THE SYNCHRONY OF THE GREAT STORY – (2)
 JESUS’S RESURRECTION AND RELATED EVENTS
Luke 24:
VERSE 1-3: “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.”
While the original Greek does not supply the word “day”, this is what this text implies, and so it equates with the story of Mark.
Again the word “they” is important. Luke 23:55 starts with them as “the women also that came with Him from Galilee.” Verse 56 says “and they returned (from Jesus’ burial) and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” And now it is this “they” who came to the sepulchre early on Sunday morning. Verse 10 gives some details of their identity. It lists “Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them.” It says nothing of Mary Magdalene’s meeting with the Lord, the previous evening. However, the fact that there is no mention of this group of women seeing the Lord that Sunday morning, just like there is no record of them seeing Him in Mark’s story, lends credence to Matthew, and, as we shall see, John, who shows that event as having happened on Saturday evening. Did the women not know about Mary Magdalene’s experience, or did she arrive later on the scene, or had she just gone quiet because nobody believed her? While her name is first on the list, neither Mark, nor Luke, give her special prominence in the activities of the Sunday morning. In sharp contrast she was the focal point in Matthew, and John’s account of Saturday evening.
Verse 4-11: “And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee. Saying,The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered His words. And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales.”
We notice that these women did not see the angel sitting at the right side, as was the case in Mark. They simply saw the empty tomb. And then suddenly two angels were standing by them. Angels do, of course, appear and disappear. It could also be that the first women to arrive saw the angel sitting, and that those who followed didn’t. Then while the women stood “perplexed”, and no doubt in serious discussion the two angels stood before them. Mark, having mentioned the one angel, did not mention the two. And Luke having focused on the two did not say anything about the one seen in the sepulchre. It is probable that only one angel did the speaking. Without any more details it is not possible to prove contradiction.
Here again we see confirmation of the fact that the testimony of these women was not accepted. In Mark 16:8 we read that the women did not say anything to any man “for they were afraid.” That was in spite of the angel’s command to go and tell His disciples. The women’s silence may have been their initial reaction, after which they then delivered their report. However, the same Mark goes on to say in verse 10 that Mary Magdalene went and told His disciples that she had seen Him, but they believed not. That was, however, about her previous evening’s experience.
Verse 12: “Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.”
Is this the same story recorded by John, when he and Peter ran to the tomb? I do not think so. That running was in response only to Mary Magdalene’s report that she found the tomb to be empty, and thought that someone had stolen the body. And that running was two apostles, and it was late evening, about twelve hours earlier. This running was Peter only, and it was in response to the women’s report of the meeting with angels, and their message concerning Jesus’ resurrection, and, to crown it, Mary Magdalene had actually seen Him. No wonder Peter ran. And if he was at Mark or John’s house the sepulchre was only about one kilometre away – Later we will read that the apostles stated, that same day, that Jesus had appeared to Peter. This is confirmed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:5. We may well suspect that it was when Peter was on that mission, alone, that Jesus appeared to him. Scripture is silent on that point.
Verse 13-49: Luke then tells us the beautiful story of the two men walking to Emmaus on Sunday morning. He tells us that the name of one of them was Cleopas,
but he does not give the other man’s name. John Wenham in his good book “Easter Enigma”, suggests that the other man was Luke himself. The reason he gives is that Emmaus was Luke’s home town, and that it may explain why Luke gave the story in such detail. These two men, when they realized that it was Jesus who had been with them, rushed back the seven miles to Jerusalem to tell the apostles. They must have reached them shortly before sunset, because John says that Jesus appeared to the gathered apostles “on the selfsame day, the first day of the week.” That clinches the fact that it was before sunset.
The two men from Emmaus arrived among a group of excited apostles, who immediately told them that Jesus had appeared to Peter. And the men from Emmaus gave their account. And, as they were speaking Jesus stood in their midst. They were terrified and they thought that He was a spirit. Jesus then showed them His hands and His feet. He said, handle Me, and added those very significant words: “a spirit hath not flesh and bones.” He even ate some fish and honeycomb. This is a very important fact in view of our resurrection hope, when we receive bodies like unto His own glorious body, to be citizens of His Kingdom on this earth.
Luke then condenses his story by giving a summary of the teachings and instructions Jesus gave His disciples.
Verse 50-53: “And He (Jesus) led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.”
Luke does not tell us of the other appearances of Jesus. But as the author of Acts he does go on to say:
“He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
So the ascension he described in Acts is the same one that he described in his gospel. It took place forty days after Jesus’ resurrection. But the ascension in Acts was from the mount of Olives, while this one seems to be from Bethany. That phrase, “as far as to Bethany”, however, should read toward Bethany, according to Scofield, or opposite Bethany according to Bullinger. Bethany lay East of Jerusalem, on the far side of the Mount of Olives. If they went over the crest, opposite Bethany, it would have been in full view, as it was very close. And so, in Acts, we read that after Jesus ascended, they went from Mt.Olives back to Jerusalem.
It is interesting that, immediately following the ascension, all of a sudden, there were two angels standing by them and speaking to them, just like the two angels at the sepulchre.
John 20:
Verse1: “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”
Here again the word “day” does not appear in the original, which reads “Mia ton sabbaton”, meaning “one of the Sabbaths” according to the RS Bible, which adds, “at about sundown.” That would tally with Matthew’s record. But, what about those two words: “yet dark”? They make one immediately think of pre-sunrise darkness. That word “dark” is Str. Gr .4653. There is only one other Str. Gr.4653 translated “dark”, and that is in John 6:17 when the disciples were in a boat and the sun set. That was post sunset darkness, translated “dusk” in some Bibles. The Greek word means “dimness.” Other occurrences of “dark” in the Bible are translated from other Greek words. And what about the word: “yet”? It is Str. Gr. 2089. There are several other Greek words translated “yet.” But we see that this word itself bears different meanings, including “after that” and “henceforth”, and so one can say that it became dusk when Mary was there. The Ferrar Fenton Bible uses the word “dusk.”
Another word to consider is “cometh.” It is Str. Gr. 2064. We immediately think it means “arrived.” There are several Greek words translated “cometh”, but 2064 is the most common one. It bears a variety of meanings, but not “arrive.” So all we can say is that Mary was at the tomb when it was dusk, she could have been there until it was dusk. So, as far as timing is concerned, there is no conflict between Matthew and John.
At this stage Mary saw only that the stone was removed, and immediately concluded that Jesus’ body had been taken away. John does not record that she saw an angel then. Does that contradict Matthew? John does, however, tell us that Mary, on her return to the sepulchre, saw two angels. That may well be the angelic contact mentioned in Matthew, which was not necessarily while the angel sat on the stone, but could have been while showing them, in the tomb, where Jesus’ body had lain. The matter of one angel, or two angels, does not necessarily constitute a discrepancy, because even if there were two, we would expect that only one was the spokesman. What the angel said was obviously much more fully reported by Matthew. John’s focus was on something very important Jesus said.
Verse 2: “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and sayeth unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him.”
Mary bore no message of an angel, only of the empty tomb. Her use of the word “we” suggests that she was not alone. Matthew tells us that she was accompanied by “the other Mary.” The other Mary must have remained in the background, but was included in the “they” in Matthew’s version.
John wrote this gospel, and we notice how beautifully he refers to himself in the third person as “the other disciple whom Jesus loved.” How many of us may also be other disciples whom Jesus loves?
Verse 3-8: “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet he went not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie. And the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also the other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed.”
If these apostles were at either John or Mark’s house, then the distance they ran was about one kilometre. This very clear, and detailed, story recorded by John, involved his own personal experience. And he says that he believed at that moment when he observed the linen clothes, and the napkin. Here was evidence of supernatural resurrection. Had the body been stolen, it would have been taken cloth and all. Perhaps that is why the Scripture focuses so much attention upon those details.
Verse 9-10: “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”
Jesus had told them plainly, but that was not “the scripture” referred to here. But, following His resurrection, He explained them. As Luke wrote: “Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45).
Verse 11-15: “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where Thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
In this communication of Mary, she speaks of herself, using the word “I.” That must mean that her companion, whom we know was “the other Mary”, must have been well in the background.
Here Mary was weeping, and Scripture focuses on that fact. Is it not significant that this woman, out of whom Jesus had “cast seven devils”, and who obviously loved much, should be in a state of weeping at that very moment when her sorrow was to be transformed into unspeakable joy? There, before her, stood the risen Christ! And she was so greatly privileged to be the first to see Him.The story is so beautiful, and it fell to John to focus upon it. No wonder he did not give the other details of the angelic discourse, which fell to Matthew to mention.This encounter between Jesus and Mary would equate with the Str. Gr. 528 used in Matthew 28:9 and translated “met.”
Verse 16-17: “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father, and to My God, and your God.”
This, surely, is the announcement of an imminent ascension! Do you think Jesus would have given such an instruction concerning His ascension forty days later? Between now and then, according to the Scriptures, there were still several occasions when Jesus would meet with His disciples, teach them, and speak to them “of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” There was no need for Mary to now run and tell the disciples about that ascension. No, there was a very important mission, requiring an imminent ascension, which we will consider shortly. John, being the apostle whose gospel focused upon the portrayal of the Deity of Jesus, was the one to whom it fell to record this crucial fact.
Verse 18: “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.”
That return of Mary must have been at dusk, or a bit later. She probably could not have told many that night. And she must have risen early the next morning to meet the rest of the group of women who would have proceeded with the spices to the tomb.
Verse 19-23: “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
The use of the word “day” in verse 19 is supplied in the original as Str. Gr.2250, and so this meeting was on the first day of the week, before sunset.
Verse 23 seems to mark the close of this communication of Christ with His disciples. Is that not perhaps when He secretly ascended? It was still the first day of the week, and, as we shall see, there is much significance to that fact. Verse 26 opens with the words: “And after eight days again.” Was Jesus absent for a week after that first day appearance to His disciples? There seems also to be great significance to that.
John goes on to describe two more appearances of Jesus, but he says in verse 30: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book”, and in verse 31: “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.”
From these words we can deduct that only selected parts of the story were recorded, by each gospel writer, in order to focus upon each different angle of the whole. The matter of omission does not constitute contradiction. John even wrote that if everything Jesus did was recorded, he would suppose that “even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written” (21:25).
There is one other recorded first day appearance of Jesus, and that was to Joseph of Arimathea. It is recorded in extra-biblical literature, namely in the gospel of Nicodemus. Of course the Bible often refers to extra-biblical literature, and therefore suggests its importance to our wider reading. This appearance to Joseph of Arimathea, I think, is worthy of mention.
Joseph of Arimathea:
The Bible tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, that he was waiting for the Kingdom of God, that he was a good man and just, that he was a
counsellor and did not consent to the conviction of Christ, and that he was rich (Matt.27:57, Mark15:43, Luke 23:51, John 19:38).Roman records mention him as an honourable, wealthy, shipping merchant who sailed the seas, trading minerals. Other extra-biblical writings say that he was the uncle of Mary, and therefore the great uncle of Jesus, that he took on himself some responsibility for this family, and that in the trial he fiercely defended Jesus’ case. We know from the Bible that he
boldly requested Jesus’ body from Pilate, wrapped it in cloths, and laid it in his own tomb.
The “gospel of Nicodemus” tells us that the Jewish leaders were enraged against Joseph, and planned to put him to death. They could not do it right then, because
the Sabbath was upon them, so they arrested him, put him in prison, sealed the lock and placed two guards at the door. Following Jesus’ resurrection, when they went to fetch Joseph, they found the prison empty, but the seal still intact. Only after Jesus’ ascension did they discover Joseph, in his home town, in Arimathea. By then many of the tempers had cooled, and the priests were anxious to know the truth. Joseph told them that in the middle of the night, Jesus, whom he did not immediately recognize, raised him up, wiped his face, and kissed him. Jesus then led him out of the prison, and took him to the tomb where he showed him the linen cloths folded up. How gracious that Jesus should deal so kindly with this old man, who had, with such compassion, and respect, gently interred His body in his own tomb! Only then was Joseph certain that this was Jesus. Jesus then took him to his home in Arimathea, and told him to remain indoors for the next forty days. And Jesus said to him that He had to get back to His disciples. This beautiful story is in harmony with the gospel records. It also confirms that Mary Magdalene, who was the first to see Jesus, saw Him before His midnight appearance to Joseph, and not the next morning. Early church history tells us what a major role Joseph of Arimathea subsequently played in the planting of the Christian faith far from the shores of the Holy Land.
Having seen the synchrony in the gospel records, let us now turn to some pertinent matters mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures:
Thou Art My Son, This Day I Have Begotten Thee:
Those words: “Thou art My Son, this day I have begotten Thee” are to be found in Psalm 2:7, Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5, and Hebrews 5:5. Besides these references Jesus is called the only begotten Son, seven times. The first mention of those words is preceded by the solemn: “I will declare the decree: The LORD hath said unto Me.” Then follow the words: “Thou art My Son, this day I have begotten Thee.” When was “this day”?
In Acts 13:33 Paul stated:
“God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art My son, this day I have begotten Thee.”
Obviously the “this day” was the day of Jesus’ resurrection. That is the day when He was begotten of God. But when and where did God make the decree. Where did it happen that “The LORD said unto Me”? We will come back to that point.
Of course we know that the Son of God existed from eternity, for “All things were made by Him” (John 1:3). But on the day when He took on human flesh, and was born in Bethlehem He became the Son of man. From His own words it is clear that that title was to remain with Him forever. On the day of His resurrection, however, He put on immortality and became the immortal, eternal, Son of man cum Son of God. Therefore the decree mentioned in Psalm 2:7 belonged to that day.
Thou Art An High Priest Forever After The Order Of Melchizedek:
Those words are found in Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 5:6,10, Hebrews 6:20, and Hebrews 7:1,10,11,15,17,21. Psalm 110 starts with the words: “The LORD said unto my Lord”, then verse 4 reads: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” In this case there is not a “this day” mentioned. “Thou art” is repeatedly used. So we must take a closer look at the priesthood of Jesus.
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus. He introduced this completely new dispensation, baptizing the repentant. He did not send them back to the temple to make the relevant Mosaic sacrifices. No, this baptism embraced them all in one, new, single act. The very word “sacrifice” in the Law, pointed to one perfect sacrifice, the LAMB of GOD. And now He had come. What was foreshadowed for so many centuries, was here. This LAMB had to die the sacrificial death, be buried, and rise again. That is exactly what baptism symbolized. And those who are baptized identify themselves with this once for all perfect act. As Paul wrote to the Romans:
“Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).
Colossians 2:12 reads: “Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.”
So, as John was baptizing, he was performing the new aspect of the office of the high Priest of Israel. He was perfectly entitled to that post being the son of Zacharias, who was an Aaronic priest “of the course of Abia”, and his mother was “of the daughters of Aaron” (Luke 1:5). In contrast Annas and Caiaphas were of dubious connections, and were placed in office by dubious means. But John the Baptist was called by God, and his birth was announced by the archangel Gabriel, as was that of Jesus. And, likewise, his ministry was foretold by the prophets. To John fell the great honour of introducing the Messiah to Israel:
“Behold the LAMB of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29,36).
John baptized Jesus, and Jesus was anointed as the Holy Ghost came down upon Him, and the voice from heaven proclaimed:
“This is My beloved Son inWhom I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22}.
From then on John’s ministry was overtaken by that of Jesus, and He “made and baptized more disciples than John” (John 4:1).
If John was a priest, does that not mean that Jesus also was a priest? Of course He was. He was performing the priestly function, and He commenced it at the age of thirty, as did the priests, and, what is more, He was anointed. There was, however, one point of deviation. Jesus was of the tribe of Judah, legally,and biologically. But this point was very important. This is where the order of Melchizedek comes into the picture. Melchizedek was a King, and a Priest, simultaneously. He was “the King of Salem”, and he was the “priest of the MOST HIGH GOD” (Genesis 14:18). The prophet Zechariah foretold this point concerning “the man whose name is The BRANCH” (Christ). He said He “shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne” (Zechariah 6: 12-13). That is the difference. The Aaronic priests were priests only. As ministers of all those sacrificial laws, that part of their calling was now fulfilled, and John had introduced the new era. It was baptism, to identify ourselves with Christ’s death and resurrection, and now bread and wine communion, to remind us of His body Which was broken for us, and of His blood which was shed for the remission of our sins. That makes us think again of Melchizedek who brought out bread and wine to Abraham.
But, we may ask, what about God’s eternal promises to Aaron and his descendants? Are they now negated by this turn of events? It is only the high priest office, which changed to the Priest-King status. Under Him Israel is still destined to be a “Kingdom of priests and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6), and the descendants of Aaron will certainly be an important part of it. There is some important extra-biblical literature namely the Testaments of the Patriarchs, which emphasize that the Messiah would come from the tribes of Judah and Levi, and that in Him the offices of Priest and King would be brought together. Does that contradict the Gospels? The Bible gives us an interesting point of detail. Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, a “daughter of Aaron” was a cousin of Mary, Jesus’ mother (Luke 1:36). That means they shared one set of grandparents, and that means Mary had half Aaronic blood in her, and half Davidic blood. Jesus’ biological inheritance was altogether from Mary, and so it also was half from Aaron, and half from David even though Jesus was legally a Son of David. In this way God has kept His promise to Aaron.
When Jesus offered Himself, He did so as the High Priest of Israel. A very interesting fact is recorded in Matthew 26:65, namely that the high priest, when he accused Jesus of blasphemy, “rent his clothes” (according to Dr. Bullinger “clothes” should read “robe”). That was forbidden (Leviticus 10:6), according to a Messianic Jewish preacher, whose name I have forgotten. He said it was punishable by death because it spelt the disqualification of the priesthood. The neck-piece, he said, was especially reinforced to prevent such an occurrence (Exodus 28:32, 39:23).
The action of the high priest at the trial of Christ meant that he was now disqualified from officiating at the Passover sacrifices the next day. But Jesus, the real Passover Lamb, offered Himself. So ended the function of the Caiaphas priesthood. And then at the time Jesus died, and the earth shook, the veil of the temple rent in two from the top to the bottom. That was a most significant happening. It was foretold exactly like that, twice, in “The Testaments of the Patriarchs.” The old order had now passed, and Jesus opened the way to the presence of God. The presence of God is the real Holy of Holies.This, Jesus did, as High Priest.
We also have the question here, when, and where did God make that very solemn oath concerning the eternal priesthood of Jesus? The “for ever” aspect, it would appear, started on the day of His resurrection. We will come back to these points.
Sit Thou At My Right Hand:
Psalm 110:1 reads: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies Thy foot-stool. “
This Scripture is quoted in Luke 20:42, Acts 2:34,35, and Hebrews 1:13. Then Jesus Himself answered the high priest, during His trial: “and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). That incident is also recorded in Luke 22:69. Stephen, when he was being stoned actually saw “the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God”. And he said: “Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”
Concerning Jesus’ ascension Mark 16:19 states: “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” This point is confirmed in Hebrews 1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2 and 1 Peter 3:22.
You may have noticed what I noticed, and that is that while Stephen was being stoned, he saw Jesus standing, whereas all the other references mention Jesus sitting. I am stirred by the fact that Jesus stood. “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116: 15).
Paul, in Romans 8:34, wrote about Christ, at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. In Ephesians 1:20 he speaks of Christ, at the right hand of God, given all authority. In Colossians 3:1 Paul also mentions Christ on the right hand of God. In Hebrews 8:1 we see Jesus set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, as our High Priest, and Minister of the sanctuary, and the true tabernacle, which the LORD pitched, and not man.
One point that stands out in several of the references is that word “until” (Until I make thine enemies Thy footstool ). While there are eternal aspects to His authority in heaven, the great prophecy of Luke 1:32-33:
“And the LORD God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end”
is still future. It is the great event still waiting for that “until.” Regarding the sitting at the right hand of God, we come to the question: When? Scripture clearly stated that it was when He ascended to heaven. We know that He ascended forty days after His resurrection, but there is strong evidence that He also ascended on the first day following His resurrection. And there were important affairs to be settled at the right hand of God then. We will come back to that point later.
It is important to mention the fact that the Bible frequently refers to the right hand of God, especially in the Psalms. By His right hand He saves, delivers, leads, upholds, destroys the enemy, and spanned the heavens. Many other actions and attributes are ascribed to the right hand of God. Does it not strike you that that speaks of the pre-incarnate Son of God. He came from the right hand of God to be born into the human family. After His victory over death, He returned to the right hand of God, but now as the Son of man.
He Led Captivity Captive:
In Ephesians 4:8-10 we read:
“Wherefore He saith, ‘When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men’. (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He That descended is the same also That ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
Then verse 11 lists what He gave.
Here is a Scripture, which has profound implications, yet somehow the Bible does not seem to elaborate on it. Its importance is enhanced by the fact that it is a quotation of Old Testament prophecy. Psalm 68: 18 reads: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men.”
What does “led captivity captive” mean? Perhaps God intended that we should do a bit of research, “seek and ye shall find.” Psalm 7:7 reads:
“So shall the congregation of the people compass Thee about (gather around Thee), For their sakes therefore return thou on high.”
Maybe we can find some clues in extra-biblical writings. The Bible often refers to such literature, and so I think God expects us to do some wider reading.
The Apostle Paul, according to critics, quoted so often from the “Testaments of the Patriarchs”, that it looks as if he carried a copy around with him. In this ancient literature, we read many Messianic prophecies. Among the last words of Benjamin are the following: “And He (the Messiah) shall ascend from Hades and shall pass from earth into heaven” (chapter 9:11). Dan said: “and the captivity shall He take from Belial (Satan) the souls of the saints” (chapter 2:11). The “Gospel of Nicodemus” refers to those souls in Hades as captives: “Who art Thou (Messiah) that dost release the captives (17:7)?”
Turning back to our Scripture in Psalm 68:18 we note that the preceding verse (17) states: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: The LORD is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.” The Companion Bible gives the figures as literally:“twice ten thousand thousands (of chariots), and thousands upon thousands” (of angels). The word translated“angels” is Str. Heb.8136. It is the only case in the Bible where “angels” is derived from that word. That makes the translation “angels” look doubtful. Some translations simply say “they.” The Greek Septuagint Bible renders it “rejoicing ones.” How obvious that these are the souls of the saints, and He is among them, as He was at Sinai! And are the “chariots” not perhaps akin to the “chariot” that conveyed Elijah to heaven? Now Jesus leads these souls, and ascends with them to heaven, and what rejoicing must have accompanied that scene!
According to my Companion Bible notes, the Rabbis taught that there are three abodes to which the righteous dead go. The first is “Abraham’s bosom”, the second “under the throne of glory”, and the third, in “the garden of Eden.” In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, in Luke chapter 16, we learn that “Sheol”, the abode of the dead, has two compartments separated by a great gulf. The one compartment, to which the righteous dead go, is called Abraham’s bosom. The other compartment is for the wicked.
The profound truth that this “led captivity captive” Scripture tells us is that Jesus descended to Hades, to Abraham’s bosom, and led the souls of all the righteous dead out from there, and ascended with them to heaven, to be with Him, and to behold His glory, just as He had prayed to His Father, before He proceeded to Gethsemane (John 17:24). That means that Abraham’s bosom is now empty. The righteous dead, Abraham and all, from Old Testament and New Testament times, are now in heaven, the second venue of the Rabbi’s teaching, “under the throne of glory.” They are waiting for resurrection day, when they will be complete again, body soul and spirit, fully equipped citizens of Messiah’s Kingdom, on this earth renewed, the garden of Eden, the third, and ultimate venue.
This historic event, of leading the captive souls from Hades to heaven, must have been a very great event indeed. But it was not visible to the eye of flesh. The story is beautifully told in the “Gospel of Nicodemus.” Two independent witnesses, God fearing men, who were resurrected from their graves at the time of Jesus’ resurrection, told it. Why would they have been so resurrected? And why does the Bible tell us of such resurrections, at that time, and that those resurrected saints appeared to many people in the holy City (Matthew 27:51-53)? The story of the two men was as follows: In the darkness of Hades all of a sudden “there appeared the colour of the sun like gold, and a substantial purple coloured light enlightening the place. Presently upon this, Adam, the father of all mankind, with all the patriarchs and prophets, rejoiced and said, That light is the author of everlasting light, who hath promised to translate us to everlasting light” (Chap.13 :4-5).
Then follow five chapters of very interesting discourses among the saints, of argument between the Prince of Hades and Satan, and of the terror that came over the enemy when “The King of Glory” (Christ) made His appearance. Psalm, after Psalm is quoted, and prophecy, after prophecy. Those words: “Open ye the gates that the King of Glory may come in”, and many others find their perspective in this entry to Hades. A whole study could be made of all the relevant Scriptures quoted in those pages, and one will discover that the visit of Jesus to Hades was biblically a very prominent event. Even Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:18-20: “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 long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah.” Reading Nicodemus, it is evident that there were many conversions. Otherwise why would Jesus have preached?
Then Jesus revealed Himself graciously to His saints. He “stretched forth His hand, and said, Come to Me, all ye My saints, who were created in My image…” (Chap. 19:1), and a whole chapter of worship follows. Then the Lord, holding Adam by the hand, led them out and handed them over to Michael the archangel, to take them further.
At this point Jesus must have returned to His body for resurrection. He must have taken with Him those selected candidates who were also resurrected to be witnesses of the great events in Hades, and the departure to heaven of the saints. Jesus must have also followed soon to present all those souls to the Father, hence the urgency of His words to Mary Magdalene, who was the first to see Him, after His resurrection.
Pilate, in his letter to Caesar, tells of some amazing happenings that occurred on the night following Jesus’ resurrection. He received reports that visions were seen in the sky, of angels and people all lit up. Of a countless host calling out that Jesus Who was crucified is risen again. Some Jews said that they saw Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs, and Moses, and Job. They must have then been in the care of Michael while Jesus was attending to important first day business.
There was something very special about this day. It was foreshadowed in the Law. In Leviticus 23 verses 10, 11, 12, 15, we read that following Passover, “on the day after the Sabbath” the high priest had to wave the first sheaf of the crop before the LORD. It was a “wave-offering” of the first-fruits.Then they had to count seven weeks, which would bring them to the fiftieth day following that resurrection Sabbath, and that fiftieth day was Pentecost. Timing and order was important and exact. That is why one reads such words as those in Acts 2:1 which say: “When the day of Pentecost was fully come.” These things were foreshadowed in the feasts of Israel, and also in the design of the tabernacle. Now this first day of the week, which followed Jesus’ resurrection was exactly that day of the Wave-offering. What did the Wave-offering mean? What did it foreshadow? These souls Jesus led out of Hades are the first fruits of the crop of souls that belong to Him. And so Jesus, the real High Priest, would be waving them before the LORD, in the real temple, which is heaven. So it had to be done on this very day. The imminent ascension Jesus told Mary about was very real. He ascended to heaven on that first day of the week, probably immediately after His appearance to the eleven. That was His last appearance on that first day.
The Court in Heaven:
We read in the Bible about a court in heaven, about “the accuser of the brethren” and about our “Advocate with the Father”, about judgments and decrees. Of course there are court sittings in heaven. Collective decisions are also made. Maybe that decision: “Let Us make man in Our image”, is one of them.
If there are court sittings in heaven, then, surely, a most crucial one must have sat at the time of the Passion of Christ. That was surely a most important moment in the chronology of eternity. The Son of God was being subjected to the most shameful travesty of justice in order to save the world. Is that most awesome court in heaven, so clearly described by Daniel, in chapter 7, not perhaps the very one? It seems so significant. I shall type the words in “bold italic”:
“I beheld till the thrones were cast down (the seats of judgment were set – Bullinger), and the Ancient of days did sit, Whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and his (its) wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10).
” I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
Consider for a moment the timing of this sitting. It was of course not in Daniel’s day. The Son of God became the Son of man when Jesus was born. The Son of man arrived in heaven at His ascension. That is when the court must have still been sitting. It could not be a court to be held at the end of this dispensation, because Christ is right now seated at the right hand of the heavenly throne. There would be no arriving with the clouds of heaven. The end of this dispensation will be the time when He will be ready to descend with the clouds of heaven to take up His earthly throne. No, this arrival in heaven was obviously at the time of His ascension. But, which ascension? Was it the first day ascension, or the fortieth day ascension? The indications are that it was the first day ascension, the one He told Mary Magdalene, was imminent. It was the one He told her to announce to His brethren. We note that after He appeared to the eleven on that first day, He was not seen again for a whole week. In Matthew 28:16-18 we read:
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.”
Remember Jesus had ordered His disciples to proceed to Galilee. The reading continues:
“And when they saw Him they worshipped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.”
Those words surely reflect the announcement made to Jesus in the court in heaven, and suggest that He had just returned from there, to meet His disciples at the appointed place in Galilee. John tells us that Jesus’ second meeting with His disciples was eight days after His first day appearance to them.
Now we may find the answers to some of our other questions. Was it not at this court that the Father said to Jesus: “Thou art an High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek”? And then confirmed the appointment by oath? We note that the words were addressed to Jesus Himself. And the timing would have been correct.
Was it not at this court that the Father made the decree: “Thou art My Son, this day I have begotten Thee”? Again those words were spoken to Jesus personally, as predicted by the prophets. Consider the significance of His words to Mary Magdalene: “I go to My Father.” The timing fits so beautifully.
Was it not before this court that Jesus performed the High priestly function of the Wave-offering of the first fruits before the LORD, when he presented all those souls he had led from Hades to Him? It was on the right day, namely the day following the Sabbath, after Passover.
According to the Scofield Bible notes relating to the words Jesus spoke to Mary Magdalene, one of the views held is that He was on His way, as High Priest, fulfilling the day of Atonement, having accomplished the sacrifice, to present the sacred blood in heaven. It says that view is in harmony with types (Leviticus 16). And of course it agrees that there was a first day ascension, which must have been followed by a return before the fortieth day ascension.
Conclusion:
The Bible is a record of events, past, present, and foretold future. They were all important enough to have found their place in the Good Book. Many of them illustrate spiritual principles. But, as an outflow of Gnosticism, which ravaged the Christian faith as soon as the Apostles were gone, the focus then moved off the events onto the principles only. Many of the events have since been brought into doubt, and some even rejected. But if the events are not factual, then, surely, the principles must also fall flat. See Acts 20:29, 2 Thessalonians 2:7, 1 John 2:18, and Jude: 3-4.
With Bible events the matter of chronological order, and timing, is very important. One glance at the rules governing the feasts of Israel will illustrate that point. They foreshadowed great facts, and their timing had to be exact.
We have made a somewhat detailed study of the Great story, and have discovered some beautiful aspects of synchrony. Maybe we have not managed to iron out every detail, but we have seen enough to conclude that, far from contradiction, the original text presents a glorious, harmonious picture, which brings great honour to our Saviour.
