Hello John and all Doves!!

I have done studies about the Ascension of Christ and how the early chapters of the Book of Revelation are describing what takes place at this momentous moment!  I see it as the celebration of Pentecost in Heaven and the sending of the Holy Spirit.  This would be the beginning of the NEW CONVENANT.  Before Christ ascended unto His Father, no one could be BORN AGAIN, as being born again is ALL ABOUT RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

This all ties into Christ ascending to the Right Hand of His Father; and how the Scriptures point to this all important event.  I found a very good study, written by David Lowe, that addresses this issue, and wanted to share it with you all.

The following is an excerpt from the 11^th chapter of Earthquake Resurrection: Supernatural Catalyst for the Coming Global Catastrophe by David W. Lowe.

 The Ascension of Jesus Christ: In Revelation 5?

While there are numerous verses in the Old Testament which mention God’s right hand, there is but one in which the Lord is prophesied to sit at the right hand of God. Peter quoted this same verse on the day when the baptism in the fire of the Holy Spirit was unleashed:

Psa. 110:1 “Here is the Lord’s proclamation to my lord: “Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool!”

Act 2:34 “For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand Act 2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

Just before his crucifixion, Jesus himself declared to Caiaphas the high priest that he would be at the

Father’s right hand after his death:

Mat 26:64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Christ’s ascension to heaven was an incredible supernatural event that took place on the Mount of Olives 40 days after his resurrection from the dead. The disciples were privileged to see it with their own eyes. It was described by Luke in Acts chapter 1, at the conclusion of the 40 day period in which he appeared to the disciples:

Act 1:9 “After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

Act 1:10 “As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them.”

Act 1:11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

In the final chapter of Mark, more detail is added to the ascension event, specially, exactly where he went when he arrived in heaven:

Mar 16:19 “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them; he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Who Will Open the Scroll?

Revelation chapter 5 opens with a description of the throne and a seven-sealed scroll. Note where the seven-sealed book is located with respect to God: Rev 5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back and sealed with seven seals.

After the scroll is described in God’s right hand, the search began for someone to open the scroll:

Rev 5:2 “And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”

Rev 5:3 “But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it."

This is a perplexing passage, if viewed as occurring in the future.  If Jesus Christ had already ascended to the throne and been in heaven for nearly 2,000 years, then why would he not be already seated on the right hand of God, ready to take the scroll? Why would the angel have to call throughout heaven and earth to find him, the only one worthy to open the scroll? Was Jesus playing a game of Hide and Seek?

According to scripture, when Jesus ascended to heaven, he sat down at the right hand of God, as Mark described in the verse above. In fact, as Stephen was being stoned to death, he said he actually saw Jesus at God’s right hand:

Act 7:55 “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Act 7:56 “Look!” he said. “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

As discussed above, Jesus told Caiaphas the high priest that he would be sitting at the right hand of power in heaven. In addition, in several of their letters, both Paul and Peter proclaim that Jesus Christ is currently at the right hand of God, interceding for prayers:

Rom 8:34 “Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.”

Col 3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

I Pet 3:22 “who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to him."

Therefore, according to these verses, Jesus should be at God’s right hand to open the seven-sealed scroll. But he is not there in Revelation chapter 5. The call for someone to open the sealed scroll becomes even more perplexing when one considers the following passage from Hebrews:

Heb 10:12 But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God,

Heb 10:13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet."

This is a key point. Not only did Christ sit down at the right hand of God after his death, resurrection, and ascension, but he must remain there until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. Now consider Revelation chapter 5 in this light. If what is described in this chapter takes place in the future, then where is Jesus, and why isn’t he seated at God’s right hand? Why is there a call throughout the universe for him? Where is Jesus hiding?

The clear answer is that the scene at the opening of Revelation chapter 5 does not take place in the future. In the vision that John was being shown, Jesus had not yet arrived at the throne from earth. Rather than a description of the throne room scene after the future resurrection, transformation, and catching-up event, this is a vision of the scene at God’s throne just after the ascension of Jesus Christ and just before he took his seat at the right hand of God.

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It was so refreshing to find this study after I had already come to the same conclusion by doing my own research, and trusting what the Holy Spirit was showing me. This has been a new revelation for me, and I know I am really hot on sharing this with everyone.  Mainly it is because it seems to make the most sense of anything I had previously thought, and anything that I had heard preached, by so many scholars, up until now.  I am excited to finally be able to understand it all so much better and hope that maybe others may be as well!

ALL THE GLORY IS TO JESUS!!  HE IS COMING SOON!!

Agape!!

Patti C.