The Octave of Redemption (Transcript)

by T. Austin-Sparks

Chapter 5 - The Ascension and Glorifying of the Lord Jesus

The ascension and glorifying of the Lord Jesus, and I just want to read one or two passages in that connection. Firstly in the book of the Acts, chapter 1: "The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which He was received up, after that He had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom He had chosen".

The letter to the Hebrews chapter 2, verse 9: "We behold Him Who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour".

The letter to the Philippians chapter 2, verse 9: "Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and gave unto Him the name which is above every name".

Not nearly enough has been made of the ascension. And although we may not observe the church calendar and it's special days and feasts, it is true that even in that calendar, the ascension has a minor place. A tremendous amount is made of Christmas, or if you like: the birth of the Lord Jesus. A great deal is made of the resurrection. Something is made of Pentecost. But the ascension, while mentioned, is almost passed over, given very little attention. And yet it has tremendous significance and it is one of the features of redemption. Drop it out, and the scale is not complete.

I don't want to occupy you with technicalities or sidelines, but seeing that we are speaking about the octave, the rising scale, you probably know that sound is caused by vibrations on the air, but it is discerned by a wonderful mechanism in the ear. In every ear there is a little minute organ, like a little harp, which has no fewer than 10,000 chords. And when a sound is made, a chord corresponding to that sound vibrates, and you know what that sound is, or you have a good idea. Now, in the scale, or the octave, the higher you go, the more vibrations you get. You need only a comparatively few vibrations on the lower notes. But the higher you go, the more vibrations you need, and the ear needs to be more alive and attuned. There are some that get so high, you know, that even the human ear can't hear a sound that is there!

Now, my point is just this: that the higher you get in spiritual things, the more sensitive you have got to be to discern. There's a lot of that in: "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear". There needs to be a corresponding response to something that is being said. And when you come to the ascension, you're getting higher on the scale, you know. Here is something of very great importance in the whole octave of redemption. It is not without meaning or significance that this is mentioned in all four gospels and the book of the Acts - the Pentateuch of the new dispensation. Every writer brings you to that as the great turning-point upon which everything revolves.

We have to try at this time to answer in some small way (it can only be that in a short time) the question:

Why the Ascension and Glorifying?

I think it is one of the strongest arguments for the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, that the disciples and those who had been with Him during His earthly life, were so glad at last to let Him go. Do you remember that whenever He refers to His coming departure, the very mention of it struck terror and consternation into their hearts? And indeed, those words at the beginning of the unfortunate division of the narrative marked by John 14 were uttered because of that very thing: "Let not your hearts be troubled". He was speaking about His going, it had struck consternation into them. They saw no hope, no future if He went; everything for them simply disintegrated. They could not bear to think of His departure. And do you notice how much of His time in those last days with them, were occupied with this very matter of His going, and His effort to allay their fears and reassure them! But no, they could not accept it. They could not accept it, it was a dark shadow on their horizon.

And here, when you come to the actual departure, what a change! What a change: no sign of gloom whatsoever. As He lifts up His hands and blesses them, and as He does so, is received up into Heaven, out of their sight, there is no suggestion whatever of terror, or even of loss. They returned together to Jerusalem and if we can rightly discern the atmosphere from that moment, it was anything but one of sadness or a sense of loss. Something has happened to make them realize that all that He had said about it was true. This, this was no change for the worse, but a change for the infinitely better.

They were with great joy together. Something's happened. I think it's one of the strongest arguments for the resurrection, that such a change should take place in them. And why am I saying this? Because I do feel, dear friends, that you and I, and the Lord's people today, need to catch something of that which was in their hearts. We need to capture something of that joy - that the Lord has "gone up"! We haven't lost Him; but we have greatly gained by His going up to the Father. And it is something to dwell upon: the gain of His going up.

So let us come to our question again: why the ascension and glorifying? Well, to begin with, of course, it was a turning-point in the dispensation. It was:

A New Beginning of Things.

You can catch the picture in Psalm 24 (which I think is a prophetical psalm). [In reading] Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?". Psalm 24: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in". It is all of a piece. And if that Psalm 24 begins, as it does: "For the earth is the Lord's...", and goes on: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?", we look back to Psalm 22 [23] for the answer. It's the Shepherd of the sheep - such a Shepherd Who will "dwell in the house of the Lord for ever". It is He Who ascends into the hill of the Lord, "clean hands and a pure heart, not having lifted up His soul unto vanity". This is He! And now the "everlasting doors" are waiting for Him.

So I would say you can catch the picture, it is as though Heaven is in suspense, and earth is silent; a pause. A pause. Psalm 22 has all been enacted - the awful cross, the terrible forsaking, the desolation. He has been laid in the tomb. All is waiting. God has raised Him, but Heaven is waiting, Heaven is waiting. And then this cry: "And the angels shall break forth in their cry, the heavenly hosts: Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in. He is on the way, He is coming: open the gate for Him!"

It is the picture, you see, of His return to Heaven, of His ascension, His exaltation. Everything was waiting for that; the point is, everything was waiting for that. Nothing more could happen until that took place. All this, yes, preparation has been made, it's all been made down there, all that work has been done by the Cross; it's all ready. But: "We are waiting - we can't go on until He is here, until He is back, until He is in His place, His rightful place." All waits for that.

I say, this ascension of the Lord Jesus, this exaltation of the Lord Jesus, this glorifying of the Lord Jesus is a tremendous matter. Everything is in suspense until that happens. It must, therefore, have some very great meaning for us.

It's a new beginning, I was saying, a new beginning, for which all the preparation has been made in the Cross. What is the new beginning? Well, you see, it is just the tremendous change in the character, the nature of the dispensation. In the old dispensation of the Old Testament, everything was centred in a spot on this earth and a nation amongst the nations: Jerusalem, the focal point; Palestine, the country; the Jews, the nation - all centred there, focused upon that - something earthly, something temporal and something transient - something capable of breaking down, completely breaking down, as it has done.

Now the whole thing is taken away from the earth, and:

The Focal Point of Everything is in Heaven.

The centre of all Divine interests is in heaven. The resources for all Divine activities are in heaven. Heaven is the place now - He is there! The new dispensation is marked by this. But oh, that the Church had not forgotten it, and failed to see it; it is this: that the centre, the headquarters, the seat of government is now in Heaven, beyond the reach and the touch of time and earth and change and the possibility of breaking down!

You so well know that there was the teaching, that one hesitates to remind you of it, that the Church is now a heavenly people and not an earthly, and that all our spiritual blessings are in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. But oh, that does have some very valuable practical meaning.

Just take this about the Lord Jesus, for instance. When He was here on this earth, well, speaking in a manner, He was at the mercy of men and things; He was governed very largely by earthly conditions. Men could treat Him as they would, and they did. An amazing, amazing thing, isn't it, that they should have treated God incarnate as they did! But they did, they did, and at length they ushered Him to His death. That is speaking from the standpoint of the world and men, how they treated Him, how they handled Him. No one can do that now! No one can touch Him now, no one can in any way handle Him now! He is right above all such conditions and possibilities. He is there, He's there!

That brings tremendous rest, doesn't it? That brings tremendous rest, tremendous satisfaction, tremendous comfort. He is outside of the reach of all these things that are against Him. He is outside and beyond the touch of all antagonistic forces set upon His destruction. He is right beyond them, He is right outside of them, He is right above them all, above all rule and authority and principality and power (Eph. 1:21). It is absolutely safe, and we need never have one moment's fear for Him, never have a moment's unrest.

Ah, but why am I saying that? It is of very great practical application and value and gives my heart a great deal of comfort and rest, dear friends, that the Church is a heavenly body, seated with Him. I need have no moment's worry about the true Church!

Oh, come down to the earth and see how men worry about their 'church', and their 'churches', and their 'things'. And you touch them and see what happens! They have got to look after it! They have got to take care of it, they have got to keep it! They are the custodians of this thing, and they watch jealously and fiercely over the thing. And my word, what a lot of worry they have, and what a lot of trouble that the thing [has in store] because it's something on the earth that has got to be looked after.

Oh! It's a grand thing to be in the realm of the heavenly Church, and not have to worry about trying to preserve something and keep it going and seeing that it doesn't pass out! There is none of that at all, not a bit, about a work that is a heavenly work, that is united with Christ in Heaven. This is all the difference and you can see a great deal more than I am saying. There's all the difference when you get onto heavenly ground. Oh yes, you need not worry, you need not fret to try and keep the thing going.

It might, it might break down, and then you'd be left without your 'pet', without the thing that you, for which you, spent all your time and resources. There's no worry about a heavenly thing, it's in the custodianship of One Who is above all these things, thank God! There's rest.

I don't know what the geography of heaven is, I can never answer any questions about where is heaven located and so on. But I can see a lot of spiritual truth in what the Lord said: "I go to prepare a place for you and in My Father's house are many resting-places...". You come to rest when you get on to heavenly ground, just as He has come to rest. And you need not worry - only keep on that ground. If you are going to worry at all (if you must worry) worry lest you get down on to earthly ground, for that's the realm of worrying. Keep up, in safe keeping - it's in the keeping of One Who is "far above all".

And it means more than that, you see, as I have intimated. "Every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus", and we seated there with Him. That heavenly union with Christ means such abundance, such fulness, that you need never worry about spiritual supplies. It's just marvellous the resources, the supplies that will come, if only we get on to the right ground, into the right position. It's true! If you are down on this earth, well, you will have to worry and worry for your supplies. Get down on the natural level of ministry, and see how hard you have got to work to get something to pass on. Get up into the open heaven, on to the heavenly ground, and every spiritual blessing, abundance, abundance and fulness, on that ground.

Now, these are no abstract things; these are realities. They are realities. It's one of the miracles of heavenly sustenance, the supplies, the supplies all the way along, the never-ending supplies. You feel you have come to the end, and nothing more, and then another fulness; and again you seem to have exhausted everything and you haven't got another crumb, and another fulness, every time! He wants it and there is a need for it, and so you go on and on through the years like that.

This is all a part of His being in Heaven, His being in Heaven and the Church being joined with Him in Heaven. This is why the ascension and the glorification of our Lord Jesus.

But then, His ascension and His glorifying are:

God's Own Attestation of His Person and Work.

You see, that is what the Scriptures say. You look at one or two passages and you find that that is the meaning of them in John chapter 3, verse 13: "No man hath ascended into heaven, but He That descended out of heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven". This is the attestation of His Person.

We have noted Psalm 24 as following Psalm 22. Psalm 24 is the attestation of the One Who in Psalm 22 cried: "My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Heaven breaks forth in attesting that One and His work in the Cross. We have read Philippians 2:9: "Wherefore, wherefore through obedience unto death, the death of the cross, God hath highly exalted Him". That is the attestation of Him and His work. And the same is true of the other passage in Hebrews 2:9: "We behold Him... because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour". The attestation of Him and His work is by His exaltation and His glorification. It proclaims His victory. "Who is this King of glory?" "The Lord mighty in battle". He enters in, He proclaims His victory.

Now, dear friends, we, although we may be familiar with it, and it may be no new information to us, it is very necessary for us to always keep in mind that the real conflict and the real victory was in the heavenlies. It was not with flesh and blood, it was not with Jewish rulers and leaders, it was not with Roman officials, or with the Roman Empire itself. Back of all these things was another empire, unseen, but very, very real, and we know it. We know it. And it was in that realm of the heavenlies that the real conflict took place. It was the encounter between two spiritual kingdoms and empires, and it was there that the real victory was won. It is over those "principalities and powers and world-rulers of this darkness and hosts of wicked spirits" that He won the victory. It was there! He's gone behind everything here, and has dealt with everything behind what is here and established His victory behind everything and over everything. He is over it.

I know that difficulties arise when things are having a hard time. When you see a James killed, and a Stephen martyred, and thousands cast into the Roman arena and butchered; when, as today, we see certain people of God cast into prison, and homes and families broken up and all that, it's not difficult to wonder: is He on the throne? Is this true that He is over all? You know, this is a long-term thing, this Kingdom of His. Some of you most probably have watched a race in which famous athletes are engaged, and there is one outstanding, most famous. And they start off on the race, and he seems to be the most indifferent of them all. He lets them all get ahead of him, and as they pass him and get ahead of him, there is not the slightest trace of any anxiety on his face at all. He lets them get on with it. And everybody thinks that they are winning and he is beaten. But wait until the end. He has such reserves that, at last, at last when they are all spent, he calls upon his reserves and takes the race quite easily. It is the tremendous victory of competence and reserve.

You know, the Lord Jesus is like that. That is exactly what is happening today. It looks as though the rival is having it his way, is getting ahead, and it does not seem as though the Lord is very worried about it. We can discover no trace, no anxiety or fret or feverish concern in the Lord. It is not that He is indifferent, but He knows what He can do - He knows what His reserves are. And again and again it has proved like that. He's coming first, in the end He has come in first and He has taken the race. He did it at the beginning, He did it over the Roman Empire, He has done it again and again. He has just let them get ahead, seeming to have it all their own way, and in the end He has collected all the prizes, He has got it into His hand. It's His tremendous reserves and competence. And I think it's like that for the Church.

We feel today, do we not, that the enemy is having a good deal his own way. It seems sometimes as though the Lord is a long way behind the enemy. But wait! But wait! He said to them, as the last words: "I am with you... unto the consummation of the age… I will be there at the end, I'll be there at the end with you." The Lord Jesus will not be out of it at the end, He will be there. It will be the others who will be out.

Now, do you not feel that you and I want really to gather something of the strength and consolation and help of this in a day, a day like this? We could all be so oppressed. Today, only this morning, I had another long letter from the Far East, telling me of all their trials and brothers and sisters and leading workers taken and put into prison - those who had so faithfully and fully served the Lord for many years - and that going on all over the country. You need, we need some help, we need some consolation. As they do, we do; we're in the same fight. We may not be having it in the same way, of actual physical suffering and imprisonment, but we are in the same battle, and the spiritual pressure is terrible. The atmosphere is just full of antagonism. We need help, and from where can we draw that help, more than from the fact that He has gone up on high, and is there?

That is only the first thing about it, but it is a mighty thing, that He is on the throne. And this is presented to us in the record, and out of the so manifest effect of this upon those who were there, those who were there. And you remember that Luke was a very meticulous historian. He tells us that he took pains to look into and gather the data correctly, accurately. He was a meticulous historian and Luke would never have put this in if he had had any question, any doubt about it. He had got plenty of evidence for everything that he wrote in this book of the Acts. And here you have these men, under circumstances and conditions which would naturally have resulted in something so much the opposite, just like this: triumphant. Triumphant! Their Lord had gone! He's gone from them, He has been received up in a cloud and out of their sight. He has gone: what ought they to feel like? Yet, it is not so. They go forth triumphing, and to triumph, because He has gone up!

It is here presented to our faith as a great note in the octave of redemption, it is part of redemption. And the Lord being there is intended to redeem us from fear, to redeem us from uncertainty, to redeem us from overwhelming depression and oppression in the day of apparent calamity. It is the Holy Spirit, He is really doing His work. I believe that in those who are thus suffering the Holy Spirit is having words, in effect saying, "It's all right - He is on the throne, He's on the throne!" I believe they will come through because of this very truth: Jesus reigns, He is on the throne, He has gone up on high. We need, I say again, to be redeemed by this truth. It is a great factor in redemption.

A Representative Man Has Reached the Goal

But I say that is only one part of the great truth. There is another large part which can only be hinted at, at this time. "The Son of Man ascending up on high, where He was before." You see? The Son of Man ascending up on high... what is [new] to the Son of Man ascending? That very title, you see, is indicative of a great and wonderful truth. It brings us right into the letter to the Hebrews. "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? or the Son of Man, that Thou makest mention of Him? Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet...". But we see not yet all things in subjection under his feet, he hasn't yet come to that for which he was made; it is not all realized yet. "But, but we see Him, Jesus, made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour". What does it mean?

Here is the Son of Man, in Whom, as a First One, all the Divine intention concerning man, His very creation, is realized. This (and we ought to enter upon a detailed study of that letter now, especially in its first chapters, but we can't do it) but this: "Not unto angels did He subject the inhabited earth to come, whereof we are speaking. But one at a certain place testified, saying, What is man...?" The subjecting of the inhabited earth to come, to man. We see not all things in subjection under man; but we see his Representative in Heaven, with all things in subjection under Him, for man. The representative Man in Heaven, in whom is secured for man.

And then the writer goes on: "Wherefore, holy brethren, partners in the heavenly calling..." (3:1). It is all of a piece, you see. The "heavenly calling" - what is it? To be in fellowship with Him, in partnership with Him, "For He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of One: He is not ashamed therefore to call them brethren, brethren, saying, I will declare Thy Name unto My brethren..." .

Wherefore, holy brethren, partners with Him and with one another of the heavenly calling... what is it? To have dominion over the inhabited earth to come. He is there, having secured that purpose of God in His Own Person, representing the people, the 'many sons' whom He is 'bringing to glory'. That is why He has "ascended up on high" He is a Man installed, in full possession of the eternal intention of God concerning man and installed there as a First One of the many sons to be brought to glory.

Perhaps you ask: what is the difference between the heavenly rule and government now, and that in the old dispensation? Because the heavens did rule then. In the days of Daniel the heavens were ruling. Yes, they were ruling in the old dispensation. But what's the difference? Well, when you ask that question you just throw open a tremendous door, and this whole letter to the Hebrews will answer it for you. It's the difference, the great difference, between that dispensation as a merely and purely earthly and temporal one, and this dispensation: eternal and heavenly and spiritual. It's the difference! All the differences that are mentioned in this very letter, and you know it's the letter of the "better" things. The better things! You come into something so much better in the heavenly government of the Son of Man than in the general sovereignty of God in the old dispensation.

That's far too big a matter for us to enter into, but it's an indication, and it's all centred in this one thing: why He has gone up, why He's there, why He has ascended and is glorified. I need to indicate that it means a lot of very great things that Jesus is in Heaven, well, it makes it's challenge. It's a great test of everything. It's a great test of everything.

Now let me close with this. It's one thing for us to know the truth about the Church being a heavenly body, a heavenly people and what the Word says about being 'seated together with Him in the heavenlies', and being 'blessed with every spiritual blessing with Him in the heavenlies' and all that. It is one thing to perhaps even to be able to give Bible readings on it; it's a very, very different thing to be in the good of it! And do remember this, dear friends, that it's a law of the Bible throughout that you are always tested right up to the hilt, to the last degree, on every position that you take.

Your testing corresponds to the position that you have taken and declared. And if you say, 'I take my heavenly position', you are going to be tested right up to the hilt on your heavenly position. You will have nothing down here on this earth to support you; you will have to get all your support from Heaven. You will have nothing here to protect you; you will have to get all your protection from Heaven. You will have nothing here to champion you; you will have to get all your championing from Heaven. You will be tested by your position. Ah, but it's a position that can stand the test. It's an eternal, impregnable position.

If you don't understand all that I've said, don't worry. I'm declaring what is true and it is very searching, it is very testing. The disciples came into the glory of it at the beginning, and much of the joy of it remained throughout; but I can see sometimes, sometimes they were having a real battle on this question and having to fight to hold that ground - to hold that ground that Jesus is Lord. Conditions demanded a very strong affirmation of it, a digging the heels in and saying, in spite, in spite of a lot: 'He is Lord!' This is no romantic kind of thing - this is desperate. And so the apostle said: "Stand... withstand... having done all, stand!" Where? Where? Our wrestling is "in the heavenlies": stand there with Him! The Lord help us.