It was undoubtedly a dramatic moment, unexpected for the disciples. It was also a majestic arid overpowering revelation for them. Having charged them to be His witnesses to the end of the earth, Christ was lifted up, and departed from earth to heaven. They looked upward until the cloud of God's presence took Him out of their sight. It was overwhelming, and yet quite ordinary. Here there was none of the furor and drama of Elijah's Journey to heaven. This was a revelation of absolute sovereignty and control. It was all unexpected – and yet right on time.

Ideally, the disciples would have known and anticipated the ascension event. The Lord Jesus has instructed them concerning His imminent departure. He had said,

No one has ascended into heaven but He who descended from heaven, the Son of man.John 3:13

In His controversy with the Jews, Jesus had said, "Where I am going you cannot come," John 8:21. And to His disciples He said,

I came from the Father and have come into the world; again I am leaving the world and going to the Father.John 16:28

Although the disciples claimed they understood, apparently they did not fully understand.

This shows how great a blessing they received in being witnesses to the ascension, and how much of a blessing and comfort this is for the church. Indeed, the fact that the ascension was witnessed and actually seen makes it unique. No one saw the incarnation. And throughout His life on earth the glory of Christ was hidden from them. Only a few saw the transfiguration, and that was an incidence of momentary glory. No one saw the resurrection, even though the disciples all shared the revelation of the risen Saviour. Indeed, even the reality of the cross – the bitter struggle with the wrath of the Father – was hidden from human view. But here in the event itself, everything is plain to the human eye. The disciples actually see the Lord ascend, and see Him taken up into glory through the cloud of God's presence.

Comparing His coming and departure shows the progress in Christ's work. When He descended, "He came to His own home, but His own people received Him not," John 1:11. No one knew or recognized Him! When He ascended, He was surrounded by those who had believed in Him. And they are now able to see something of the glory of their King! The church shares a greater measure of the realities of heaven because its eyes have been trained through repentance and faith to look upon and understand these realities. This is the fulfillment of Christ's promise to Nathanael:

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.John 1:51

All this points to the reconciliation of the church given through the cross of Christ. We are permitted to share the reality of the ascension because new harmony exists between God and man through the sacrifice of the cross. Christ takes His church with Him so that, where as no one was able to witness the fullness of His coming, we are enabled to witness and recall the reality of His glorious departure. Whereas before the cross, no one could look up to heaven to see God, and no one could see God and live, now the disciples see and are made witnesses of the reunion between the Father and the Son. What Jacob saw in fear and trembling is now witnessed openly, in greater fullness, and with greater confidence by the apostles of the church. Reconciliation has come through the cross!

Still there remains a limitation to what the disciples were able to see at the ascension. Even though they continued gazing into heaven, Jesus was hidden from them. As He entered the cloud, He was taken from their sight. Human eyes could not yet witness the full glory of the Savior from their place on the earth.

Yet progress has occurred, a development from not seeing to seeing. Eyes have been lifted upward in faith. And the ascension calls us to keep our eyes heavenward! For He comes again! From heaven, we await a Saviour who will change our mortal bodies to be like His glorious body, Philippians 3:21 and we may share that which the apostles saw, the firstfruits of the heavenly glory which they experienced.

So the return of the Lord Jesus promises even greater vision for the church. John later says,

Behold, He is corning with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, everyone who pierced Him.Revelations 1:7

The eyes of unbelief will shrink back in fear and shame. But those trained in faith will lift up their eyes heavenward, and see even greater realms of glory in the coming of the Son of man!

So we may be comforted in the knowledge of Christ's ascension. And we may keep our eyes heavenward. For the King of glory will come in! Blessed are those who may witness this day! The church that has its eyes upward can expect to meet the Lord in the air, 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Then all believing eyes will be so transformed that we may witness the final glory of the Son who inherits the first and most glorious place in the Kingdom of the Father. Keep eyes upward to His day!