THE NECESSITY OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST CHRIST

THE NECESSITY OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT: ØSend the Holy Spirit ØBecome High Priest ØReceive Dominion ØPrepare Us a Home

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT “Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ” (John 16: 7)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE “IN” THE APOSTLES “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. ” (John 14: 16 -17)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TEACH THE APOSTLES “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. ” (John 14: 26)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TESTIFY OF JESUS “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. ” (John 15: 26 -27)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CONFIRM THE WORD Howthen, So shallafter we escape the Lord if wehadneglect spokenso togreat them, a salvation, He was which receivedat the up into first heaven, toand began be spoken sat downbyatthethe. Lord, rightand handwasofconfirmed God. Andtothey us by wentthose out who and preached heard Him, everywhere, God also bearing the Lordwitness working bothwiththem signsand andconfirming wonders, with the word through various miracles, theand accompanying gifts of the Holy signs. Spirit, Amen. according (Mark 16: 19 -20) to His own will? (Hebrews 2: 3 -4)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO REPROVE THE WORLD “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ” (John 16: 8 -10)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT BECOME HIGH PRIEST. . . therethisareis priests Now the main whopoint offerof the gifts thingsaccording we are saying: to the We law; have whosuch servea Highcopy the Priest, and who shadow is seated of theavenly the rightthings, hand asof Moses the throne was divinely of the Majesty inwhen instructed the heavens, he was about a Minister to makeofthethetabernacle. sanctuary For and. Heofsaid, the "See true tabernacle that you make whichallthethings Lord according erected, and to the not pattern man. . . if shown He wereyouononearth, the He would not mountain. “ (Hebrews be a priest, 8: 1 -5)since. . .

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT BECOME HIGH PRIEST TO COMPLETE THE ATONEMENT “And. Christ Aaroncame shallasmake its horns a yearwith the But Highatonement Priest of upon the good thingsonce to come, blood of offeringtabernacle of atonement; year hethatshall make greater andthe moresinperfect not madeonce witha hands, is, not of atonement throughout generations. It isbutmost the this creation. upon Not itwith the bloodyour of goats and calves, withholy Histoown LORD. " (Exodus 30: 10) blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9: 11 -12)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT BECOME HIGH PRIEST TO MAKE CONTINUOUS INTERCESSION Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7: 23 -25)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT RECEIVE DOMINION “I was watching. . . and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion. ” (Daniel 7: 13 -14)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT RECEIVE DOMINION OVER A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here. ” (John 18: 36)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT RECEIVE DOMINION & BE PRIEST ON HIS THRONE “Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!” “He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. ” (Zechariah 6: 12 -13)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT RECEIVE DOMINION & REIGN TILL DEATH IS DESTROYED Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15: 24 -26)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT PREPARE US A HOME “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ” (John 14: 1 -2)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT PREPARE US A HOME AND GIVE US A CONTINUING CITY Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. (Hebrews 13: 12 -14)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT PREPARE US A HOME AND GIVE US A CITY WITH FOUNDATIONS By faith [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God…for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11: 9 -10, 16)

CHRIST ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT PREPARE US A HOME AND GIVE US A HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3: 20 -21)

CHRIST DID NOT ASCEND BACK TO HEAVEN AFTER AN ABJECT FAILURE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE IN COMING INTO THE WORLD AS IS IMPLIED BY PREMILLENNIALISTS

SUCH AN IDEA IS A REJECTION OF GOD’S MANIFOLD WISDOM! But the To whenintent the fullness that nowofthe manifold time hadwisdom come, God of God sentmight forth His be made Son, knownof by born a woman, the church borntounder the principalities the law, to redeem and powers those who in thewere heavenly under places, the law, according that we might to thereceive eternal the purpose adoption which as sons. He(Galatians accomplished 4: 4 -5) in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3: 10 -11)

HAVING ACCOMPLISHED HIS PURPOSE IN COMING HE ASCENDED BACK TO HEAVEN THAT HE MIGHT: ØSend the Holy Spirit ØBecome High Priest ØReceive Dominion ØPrepare Us a Home