Home

ASCENSION DAY 2026

May 9, 2026

Ascension Day (Thursday, May 14), celebrated forty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, commemorates two important events. First, it commemorates the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Second, it commemorates Jesus’ ascent to the throne and the beginning of his session and reign at the right hand of the Father. Jesus both anticipates and clarifies the event in his earlier statement to the disciples: “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before” (John 6:62)? Before what? Before his incarnation, a claim that again confronts us with Jesus’ divinity and eternality. Jesus came to complete the mission given by the Father in the power of the power of the Holy Spirit, and when he did, he returned to his prior position.

Luke records Jesus’ bodily ascension in two places (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11). That he is the only New Testament writer to do so is of no real concern; others certainly recognize this event when writing about his session at the right hand of the Father. Remember, no writer can possibly tell everything about every event. The apostle John concludes his own account of the gospel by writing, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). John recognizes the limitations that all writers (and their readers!) face.

As stated, the ascension marked the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly, post-resurrection ministry. His work continues from the throne, but Jesus’ earthly physical presence ended with this event. Had it not, we might have expected Jesus to show himself at other times and places up through the present. This reminds us that what Jesus began in relation to the ministry of the gospel, he entrusted to his disciples who, in turn, entrusted to those that heard them. They were eyewitnesses, and their written testimony is adequate for all that hear and believe their words (John 20:26-29). This reflects the power of the Scriptures in the hand of the Holy Spirit. The ongoing ministry of Jesus beyond the forty-day period was unnecessary as a result.

The ascension also marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry from the right hand of the Father. The actual ascent of Christ may be viewed as processional, as in the inauguration of a Hebrew king. See, for example, the coronation of Solomon (1 Kings 1:32-40) as well as the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-15). In the case of Jesus’ ascension, his movement is upward, finally to be enveloped in the clouds. He will return in the same way.

While Jesus’ deity is in no way diminished by his incarnation, the resurrection and ascension mark a new development in the progress of redemption that grows from the two events. The preexistent Christ has taken on humanity, lived, died, risen, and ascended to the place from which he descended in order to secure the atonement for all that believe. Notice how Paul describes what has occurred: “He [the Father] raised Him [Christ] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church (Ephesians 1:20-22). From there Christ is not only building his body, the church, but is also progressively bringing things to his intended end.

There are other plans that remain to be completed, and they will be in their proper time and order. For now, it is sufficient to recognize that by virtue of his resurrection, ascension, and session, Jesus Christ has inaugurated the kingdom and reigns over it, invisibly but sovereignly, in the present time in anticipation of its future and final manifestation.

BY MANY CONVINCING PROOFS

May 3, 2026

The apostle Paul tells us that the core of the gospel message consists of the atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He immediately adds a fourth component; that the resurrected Christ appeared to many people between the time of his resurrection and ascension to the realm of glory (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). That Christ is seen and interacted with by a significant number of living men and women is an important aspect of the gospel presentation. It constituted an important proof that Jesus had indeed walked out from the realm of death. Had the written gospel account ended with the empty tomb, many questions would have been left unanswered, most notably, what became of his physical remains? Mary Magdalene comes to this conclusion: “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:2). The empty tomb by itself was not conclusive in relation to Mary’s faith: her first response to it was that the body of Jesus had been moved (John 20:2). The reality of Jesus’ resurrection became apparent only when he showed himself to her and his other followers. It was undeniable proof that Jesus had been raised.

It is important to remember that while Jesus did teach his disciples that he would rise from the dead on the third day (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19), they did not understand or expect his bodily resurrection. After all, the women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body since his burial had been hasty (Mark 16:1-3). Martha, the sister of Lazarus, spoke for many when she affirmed that “he [Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24). But in raising Lazarus that very day, Jesus compressed time and brought the future near. The same would happen in his own resurrection shortly after. After all, there is nothing too difficult for God. First Mary, then the others, came to understand this when they saw and interacted with the resurrected Christ over the forty days testified to by Luke (Acts 1:1-5).

The apostle Peter clearly recalled what he himself witnessed: “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). Here Peter is clearly testifying to the reality of Jesus’ transfiguration at which time James, John, and he himself were given a glimpse of the unveiled glory of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:16-18). He also testified to the splendor of Christ following his resurrection as well. The event impacted him and those chosen with him to provide eyewitness testimony to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. That testimony is recorded on the pages of the New Testament.

The forty day period must have been astounding. While Mary Magdalene appears to have actually touched Christ, others spoke with him, ate with him, and fellowshipped with him. And he fellowshipped with them. Further, Jesus prepared them to continue the work he began, primarily through instruction: “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27). This does not mean that each individual verse points to him, but rather that each division of the Scripture contributes something unique about his being and work. This is not surprising since the Scriptures are Christological in nature. Notice the later reference to the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luke 24:44). These forty days constituted the greatest small group Bible study in human history. And it occurred because Jesus rose from the dead.

THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH (2)

April 26, 2026

Alongside the apostle Paul’s teaching recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is that of the apostle John: “Because you have kept the word of My [Jesus] perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10 NASB). Pretribulationists like this writer find the rapture taught in the phrase “will keep you from,” supported by John’s claim concerning a divinely-driven period of testing that will occur at some future point. In brief, the church will be protected by its removal from the earth prior to the beginning of this specific period of time, known as the tribulation.

The points of contention concerning the doctrine of the pretribulation rapture as stated within Revelation 3:10 are at least two. The first concerns the use of the little Greek preposition ek (“from”). It is argued that most prepositions may carry more than one meaning or usage, which is true. However, ek tends to refer to separation, which in turn leads to the concept of removal. So, the church is promised that it will be removed from the period of testing that will one day come. Further, if John intended to communicate that the church will be protected through that period of testing, it is more likely that the preposition dia (“through”) would be used. The second concern is whether “the hour of testing” refers to a specific period of time or event or the much more generalized characteristic of living in a fallen world. In other words, should “the hour of testing,” equated with the seven-year tribulation period by pretribulation premillennialists, be identified with a “T” or “t?” The presence of the direct article suggests a specific time or event is in view.

Our conversation leads back to the question of divine motivation: why would God rapture the church prior to the Tribulation? The Tribulation is best seen as an escalation of the long battle between God and Satan. While God is sovereign, the devil resists him, and this resistance can be seen in the tension between the two seeds: that of the woman and that of the adversary (Genesis 3:15). The escalation of the battle can be traced across the pages of the Bible. By the time of the Tribulation, the conflict will become severe, so much so that the Triune God will begin to display his wrath on sinful humanity (Revelation 6:16-17). While Satan will also show his fury, the issue is the manifestation of divine wrath on the earth. And it is this wrath, along with the even more fearsome wrath of final judgment, that believers are delivered from through the work of Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

THE PRETRIBULATION RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH (1)

April 19, 2026

The doctrine of the pretribulation rapture of the church traces its Biblical roots to the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. He writes: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and
remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The two verses do not completely explain the event, but this is not uncommon as it relates to any Biblical doctrine. And, while the term rapture does not appear in the Scriptures, this, too, is not uncommon as it relates to other Biblical concepts. And, while the claim is made that the doctrine can only be traced to John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), its headwaters can be seen in both Irenaeus and Hippolytus of Rome in the early third century CE.

The Greek verb harpazo stands behind the English translation caught up, a verb that expresses the concept of a forceful and decisive removal. A few of the verb’s other New Testament uses can be seen in John 10:28-29; Acts 8:39; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4; and Revelation 12:5. In each of these cases, the one caught up is passive: he or she is the recipient of someone else’s actions. In the case of Jesus’ words of assurance, the verb is used in a negative sense, that is, “no one will snatch them [us, Christ’s flock!] out of My hand” or “out of the Father’s hand,” either (John 10:28-29). The argument for a sudden rapture can be made on both lexical and contextual grounds.

The primary question, and objection, concerning the rapture is its timing. The dispensational model places the event prior to or at the conclusion of the tribulation period. Whether there is a period of time known as the tribulation is debated: is it a unit of seven years (uppercase “T”) or is all of human history characterized by tribulation (lowercase “t”)? Pre- and posttribulationists argue for the former; Reformed theology argues for the latter. Pre- and posttribulationists are divided over the matter of the rapture’s timing; they are pre- and post- in relation to the tribulation. This writer maintains the best answer is to be found in the pretribulation position.

The rationale for the rapture is Christ’s safekeeping of his church. A further theme found in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is that of a time when God’s wrath will be directed toward the earth, a theme reflected by the apostle John in the book of Revelation. Notice, for example, the cry raised at that time: “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand” (Revelation 6:16-17)? Now it is possible that the wrath that Paul refers to is purely eschatological, pointing to the final judgment. John, however, locates the focus of God’s wrath as the earth prior to the final judgment. Both Jesus’ wrath and the Father’s wrath are directed toward earth dwellers, the very circumstance that Paul teaches we will be rescued from (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The outlook for believers is far more hopeful as a result of God’s saving work across history. The rapture is the event by which the church will be protected from the beginning of divine judgment.