for Himself; and again priest and levite and all in Israel who fear the Lord rejoice and sing: “God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.”
And yet, in David’s and in Jehoshaphat’s days all this was only preparation and forecast of that one altogether unique ascent of God into the heights, that presently would take place from the mount of Olives at the ascension of Jesus.
For the real enemies of God, and the enemies of His people, are not Ammon and the Philistines, but the powers of darkness, of sin, death and hell, which estrange this earth from God, and, had not God prevented it, would hopelessly have destroyed it.
And, therefore, all that battling of Jehovah in behalf of His people Israel, was truly prelude and preparation and indication of what was to come, but it was not the real battle.
No, it only came to that real, that decisive, that truly redemptive conflict, when Mary had brought forth her first born Son; and God in Christ came down to destroy the works of the Devil; and Jesus on the cross brought about the reconciliation; and in His resurrection from the dead the power of sin, death and hell was destroyed.
Only then the purpose of God’s ways become evident. Only then was the real power that is inimical toward God pierced in the main artery of the heart. Only then was God come down to deliver His chosen people from the power of this age and of wickedness in the air.
But therefore it could only then come to the real Ascension.
A glorious King, our God, Who had gone out from the palace of His glory, and had come down to this sinful earth, to wage war against His enemies, Satan, Death and Hell; and Who now, after having triumphed completely over these powers of darkness, in great splendor returned to His august palace, and therefore ascended into heaven.
Only so do you understand what that ascension of Jesus was.
It was by no means a mere going away again on the part of Jesus, because He could not remain here. Neither was it simply a return of Jesus to heaven, because heaven was His home where He belonged. No, it was the triumphant procession of a King, Who, after having overcome all His enemies to the death, and after having trodden to the end the winepress alone, now comes from Bozrah, with sprinkled garments from Edom, and as conquering head of His army, laden with glorious spoils, ascends in glory to the throne of His majesty.
For this the psalmist sings: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in” (Psalm 24). And to the question: “Who is this King of glory?” all the hosts, that go up with Him, exultingly reply: “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle!” And when it is asked again: “Who is this King of glory?” the deafening refrain is once more sounded: “The Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory! Selah!”
Thus Jesus’ ascension tells you, that the struggle is now ended. That now at last the decisive battle has been fought. That in this decisive battle your King was conqueror to the end. And that He, your Head and King, laden with rich, spiritual booty, now made His entry into heaven, thitherward to call and to draw unto Himself all His faithful, and to enrich them with the wealth of His salvation.
That ascension is the crown upon the battle that has been fought.
No more the struggle, the bitter fight itself. That lies back of the ascension. That has been ended in His rising from the dead.
But now the triumph, now the triumphal entry, now the proclamation of victory throughout all the heavens, that Satan is vanquished and Messiah has triumphed for ever and for aye.
If you take it otherwise, Jesus’ ascension is dull and colorless, and without joy for your own soul.
But if you understand that ascension as the Scripture pictures it to you, the ascension of Christ is for you the beginning of glory, as well as regards what lies back of you, as with respect to the future which you face.
For what lies back of you.
For so only is Jesus’ ascension a glorious event to you, by which your Mediator solemnly declares to heaven and earth that the power of Satan is vanquished; that atonement for sin has been made; that righteousness is established; and that death has forever been robbed of his might.
But also for your future.
For Jesus’ ascension declares unto you that this battle shall never be resumed, that it is impossible for Satan and Death ever to get the upper hand again; and that, thanks to the glory to which Immanuel arose, your salvation is forever sure.
True, there is an aftermath to this battle; the marks of the Christ must still be borne by them that are His; and the cross remains the symbol of your life, as long as you still remain on the battlefield or in your tent.
But that time at most is short.
Each in turn is called by your King to the palace of His honor. And then you may leave this battlefield, and from your tent pass over into God’s eternal dwellingplace, and with your triumphant King forever enjoy His glory.
Yea, more still.
Even though you must still remain behind on the field of battle, to pursue the beaten foe, and at the frontier stand at your post as watchman, and cause balm to flow into the wounds of such as are wounded, and to collect the scattered weapons, and to gather together the booty that remained behind, yet all this you do already now without danger of your life.
For your King from heaven keeps watch over you.
His Name and Power reach to the heart of your enemies. And who dares longer seriously to resist the banner of your King?
And when resistance does arise, and Satan tries to move again, he is as the tiger on a chain, that can make a leap and open his maw, but is held by Christ in leash, and in all his attempts is time and again beaten back by power from on high.
Hence all that now matters is: that you believe that your Savior has conquered; believe that the victory of your Savior was for ever decisive; that you believe: “Now is my King in heaven and reigns in glory,” and that therefore you look up to heaven; feel homesick in your soul after heaven; and in all your pilgrim journey know no other aim than to arrive in heaven and there be forever with your Savior.
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