In last week’s post, we looked at biblical kingship. When did Jesus ascend to his throne?
In one sense, Jesus’ death and resurrection are part of his kingly accession. The final stage is his ascension to the right hand of God forty days after his resurrection. Unfortunately, Ascension Day is usually ignored in the US. In some other countries, it is a public holiday! This year it falls on May 18. Celebrate his exaltation and enthronement — it’s a big deal!
The apostle Paul reflects on Jesus’ exaltation:
Being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:8-11
What is significant about the description of Jesus’ ascension?
The Son of Man with the clouds
The gospel writer Luke describes this event:
As they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.
Acts 1:9-11
Jesus’ favorite title for himself was the Son of Man. The coming divine figure is prophesied by Daniel when God the Father (the Ancient of Days) gives the Son divine authority and a kingdom when this “son of man” is with the clouds.
Behold, with the clouds of heaven
Daniel 7:13-14
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And 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,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
Seated at the right hand of God
We learn more when we examine Jesus’ words when the chief priests and scribes interrogate him after his arrest.
And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:63-64
Jesus’ words reveal he is declaring himself the Christ/Messiah. We often don’t realize when Jesus is quoting Scripture, but his audience’s minds would have immediately gone to these texts.
Jesus links Daniel’s Son of Man with some Psalms. The reference to sitting at God’s right hand is: “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘“’Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.‘” (Psalm 110:1 ESV)
Psalm 80:17 also mentions sitting at God’s right hand, “Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.” This psalm describes the son of man (a human figure) as the one at God’s right hand.
Jesus’ revelation should have resulted in worship, but instead, the leaders chose to turn him over to Rome to be killed.
God, the cloud rider
In Old Testament times, deities like Baal were depicted as riding on the clouds. Clouds were connected with Baal’s identity of providing rain and dew, key blessings for fertility.
Biblical writers displaced him and instead assigned this description to the LORD God. Isaiah 19:1a says, “Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud.” Other examples include Deuteronomy 33:26, Isaiah 19:1, and Psalm 10:3.
The only exception to this is when the son of man figure in Daniel 7:13 rides on the clouds to receive kingship.
Future cloud coming
Jesus will also return to earth on the clouds, at the end of this age.
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:10-11
In the final book of our Bible, we read about Jesus’ return on the clouds:
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Revelation 1:7
Ponder the reigning returning Son
Today Jesus is reigning at God’s right hand as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will be returning on the clouds for the final judgment:
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Revelation 14:14
We need to live each day with the goal of living in submission to King Jesus, being ready for his return, and sharing his good news with others.