The Baptism in the Holy Spirit (4): The first Ascension of Christ (1)
The 2 stages of receiving the Holy Spirit: (1) At salvation, we receive the Spirit within. (2) At the Baptism in the Spirit, we receive the Spirit upon. Jesus is the classic example: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, but (2) did not have the Spirit UPON until He was 30. We see these 2 stages with the apostles, for on the day of His resurrection Jesus imparted the indwelling Spirit to them (John 20:22). Then 50 days later they received the Spirit upon (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4). The giving of the Spirit could only happen after His Ascension (Acts 2:33). So, how could He give His Spirit to His apostles 40 days before His Ascension (John 20:22)? The solution is there were 2 Ascensions: (1) His 1st Ascension on the resurrection morning, and (2) His 2nd Ascension 40 days later. (1) First, He ascended, to appear before God and receive the Promise of the Spirit on our behalf, before returning to earth for 40 days, after which (2) He ascended again and sat down at God's right hand. That is why He could impart the Spirit to His apostles later on the same day He rose again (John 20:22).
The 4 Purposes for His 1st Ascension:
*1. To fulfil the Feast of First Fruits on the day of His resurrection (1Corinthians 15:20-23).
*2. To present His BLOOD in the heavenly holy of holies (Hebrews 9:12).
*3. To receive ALL AUTHORITY (Matthew 28:18, Daniel 7:13-14, Philippians 2:9-11):
*4. To receive the SPIRIT on our behalf, to give to His people (Acts 2:33).
When He appeared to Mary, He said: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ASCENDED to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them: ‘I AM ASCENDING to My Father” (John 20:16-17). The reason He gave her for not allowing her to touch Him was that He was ascending. But later He allowed others to touch Him (Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:39, John 20:27). It follows He must have ascended for a purpose that required Him to avoid human contact until He fulfilled it, which must have been to present Himself as the First Fruits Offering to God, mandated for that very day and hour. Also, He had to present His Blood in the Heaven. So it was not appropriate for Mary to touch Him before He had made these holy offerings.
He had to fulfil the Feast of First Fruits, which required Him to ascend to the Father on that resurrection morning (always on the Sunday of Passover Week - Leviticus 23:10-11). He had to present Himself to God in the heavenly Temple in the 3rd hour, exactly when the Sheaf of First Fruits was waved before the Lord in the earthly Temple (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The First Fruits is a sheaf of barley, that had been cut down and then lifted up and waved before the Lord in the Temple. Through God’s acceptance and blessing of the First Fruits, the whole harvest is blessed and guaranteed to come forth just like the First Fruits. This is a picture of Christ, who was killed, but now risen as our Representative Head 'accepted by God on our behalf'. So all who are in Christ are accepted by God as righteous and under His blessing, and our future resurrection is guaranteed. He described His death and burial as a grain of wheat being buried in the earth (John 12:24). Although only 1 seed is planted, the stalk that grows from it contains a whole cluster of grains. Likewise, many new creations will come forth from His death and resurrection. This multiplication is signified in the First Fruits Offering, for a whole sheaf containing many seeds (not just 1) that is waved before the Lord. This was fulfilled in His resurrection, for although He was buried alone, He did not rise alone, but many rose at the same time with Him (Matthew 27:51-53).
He ascended to present Himself and the first fruits to God. At the same time, He took the spirits of the Old Testament saints (the spirits of just men made perfect) to Heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Before the Cross, at death, believers went down to Paradise in Hades, whereas the unsaved went to Torments (Luke 16:19-31, v22). The OT saints could not go to Heaven, as they were not born again. Although righteous by faith, they were spiritually dead. Their spirits had not yet been made perfect by the New Birth, so could not go to Heaven. The New Birth was only available after His Resurrection (1Peter 1:3). So, they could not enter Heaven when they died (John 3:3,5,13). But when He rose, He preached the Gospel to them in Hades, so they might be born again (1Peter 4:6). Then at His 1st Ascension, He led them to Heaven in a triumphal procession (Ephesians 4:8). Now, all born-again believers go to Paradise in Heaven when they die (2Corinthians 12:2,4). The hope of the OT saints was Heaven (Hebrews 11:10,16), but they did not receive this promise when they died, as their spirits could not be made perfect until God provided something better (the New Birth) for His people, when the New Covenant came into operation (Hebrews 11:39-40). But now these spirits of just men have been made perfect and are in Heaven (Hebrews 12:22-24).
The 4 Purposes for His 1st Ascension:
*1. To fulfil the Feast of First Fruits on the day of His resurrection (1Corinthians 15:20-23).
*2. To present His BLOOD in the heavenly holy of holies (Hebrews 9:12).
*3. To receive ALL AUTHORITY (Matthew 28:18, Daniel 7:13-14, Philippians 2:9-11):
*4. To receive the SPIRIT on our behalf, to give to His people (Acts 2:33).
When He appeared to Mary, He said: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ASCENDED to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them: ‘I AM ASCENDING to My Father” (John 20:16-17). The reason He gave her for not allowing her to touch Him was that He was ascending. But later He allowed others to touch Him (Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:39, John 20:27). It follows He must have ascended for a purpose that required Him to avoid human contact until He fulfilled it, which must have been to present Himself as the First Fruits Offering to God, mandated for that very day and hour. Also, He had to present His Blood in the Heaven. So it was not appropriate for Mary to touch Him before He had made these holy offerings.
He had to fulfil the Feast of First Fruits, which required Him to ascend to the Father on that resurrection morning (always on the Sunday of Passover Week - Leviticus 23:10-11). He had to present Himself to God in the heavenly Temple in the 3rd hour, exactly when the Sheaf of First Fruits was waved before the Lord in the earthly Temple (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The First Fruits is a sheaf of barley, that had been cut down and then lifted up and waved before the Lord in the Temple. Through God’s acceptance and blessing of the First Fruits, the whole harvest is blessed and guaranteed to come forth just like the First Fruits. This is a picture of Christ, who was killed, but now risen as our Representative Head 'accepted by God on our behalf'. So all who are in Christ are accepted by God as righteous and under His blessing, and our future resurrection is guaranteed. He described His death and burial as a grain of wheat being buried in the earth (John 12:24). Although only 1 seed is planted, the stalk that grows from it contains a whole cluster of grains. Likewise, many new creations will come forth from His death and resurrection. This multiplication is signified in the First Fruits Offering, for a whole sheaf containing many seeds (not just 1) that is waved before the Lord. This was fulfilled in His resurrection, for although He was buried alone, He did not rise alone, but many rose at the same time with Him (Matthew 27:51-53).
He ascended to present Himself and the first fruits to God. At the same time, He took the spirits of the Old Testament saints (the spirits of just men made perfect) to Heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Before the Cross, at death, believers went down to Paradise in Hades, whereas the unsaved went to Torments (Luke 16:19-31, v22). The OT saints could not go to Heaven, as they were not born again. Although righteous by faith, they were spiritually dead. Their spirits had not yet been made perfect by the New Birth, so could not go to Heaven. The New Birth was only available after His Resurrection (1Peter 1:3). So, they could not enter Heaven when they died (John 3:3,5,13). But when He rose, He preached the Gospel to them in Hades, so they might be born again (1Peter 4:6). Then at His 1st Ascension, He led them to Heaven in a triumphal procession (Ephesians 4:8). Now, all born-again believers go to Paradise in Heaven when they die (2Corinthians 12:2,4). The hope of the OT saints was Heaven (Hebrews 11:10,16), but they did not receive this promise when they died, as their spirits could not be made perfect until God provided something better (the New Birth) for His people, when the New Covenant came into operation (Hebrews 11:39-40). But now these spirits of just men have been made perfect and are in Heaven (Hebrews 12:22-24).