What is Ascension Day? On Ascension Day, Christians remember that Jesus ascended to Heaven. They remember, that Jesus was taken up in a cloud on Mount Olive and went to Heaven. But Ascension Day contains so much more than just the ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven. Let’s have a look, at what happened on Ascension Day in the spiritual realm, when Jesus ascended to Heaven, and at the meaning of Ascension Day.
What happened on Ascension Day?
When He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight (Acts 1:9)
Jesus could have chosen to walk on the earth without dying, but Jesus didn’t. That’s because Jesus came to this earth, to do the will of His Father.
When Jesus finished the work at Calvary and was raised from the dead, there was one more thing Jesus needed to do.
Jesus needed to present His own blood, which was shed on the whipping post and on the cross to His Father. Jesus had to bring His own blood to the mercy seat into the holy place.
In order to find out what the mercy seat is and to understand the role of the mercy seat, we must go to the Old Testament.
The mercy seat
And Aaron (the high priest) shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness (Leviticus 16:14-16)
The high priest had to take the blood of the bullock (for himself and his family) and the goat (for the people of Israel) into the most holy place. He had to sprinkle the blood upon and before the mercy seat, in order to make atonement for their transgressions; their sins.
The atonement did not take place during the slaughter of the bullock and goat, but the atonement took place at the mercy seat, when the blood was sprinkled.
What do the words mercy seat mean?
The mercy seat is translated from the Hebrew word kappôreth (H3727 Strongs Concordance) and means:
a lid (used only of the cover of the sacred Ark): – mercy seat.
Kappôreth comes from the word Kâphar (H3722) and means: to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel: – appease, make (an) atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, to pitch, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile (-liation).
The atonement of Jesus Christ
Jesus was the Lamb of God, Who was slain for our sins and iniquities. Jesus was slain for our transgressions. He became our Substitute. His blood was shed at the whipping post and on the cross. He had paid the price and took all our sins, iniquities, and all our sicknesses, and diseases upon Himself.
Through His sacrifice and by His blood, Jesus legally enthroned the devil, his army, and eventually the death.
Jesus Christ rose as Victor from the dead, as our Lord and our High Priest of the New Covenant. And so, the Old Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant and became obsolete (Hebrew 8:13).
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom (Matthew 27:51).
The first task of Jesus as High Priest
The first task of Jesus, as High Priest, was to bring and present His own blood into the holy place, once and for all. Jesus’ first task was, at the same time, also Jesus’ last task of His redemptive work on the earth; Jesus had to present His own blood to His Father, into the holy place, to the mercy seat. So that, man would be redeemed and reconciled back to God.
By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrew 9:12)
Jesus had taken care of the sin problem of humanity (the generation of fallen man), which separated God and man.
Jesus took place on the mercy seat, at the right hand of God, and entered into His rest.
The work was done, Jesus had accomplished His work as Man on earth and the New Covenant came into effect, whereby the Old Covenant became obsolete.
Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is seated at the right hand of God, on the mercy seat, as our Savior, Redeemer, Mediator, Intercessor, Advocate/Comforter, High Priest, and King (Isaiah 59:16, Colossians 1:13, 1 Timothy 1:17; 2:5, 6:15, Hebrew 2:17; 3:1, 4:14-15, 5:5-10; 6:20; 8:6; 9:11-15; 12:24, 1 John 2:1, Revelation 19:16).
So you see, Ascension Day is a very important day in the completion of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Summary Ascension Day meaning
Ascension Day is the day that Jesus ascended to heaven and carried His own blood into the holy place. In the holy place, Jesus presented His own blood to His Father and made eternal redemption for man; Jesus reconciled God and man, by His blood. Jesus had to go into the holy place, to the mercy seat, for eternal redemption.
Now that Jesus’ work was completed, the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, could come (Read also: ‘What happened 50 days after Passover? and ‘What is Pentecost?)
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