Up Through Endless Ranks of Angels
LSB 491
study by Allen D. Lunneberg
Introduction
For 40 days after His resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples. Then came the day of His ascension, when He would no longer be appearing and disappearing as He had. The disciples gradually learned that He was with them whether they could see Him or not. It is possibly because the Ascension of Our Lord, the 40th day of Easter, always falls on a Thursday that, though this is a major festival, it has become more poorly attended through the years, if celebrated at all. Consider the number of Ascension hymns in our hymnals over past years:
- The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), 12 hymns;
- Service Book and Hymnal (1958), seven hymns;
- Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), four hymns;
- Lutheran Worship (1982), six hymns; and
- Lutheran Service Book (2006), five hymns.
Still, the Ascension of Our Lord marks a major step forward in God’s plan of salvation and, as such, needs to be preached, heard, believed and celebrated.
❚ Does your congregation celebrate this festival of Ascension Thursday? How is attendance compared to Sunday?
❚ How is the ascension a major step in God’s plan of salvation?
Exploring the Scriptures
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples at least the 11 times we have recorded in the New Testament. Compare His appearance to the disciples at Emmaus (Luke 24:13–32) and His final appearance at His ascension (Acts
1:3–9).
❚ How did Jesus leave the disciples at Emmaus?
❚ How was His departure at the ascension different?
On the Thursday of Holy Week in the Upper Room, Jesus prepared His disciples for their future ministry and summarized
His entire mission.
❚ Which words in John 16:28 speak of Jesus’ identity? His incarnation and birth? His ascension?
❚ Why is Jesus’ ascension necessary, according to John 16:5–7?
There are two accounts of the ascension, both recorded by St. Luke: once at the end of his Gospel (Luke 24:44–53) and then in Acts 1:3–9. Read both accounts.
❚ What does Jesus say His disciples will be doing in the future, according to Luke 24:47?
❚ In Luke 24:48 and Acts 1:8, what word does Jesus use that describes the difference between an “apostle” and a “disciple”? According to Rom. 10:9, what is a more accurate word to describe what a disciple does? What did the ascension of Jesus look like from heaven?
Read Rev. 12:7–10. Consider the following commentary by Dr. Louis A. Brighton:
As a result of Christ’s victory on the cross and his public vindication over the dragon at his ascension and exaltation, there was no longer any room in heaven for the accuser. The dragon had to be thrown out of heaven, for Christ’s vicarious atonement and justification of the saints made Satan’s accusations false … Once Christ was elevated and enthroned, the slanderer was held in contempt of God’s court and “was thrown out” (12:9), never again to appear before God’s heavenly presence…. When did this war, this expulsion of the dragon and his evil host, take place? According to 12:5, it happened when the “Child was snatched up to God and to his throne,” that is, at the ascension of Christ.
Apparently before Christ’s victory and ascension, the devil could at will stand before God and bring accusations against God’s saints…. But at Christ’s enthronement at the right of God, Satan was forever banished from God’s presence and his place in the heavenly court was taken from him…. This war in heaven in Rev 12:7 is not the original rebellion of the devil against God, which took place before the fall of Adam and the woman (Gen 3:1). The war and expulsion described in Revelation 12 happened as a result of Christ’s victory and elevation.
(Revelation [CPH, 1999], 335–6)
Exploring the Hymn
Background
Jaroslav J. Vajda (Vai-dah) (1919–2008) is the author of six hymns and translator of four more in LSB. This ascension text was commissioned by Augsburg Publishing House in 1973. He said he had attempted to gather the implications of our Lord’s ascension to His followers, both those who originally witnessed the event and all since then who await His promised return. Those “implications” include the completion of Jesus’ work of redemption, the new confidence of His joyous disciples, Christ’s eternal intercession for us before the Father, His comfort and direction of believers as we await His return, and the faithful longing for our final deliverance in the resurrection. In our exploration of the Scriptures, we have noted, of course, even more “implications.”
❚ List some of what you think are implications of Jesus’ ascension, what it means or how it affects your faith and life.
Text
Originally, the author was requested to change the first word of the hymn from “up” to “there,” in order “to avoid the three-tiered universe imagery,” meaning the earth lying between heaven (up) and hell (down). This request appears to be of the spirit of the times, when science, philosophy and the historical-critical method of Bible interpretation questioned nearly everything in the Bible. Nevertheless, the Bible uses such imagery.
❚ What words are used in the following passages to describe earth, heaven and hell: Ps. 139:8; Gen. 15:5; Luke 24:51; and Acts 1:9?
❚ We know of archangels, cherubim and seraphim. How does Col. 1:16 describe the “endless ranks of angels”?
The words of stanza 2 look to Jesus as our intercessor and advocate as a result of His victorious earthly ministry.
❚ How and for whom does Jesus intercede before the Father? See 1 John 2:1; Rom. 8:34; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:14–16; and 7:25.
Stanza 3 is a prayer for guidance by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–18; 16:13) through the Word of God (Matt. 28:20) and comfort in our trials until Christ returns to receive us to Himself (John 14:3).
❚ How is your life one of “wanton wandering”?
❚ In what ways does God guide and comfort us?
By the little triangle symbol, LSB suggests standing for stanza 4 as the three persons of the Holy Trinity are mentioned. While Trinitarian in form, however, the final stanza is more a confession of faith and expression of longing than it is a doxology or praise. It is the “eschatological” (last things) longing to finally arrive and be in the very physical presence of God.
❚ Which three words in this stanza describe the real, physical qualities of the day of our resurrection?
❚ To “breathe the Spirit’s grace” recalls what detail from our creation in Gen. 2:7?
❚ To “see the Father’s face” will reverse what former law, according to Ex. 33:20?
❚ To “feel the Son’s embrace” will be possible because of what reality? See Luke 1:31 and Luke 24:40–43.
Making the Connection
This hymn does more than just tell the story of Jesus’ ascension. It describes the benefits and the hope available because Jesus is now living and reigning at the right hand of God.
❚ How helpful is this hymn and the celebration of the ascension on the 40th day of Easter to the individual Christian?
In Closing
❚ Sing or read aloud together LSB 491.
Prayer
Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also ascend in heart and mind and continually dwell there with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.