THE SUBLIMITY OF THE ASCENSION

It was certainly sublime that Christ ascended into heaven. This is

expounded in three ways. Firstly, He ascended above the physical heaven:

"He . . . ascended above all the heavens."¹ Secondly, He ascended above all

the spiritual heavens, i.e., spiritual natures: "Raising [Jesus] up from

the dead and setting Him on His right hand in the heavenly places. Above

all principality and power and virtue and dominion and every name that is

named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come. And He

hath subjected all things under His feet."² Thirdly, He ascended up to the

very throne of the Father: "Lo, one like the Son of man came with the

clouds of heaven. And He came even to the Ancient of days."³ "And the Lord

Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on

the right hand of God."⁴ Now, it is not to be taken in the literal sense,

but figuratively, that Christ is at the right hand of God. Inasmuch as

Christ is God, He is said to sit at the right hand of the Father, that is,

in equality with the Father; and as Christ is man, He sits at the right

hand of the Father, that is, in a more preferable place.⁵ The devil once

feigned to do this: "I will ascend above the height of the clouds. I will

be like the Most High."⁶ But Christ alone succeeded in this, and so it is

said: "He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the

Father." "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit Thou at My right hand."⁷