THE SEVERAL STAGES OF CHRISTS EXALTATION

By Gary Ray Branscome

Following His resurrection Christ, a) descended into hell, b) left the tomb, c) spent forty days on earth, d) ascended unto heaven, e) sat down at the right hand of God, and f) will return to judge the living and the dead.

Regarding His descent into hell, Christ’s words, “It is finished,” tell us that He did not suffer in hell (John 19:30). Likewise, His words, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” tell us that He was in heaven, not hell, while His body was in the grave (Luke 23:43). Because the Bible specifically defines “paradise” as “heaven” (2Corinthians 12:2-4), the idea that paradise was in hell is an unscriptural myth. That myth rests on a number of false assumptions. One of those assumptions is the myth (passed on as tradition in Catholic circles) that Old Testament saints could not receive forgiveness until Christ died. That myth flies in the face of all the Old Testament passages that speak of forgiveness. As it is written, “There is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared” and again “You have forgiven the iniquity of your people” (Psalm 130:4 and 85:2). In fact, without forgiveness Abraham’s faith could never have been “counted… to him for righteousness,” for it is forgiveness and forgiveness alone that makes us righteous in the sight of God (Genesis 15:6). And, the words, “Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,” tell us that it was after Christ was “quickened” [made alive] that He proclaimed His victory to those who are in hell awaiting the final judgment (1Peter 3:18-20). Moreover, the term translated “preached” in this passage, “Does not mean more than to proclaim… as the context shows, the term manifestly denotes Law-preaching” (John Theodore Mueller, “Christian Dogmatics,” page 296.)

Regarding Christ’s departure from the tomb, the words, “The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and going to the tomb rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it… And the angel spoke and said to the women, Do not be afraid: for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here: for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay,” tell us that Jesus left the tomb before the angel rolled back the stone (Matthew 28:2-6).

While the words, “Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,” and “He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand,” tell us that the father raised Christ from the dead (Romans 6:4, Ephesians 1:20); the words, “I am laying down my life, that I might take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it back,” tell us that Christ was the cause of His own resurrection (John 10:17-18). The words, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” also tell us that Christ rose under His own power (John 2:19). Both statements are true because what is done by one person of the Trinity is never done to the exclusion of the other two. And, for that reason, Christ’s resurrection is in itself a powerful proof of His deity.

The words, “Look at my hands and my feet, and see that it is really me: handle me, and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me have,” and the words, “Bring your finger here, and examine my hands; and stretch out your hand, and thrust it into my side: and do not be faithless, but believing,” tell us that Christ came out of the tomb with the same body that went into the tomb, the same body that was born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 24:39, John 20:27). However, the words, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. As there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body,” tell us that He rose with a glorified body (1Corinthians 15:44). And, the words, “Who will transform our vile bodies, and make them like His glorified body, by the power by which He is able to bring everything under His control,” tell us that we also will receive a glorified body like His (Philippians 3:21). [See, Acts 2:24, Heb. 2:14-15, Rom. 4:25, 1Peter 1:3-4, John 11:25-26 and 14:19, 2Cor. 4:14, 1Thess. 4:14, Rom. 6:4-5, 2Cor. 5:15.]

Regarding the forty days following Christ’s resurrection, the words, “He also showed that He was alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them [His disciples] for forty days, and talking with them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God,” tell us that He spent forty days on earth before His ascension (Acts 1:2-3). During those forty days Christ did not spend the majority of His time with His disciples as He had done before. However, He did appear to them a number of times, and the words, “Look at my hands and my feet, and see that it is really me,” emphasized to His disciples the fact that His resurrection was a physical resurrection (Luke 24:39). The words, “So after they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter,” also tell us that Jesus ate with His disciples after the resurrection (John 21:15). That is significant because Jews believed that a being without flesh and blood (a phantom) could not eat food. And, the words, “Every spirit who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist,” tell us why that fact was important (1John 4:3).

The words, “He rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve, after that, He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once; most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. After that, He was seen by James; then by all the apostles,” list some of Christ’s appearances during the forty days (1Corinthians 15:4-7).

Regarding Christ’s ascension unto heaven, the words, “After He had said these things, while they watched, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight,” describe what happened (Acts 1;9). Although I could combine Christ’s ascension with His sitting down at the right hand of the father, I have treated them as two steps in His exaltation because His ascension was seen by witnesses while His sitting down at the right hand of the father was not. The fact that Christ is with the Father tells us that the heaven He ascended into is not some place in space (which is part of God’s creation) but the dwelling place of God who transcends both space and time. The ancient Jews referred to that place as “the third heaven” [the first being the place where the birds are, and the second being the place where the stars are] (2Corinthians 12:2). And, the words, “In my Father’s house are many mansions… if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also,” tell us that we will be in the same place (John 14:2-3).

Regarding Christ’s position at the right hand of God, the words, “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the true image of His nature, and sustaining all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,” tell us that when the work of redemption was finished Christ sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3). The words, “Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power,” tell us that the right hand of God is a position of power (Exodus 15:6). And, the words, “You will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven,” tell us that when Christ returns He will be wielding the power of God (Matthew 26:64).

The words “We have such an high priest, and He sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, He is the minister of the true Holy Place, in the real tabernacle, that was set up by the Lord, and not by man,” tell us that sitting on the right hand of God is not a location that limits Him, but from there He officiates as our high priest (Hebrews 8:1-2). The words, “If I take the wings of the morning, and stay at the most distant parts of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me,” tell us that God’s right hand is not a place, but a position of power that can be present wherever we are (Psalm 139:9-10).

The words, “Who, being by nature God, did not see equality with God as something to be used for self-glorification,” tell us that as God Christ was equal to the Father and, therefore, over all things (Philippians 2:6). For that reason, when the Bible says that Christ will be subject to the Father, it is telling us that Christ’s human nature will be subject to the divine. One such passage is 1Corinthians 15:25-28 where we read, “For He must reign, until God has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For God has put everything under His feet. But when He says that everything has been put under Him, it is evident that this does not include the one who put all things under Him. And when all things are subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all”. Another passage is Ephesians 1:20-23 where we read, “He (God) raised Him (Christ) from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And has put all things under His feet, and appointed him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fullness of him that fills all in all”. [See 1Peter 3:22, Acts 3:21, Eph. 4:10, Psalm 110:1, Heb. 2:7-8.]

Regarding Christ’s second advent, the words, “I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom,” tell us that Christ will judge both the living and the dead when He returns (2Timothy 4:1-2). That topic will be dealt with in the chapter on Eschatology (the last things).