NT Framework - Ascension is Assurance

You don't need to pray, fast, do good works, or develop some sort of righteousness or piety to receive the Holy Spirit. He is guaranteed upon belief through faith in the Christ just as He was guaranteed to fall upon the believers after Christ ascended.

More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com 

This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).

Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner. 

Transcript

Welcome And Series Context

0:00

Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.

Why The Ascension Matters

0:10

Why did he need to ascend at this time? If the book of Acts is about what he's going to continue to do and continue to teach, why is he leaving? Well, he's going to do it from that position at the right hand of the Father.

Watching Jesus Rise Into Glory

0:22

So Acts 1.9, after he had said these things, he was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received him out of their sight. So here we have an event right after he said that, and he's lifted up while they're looking on. So how how what was his rate of ascent? I mean, was it like a bullet? Um, was it really slow? Was it gradual in some sense? It had to be gradual in some sense because they were watching him ascend. So they were able to watch this event, and then while they were looking, a cloud received him out of their sight. Now it's at this point that nobody ever sees Jesus in his resurrection body on earth again. There are people that are transported to the third heaven, there are people that see visions, and so we get that. But nobody ever saw him on earth again in his resurrection body. He had just disappeared into this cloud. There were also a cloud that led Israel by day in the Old Testament and fire by night. What do you think this cloud was? It's that same cloud. It's the Shekinah glory. Okay? And he disappeared into this cloud. It's not a natural cloud, it's the Shekinah glory. He disappears into this cloud, verse 9, so now they can no longer see him. Now we don't know anything about where he went or what he did after this point, except from the scripture. The Old Testament scriptures say that he was exalted in Psalm 110 to the right hand of the Father, and he sat down in the throne room of God at the Father's right hand. We know this from the Bible, but we don't know this by anybody empirically seeing it.

Angels Explain The Second Coming

2:04

Verse 10, and as they were gazing intently into the sky while he was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. Now who are these guys? Are they really guys or are they angels? Kind of like the two guys that were at the tomb, right? Two angels. They're two angels, and they're standing there beside them. So all of them are standing in the sky, and all of a sudden there's just two more guys in their group. I don't know if that's ever happened to you. You know, you're you're with all your friends, and all of a sudden there's two other people there. You're like, who are y'all? Uh what are y'all doing here? But that's what it was like. And they said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you, that's the ascension, into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven. So is he gonna come again? First of all, is he gonna come again? How is he gonna come again? Does this verse in this passage explain how he's gonna come again? Yeah, it tells us the manner of his second coming. He's gonna come in the same way he departed. So he went up, he was lifted up, and he was disappeared into a cloud. So when he comes back, he's gonna come back in a cloud, and then he's gonna appear here on earth. It's not that complicated. So let's ask a question then.

Is Pentecost The Second Coming

3:23

Is the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 the second coming of Jesus Christ? You know, you have all these guys in this room, there's this violent sound of rushing wind. Then they see these tongues distributing themselves like fire, meaning very rapidly, as we know, travel, fire travels rapidly. And then they begin speaking in tongues, right? In all sorts of languages and dialects that they'd never learned. Is that the second coming of Jesus Christ? Well, that's what all millennialists say. That's what the covenant theologians who are all millennialists say. They say, this is the second coming. Some of them say that. It's a coming of Jesus by means of his spirit. But is that the same way in which he departed in Acts chapter 1, verses 9 through 11? No. So you can either agree with these theologians or you can agree with Jesus and God. But this stuff is total nonsense. And how the Christian world has ever permitted this to ever even be considered as a viable alternative is unbelievable to me. Read the text and accept what God says, or quit playing games. Just because it doesn't fit your theology doesn't mean it's not true. What's wrong then is you have to fix your theology and let the Bible explain and teach you what your theology should be. So he's going to come back in exactly the same way that he departed. And that shouldn't be difficult.

Ascension Enables The Holy Spirit

4:52

Now, why is that section there? Why? Why are we told in three verses the ascension? Because he, if he hasn't ascended, he can't send forth the spirit. Look at John 16, verse 7. The Gospel of John. Everybody in this chapter, these chapters, the upper room here, not upper room, um yeah, the upper room discourse, are you know concerned that Jesus is leaving. Where are you going? You know. Notice in chapter 16, verse 7, he says, But I tell you the truth, it's to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And he, when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness judgment concerning sin and goes on, right? About this part of the Spirit's ministry. But see, it was to your advantage he says that I go away, because if I don't go away, the helper, this we know, is the advocate, the spirit, he will not come. But if I go, I will send him. So that is why this is described in chapter 1, verses 9 through 11, to assure us that he had departed. So that what is going to be the explanation of the tongues on the day of Pentecost? Is it that they were drunk, like some of them said? No. The explanation is that, okay, Jesus departed. He said if he was going to depart, he would send the spirit. So how does Peter explain it? This is a pouring out of the spirit. That's how we know why this section is actually here.

Visuals, Ratings, And Closing

6:49

Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.