One Reason We Misunderstand Revelation: The Neglected Ascension

Matt O'Reilly
16 minutes ago
6 min read

Pick up any book on the doctrine of Christ's ascension, and there's a good chance the author will tell you it's a neglected doctrine. To illustrate, Patrick Schreiner begins his short book, The Ascension of Christ, with a reminder that "the ascension is often overlooked," (xv). He cites others who also recognize the neglect and then goes on to set forth no less than five reasons this is so (2-7). Schreiner recognizes that we tend to focus on what Jesus has done (his death and resurrection) and what he will do (come again) with little attention fixed on the exaltation of Christ and what he is doing now (2). I would suggest that this neglect of the ascension has implications for the way we interpret (or misinterpret!) the book of Revelation, which is itself largely about the implications of the ascension. Revelation everywhere assumes that Jesus has been exalted as king over all things. It functions, in large part, as a defense of the cosmic exaltation of Jesus in light of the reality of Satan's ongoing rebellion and the suffering of believers in the first century. After all, those dynamics might lead one to think Jesus was not, in fact, reigning over all things. You could put it this way: Revelation is an apocalyptic apology for the ascension of Christ.

SUBSCRIBE TO THEOLOGY PROJECT

Coming with the Clouds as Ascension

Old Testament quotes, allusions, and images occur throughout the Revelation. The first quote combines Daniel 7:13 and Zecharaiah 12:10.

"Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all people on earth will "mourn because of him." (Rev 1:7).

The quote from Daniel 7:13 is critical, though it's also often misunderstood. Often times, when people read something about Jesus "coming" somewhere in the New Testament, they assume it's referring to the second coming. We interepret that langauge with reference to ourselves. He'll come to us. He'll come here. He'll come from heaven to earth. But in Daniel 7, the coming of the Son of Man is not from heaven to earth. It's a coming in the opposite direction. He comes "with the clouds of heaven" as he approaches the Ancient of Days and "was led into his presence" (Dan 7:13). The coming in Daniel 7 is a coming from earth to heaven, not from heaven to earth. And upon the Son of Man's arrival, "he was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominsion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingodm is one that will never be destroyed" (Dan 7:14). Daniel's vision was not a vision of the second coming; it was a vision of the ascension - the enthronement of the Messiah in heaven with God.

What then is the significance of John citing Daniel 7:13 in Revelation 1:7? The significance is that John is drawing attention to the ascension of Jesus from the start of the apocalypse. He introduces the whole vision in terms of the ascension. He's giving us his thesis, and he'll substantiate that thesis and articulate its implications throughout the vision. John has already described Jesus as "ruler of the kings of the earth" (1:5). So, we should already be thinking of the everlasting dominion of the Messiah. The quote from Daniel 7 functions to confirm the point and align the account of the Messiah's reign with the witness of the Old Testament. John's apocalypse starts with the reality of the Messiah's everlasting kingdom and dominion. That present reality is essential for understanding the rest of the document. Revelation is about the ascension.

free to be holy o'reilly — *Click to see it on Amazon*

The Ascension in the Letters to the Churches

The ascension of Jesus also functions as the logical basis for the letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3. Jesus has authority to instruct the churches because he is the ascended Messiah who rules from heaven over earth. The assumption is named a couple of times in a couple of the letters. The letter to the church in Thyatira afrirms that Jesus has "received authority" from his Father (2:28). This authority is specifically authority over the nations that he will share with the faithful. That Jesus has this authority is substantiated by a quote from Psalm 2:9, which is about the installation of the Messiah as king over the nations. The appeal to Psalm 2:9 substantiates the thesis that Jesus is the ascended Messiah.

The letter to the church in Laodicea concludes with Jesus reminding the recipients that he is the one who "sat down with my Father on his throne" (3:21). The enthronement of Jesus is a clear way of affirming the past fact and continuing reality of Jesus' ascension. Again, this enthronement is something he will share with those who conquer as he has already conquered (3:21). This letter assumes the ascension and sets forth the implication that Jesus will share his ascended rule with those who belong to him.

The Ascended Lamb

As the letters to the churches give way to the vision of God enthroned in heaven, the ascension continues to be the dominant theme. Chapter 4 begins with a vision of God enthroned in heaven, attended by the elders and four living creatures. In chapter 5, the vision shifts to the enthronement of the Messiah. The use of the Messianic titles "Lion of the tribe of Judah" and "Root of David" serve to highlight the kingly authority of the Lamb we are about to see. When the Lamb does come into focus, he appears slain, yet he stands in the center of the throne of God in heaven. The vision is communicating the reality of the Jesus' death (slain), resurrection (standing), and ascension (in the center of the throne). The images offers a vision of the work of Christ, which is incomplete without his ascension. It functions to show that what Daniel foresaw has become reality. The coming of the Son of Man to the Ancient of Days has happened. The Lamb stands in the center of the throne of God. This is Jesus ascended.

This part of the vision not only substantiates the fact of the ascension, it prepares the one who reads for what is coming and calls to attention the implications of the ascension. Much of what is coming focuses on different aspects of the Lamb's judgment against fallen Babylon. But the Lamb only has authority to judge because he reigns in heaven. In Revelation, the ascension is ground of the judgment in all its forms. He will enact justice. He will vidicate the suffering faithful. Babylon's fall is in principle accomplished, even if it remains to be fully realized. The thing to see is that it will certainly be realized precisely because the Lamb has ascended to the throve of heaven. The vision of the Lamb enthroned reveals the fundamental claim of Revelation. The rest of the vision offers a defense and account of the Lamb's rule given the reality of the suffering of the faithful under the dragon's rebellions regimes, whether in the first century or any century.

Recover the Ascension to Understand Revelation

The ascension has been neglected. It needs to be recovered. This is especially true in the interpetation of Revelation. Most of us have been conditioned to read Revelation as if it's completely about events in our future. However, the fundamental thesis of Revelation is about something that happened in the past; namely, the ascension of Jesus the Messiah. This certainly has implications for the future. The ascended Messiah will vindicate the martyrs, will judge the rebellion, and will consummate the new creation. These things are certain because Jesus ascended. The problem is that we frequently overlook Revelation's logic in the way it frames our present discipleship and the future redemption of creation in terms of something that happened in the past. Recognizing the fact of the ascension is essential for understanding the content of Revelation.

Dr. Matt O’Reilly (Ph.D., Gloucestershire) is Lead Pastor of Christ Church in Birmingham, Alabama, Director of Research at Wesley Biblical Seminary, and a fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians. A two-time recipient of the John Stott Award for Pastoral Engagement, he is the author of multiple books including Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification, Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice, The Letters to the Thessalonians, and Bless the Nations: A Devotional for Short-Term Missions. Follow @mporeilly on X and @mattoreillyauthor on Instagram.