Messiah's Ascension (raptured into heaven) - 18 May 2020
The 22nd of May 2020 (coming Friday) - is the remembrance day of Messiah that was raptured into heaven. It did not take place with a crowd watching. Only a select few watched Him as He disappeared into heaven ... going home (the eleven disciples and those with them.)
The Book of Luke gives us a short version of the happenings after Messiah's resurrection - only one chapter from the moment the women went to the tomb and found it empty - Luke 24:1-10 - till His ascension in Luke 24:51. This chapter happenings occurred over a period of forty (40) days.
In Acts 1:1 - Luke wrote to Theophilus, (an unidentified person - may be a Jewish high priest named Theophilus ben Ananus who was the Jewish high priest in Jerusalem in 37-41 AD) telling him about the continuous reports he made regarding Yahshua's doings and His teachings in the Gospel of Luke 1:1-4.
Acts. 1:2 "Until the day when He ascended, after He through the Holy Spirit had instructed and commanded the apostles - His special messengers - whom He had chosen. To THEM also He SHOWED Himself alive after His passion - His suffering in the garden and on the tree - by a SERIES of MANY CONVINCING DEMONSTRATIONS and INFALLIBLE PROOFS - APPEARING to THEM DURING 40 DAYS and TALKING to THEM about the THINGS of the KINGDOM of YAH."
The number 40 is used 146 times in the Bible. It symbolizes a period of TESTING (analysis, examination, assessment) and of TRIAL (a proceeding ... a court case ... legal proceedings ... legal action ... an experimental trial ... something to be the FIRST of something that WOULD be AGAIN ...)
In Scripture ... the number 40 is used as symbolic of "TIMES" - a "TIME" - a specific TIME or a "SEASONAL" TIME-FRAME.
Some of the number 40 scenarios in Scripture:
In Genesis 7:12 ... it RAINED for 40 DAYS and 40 NIGHTS ... in a proceeding of legal action and judgment by Yahweh Himself.
The Israelites were afflicted for 400 (40 x 10) YEARS in Egypt (Gen. 15:13)
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 YEARS (Deut. 8:2-5).
Moses spent 40 YEARS in the wilderness tending flock (Act. 7:30).
Moses was on the Mount of Sinai for 40 DAYS and 40 NIGHTS (Ex. 24:18) in the presence of Yahweh.
Moses interceded on behalf of Israel for 40 DAYS and 40 NIGHTS (Deut. 9:18, 25).
The SPIES went into the promised land to see what it was like and was there for 40 DAYS and 40 NIGHTS (Num. 14:34).
Isaac was 40 YEARS OLD when he took Rebekah as his wife (Gen. 25:20).
Esau was 40 YEARS OLD when he took Judith AND Basemath - HITTITE daughters to be his wives (Gen. 26:34).
When Elijah fled from Jezebel, he travelled 40 DAYS and 40 NIGHTS to Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:8).
The MAXIMUM LASHES according to the Law received for a crime was 40 (Deut. 13:25).
Before the Israelites were delivered by Samson (a judge of Israel) - they served the Philistines for 40 YEARS (Judges 13:1).
The GIANT Philistine GOLIATH, taunted - mocked and sneered at king Saul's army for 40 DAYS before he was slain by David (1 Sam. 17:16).
Every time the Israelites sinned by honoring the gods of the Canaanites, and they cried out to Yah ... He delivered them and gave them rest for 40 YEARS.
The number 40 also appears in the prophecies in:
Ezekiel 4:6; 29:111-13 and Jonah 3:4 "And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, Yet FORTY DAYS and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
Yahshua was TEMPTED by the DEVIL in the wilderness right AFTER He was BAPTIZED ... for 40 DAYS and 40 NIGHTS (Matthew 4:2).
Between Yahshua's RESURRECTION and His ASCENSION were 40 DAYS (Acts 1:3).
The 40 DAYS after Messiah's RESURRECTION:
During the 40 DAYS after Yahshua's resurrection Messiah SHOWED HIMSELF ALIVE to many people (Acts 1:3 "To them (His disciples) He showed Himself ALIVE AFTER His passion ...);.
He taught them and talk to them regarding the deeper things of the KINGDOM of heaven (Acts 1:3b "... appearing to them during 40 days and talking to them about the things of the kingdom of Yah.");
He DINED with them ... telling them NOT to leave Jerusalem but to wait for NOT MANY DAYS ... for the PROMISE of the Holy Spirit with Whom they would be BAPTIZED (Acts 1:4-5);
Yahshua OPENED UP THEIR MINDS to UNDERSTAND SCRIPTURE:
Luke 24:45 "Then He THOROUGHLY OPENED up their MINDS to UNDERSTAND the Scriptures."
Yahshua CRITICIZED His disciples for their UNBELIEF:
The disciples walked a path with Messiah in a close and intimate inner circle of people. He taught them ... they KNEW that He was the Son of Yah, that He could do anything even rise from death. They saw Him calling Lazarus from the grave after he was dead for four days ... how He healed the sick and drove out demons who cried out "You are the Son of Yah" ... but still they had UNBELIEF in them ... a HARDNESS of their HEARTS ... and a LACK of FAITH. They would not believe that Yahshua had risen from the grave ... they refused to belief when others told them that they had seen Him ALIVE ... Mark 16:14 "Afterward, He appeared to the Eleven as they reclined at table; and He REPROVED and REPROACHED them for their UNBELIEF, their LACK of FAITH, and their HARDNESS of HEART because they had REFUSED to BELIEVE those who had seen Him and looked at Him attentively after He had risen from the dead."
Yahshua told them to PREACH REPENTANCE as the CONDITION of the FORGIVENESS of SIN:
Luke 24:47 "... REPENTANCE with a view to and as the CONDITION of FORGIVENESS of SIN SHOULD be PREACHED in His name ..."
Yahshua told them that those who TRUST IN Him, RELY ON Him, and BELIEVES in Him AND is BAPTIZED will be SAVED:
Mark 16:16 "He who BELIEVES - who ADHERES to and TRUSTS in and RELIES on the Gospel AND Him Whom it sets forth, AND IS BAPTIZED will be SAVED from the penalty of eternal death; but he who DOES NOT BELIEVE, who does NOT ADHERE to, and TRUST IN and RELY on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth, WILL BE CONDEMNED."
SIGNS will FOLLOW those who are His OWN:
Mark 16:17 "And THESE ATTESTING SIGNS will ACCOMPANY those WHO BELIEVE (TRUSTS in, RELIES ON and ADHERES to Him):
IN My NAME they will DRIVE OUT DEMONS;
They will SPEAK in NEW LANGUAGES;
They will PICK up SERPENTS;
And even IF they DRINK ANYTHING DEADLY, IT WILL NOT HURT THEM;
They WILL LAY THEIR HANDS on the SICK, and they WILL GET WELL.
Abba's FIXED YEARS and SEASONS - a CRITICAL NICHE in TIME:
His disciples asked Him questions ... Acts 1:6 "... Master, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore Israel?" to which Yahshua answered them ... Acts 1:7 "... It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings the things and events of time and their definite periods, or fixed years and seasons, their critical niche in time, which the Father HAS APPOINTED - FIXED and RESERVED by HIS OWN CHOICE and AUTHORITY and PERSONAL POWER."
RIGHT BEFORE HE WAS TAKEN INTO HEAVEN, He said - "YOU SHALL RECEIVE power by the Holy Spirit:
Acts 1:8 "But you shall RECEIVE POWER - ability, efficiency and might when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses...
They were still looking at Him when He was CAUGHT UP and AWAY:
:9 And when He had said this, even as they were looking at Him, He was caught up, and a cloud received and CARRIED Him away out of their sight."
They gazed intently into heaven:
:10 And while they were gazing intently into heaven as He went, behold, two men, dressed in white robes suddenly stood beside them, Who said, men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Yahshua, Who was caught away and lifted up from among you into heaven ...
Yahshua will RETURN the SAME WAY ... as the heavenly Bridegroom to FETCH HIS BRIDE:
... WILL RETURN in JUST the SAME WAY in which you SAW Him go into heaven."
O Yahshua - help us to REALIZE that it is NOT ENOUGH to ONLY SAY with our mouths: "we believe" - but our hearts are far from You. Help us to understand that we should TRUST IN, ADHERE TO and RELY ON You ... wholeheartedly ... not with DOUBT ... not with a "maybe" in our hearts. Help us to understand that YOUR WORD OVERRULES every manmade teaching ... tradition ... rule ... dogma. Help us to FIND TRUTH ... the TRUTH that is ONLY to be FOUND in YOUR WORD and to FOLLOW it ... to FOLLOW YOUR WORD ... to DO YOUR COMMANDMENTS ... be OBEDIENT to YOUR WORD AND YOUR TEACHINGS ... and LIVE in YOUR EXAMPLE. In Yahshua Messiah's Name. Amen.