Where Christ ascended, and how to look for him. The word for the Ascension of the Lord. Ascension of the Lord why Christ ascended

The Holy Church is read by the acts of the Holy Apostles. Chapter 1, Art. 1-12.

1. I wrote the first book to you, Ferofil, about everything that Jesus did and what he taught from the beginning

2. until the day he ascended by giving the Holy Spirit of the commandments to the apostles, which he chose,

3. Who revealed themselves alive, by suffering from their faithful evidence, in the continuation of forty days being and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4. And, having gathered them, he commanded them: do not leave Jerusalem, but wait the promised from my father, what you heard from me

5. For John baptized with water, and you, a few days after this, will be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

6. Therefore, they, having passed, asked him, saying: is it not in this time, Lord, do you restore the kingdom of Israel?

7. He told them: It's not your business to know the times or deadlines that the father put in his power,

8. But you will take power when the Holy Spirit comes at you; And you will witness in Jerusalem and in the whole Judea and Samaria and even to the edge of the earth.

9. Having said this, he rose in the eyes of them, and cloud took him out of their appearance.

10. And when they looked at the sky, during his climb, suddenly they appeared two husbands in white clothes

11. And they said: Galilean's men! What are you standing and look at the sky? This Jesus, ascended from you to the sky, will come in the same way as you have seen it ascending to the sky.

12. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain, called Eleon, which is located near Jerusalem, in the distance of the Saturday path.

(Acts 1, 1- 12)

Dear brothers and sisters, we again read the very beginning of the books of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. Today we read from the 1st to the 12th verse of the 1st chapter, and for the holiday of Holy Easter read verses 1-8. We read this passage today because there has come a big holiday: on the 40th day after Easter, the ascension of our Jesus Christ is celebrated. With this beautiful bright holiday, dear brothers and sisters, all of you and congratulations!

As you understand, today's passage is read precisely because it is narrated by the Ascension event. The first eight poems we have already discussed, they are just described what happened in the period from the resurrection to the Ascension of Christ. It must be said that in general the Gospels tell us a little about what happened to Jesus and his students after His Resurrection. The gospel of Matthew speaks quite a little about it, from the brand, too, a little bit, from Luke - more and from John - even more. But there is no detailed description, it is not even said in the Gospels, how long is Jesus stayed with students to his ascension. Let's say in the Gospels from the brand and from Luke Ascension is described, but it is not said, after how long after the resurrection it happened. The period of forty days is indicated just in the book of Acts, in the 3rd verse of the 1st chapter: which revealed themselves alive, by suffering from their own, with many faithful evidence, in the continuation of forty days being and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Forty days Jesus was with the disciples, despite the fact that he was already Jesus Risen, the Lord, Risen in the New Body. As we say, the resurrection suggests that a person does not return to the old physical body, and finds a new spiritual and then in this spiritual body inherits the kingdom of God, because, as the Apostle Paul says in the message to the Corinthians, "the flesh and blood of the kingdom of God do not inherit " There can not physically enter the monastery of the heavenly kingdom of God (not in the sense of the physical sky, but it is spiritual). Therefore, our resurrection, as well as the Resurrection of Christ, will be in a new spiritual body.

Staying with students in this state, the Lord teaches them not to leave Jerusalem, that is, it has already been promised to the holiday of Trinity, Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes down on the apostles. Jesus calls him the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which will come down and will strengthen, remind you all that Jesus said. He speaks about it in his farewell conversation. I must say that John's baptism of someone from the apostles accepted, but we don't see the gospels to take baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they are baptized with the Holy Spirit through the convergence of fiery languages, the event, remingettemed by us on the feast of Pentecost. In any case, this is the same spirit: one who is given by the man during the sacrament of Baptism in the name of Christ, and the one that in the case of the apostles came down in a special way.

The question of the disciples: "When do you restore the kingdom of Israel?" That is, they still do not understand that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit will be updated by their inner creature and a certain inner incentive, the impetus to go to the sermon and distribute the kingdom of God, which is inside a person. Before being the Holy Great Spirit, the apostles still perceive the kingdom of God as a certain external realization: as a certain celebration of Israel, as a state. But here Jesus still does not explain that they are wrong to think, he simply says: "You can not know the times and the deadlines that the father will define. The main thing, wait for the Spirit; The Spirit will come to you - and you will witness me in Jerusalem, Samaria and even to the edge of the earth" The book of acts just describes how it all happened; And we and I have already advanced enough on it.

From the 9th verse, the part of the passage begins, which was not read on the holiday of Holy Easter. Actually, these verses are the property of today's apostolic reading. Having said this, he rose in their eyes, and cloud took him out of their appearance.The cloud is a communal symbol of the presence of God. Christ, being after the resurrection in a new spiritual body, rises from the ground and there in the presence of God is hidden in the cloud, leaving their disciples. Pupils, of course, with sadness look at how the Lord leaves them.

And when they looked at the sky, during his climb, suddenly they appeared two husbands in white clothes and said: Galilean's men! What are you standing and look at the sky? This Jesus, ascended from you to the sky, will come in the same way as you have seen it ascending to the sky.

It gives a certain promise of how the second coming of Christ will look like. All Christian theology teaches that if the first coming of Christ was in the humble form of a human child (Christ was born in the same way as we, moreover, in not very comfortable conditions, I lived this life, I had undergone all its adversity and in the end of the torment, Death, burial), then his second coming is commonly called glorious and terrible. The Lord will come in his glory, as she ascended in glory; In the tropar of this holiday, it comes in: "Asia is ascended in glory, Christ is God." Christians are waiting for this moment, we remember that even from our comments to the book of the Apocalypse, from what the Apostle Paul wrote in their messages. This hour is not undesirable for a Christian, on the contrary, Christians seek him, because then the fulfillment of the kingdom of God will come - the full realization of the design of God about the world. The world of the Old collapse will collapse and will be the "New Sky and New Earth", which I seen John theologian. True, this is written in the second part of the book of the apocalypse, and we have managed to read only half, but the one who read the book completely, of course, remembers these words. So for Christians this event is joyful.

I remind you of the need for us with you daily read the Word of God, because in it a great reflection, consolation and instruction enclosed. Keep you all the Lord!

Ieria Mikhail Romadov

Today, June 5, 2008, we celebrate a big event - the Ascension of the Lord Jesus on the sky, which is described in detail in the first chapter of the book Acts of the Apostles, located in the New Testament. In this article, I want to answer a few questions that I suppose, ask every person when hears about this holiday and who wishes to find an answer from the Holy Scriptures.

When was the Lord Jesus on the sky?

The book of Acts of the Apostles begins with this event and tells us about the time when it happened. Evangelist Luka writes:

I wrote the first book to you, Ferofil, about everything that Jesus did and what he taught from the beginning to the day he was ascended, giving the Holy Spirit of the commanding the apostles, whom he chose, to whom he revealed himself alive, by suffering from his Many faithful evidence, in the continuation of forty days, being and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts of Apostles 1: 1-3)

The ascension of Jesus Christ on the sky happened after forty days after his crucifixion. Therefore, we, all Christians, from Easter to Ascension we welcome "Christ!", And from today we will welcome each other: "Christ ascended!". Ten days later we will celebrate the Trinity, or the descent of the Holy Spirit to Earth.

How did the Ascension of Jesus Christ occurred on the sky?

And, having gathered them, he commanded them: do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promised from the Father, what you heard from me, because John baptized the water, and you, a few days after this, will be baptized by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they, having come down, asked him, saying: Is it not time, God, do you restore the kingdom of Israel? He also told them: It is not your business to know the times or terms that the father put in his power, but you will take power when the Holy Spirit comes at you; And you will witness in Jerusalem and in the whole Judea and Samaria and even to the edge of the earth. Having said this, he rose in their eyes, and cloud took him out of their appearance. And when they looked at the sky, during his climb, suddenly they appeared two husbands in white clothes and said: Galilean's men! What are you standing and look at the sky? This Jesus, ascended from you to the sky, will come in the same way as you have seen it ascending to the sky. (Acts of Apostles 1: 4-11)

Who witnessed the Ascension of Jesus Christ on the sky?

To believe in any event, there must be witnesses who saw it. Moreover, if something is supernatural, what was the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. The Word of God calls on the names of witnesses of this event and says:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain, called Eleon, which is located near Jerusalem, in the distance of the Saturday path. And, having come, they climbed into the hubby, where they were, Peter and Jacob, John and Andrei, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, Jacob Alfeyev and Simon Zerot, and Judas, Brother Jacob. All of them were unanimously in prayer and sampling, with some wives and mariey, the matter of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts of Apostles 1: 12-14)

Why Jesus Christ ascended on the sky?

An excerpt from the book Act of the Apostles does not tell us about it, but Jesus Christ when was still on the ground he said about his leaving to his father and why he does it. When he was preparing students for his approaching crucifixion, Lord Jesus said:

Yes, your heart is not embarrassed; Believe in God, and believe in me. In the house of the father of my monastery a lot. And if it were not, I would say you: I go to cook the place to you. And when I go and prepare you a place, I will come again and take you to myself so that you were, where I. (Gospel from John 14: 1-3)

Another reason that Jesus Christ said is the one that he goes to his father to send the Holy Spirit to students, and said this:

But I tell you the truth: Better for you so that I go; For if I won't go, the comforter will not get to you; And if I go, then send it to you. (Gospel from John 16: 7)

The Holy Spirit is called the Lord Jesus comforter, because it was supposed to be, and it is to have its great consolation in all circumstances of life.

What is my benefit from the Ascension of Jesus Christ?

As Jesus Christ said, he went to cook the place not heaven. Do you want to be there to spend eternity with Jesus Christ in God's paradise? Do you know how to get in God's kingdom?

When Jesus Christ spoke to the disciples about her retirement, the Apostle Thoma said:

Thomas told him: Lord! We do not know where to go; And how can the path know? Jesus told him: I am a way and truth and life; No one comes to his father as soon as through me. (Gospel from John 14: 5-6)

Taking Lord Jesus in your heart to have his legacy.

Translation: Moses Natalia

What is ascension? What is so important this holiday and what we should not forget this day?
These and many other questions in their video blocks answered the abbot of the church of St. BLGV. Prince Alexander Nevsky and member of the Board of Trustees of the magazine "Foma" Archpriest Igor Fomin for the Holiday Assessment in 2012.

The Ascension Festival took place on a fortieth day after Easter, and when the earthly life of the Lord of our Jesus Christ ended, he appeared to his apostles. Forty days, as Sacred Scripture says in the book of Acts, he died with them, instructed. Here they opened those truths about which he was already on, however, he spoke during his earthly life, but they saw everyone now in another light, and these forty days, spending with the apostles, he led them to the Eleon Mountain, and many Of course, doubted. As the Holy Scripture writes from Matthew, someone left, but many remained. And the Lord, raising her hands, crashes on the sky. That is hidden from their gaze. It would seem that such a beautiful story, right, I want to say, semi-suck, probably, but in fact it has a very big value for us - for Christians, for people who believe in future life, believe in Christ, confessing him by their Savior, and Carefully read the Sacred Scripture.

First of all, I must say about the sky. The fact is that the sky in the Holy Scripture is divided into three components: the first is the sky as an atmospheric phenomenon where our atmosphere is what the globe surrounds; The sky is like space, where we see all the stars, shone and the like; And the sky is like a dwelling of God or a compatibility of all invisible world. This is the sky, it, in general, among us - it is completely surrounding us. And for us, the Ascension of the Lord in the body is very important. Here we are talking about the third sky, the third component, the third definition of the sky is the sky as a container of God, all the dead, all invisible angels. That is, it turns out, and we are once again Sunday in New Teles. What are these new teles? It is those Teles, like the Lord of our Jesus Christ, when he brought to heaven. He lived here on earth, his life in the body, the exact same body as our - is subject to all atmospheric precipitation, phenomena, temperature drops and some desires. We know the Lord and Alkal, and suffered, and the like. And on the cross, the flour was not figuratively, it is not apparently like heretics some say, but as a person. In general, it was terrible when nails are driven into you, it was terrible when you are poured with a spear. And that's precisely with this body, rejoice, the Lord crashes on the sky, becomes invisible. For us, this is the image of the fact that we, too, overcoming new nature, overcoming this life, will live in the same body as it is and now, but updated, in the new Telas Sunday.

The Holiday Ascension once again should show us that everything that happens here on Earth has a very serious imprint in the future, will have a very serious imprint in the future. It, as we have already said, and even what we have been Sunday. And Christianity is, probably, the only religion that says that the body will also participate in the glorification of the Lord, will also participate in paradise, but also, not bring the Lord if anyone falls out of us in the place of torment hellish.

So the Ascension Festival is how the logical completion of all of what the Savior spoke to his students, well, and, of course, we are with you.

The Holiday Ascension is another thing about what we forgot to say - before the Lord rushes on the sky in bodily form, he gave promises to his students that if you see the ascension of my, then I will send my saint's spirit that will be here among the students and the apostles. And so it happened, and in Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes down on the apostles. They receive new gifts, they say in different languages, they begin to work wonders and it is the presence in the Church of the Holy Spirit, it fills the church, it revives the church, it gives churches the opportunity to develop and be the joyful organism that comes to the Lord and leads people to Lord.

Easter - it ends right before the ascension. On Thursday we have ascension, always on Thursday the Ascension, this year the 24th. On the eve, 23, Easter holiday festival. Easter biennium is served by the Eastergal and chants of Easter, the last time this year. Now we have already heard them only next year. And here's a greeting "Christ Risen!" The last time is also said. Although in the tradition of Serafimo-Diveevsky monastery to speak all year round. But automatically for the Holiday Holiday, too, I want to say Christ Risen. And I remember how in the seminary, we said "Christ ascended!" And they answered "truly ascended!"

If you contact this Easter greeting, of course, it will be a mistake, but it is not deadly, she is not canonical, she is not dogmatic, and if your heart burns love and joy, you can always greet. Especially even on Sunday, because every Sunday all year round is a small Easter.

I cordially congratulate all our readers and viewers of the wonderful site of the magazine "Thomas". And I would like to wish that the Holiday Ascension he was, as for the apostles, and for us, we must see this ascension of the Lord and clarify with Christ, our sins with passions and lust, and then the Ascension of the Lord gives us the Spirit saint to and he filled our hearts and life.

What is ascension? What does it have to relate to the story of the Gospel of Luke about the movement of Jesus from the Earth in the airspace? Why, according to one evangelical certificate, the Ascension occurred on the day of the Resurrection, in others - after forty days? And most importantly, what does this have to do with us?

Where is Jesus now?

The fact that Jesus Christ, after his resurrection, climbed the secret of God, to the Father Heaven - this is the principal point of the Christian faith that the red thread passes through the New Testament Scriptures. Only the Apostle Luke designs a detailed and colorful story about this event, while the other authors talk about it more incentively. But they say.

Let's start with the fact that the Old Testament text is generally quoted in the New Testament - these are the words of the 109th Psalm: Said the Lord to the Lord to my: Sit ones (that is, on the right hand, that in ancient European tradition symbolizes intimacy and trust. - Approx. prot. K. Parkhomenko) Me, the counterpart of your enemies in the foot of your feet (PS 109: 1).

These words, which, by the way, got into our own symbol of faith, are found in the New Testament almost two dozen times. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe glorification of Jesus next to God the Father is fixed by the most ancient dopavo tradition. Here are the texts that the apostle Paul accepted in the already compiled form: It(Jesus) humiliated himself by taking the image of a slave, having become like such men and becoming a person as a person; Has myself, who would be obedient even to death, and the death of the godfather. Therefore, God extracted him and gave him the name above all the name, in order to be the name of Jesus, all the knees of heaven, earthly and hell, and every language confessed that the Lord Jesus Christ in the glory of the god of the Father (FLP 2 :7–11).

God appeared in the flesh, justified himself in the spirit, showed himself to the angels, was preaching in nations, adopted by faith in the world, ascended in glory (1 Tim 3 :16).

The very first New Testament author, the Apostle Paul, does not write directly about the Ascension of Christ, but a lot reports on the return of Jesus from God's world. For example, in the earliest Epistle Pavel says that thesalonians expect from the heavens of his son, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus ... (1 FES. 1 :10; cf. 4 :16).

And in the gospel tradition (Evangelists brand, Matthew and Luke) We meet numerous statements about the return of Christ (Mat 16 :27; 24 :30; 26 : 64; MK 8 :38; 13 : 26; LK 21 :27; 22 : 69). But it is possible to assume the return only with respect to someone who left somewhere.

So, it is safe to say that the new covenant claims that the risen is now with the father of heaven, in the world in the world, or, if we use the language of the ancient metaphors, the son is now in heaven.

Where did the resurrence move?

Although the new covenant unequivocally talks about the stay of the Risen Christ with the Father, in the glory of God, or on the throne of God, the New Testament authors avoid saying that Jesus got there through flight, that is, some physical movement on the sky.

One group of texts is simply about the ascended position of Christ. Another talks about the movement of Christ to heaven, but does not explain how this happens. In some texts, the word is mentioned Ascension or its equivalent (Rome 10 : 6-8; EEF 4 : 7-11), in other special terms are missing (Heb 4 :14; 6 : 19-20; 1 Pet. 3 :22).

A lot of this writes the evangelist John. For him, Jesus is the one who descends from heaven and subsequently returns there. Three times John talks about the climbing of the Son (Ying 3:13; 6:62; 20:17), but usually uses the term "journey" ( greek. Poreuomai), "Care" ( greek. Hypago), or "Wings" ( greek. Hypsoo).

Story about Ascension from the Evangelist Luke

Apostle Luke. Miniature from "Ostromirova Gospel"

Only the evangelist of Luke does not avoid using direct flight images, climbing. He tells about it twice - in his Gospel and the Book of Acts of the Holy Apostles.

These are these texts:

... and I will send my father's promise to you; You stay in Jerusalem in the city of Jerusalem, the current will not be powered over. And they brought them out [from the city] to Vifania and, raising their hands, blessed them. And when they blessed them, began to move away from them and crawl into the sky. They bowed to him and returned to Jerusalem with Great Joy (LK 24 :49–52).

And, having gathered them, he commanded them: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the promised from my father, what you heard from me ... You will take power when the Holy Spirit comes down at you; And you will witness in Jerusalem and in the whole Judea and Samaria and even to the edge of the earth. Having said this, he rose in their eyes, and cloud took him out of their appearance. And when they looked at the sky, during his climb, suddenly they appeared two husbands in white clothes and said: Galilean's men! What are you standing and look at the sky? This Jesus, ascended from you to the sky, will come in the same way as you have seen it ascending to the sky. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain, called Eleon, which is located near Jerusalem, in the distance of the Saturday path. And, having come, they climbed into the hube, where they were, Peter and Jacob, John and Andrei, Philipp and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, Jacob Alfheyev and Simon Zlotot, and Judas, [Brother] Jacob. They all unanimously stayed in prayer and prayer (Acts 1: 4-14).

These texts are closely investigated by biblists, and today the consensus is generally achieved on the following points:

1. Despite the apparent difference, these two stories report the same event, just before us a shorter and longer version. In both passages, eleven apostles are mentioned, sermon to the whole world, the need to remain in Jerusalem before the convergence of the Holy Spirit, the role of the apostles as witness the Ascension and the fact of the return of eleven in Jerusalem. That is, the scheme of the stories is the same.

2. There is no doubt that when Luka was his story about the Ascension of Christ, he used the Jewish and Greco-Roman images, describing the ascent of the heavens of the ancient heroes.

Here, for example, that we read in Tita Libya in the text written shortly before the Nativity of Christ: "For the accomplishment of the immortal of these works, when Romulus, convening a gathering on the goat's swamp, made a view of the army, suddenly with a thunder and rumbled a storm that Having shrouded the king with a thick cloud, hiss it from the eye of the gathering, and from that time there was no romule on the ground. When impenetrable disgust replaced the peaceful radiance of the day and the overall horror was finally hammered, all the Romans saw the royal chair empty; Although they believed the fathers, the closest eyewitnesses that the king was carried by the swirl, yet, as if affected by the fear of orphanhood, a sorrowful silence was stored. Then, first, a few, and behind them all the praise Romulu, God, God born, the king and the father of Rome, are praying for peace, that he always kept his offspring, "(Rome's story. 1.16) .

We find a lot of parallels with the story of Luke in the Jewish stories of the time about the ascension of Enha, Elijah, Ezra, Varuha and Moses. There is all that set as Luke: Mountain, cloud, worship of those present and so on. The attention was drawn that in the story of Luke on Ascension of Jesus there are many terms used in 4 kings 2 : 9-13, in the description of the taking to the sky (in the option, the septuagints - the translation of the Old Testament books on the ancient Greek, made in Alexandria in the III-I centuries to R. H.).

Nevertheless, despite the use of a Luka language and images known to the ancient reader on other monuments, scientists did not find direct borrowings from these sources. Luke does not retell other people, simply replacing the actors on Jesus and the Apostles, but speaks of a certain absolutely original story.

3. Why does Luca give two versions of the Ascension time: on the day of resurrection and forty days?

It is not surprising, but Luka, apparently, tends to talk about ascension as an event, next directly and immediately over the resurrection.

For example, according to the evangelist's testimony, Mark, in court, Christ says: ... and you seek the son of human, sitting ones forces and coming on the clouds of heavenly (MK 14 : 62). Luka has a gospel in front of the Gospel, but gives us another version: from now on, the Son of the Human will send the best power of God (LK 22 : 69). All the text and especially the word "now" shows that Jesus's squeezing in heaven should follow immediately with his death, and not through forty days.

Or another example: in a conversation with travelers on the way to Emmaus Savior says: Should not be enough to suffer to Christ and enter the glory of his own? (LK 24 : 26). There is no gap between the suffering, resurrection and glorification \u003d ascension, they are followed directly at each other.

In Acts read: This Jesus God raised, which we all witnesses. So he, who would be ascended by the desire of God ... (2 : 32-33). And here, the resurrection and ascension are thinking as non-time events.

Luke can find many other points in which some long period of stay of the risen with students, but refer to ascension, immediately following the resurrection (see: Dean 3 :15–16; 4 :10; 5 :30–32; 10 :40–43; 13 :31–37).

The story that Luke describes in the Gospel, where Christ is asked on the very day of his resurrection, is actually very characteristic of Luke; It reflects his understanding that becomes obvious when comparing with other quotes of this author.

But then the question arises: what does the story from the book of Acts say then? History, which gave rise to the Holiday Ascension, celebrating on a fortieth day after Easter? ..

4. So, if for the evangelist Luke Ascension is closely connected with the resurrection, why is Luka talk about the forty-day period of Jesus phenomena?

Let's start with the fact that the first Christian tradition never said that Jesus was ascended immediately after the resurrection. It happened after some time, that is, the period of stay with students is undoubtedly. As we saw above, the ascension is closely connected with the resurrection of Jesus and Luka usually for a long time, these two events do not share.

Then why Luka draws us such a long, forty-day period of resurrected phenomena?

First, it is specifically and intended (as not done before him) approves a certain period of stay with students of the risen Jesus.

Secondly, this thought is important in the future for the further narrative of the book of the Acts, which she opens. In some sense, Luke makes it the key to the entire book of Acts and to the history of the life of the early church.

Thanks to this long stay with the students of Luca, it may show that the Church is the successor of the legend that she opened the resurrection: in the continuation of forty days being and speaking about the kingdom of God (Acts 1 :3).

Perhaps the number of forty was used onion as an antithesis of the forty-day period of the temptation of Jesus in the desert. There, Jesus spent forty days in preparation for his ministry, here - he is the same time prepares the apostles to their ministry.

A more pronounced emphasis on the stay of Jesus with students and on the Ascension in Acts allows Luke to make a smoother and organic transition to the themes, which for acts will be the main: Christology, pneumatology, steriology, eschatology and missiology.

Christology (the teaching of the Church of Christ): The solemn care of Jesus in Heaven emphasizes his welling there. Precisely because Jesus reigns in heaven, he is confessed as gentlemen and Christ (Acts 2 :33).

Pneumatology (the teachings of the Church of the Holy Spirit): The Holy Spirit will come only after the departure of Jesus, and there is an underscore, ascension, serves as a successful prologue to Pentecost - the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

Soteriology (the teaching of the Church of the Salvation): The solemn ascension serves as a suspicious opportunity to make an emphasis on one of his favorites: Jesus is part of heavenly glory through suffering and gives a forgiveness of the Holy Spirit with the Heavenly throne to him.

ESChatology (the teaching of the Church of the end of times): The Ascension of Angels say: This Jesus, ascended from you to the sky, will come in the same way as you have seen it ascending on the sky.. Thus, the ascension lays the foundation for faith in the return of Jesus.

Missiology (the teachings of the church about the preaching of the good news): On the day of Ascension, the Apostles receive the commandment to preach the crucified, which is now ascended and dwells in the glory of God. Pupils of forty days talked with a resurrected teacher, so now they are instructed in what and how to preach the world. There was a little bit of wait for the Holy Spirit, which will strengthen them and will finally enlighten.

Thus, we see that the long stay of Jesus with students, and then his solemn climbing to heaven is for Luke an important theological prologue to the wonderful history of life and the growth of the Christian church.

Is sure forty days?

Ascension of the Lord. Miniature of Evangeliaria. Byzantium. XI century

What can be said specifically about forty days of stay of Jesus with students? Luke mentions forty days only once, in other places he either mentions the indefinite period of stay of Jesus, or talks about many days (Acts 13 : 31). The love of the evangelist Luke is known to the numbers (it is more than anyone else of the authors of the New Testament gives figures), and he loves symbolic numbers. It is possible that for instructions for the time of stay of Jesus with Luke students could take forty as a symbolic number: in the Bible it meant the time of test or God's visit.

Maybe Luke was repelled from the holiday of the Jewish Pentecost (Hebrew - Shavotu, the day of finding the Torah, celebrated on the 50th day after the Jewish Easter. - Approx. ed.), the day that occurred is very important for the story of Luke Event - the alignment of the Holy Spirit. In this case, Luke would have to choose a day close to Pentecost, but preceding her. The symbolic number of forty was a successful solution to this issue.

Maybe, as already mentioned above, Luke wants to make a parallel to the story about the forty-day post of Jesus. There Christ prepares himself for the ministry, here during the same period prepares to the apostle of his students.

Interestingly, the ancient church did not celebrate the Ascension on the fortieth after Easter, that is, did not pay attention to the specific period specified onion. Until the end of the IV century, the Ascension was celebrated with Pentecost. Around 383, the Roman pilgrimage of Egeria, who visited Jerusalem, announces the celebration of Ascension as follows: In the evening of Pentecost, all Christians of Jerusalem gather on Mount Eleon - "In the place (called the ISMON), from which the Lord rushes on the sky," and the service begins with reading The Gospel and Acts telling about the Ascension of the Lord.

But since the beginning of the V century, this holiday is separated from Pentecost and timed to a fortieth day, as he is committed and today. Here, undoubtedly, it must be said that the evangelist's testimony of Luke on forty days separating the resurrection from the Ascension turned out to be decisive for the date of the new holiday.

Theology of Ascension

Starting from the first centuries, the apostles and the holy fathers reflected on what the Ascension was for Christ and for us, people.

For Jesus Christ, it was the last point of ascent to God, the Father and the highest degree of glorification.

Lord Jesus Christ is not only entered the same sky to appear ... for us before the face of God (Eb 9 : 24), but also passed heaven (Eb 4 : 14), span above all skies (ET. 4 :10) and silent the sledge God (MK 16 :nineteen; cf. Acts 7 :55).

It should be remembered that Christ climbed into heavenly glory in the human body. The fact that suffered and resurrected. Thus, the human body born from the Virgin took part in the precious life, and in it, the Lord Jesus Christ was silent of the Odessa God Father. Since the ascension, human nature in Christ has received full participation in Divine Life and Eternal Bliss.

As notes Blazh. The Feodorite of Kirski, "Now, on the Ascension Day, everything and all filled joys ... Now the devil mourns his defeat, looking at our body, ascending on the sky ... now the devil does not say, saying: what to do to me, unhappy? All I, as a fast falcon, captured, take away from me, and from all sides I am defeated. Sold me the son of Mary. I did not know that God lies in the human body. "

The ascension and stay of the Odessa God Father is a continuation of that salvation that Christ gives believers in him: "The sacrifice of the Savior's sacrifice of the Odessa God means his continuation of the world's rescue through his intercession, mediation before God's father for the human race" (Rev. Justin Popovich). The author of the Epistle to the Jews says: Christ entered the man-made sanctuary ... but in the most sky to appear for us before the person of God (Eb 9 : 24). Why appear? To petition for us before God. "The fact that the Savior wears the body," says Blessed Feofilakt, "and did not drop it from himself - this is the most intercession and a petition before the Father. For, looking at the body, the father remembers that love for people, for whom his son took the body, and brings to compassion and grace. "

Emotko The value of the Ascension of the Lord is transferred to the Kondake of the holiday, composed by the St. Roman Sladkopev:

"Hean about us fulfilling the watch, and I jazz on the earth by connecting heaven, ascended by the ESI in glory, Christ is God, nor-flashed, but being relentless, and a loving taste: Az Seven with you and Nictena on you."

Russian translation: "Having fulfilled the destruction of our salvation for us and connecting the Earth with heaven, you will be ascended in glory, Christ, our God, in no way (from us) without releasing, but staying unchanged, and yelling to love you: I am with you, and Nobody on you.

It has already been indicated above that the most important meaning of the Ascension of Christ is in the ascension to the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity of the Human Body and through this alone glorification of the body and the acquisition of it to Divine Life. This is the main topic of Kondak. But besides this, there is another topic in Kondak: the presence of Christ with believers. This is the co-presence of Christ with us there is another important consequence of ascension. Through the ascension, reacted over the world, Christ got rid of the spatial limit characteristic of any person. In modern Western theologians, you can meet the expression "Space Christ", or "Vekosmic Christ". This is all about the same thing about overcoming through the ascension of all boundedness and locality. Christ - laid out of heaven, through ascension there is and recent above all the heavens in order to fill everything (ET. 4 :10).

The Apostle Paul reflects a lot about this topic of cosmic completeness of the reign of the famous Christ:

God Father, i worked in Christ, having resurrected him from the dead and putting myself on herself in heaven, above all the bosses, and power, and the power, and the domination, and any name, referred to as not only in the century, but in the future, and everyone conquered him under his feet , and put it above the whole, the head of the church, which is the body of it, fullness of filling everything in everything (ET. 1 : 20-23). You can bring other quotes to this topic, however, enough.

We note another important topic: thanks to the ascension, the Holy Spirit comes to us. Jesus says apostles: Better for you to go; For if I won't go, the comforter will not get to you; And if I go, then send it to you (IN. 16 : 7). In another place, the evangelist explains: For the Spirit of Holy was not yet on them, because Jesus was not yet glorified (IN. 7 : 39). During the stay of Christ on the ground, he was the head and mentor of the group of students. Then the student was a little - a handful in Israel. But the time comes when the sermon must spread to the edges of the earth and here you need Another comforter (IN. 14 : 16), which will fill with force and gives the maintenance of truth to millions and billion people.

Summary

So, in our small essay, we looked at different aspects related to the event of the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Let's summarize and remember what we talked about.

After the resurrection, Jesus Christ is some time with students in our world. The duration of this time is none of the authors of the New Testament, in addition to the Apostle of Luke, does not record.

Then the phenomena of the risen cease, which allows us to talk about the departure of Christ from students. Where to? To heaven, to God.

The evangelist of Luka explains the secret of the resurrected stay with the students and at the same time emphasizes the greatness of the care of heaven: he says that Christ is with the apostles a symbolic number of time - forty days.

What happened to the Risen Jesus after the period of his phenomena, the New Testament authors explain by biblical figurative expressions. The key here becomes the Old Testament text Said to the Lord to my Lord: Sed the best of me, the words will put your enemies in the foot of your feet (PS. 109 :1).

New Testament authors avoid naturalism in the description of the departure of Jesus to heaven. (It must be remembered that the sky is also a conditional indication in the place of stay of the Lord. In times of Christ, no one believed that God was in the sky, which over our head. Biblical "Heaven" ( dr.-Heb. Shamim) were a symbolic place to stay God. Therefore, when Christ persists to pray "Our Father, which is in heaven ...", he implies the spiritual sky rather than something related to our cosmos.

The evangelist of Luke is not embarrassed openly and straightly write about the departure of Christ to God to the Father as a flight, moving in space. Perhaps he does this, meaning numerous texts (Greco-Roman and Jewish), who reported similar stories. Maybe Luke wanted to show readers that Jesus was glorified, like other great ancient heroes, maybe simply use traditional expressions and images, understandable readers of his time and culture.

We do not know how much the story of the evangelist Luke corresponds to historical reality. Caution In the description of this event, other New Testament authors suggests that the Ascension event was intimate, not public. But it was all like that, as Luke describes, or not, not so important. It is important that Luka, giving us a magnificent and expressive story about the Ascension, concluded there the abyss of theological senses, to open which and draw spiritual treasures to have many more generations of Christians.

First, in the gospel of a large brush, and then, in the book of Acts, a small brush of Luke paints the icon of the care of Jesus from our world to heaven. Here and the angels - witnesses events (their two, because in the Jewish ideas only evidence of two matters); Here is a cloud (the symbol of Shekhin - the glory of God); The joy of disciples, because their teacher is now - the king of Heavenly glorified by God.

The Ascension of Christ, according to the following generations of Christians, is a unique event: the glorification of the human body, which had the resurrected Jesus Christ, the prerequisite for giving the believer of the Holy Spirit and, thanks to the Heavenly Accession, the spread of the power of Christ over the entire Universe.

"Having said this, he rose in their eyes, and cloud took him
From the type of them. And when they looked at the sky, during
His climb, suddenly they appeared two husbands in white
clothes and said: Galilean's men! What are you standing and
Watch the sky? This Jesus ascended from you on
sky will come in the same way as you saw it
ascending to the sky "(Acts.1,9-11).

Here, it seems that everything is said extremely clearly, and this text, and the explanation of it, produced for two thousand years in the Church, can be said, everyone is understood: Christ ascended to the sky to God and silent him. The sky is called everything that is above our head, and the whole - the spiritual, invisible world by us. But as you explain, it remains incomprehensible, consider, that's it. The existence and essence of the Father, as well as the Son, we take to faith, without being able to learn through an experienced study. We take the fact that the Holy Trinity: God Father, God Son, and God the Holy Spirit remain incomprehensible to the whole creature forever. In this case, how to understand the meaning of the Ascension promised by repeatedly Christ the Savior:

"Jesus said to them: there is still a short one to me with you, and I will go to the sending me" (John 7.33).

Also, Mary Magdaline immediately on the resurrection of his own:

"Do not touch me, for I have not yet gone to my father; And go to my brothers and tell them: I add to your father to your father and your father, and to God to God and God "(In.20.17).

By this, he said to the Jews on the court of the high priest, who searched to blame him:

"From now on, the Son of the Human will send the Odessa forces of God" (Luk.22.69).

However, how to correlate with the specified data the omnipresent God and the words of the Savior: "Selecting me sees you sent me" (in.12,45)?And then he spoke at. Philip:

"So much time I am with you, and you do not know me, Philip? Seed me saw my father; How do you say: show us your father? Don't you believe that I'm in my father and father in me? Words that I tell you, I'm not talking about myself; Father, staying in me, he creates business. Believe me that I am in the father and father in me "(In.14.9-11).

In this case, you need to take it on faith, but not by virtue of knowledge. There is a dogmat about the inseparalism of the Holy Trinity, which is confirmed by these words of the Savior. God Son (God the Word) always stayed and dwells in his father, but this applies to the Divine Nature in the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to the Son of Human, as the Savior called himself, of course the nature of Human. Therefore, it is necessary to admit that until the Sunday of the Dead in the full composition of their God-human essence, the Son of God with a perceived human nature would not be "full" in the Holy Trinity. On the resurrection, he as a winner over the forces of evil acquires a complete oblivion of his human nature, and therefore appears to God to Father in the Holy Trinity as a completely perfect god of the word with his famous body.

But the Lord Jesus Christ is already immediately at the resurrection from the dead goes back to his father, and the ascension of it in the fortieth day after this is how the end of this, but not the essence of it at this moment to the father. Therefore, the Act of Ascension of Christ must be admitted as the phenomenon of the king to his kingdom in all worlds and at all the steps of the Heavenly Angelic World, that is, in the entire twear world, not only as a creator, but also as an almighty. Therefore, the Savior says after his resurrection to students:

"I have any power in the sky and on Earth" (MF.28.18).

And even before the godfather and the resurrection, the Savior already said:

"Everyone is betrayed by my father my" (MF.11.27). "The father loves his son and he gave him everything in his hand" (In.3.35).

Therefore, it remained to the Word to fulfill the will of the Father, to make a victory over the Satanic kingdom, having freeing the fallen person from his captivity with a godfather, and after this to take power over the kingdom of God. And we have to take this position on faith, because we cannot know the essence of this mind. It seems to us that without all the indicated phenomena, the Creator had an unlimited authority over the world created. But the words of the Savior are given above talking about the full power of them after the incarnation and resurrection. Apparently, for this, a victory over the kingdom of evil, which came out of subordination to the Creator through the Revolution of Satan. And this victory is made. It remained to take this power, which was in all created worlds in the Ascension Act. Therefore, we can assume that Christ ascended not to God to the Father, and to recreate the Odessa Father's end with the throne with the famous nature of human, with which he defeated the kingdom of evil. Thus, over the course of less than forty years, the human nature from God-cursed for the sin is extruded in Christ to the throne of glory. Together with all the worlds, of which the third part has become enemy through opposition to the Creator, it was necessary for the final minor of the devil and the court over him. And God elects for the embodiment and this victory is not the nature of the Higher Angels, already minted Satan, but to enforce the prege of the revolutionary, extruded by his perfection, elects the lowest and already spoiled by the creature of a person. The initial election of a person in the winners is seen in the sacrifices of God Satan to tempt Adam and Eve before their reproduction, for what reason their generations that followed were spiritually mutilated. And this is the nature of the spiritual uroda, the Creator elects an instrument of the decoration of the rebels, once perfect creatures, for the court over them.

Someone can say that the judge again is God Jesus Christ the Son of God, and where is the ruffled nature of human, although consecrated in the act of perception by God in the word? Therefore, he says the Savior Apostles about the Court over the world:

"True telling you that you followed by me - in the Paki of Being, when the Son of Human Son on the throne of the Glory of His, Sit and you are on the twelve thrones to judge the twelve knees of Israel" (MF.19.28).

And ap. Paul says, clearly knowing the words of the Savior:

"Do not you know that the saints will judge the world? Do not you know that we will judge angels? " (1 Cor.6.2.3).

But the trial is still far away, but as long as the Lord will be ascended to the sky to take legitimate power over the world, still continuing the war with the kingdom of evil. Therefore, he comes into power over the worlds not only as the king and judge, but as the chief warlord to continue the struggle of a man with the Devil. It is well discussed briefly in 109 Psalm David and in more detail in the Apocalypse.

"The Lord said to my Lord: Sed the best of me, the Dongezh I will put your enemies in your foot. The rod of the power of your will send the Lord from Zion: domination among your enemies ... The Lord is weed. He will hit the kings on the day of anger; Court of peoples will make a truth fill the earth, crushes his head in the ground extensive "(PS.109.1-2.5-6).

These words can be called a "small apocalypse", in which it is mentioned about the embodiment and the godfather of the victory in Zion, and then the path of struggle and the assistance of the Father is the Odessa Lord. Finally shows the end of the struggle - Armageddon, filled with the corpses of the Earth and the court over the nations. In the words "crushes his head in the ground extensive," there is a definitive victory over Zmeim - Satan. For this struggle, Christ was ascended for the sky in order to manage all saints. By the word an. John the Bogosla for this struggle with the forces of evil and was the embodiment of the Son of God:

"For this, the son of God, to destroy the deeline cases" (1 Ioan.3.8).

The crushing victory over Satan and his kingdom of the Lord Our Jesus Christ made a godfather with his feet, resurrection and weighing above all heavens. But the trial of darkness is left by God to the end of the world by looking at him. The war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan is not over, but it took out a positional character, switching to the last step - to Earth. To continue the struggle with the forces of Evil, the Lord founded the church, sent to the help and leadership to her the Spirit of the Holy Father from God for his Ascension. The devil immediately collapsed by the struggle against her, producing a persecution on it from the sowing of his Jews and the pagan world, initially subject to him. Three hundred years old church was pursued by them. At the same time, Satan began to fulfill all sorts of false, and to introduce into the church in the form of heresy created by him. Church opposed all this. Ap. Paul talks about this struggle with dark forces:

"Our brand is not against blood and flesh, but against the bosses, against the authorities, against the methods of the darkness of the century, against the spirits of the Evil's Middle Kingdoms. For this, take the all-arms of God, so that you could resist the evil day and, all overcoming, resist "(Ef.6,12-13).

It is known that the main purpose of the human existence for which he is called upon by its creation is the eternal improvement in the likeness of God. The second side of the meaning of the existence was the struggle brought by Satan to the world as a necessity from the moment of his uprising to the victory of the holy forces over his kingdom, and to the phenomenon " the new sky and the new land on which the truth lives "(2 Peter.3.13).The church founded by Christ immediately entered into the path of improvement in all virtues, but Satan imposed immediately by her struggle, introducing all a lie and tearing off many members. Consider the whole earthly path of the church consists in the fight. This struggle takes a fierce character by the end of times, moving in the last days into a terrible battle in the last days, which the Lord warns us with the words said to the Apostles on Mount Eleon (MF.24) and especially, through the revelation of the AP. John.

Revelation AP. John the Theologian, named by him "Revelation of Jesus Christ," can be said, devoted to a terrible struggle at the end of the history of mankind. Here it is figuratively shown that the Lord Jesus Christ is managed by the Holy Forces in this struggle under the human rider, "sitting on horseheld." The "Big Red Dragon", "called the devil and Satan", through his chosen chief choices, called "beasts" and "wife sitting on the Bagry beast." Images are easily understood, but because of our negligence, they are still not explained to the world. This is dedicated to my work "Start and End", its third part. Here we also touch on the places of the Apocalypse, where the fight against the devil under the leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ, referred to as "Lamb", is indicated. These places will be given.

"And I saw that the Lamb took the first of the seven seals, and heard one of four animals, speaking as a thunder voice: go and see. I looked, and now, the horse is white, and on it a rider who has a bow, and Dan was his crown; And he came out as a victorious and to defeat "(Options 6,1-2).

The first of the seven seals that keep the secrets of terrible events of the last time of humanity placed in mysterious prophetic images were removed. In this first printing, the mystery of all developing events and the meaning of their relaxation is hidden. Horse here, and subsequent outputs of other horses, symbolize their coloring the essence of the strengths or phenomena of their essence in this way, respectively: holy or black. The first print opens the holy - "white" power with the holy direction of the path under the guise of a white horse. Her rider, giving it, is clearly Christ himself. At the end of the book, it is more openly allocated under the same way "sitting on a white horse". It has a bow - the Word of God, clears in the heart and eradicating evil. Here immediately marked the purpose of his phenomenon and actions: "To win," and so on. He "victorious" must receive the "crown". The first print opens the beginning of the history of the next days, and already clearly what to fight to the end. At the end of this story, we again see this rider on the White Kone:

"And I saw a hole sky, and then the horse is white, and sitting on it called the faithful and true, which righteously judges and warps. It was clothed in clothes, blessing blood. His name: "The Word of God." And the hosts of Heaven followed him on the horses of white, clothed in Wiscon White and Clean "(Rev. 19,11.13).

Next, the end of the last battle is figuratively described, on which they are invited as on the feast, all the birds, so that the corpses of the warriors of evil forces and their horses are. Their leaders: the beast and false prophets, grapted and thrown into the fiery lake . From this data, the prophecies are clear that the whole history of mankind since the ascension of the Lord is the fight against the devil and his kingdom. The last time the essence of the final battle. Next, follows the coming of Christ. What it will be, we can judge only on the miser name about it in the Gospel. In the Acts of Apostolic, as we see, it is said:

"This Jesus, ascended from you to the sky, will come in the same way as you have seen it ascending on the sky" (Acts 1,11).

But there is some moment shown, without specifying the previous and subsequent picture. The Savior himself, this moment shows the disciples in a more detailed form, examining the horrors of the last days at the beginning:

"And suddenly, after the sorrow of the days, the sun will fade, and the moon will not give his light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the power of heaven will die. Then the sign of the Son of Human in Heaven will appear; And then all the tribes of the earth will be ignited and they will see the Son of the Human, coming on the clouds of heaven with power and Glovia "(MF.24,29-30).

So, the apostles saw the Ascension of Christ. Subsequent generations were seen by the fight against the devil, headed by invisible by Christ himself, and the last people would have to see his second coming with the previous horrors of being. Our Lord calls to awake.

+ Archbishop Victor (Brewers)