Post #25 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part four: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Exalted Kingship

 

Introduction:

    A few postings ago we began to look at the short phrase in the Nicene Creed "and ascended into Heaven". We explored the main Biblical texts that talk about Christ's ascension and it's meaning here Growing Christian Resources: Post #22 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part One: "and ascended into heaven". We then saw how when Jesus ascended that He assumed three offices that were foreshadowed in the Old Testament and fulfilled by Him. He ascended to be the Heavenly prophet who by the Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, the written Word of God Growing Christian Resources: Post #23 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Two: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus The Heavenly Prophet.

    In the last post we studied how Jesus also ascended to by the Christian's Heavenly Highpriest who represents them before God here Growing Christian Resources: Post #24 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Three: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Heavenly Priesthood. In today's post we continue on noting further revelation of Jesus' currently heavenly ministry as our exalted King.  

Jesus Christ's Kingship over all things. 

    The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 1:16-19 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him."

    How long has Jesus been King? We can say without question His kingship has persisted since He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit as the One Triune God created the heavens and the earth. John 1:3 "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Psalm 99:1 "The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!" When we consider Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6:1 of seeing "the Lord sitting on a throne"; the vision being none other than the preincarnate Christ (compare John 12:41-44), the Bible is plain about the scope and eternality of Christ's Kingship. This Kingship of the Son, established from all eternity as to He being our appointed mediator, extends also into eternity future (Luke 1:33; Revelation 19:6). 

    Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology summarizes the importance of Christ's Kingdom as we've discussed it thus far:

"Although the kingdom of God had existed from the beginning, yet as everything therewith connected before the Advent was merely preparatory, the Scriptures constantly speak of the Messiah as a king who was to set up a kingdom into which in the end all other
kingdoms were to be merged. 

The most familiar designation applied 
to Him in the Scriptures is Lord. But Lord means proprietor and ruler; and when used of God or Christ, it means absolute proprietor and sovereign ruler. 

Apart from Christ's right in us and sovereignty over us as God, He as the God-man is our Lord. We belong to Him by the purchase of his blood, and God has set Him as King on his holy hill of Zion."

The forms of Christ's Kingdom

    When we speak of the "forms" of Christ's Kingdom, we're talking about the manner in which His Kingly office and reign is manifested in the world and to men. Below are some of the most common headings used by theologians to capture a quick sketch of the vastness of Christ's kingly reign. 

1. God's Kingdom rule over creation.

    We can refer to this first form as really the overarching rule of the Triune God in providence as He guides history, the decisions of human beings, and the course of creation itself. The Kingdom of God broadly speaking pertains to those creatures which have the capacity to exercise volition or making of choices. Even when 1/3 of the angels rebelled to become the demons, God's Kingdom purposes and will remained established. When God created all things, he gave Adam and Eve the responsibility to execute His governance in creation by being His coregents. (Genesis 1:26-28). They of course broke the covenantal arrangement that made such a coregency possible. God's Kingdom was not in jeopardy. His method of mediating His Kingly reign would turn to covenantal mediators.

2. His mediatorial kingdom.

    It is this second form of the Kingdom that brings the eternal Son into focus. The Son of God is the appointed mediator for His people from all eternity (2 Timothy 1:9). The 2nd London Baptist Confession of 1689 8.1 notes of Jesus Christ as the appointed Mediator (note the underlined sentence which is relevant to our discussion):

"It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, according to the covenant made between them both, to be the mediator between God and man; the prophet, priest, and king; head and savior of the church, the heir of all things, and judge of the world; unto whom He did from all eternity give a people to be His seed and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified."

    Moreover, the Father had decreed that the Son would have an everlasting Kingdom that would have no end (Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Daniel 7:13ff). John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue in their "A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth, Biblical Doctrine", page 852, comment on how God developed this mediatorial form of the Kingdom through the Old Testament to where the incarnation of the Son of God would become central:

"The means of restoring God's mediatorial kingdom on earth would come through four eternal and unconditional biblical covenants - the Noahic, Abrahamic, Davidic, and new covenants. Together, these covenants have revealed both kings and King (Jesus) of God's kingdom plans and details of this kingdom."  

Throughout the Old Testament, God's mediatorial kingdom was typified through Israel as a nation along with its priestly and kingly institutions. All those details foreshadowed what was to be Christ's forthcoming advent as the incarnate Son.

3. The inaugurated Kingdom.

    When Jesus came into this world, He fulfilled the covenantal promises pertaining to the mediatorial kingdom. He as the King would formally inaugurate or introduce the Kingdom of God to Israel. Israel as a nation had functioned as a patterned people, depicting and foreshadowing what the Kingdom of God was like in small form. He proclaims several times in the course of His earthly ministry the Gospel of the Kingdom (Luke 4:18) as He demonstrates He has inaugurated the Kingdom by His ministry of exorcism (Matthew 12:28). When Jesus died, raised, and ascended, He took His seat at the Father's right hand to take this inaugurated form of the Kingdom to new heights, exercising His kingly prerogatives over the church and to resume what He had always been doing, guiding the providential affairs of our world (see Acts 2:32-36; Colossians 1:16-20).

4. The mystery form of the Kingdom.

    As Jesus reigns over His church, the kingdom of God's current nature and form is mainly spiritual, invisible, and hidden from plain view. That is not to say that Christ and His kingdom are not wielding influence over the lives of people. By the proclamation of the Gospel is the message of Jesus' Christ's victory over sin and all surpassing power communicated against the parasitic kingdom of Satan (see Acts 26:18). The church at large functions as an embassy for Jesus' Kingdom. Each local church is a local manifestation of the delegated authority of Christ through His word. Truely born again church members are His ambassadors who are to proclaim the Gospel of His kingdom and salvation until He comes (Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

5. His coming messianic Kingdom.

    The mystery form of the Kingdom will persist until the Lord Jesus appears in the clouds to take the church out of this world to be with Himself (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Following that event (known as the rapture), a final time of judgment on this world will take place, lasting seven years. At the end of that seven-year period (known as the tribulation period), Jesus Christ will return to earth and the Kingdom over which He presides will no longer be in its mystery form. Instead, the Kingdom of God will manifest on the earth. This Messianic form of the Kingdom will feature a redeemed church and a redeemed Israel ruling side-by-side with the Son of God over the nations (Revelation 20:1-6). It will be at the end of that period that Christ will judge the nations and Satan. 

6. The eternal Kingdom.

    Revelation 21-22 record that after the final judgment of the unbelieving world and Satan, a new heavens and new earth will follow a transformation of the entire created order. The New Heavens and Earth will become one, eternal, vast, physical, God-saturated, redeemed reality. We see no end to this final form of the Kingdom. Revelation 21:21-27,

"I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."

Closing thoughts:

    This post has attempted to offer a summary of what is the subject of Christ's exalted Kingship as revealed in His ascension. My hope is these last several posts have introduced the reader to the rich topic of Christ's ascension. This also should show us why creeds like the Nicene Creed are summaries. When Christians confess "and ascended into Heaven", they are confessing Jesus Christ as their heavenly prophet, high priest, and exalted King. 

Luke's Gospel Challenge - A 30-day Guide To Thirty Readings In Luke's Gospel

Introduction:

    Last year, I began preaching verse-by-verse through Luke's Gospel. We are now in Luke 8. I anticipate it will take us at least four to five years (give or take a year). When you absorb God's Word verse by verse, year after year, the brain and mind are reshaped. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us: 

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Also, Paul asserts the transformative effects of God's Word in Romans 12:1-2  

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

    I had issued a challenge to our church family last year, a challenge I want to reissue for this new year - read Luke's Gospel in 30 days!

    Below are 30 readings. Luke’s Gospel is 1151 verses. If you read around 40 verses/day, you’ll complete the Gospel in 30 days. If you're pressed for time, 20 verses/day will complete it in 60 days. 12 verses/day will complete it in 90 days. Below is a 30-day reading plan. Challenge each other. Be blessed as you read!

Day 1 = Luke 1:1-38           Day 2 = Luke 1:39-80

Day 3 = Luke 2:1-40       Day 4 = Luke 2:41-3:22

Day 5 = Luke 3:23-4:30      Day 6 = Luke 4:31-5:26

Day 7 = Luke 5:27-6:26 

Day 8 = Luke 6:27 – 7:18    Day 9 = Luke 7:19-8:3

Day 10 = Luke 8:4-40       Day 11 = Luke 8:26-9:6

Day 12 = Luke 9:7-45       Day 13 = Luke 9:46-10:24

Day 14 = Luke 10:25-11:13

Day 15 = Luke 11:14-54       Day 16 = Luke 12:1-40 

Day 17 = Luke 12:41-13:19  Day 18 = Luke 13:20-14:24

Day 19 = Luke 14:25-15:32  Day 20 = Luke 16:1-17:6

Day 21 = Luke 17:7-18:8

Day 22 = Luke 18:9-19:10   Day 23 = Luke 19:11-48

Day 24 = Luke 20:1-38       Day 25 = Luke 20:39 – 21:33

Day 26 = Luke 21:34-22:38 Day 27 = Luke 22:39-23:12

Day 28 = Luke 23:13-49      Day 29 = Luke 23:50-24:12

Day 30 = Luke 24:13-53      Day 31 = Make-up day. 

Post #24 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Three: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Heavenly Priesthood

 Introduction:

We have in the last couple of posts considered the Nicene Creed's confession about Jesus "and ascended into Heaven". Jesus Christ's ascension and exaltation resulted in His "session" or royal seating at the right hand of God the Father. Mark 16:19 "So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." Readers who want to review every Biblical reference touching upon the ascension may review part 22 of this post series here Growing Christian Resources: Post #22 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part One: "and ascended into heaven" 

     In today's post we want to continue to expound on the entailments of the Nicene Creed's "and ascended into heaven" by seeing Christ not only as our ascended Heavenly Prophet who speaks through the Word of God, but also as the believer's High Priest who intercedes for the Christian before God. 

Jesus the Heavenly High Priest  

   The sixteenth century reformer John Calvin wrote extensively on Jesus' three-fold activity in His session at the Father's right hand. In his "Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 15, Section 6", Calvin expounds on Christ's royal priesthood.

"With regard to his Priesthood, we must briefly hold its end and use to be, that as a Mediator, free from all taint, he may by his own holiness procure the favor of God for us. But because a deserved curse obstructs the entrance, and God in his character of Judge is hostile to us, expiation must necessarily intervene, that as a priest employed to appease the wrath of God, he may reinstate us in his favor. Wherefore, in order that Christ might fulfil this office, it behooved him to appear with a sacrifice. For even under the law of the priesthood it was forbidden to enter the sanctuary without blood, to teach the worshipper that however the priest might interpose to deprecate, God could not be propitiated without the expiation of sin."

    As for the Christian confession "and ascended into heaven", the office Christ occupies as our heavenly High Priest has much benefit. 

Jesus the appointed High Priest for those who follow Him by faith 

    When Jesus died on the cross, He did so as He and the Father had planned from all eternity (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2). He became man for us because He was the eternally appointed mediator. Jesus' heavenly priesthood at the Father's righthand provides the following benefits for Christians.

A. Permanent representation.

     The Old Testament's revelation of the Levitical priesthood through Aaron in the Book of Leviticus foreshadowed what was to be Christ's permanent priesthood. Hebrews 7,8,9, and 10 all tie Christ's priesthood to the pattern shown earlier than Leviticus by Melchizedek, the priest-king who met Abraham after the battle with Chedorlaomer and his allies in the Valley of Siddim in Genesis 14. Priesthood in the Old Testament only persisted from one generation to the next. Death was the barrier. Melchizedek's earlier priesthood never stated its end, but only its uniqueness and what would come to be its superiority to the Levitical mediation of the priests in ancient Israel. Jesus came to be the unique and permanent high priest for his people.  

        Hebrews 7:17-24 summarizes perfectly how Jesus' current heavenly priesthood as our ascended Mediator aids the Christian in daily life:

"For it is attested of Him, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.' 18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’”)

22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

B. Prayer's representation.

      Not only is Jesus' ascended high priestly ministry permanent, but also representative. This especially is encouraging by how He helps the Christian pray by the Holy Spirit whom He promised to give to every believer (John 15:26-27) for their aid in prayer (Romans 8:26-27). A recent lecture by a scholar I listened too gave the illustration of a small child trying to lift a heavy object. Unknown to the child, the parent comes up behind and gives "lift assistance". To the little one their confidence soars as they successfully maneuver the heavy lifting. That's what Jesus is doing now in heaven for every believer who prays and seeks Him. His current heavenly ministry as our ascended heavenly High Priest gives wings to our prayers and guarantee that we have a hearing. 

C. Personal representation.

    We know that Jesus retained His humanity following His ascension (Acts 1:9-11). Let's not forget too that He ever remains truly God, worthy of worship (Hebrews 1:5-10). What our ascended Lord does is to provide personal representation. Hebrews 4:14-16 summarizes:

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Closing thoughts:

    Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." As the believer's sole representative in Heaven, He is truly God as God with the Father and He is truly man as with us. He ascended to represent us and to pull up those sinners whom His Holy Spirit calls up from darkness and unto His marvelous light. Our Lord Jesus ascended into Heaven and prays, intercedes, and represents His people. In our next post we will explore how He not only ascended to be our Prophet and Priest, but also our reigning and soon coming King. 

Post #23 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Two: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus The Heavenly Prophet

Introduction:

    Happy New Year to all readers! As we continue in our study of the Nicene Creed, it is technically now the "1701st" anniversary year. For simplicity's sake I'll retain the original title of the series. Let's press forward!

    In the last post we began to look at the Nicene Creed's confession of Jesus' ascension to Heaven in the statement "and ascended into Heaven" here Growing Christian Resources: Post #22 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part One: "and ascended into heaven" 

     We noted all the key Biblical texts associated with His ascension. We also observed how major events in the life of the incarnate Son of God (virgin birth, life and ministry, crucifixion, resurrection) function as windows to behold His glory. The ascension caps off all these by giving us the clearest window possible into what was the ultimate trajectory of His humiliation and exaltation. 

      Christ's humiliation began at His incarnation, carried through His birth, circumcision, humility, crucifixion, death, and descent into Hades. His exaltation began with His resurrection from the dead, carried through His post-resurrection appearances, and culminated in His current heavenly ministry as our ascended Prophet, Priest, and King.

    What I want to do in this post today is to begin to explore the details of His current ministry in Heaven on the believer's behalf as our ascended heavenly Prophet. 

Christ ascended into Heaven to be our Prophet who speaks to His church through the Scriptures, the Word of God.

    Theologians refer to Christ's current heavenly ministry as His "session" (from a Latin term "sessio" meaning "to sit"). When we speak of Christ's session, I think of those old T.V. court shows like the "People's Court". As the show would commence, the Bailiff of the court would say "court is now in session, the honorable Judge so-and-so presiding".  

    When Christ was ascending to Heaven, He gave final instruction to His disciples concerning the Great Commission and His promise that He would be with them always to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20). He also had angels assigned to tell the disciples that He would return in the same manner He left them - a physical, bodily revelation of His glory (Acts 1:9-11). What we see Jesus doing in these passages is the office of Him as our Heavenly Prophet. A prophet "forthtells" or exhorts the people of God to covenant relationship and "foretells" what the people can expect in the future from God. 

Jesus as our prophet fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and expectation

     When Jesus came into this world, He had fulfilled a major prophetic prediction by God through Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-17 "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16 This is according to all that you asked of the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17 The Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. 18 I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him."

Jesus as the prophet was identified as such in the New Testament

    The Apostle Peter specifically tied the Lord Jesus Christ to this prophetic prediction, identifying Him in His Prophetic office in heaven that He occupies as our ascended Lord. We read of this in Acts 3:20-23 "and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

     In the Old Testament, prophets were anointed for service as a precursor to what would be the prophetic office to which our Savior was anointed (see 1 Kings 19:16). When Jesus began His earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit's coming down upon Him at His baptism was the indicator of His empowerment and enablement as "the anointed one" or as "the Christ". When Jesus came forth to begin His earthly ministry in Luke 4:18, He quoted Isaiah 61:1-2a that had predicted His anointing as Prophet: 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed."

The importance of Jesus being the Prophet for His Church in Heaven today

      It was the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea that first laid out a systematic exposition of the Biblical data concerning the three-fold office of the ascended Lord Jesus. In his "Church History, Book 1, chapter 3, section 1.8-9", Eusebius notes the following about the significance of Christ's prophetic office:

"And we have been told also that certain of the prophets themselves became, by the act of anointing, Christs in type, so that all these have reference to the true Christ, the divinely inspired and heavenly Word, who is the only high priest of all, and the only King of every creature, and the Father’s only supreme prophet of prophets."

Eusebius then comments:

"And a proof of this is that no one of those who were of old symbolically anointed, whether priests, or kings, or prophets, possessed so great a power of inspired virtue as was exhibited by our Saviour and Lord Jesus, the true and only Christ."

    The Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 explains Christ's current prophetic office in its tenth paragraph of its eighth article "Christ Our Mediator":

"This number and order of offices is necessary; for in respect of our ignorance, we stand in need of His prophetical office; and in respect of our alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services."

    I'm reminded those verses of the Book of Hebrews that tie the office of Christ as our exalted Prophet speaking forth through the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit whom He and the Father sent to illuminate the Church to her calling, identity, and daily living (Hebrews 1:1-3; Hebrews 4:12-16). 

     The composition of the New Testament by the Apostles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit serves as the written record of God's revelation of Christ and as the platform through which He instructs His people today, complementing the inspired Old Testament record that infallibly anticipated His arrival in our world (Luke 24:44; John 16:12-15). Jesus Christ as the heavenly prophet was already predicted as such in the Old Testament (Isaiah 42:1; 49:5-6; 61;1-2a) and came to be such in the New Testament as we already mentioned. His role now as our ascended prophet is to guide His Church, His body, by His Spirit and the Scriptures as Christians everywhere await His second coming. 

Final thoughts

    Joel Beeke, a Teaching Fellow at Ligonier Ministries, notes the following about the application of Christ's heavenly role as Prophet in our lives today in an article he wrote entitled "Jesus' threefold office as Prophet, Priest, and King":

"As the Prophet, Jesus is the only One who can reveal what God has been purposing in history “since the world began” and who can teach and make manifest the real meaning of the “scriptures of the prophets” (the Old Testament; see Rom. 16:25–26). We can expect to make progress in the Christian life only as we heed His instruction and teaching."

    When Christians gather every week to hear the Scriptures preached and applied, they are listening to the voice of their Heavenly Prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ. He as the decisive revelation of God, being Himself truly God who reveals and truly man that is the fullness of revelation pointed to by the written revelation, God's Word, the Bible, calls sinners by His Spirit to repentance and faith and believers to live and look forward to His soon return. This is why I need to be in the written Word of God and get the written Word of God into me, so I can hear what the Lord Jesus Christ, my Heavenly Prophet, is guiding me to do by His Spirit. In the next post we will continue expounding the Nicene Creed's phrase "and ascended to Heaven" by noting Christ's heavenly high priestly office. 

Post #22 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part One: "and ascended into heaven"

 

Introduction:

    As we continue through our study of the Nicene Creed, we come to that portion of its confession of Christ and His work that speaks to His ascension. The Nicene Creed uses four words to affirm this doctrine: "and ascended into heaven."

   In the words of Bible teacher R.C Sproul, Christ's ascension puts an exclamation point on entirety of Christ's first coming. Two scriptures give us the beginning and ending points of the forty- day period of time between Jesus' resurrection from the dead and His ascension into Heaven. Matthew 28:1 states: 

"Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave." 

    The other endpoint that would occur forty days after Jesus' resurrection represents what was Jesus' ascension into Heaven. Acts 1:1-3 

"The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God." 

     Much of course occurred in that 40 day period of time. By beginning to focus upon the scriptures that speak of the event of Christ's ascension, we can begin to see why this event is so crucial to our understanding and worship of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What Jesus had to say about His own ascension.

      Jesus Himself had predicted during His trials and journey to the cross that He would  ascend and sit at the right hand of God the Father in Luke 22:69, 

"But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 

    Such a statement is important and reminds us that Jesus' ascension into heaven was only possible because of His willing "descension" from heaven to earth, in the virgin birth of His incarnation and ultimately into His passion or sufferings on the cross.

     The ascension as an event is recorded in the Gospels and in Acts. For now, I just want to list the scriptures that record this event. Why? To remind the reader that this was no myth or fictional hallucination in the minds of the New Testament authors. This event really happened, in time and space, in history and among eyewitnesses.

Mark 16:19 "So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God."

Luke 9:51 "When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem."

Luke 24:50-51 "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven."

John 6:62 "What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?"

John 20:17 "Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

Acts 1:9 "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."

How the ascension gives us a window into the glory of the exalted Jesus confessed by the Nicene Creed.

    The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 not only summarizes belief in the physical ascension of Jesus into Heaven, but also how it relates to three other significant truths: His resurrection, His return, and His activity in the lives of Christians today.  This is what the BFM 2000 states: 

"He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord."

    That statement summarizes for us the connection we as Christians have to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all that He is and accomplished.  Each of the major events of our Lord's lives, a window is given through which we can see increasing manifestations of His glory.

    For example, in His incarnation and virgin birth, the angels are depicted as singing "glory to God in the highest". Later at His baptism, the voice of the Father is heard speaking from Heaven: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." In the midst of His earthly ministry Jesus reveals His pre-incarnate Divine glory to his disciples atop the Mount of Transfiguration. Even in His cross, scripture repeatedly states that the glory of His love is demonstrated.

    The cross for many Christians represents the epicenter of Christian devotion - and rightly so - being that it is at the cross where humanity and Deity meet, being that the One Person who is humanity and Deity accomplished the necessary redemption. 

    The windows of glory continue in what is considered the most important event, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  It is this event which, according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-20, is the article upon which the validity and reality of Christian faith rises or falls.  Without confessing one's trust in Jesus' death and resurrection, salvation cannot be applied.

    As scripture marches forward, especially in the Gospels, Acts 1, and 1 Corinthians 15:1-10, we see the glory of Jesus Christ seen yet through another set of windows - His post-resurrection appearances.  

    It was Jonathan Edwards that once stated: "grace is but glory begun and glory is but grace completed." It is in those twelve post-resurrection appearances of our Lord, over a period of 40 days, that we see the early disciples established and solidified in their faith, and getting ready for what will be their message to a lost and dying world: "He is Alive!"

    All of these key events: Jesus' incarnation/virgin birth; earthly life, crucifixion, resurrection and appearances give us windows into His glory.

    However, there is one event that not only gives us a window, but a grand, sweeping bay window into the glory of the God man - the ascension. There is no denying how much is suddenly opened up to us in the ascension of Jesus Christ.  It seems that once He had ascended, the New Testament explodes with scripture after scripture describing and applying the significance of the ascended Jesus to Christian identity and living. A few of these scriptures will serve to prove what we are talking about in this post:

Romans 8:34 "who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."

Ephesians 1:20  "which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places."

Colossians 3:1  "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

Hebrews 1:3 "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Hebrews 8:1 "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens."

1 Peter 3:22 "who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him."

Closing thoughts

     In the next post we will continue expounding upon the Nicene Creed's confession of Jesus' ascension into Heaven by noting His three-fold work in Heaven and how the ascension ties us to what will be His second coming. 

A Brief Response To Kirk Cameron's Denial Of Eternal Conscious Punishment. What Jesus And Peter Teach On Hell

Introduction:

    What prompted me in part to write this post was well-known Christian personality, Kirk Cameron, recanting his belief in the traditional or historic orthodox teaching on the eternal punishment of unbelievers in favor of what is called "annihiliationism" here Are We Wrong About Hell? | The Kirk Cameron Show Ep 86 and a summary article here Kirk Cameron changes stance on doctrine of Hell | Podcast.  

    The Baker "Dictionary of Evangelical Theology" (edited by Walter A. Elwell, 2nd edition), defines annihilationism in its article on page 64:

"Annihilationism expresses the position of those who hold that some, if not all, human souls will cease to exist after death."  

    Norman Geisler in his "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics", page 22, offers this definition of the position:

"Annihiliationism is the doctrine that the souls of the wicked will be snuffed out of existence rather than be sent to an everlasting, conscious hell. The existence of the unrepentant will be extinguished, while the righteous will enter into everlasting bliss." 

    Cameron noted he was influenced by evangelical author Edward Fudge. I won't take the time or space to present Fudge's arguments for his "annihilationism" view, only to note the link to his website, including a summary written by him that distills his exhaustive 500 page book "The Fire that Consumes" is found here:  Edward Fudge Ministries - Joyously drawing water from the springs of salvation Isaiah 12:2-3.

Weaknesses I find in annihilationism 

    

    As I looked over Fudge's website, summary article, and insights into the ongoing discussion of the fate of those persons who die in their sins apart from faith in Jesus Christ, I found two areas that I would classify as a weakness. If I had more time I could do a much deeper dive, since the subject merits further study. In a moment I'll present below all the Scriptures that detail Jesus' and Peter's teaching on the doctrine of conscious torment in Hades now and Hell for eternity. 

    The first weakness in Fudge's case seems to be that not enough attention is paid to those Scriptures that speak about the resurrection of the unrighteous to "everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:1-3), or as Jesus terms it "the resurrection of the unjust (John 5:25-29) and John's description of such a final resurrection of the wicked in Revelation 20:11-15. If indeed unbelievers are to cease in their existence post-mortem, what does one do with the Scriptural revelation of such a resurrection, which evidently implies conscious existence of such souls now who are then raised to face God in the final judgment and to have bodies that endure for eternity?

    The second weakness I found in the annihilationism presented by Fudge is his insistence that those who advocate conscious, eternal punishment draw from the philosophy of Plato and the immortality of the soul. I have read Plato's "Phaedo" and "Timaeus". Although he developed the Greek view of the soul's immortality, his view and what we find in Scripture about conscious existence after death are different. The most notable difference is that the Biblical portrayal includes the doctrine of the resurrection, which the Greeks deny. Further, many of those authors I've read that champion the conscious and eternal torment of unbelievers do not cite nor borrow from Plato. 

A reminder of the compassion and listening ear we need to have when approaching the doctrine of Hell.

    As I mentioned, if I had more time, I would give further reason why annihilationism as a position does not square with what we find in the teachings of Scripture on the doctrine of eternal punishment. It goes without saying that we are to ever approach this subject with deep humility, prayer, and with an ear to what the Scripture's say. Anyone who can study this subject without a sense of disturbance in their heart have not grasped the gravity of the plight of unbelievers nor understood how God Himself repeatedly says He does not rejoice in the destruction of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:33 for example). 

    Moreover, compassion and sorrow for the lost are needed. Anyone who researches this topic must also recognize God is a good God who is equally just in His punishment of those who willfully reject His salvation and merciful by "having mercy upon whom He has mercy" to prompt anyone to receive such salvation. 

What Scriptures teach about conscious eternal punishment in Hell

Jesus' Teaching on Hell

    In my own study of Jesus' teachings on various subjects, it is surprising to see how often he mentions "Hell" in comparison to other topics:

1. Heaven = 34 times
2. Salvation = 21 times 
3. Hell = 17 times
4. Love = 17 times
5. Money = 12 times
6. Prediction of his crucifixion = around 10 times
7. Not judging people = 3 times

    Further study reveals Jesus' description of hell, which matches the Old Testament understanding but with far more detail. I'll only mention Scriptural references. As I have studied all the below passages over the years, I'm struck by the overwhelming insistence Scripture makes on how, sadly, unbelievers will endure conscious, eternal punishment. Jesus taught this point more than any other author in the Word of God.

1. Unquenchable Fire   
Mark 9:43 compare Num 16:25; Ps 106:17,18

2. Everlasting Fire      Matthew 18:18

3. Outer Darkness      Matthew 25:46

4. Gates of Hell          Matthew 16:18 compare Ps 9:13; Is 38:10

5. Place of conscious existence. Luke 16:25-28

6. Place of wailing, weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28

7. Place of constant burning and stench. 
Matt 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; Matt 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5

    In sum, Jesus is carrying on what God revealed in the Old Testament with far more specific and pointed detail in all his parables, teachings and sermons. The question now is: what did his followers, the Apostles, teach on this subject? One of them, the Apostle Peter, will be the focus of our attention for the remainder of today's post.

The Apostle Peter's teaching on Hell in 2 Peter

    For sake of space, I'll limit my remarks to Peter's teachings. The Apostle Peter's statements on Hades (or Hell) align with Jesus' teachings. Peter also emphasizes on several ocassions the presence of demonic beings in hell. 

1. Hell will be a destructive place. 

    2 Peter 2:1 refers to false teachers bringing upon themselves "swift destruction" and in 2 Peter 2:3 we see reference to "destruction" and "judgment". Peter uses similar terms in 2 Peter 2:4,9,12. In 2 Peter 2:4 we see specific reference to certain fallen angels who are being held in reserved judgment. 

    The rebellion mentioned here occurred either in the ancient cosmic rebellion led by Satan in Revelation 12:4,7-9 or the abomination of certain demons taking on human form to commit immorality with the daughters of men in Genesis 6:1-4. Jesus describes both Hades and the final Lake of fire as being places of destruction with destructive fire in Matthew 18:18 and Mark 9:43. 

2. Hell will be a dark place

    As Peter and Jesus both teach, Hades and the final place of the Lake of Fire will not only be destructive, but dark places. Peter once again mentions how in Hell there are places that are extremely dark (2 Peter 2:4 "pits of darkness"; 2:17 "black darkness"). As he did in his descriptions of hell's destructiveness, the darkness of hell is heightened by the presence of demons (2 Peter 2:4) Jesus teaches how hell will be a place of "outer darkness" (Matt 25:46). 

    Many people over time have question what appears to be two conflicting descriptions of hell (both Hades and the Lake of Fire) as being places of fire and darkness. If there are unquenchable fires burning, how can there be darkness? Let the reader be reminded of what takes place when a major fire occurs: there are flames for sure, however there is thick dark smoke that makes seeing the flames hard to see. 

    To heighten this image to the level of the types of fire and darkness occurring in Hell escalates the picture. When we add in the frightening details of demonic beings more frightening than those that even roam freely on this earth, it ought to cause even the most hardened sinner to be moved to responds to God's saving call of salvation. 

What Jesus and Peter both teach on escaping hell

    Jesus repeatedly taught that He alone was the way, the truth and the life and that no man could come to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). To escape hell is simple: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. (John 3:16). 

    

    To not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is to remain settled in your decision against Christ and preference of Hell over Him. (John 3:17-19, 3:36) The Apostle Peter as well urges His listeners both before 2 Peter 2 in 2 Peter 1:3-4 and after in 2 Peter 3:18 to know Christ and continue partaking of Him in faith. 
    

    All of the warnings and disturbing realities of 2 Peter 2 give readers reasons for avoiding the awful realities of hell. 2 Peter 3:17 urges readers to be on guard against the false teachers and seductions of this age so as to not get sucked into their ways. 

    Avoiding hell is a matter of relying upon the Spirit of God to do as commanded in 2 Peter 3:18 "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." We are saved by grace through faith alone apart from the law and we are being saved by a grace that is not lawless.  Both Peter and Jesus both explain clearly the only escape from Hell - namely Jesus Christ. 

Post #21 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - "and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures"

Introduction:

    We now come to that part of the Nicene Creed that covers what may be the Nicene Creed's center of gravity - the doctrine of Christ's resurrection. As we dwell on this phrase "and the third day He arose again, according to the Scriptures", the immediate reference is from 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

    What is remarkable about these two verses is that they form part of an ancient Christian credal statement that was current in Paul's day. Many New Testament scholars of all stripes have concluded that Paul's material derives from what the early Christians were reciting shortly after Christ's resurrection. Most would place this creedal material within five years or less after the event of the empty tomb. Paul's inclusion of this material in his letter to the Corinthians (itself dated roughly 55 A.D.) means he acquired it most likely from the time he was converted in 34 A.D. or when he received during his time in Arabia as we read of in Galatians 1. Either way, this early creed gives us the earliest evidence of what the early Christians understood about the cause of Jesus' empty tomb - He had risen from the dead! 

    When the Council of Nicea met in 325 A.D. to draft the original Creed of Nicaea, as well as the update of the creed that we have studied in this series from the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D., the goal of the Creed was to confess the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. At the time of both editions of the creed in the 4th century, many heresies were attempting to redefine the Biblical teaching on Christ. There were movements within the church such as Arianism that denied Christ's deity. There were also movements outside of Christianity that denied fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, including Manichaeism and Gnosticism. My point in mentioning this is to remind us that Creeds served as much of an apologetic need (that is, defending the Christian faith) as they did a confessional need in worship services of gathered Christians on Sunday morning. I won't say too much more beyond this regarding our need to defend the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. For those readers who are interested in knowing the evidential and historical arguments for Christ's resurrection, please click the following link to a post I wrote back in 2019 here Growing Christian Resources: How to show and know that Jesus raised from the dead.

Why the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is so central to Christian faith and practice. 

   The Nicene's Creed's co-opting of this phrase from 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 reminds us of the importance of creeds in the life of the early church. They function as summaries of what the church has always taught and what is essential to confess as a follower of Jesus Christ. Notice the follow reasons why the resurrection of Jesus is the most important truth of Christianity, life and existence...

1. The resurrection provides the basis for truth, meaning and life's purpose.

    To begin, the clearest statement found in the Bible on the significance of Christ’s resurrection from the dead is found in 1 Corinthians 15:19-20a “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most pitied. (20) But now Christ has been raised from the dead…". All Christianity, and life and the entirety of existence rises or falls with this doctrinal and historical reality. 

2. The resurrection is the only explanation for the beginnings and spread of Christianity.

    Christ’s empty tomb, post-mortem appearances, the sudden switch of the disciples’ skepticism to robust faith and the early church can only be explained by the historical, physical, supernatural resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 

3. The resurrection of Jesus is the power-source behind the preaching of the Bible.

    Christian doctrine would be jeopardized (1 Corinthians 15:1-11) as well as Christian preaching and the church itself if Christ had not risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Moreover, any ability to derive hope in this present life must be abandoned if Jesus Christ had never risen from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). For finding the purpose of existence and hope for the future, such quests must be abandoned if indeed Jesus Christ’s resurrection never took place (1 Corinthians 15:29-58). 

4. Jesus' resurrection is the basis for worship and adoration of God.

    But praise be to God – Jesus has risen – and thus we serve a risen, exalted Savior! The existence, reality and identity of the true and living God of the Bible is verified chiefly by the fact that He is credited with raising Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4-11; Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 1:3). Jesus’ own Deity and true humanity are both verified by this event (John 10:17; Romans 1:1-3; Romans 9:5). Christ’s resurrection from the dead –deemed “firstfruits” in 1 Corinthians 15:20b, guarantees the Christian’s future glorified transformed resurrection body at His return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58). 

5. Jesus' resurrection validates the truth of the Bible.

    Christ’s resurrection also has made certain all of the prophecies and predictions pertaining to the rest of the Old Testament saints in the resurrection of the righteous, of which we will be a part (Job 14:14; Daniel 12). The Kingdom of darkness and Satan himself stand condemned and defeated as a result of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Colossians 2:11-12; Hebrews 2:11-14; 1 Peter 3:18-20). 

6. The resurrection of Jesus is relevant for the power to live the Christian life today.

    To summarize – Jesus’ resurrection stands as the epicenter of Christian experience, doctrine, history, the present and future hope for all who believe. As Paul and the early Christians confessed such truth, and just as the Nicene Creed affirms this as essential to the faith as the confession of the Trinity or Christ's deity and humanity, we confess: "and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures".