Originally posted by 667joe
Go back to the very 1st post. One book says Jesus ascended to heaven the 1st day after being resurrected. Another book says he wondered around for forty days teaching his followers and then ascended to heaven. No place in the bible does it say he went back and forth between earth and heaven. Why is it so hard for you to admit ( what is right in front of ...[text shortened]... is the unerring word of god, you must think slavery is OK and that women are inferior to men .
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Go back to the very 1st post. One book says Jesus ascended to heaven the 1st day after being resurrected. Another book says he wondered around for forty days teaching his followers and then ascended to heaven. No place in the bible does it say he went back and forth between earth and heaven. Why is it so hard for you to admit ( what is right in front of your eyes ) ========================================
One thing at a time.
First, I am not sure what you mean by the first post. However, the only passage I can think of which implies that Jesus ascended to heaven and returned in the same day is
John 20:17.
I believe that Jesus would not allow Mary to cling to Him because in some way He wished that the Father's enjoyment of the resurrected Son must preceed man's enjoyment:
"Jesus said to her, Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God." (20:17)
Don't touch me yet because I have not YET ascended to the Father.
Now in the evening of the same day I read:
"When therefore it was evening on THAT DAY, the first day of the week, and while the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be to you.
And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced at seeing the Lord." (v.20,21).
Let's be fair. It does not specifically mention that they TOUCHED Him. I assume that He had ascended to the Father that day and returned in the evening. And when He returned the restriction had been lifted. They could examine Him.
If it is objected that this implies too much traveling of Christ back and forth that assumes things which I regard as not totally warranted. His public ascending on the cloud 40 days latter may have had a more VISUAL aspect for public effect.
How do I know that He could not easily privately ascend to heaven in the twinkling of an eye and come back in the evening? Certainly John chapter 3 strongly implies that it is not that easy to locate WHERE He is to begin with:
"And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven." (John 3:13)
Here
"ascended into heaven" is in the past tense implying that the Son of Man ascended there at least once before His resurrection. Then it says
"the Son of Man, who is in heaven". The verse is puzzling. But it seems that we should not assume too much about His traffic to and from heaven or even where He is while seeming to be on the earth.
So I accept a secret and undramatic ascending into heaven on the day of His resurrection AND a returning to His disciples in the evening to present to them His resurrected body.
He loved the Father foremost. It stands to reason that the Father was to be the FIRST to enjoy the firstfruit of the Son's resurrected being. There was a private ascending for the Father's enjoyment. Then 40 days latter there was a dramatic and more
visual public ascending in
Luke 24:50-53.
In between these two Acts records that to His disciples
" ... He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many irrefutable proofs, appearing to them through a period of forty days and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3)
Eating fish before them and allowing them to handle His resurrected body were part of these irrefutable proofs of Him having resurrected.
The Bible Goofs Again!
18 Oct '09 23:001 edit
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