The
Christian doctrine of the
Ascension holds that
Jesus ascended to
heaven in the presence of his
Eleven Apostles following his
resurrection, and that in heaven he sits at the right hand of
God the Father.
Jesus died circa 30. In the Epistle to the Romans (c. 56-57),[1] Saint Paul describes Christ as in heaven and in the abyss[Rom.&_160;105-7] the earliest Christian reference to Jesus in heaven. The most influential account of the Ascension, and according to the two-source hypothesis the earliest,[2] is in Acts of the Apostles[11-11] where Jesus is taken up bodily into heaven forty days after his resurrection as witnessed by his apostles, after giving the Great Commission with a prophecy to return. In the Gospel of Luke, the Ascension takes place on Easter Sunday evening.[3] The Gospel of John (c. 90-100)[4] refers to Jesus returning to the Father.[Jn.&_160;2017] In the First Epistle of Peter (c. 90-110),[4] Jesus has ascended to heaven and is at God's right side.[1 Pet. 321-22] The Epistle to the Ephesians (c. 90-100)[4] refers to Jesus ascending higher than all the heavens.[Eph.&_160;47-13] The First Epistle to Timothy (c. 90-140)[4] describes Jesus as taken up in glory.[1 Tim. 316] The traditional ending of Mark[1619] includes a summary of Luke's resurrection material and describes Jesus as being taken up into heaven and sitting at God's right hand. The imagery of Jesus' Ascension is related to the broader theme of his exaltation and heavenly welcome, derived from the Hebrew Bible.[5] The image of Jesus rising bodily into the heavens reflects the ancient view that heaven was above the earth.[6]
Belief in the Ascension of Jesus is found in the Nicene Creed, and is affirmed by Christian liturgy and, in the West, by the Apostles' Creed. The Ascension implies Jesus' humanity being taken into heaven.[5] Ascension Day, celebrated 40 days after Easter, is one of chief feasts of the Christian year.[5] The feast dates back at least to the later 300s, as is widely attested.[5]
The canonical account of Jesus ascending bodily into the clouds contrasts with the gnostic tradition, by which Jesus was said to transcend the physical realm and return to his home in the spirit world. It also contrasts with the beliefs of Docetism, in which matter is intrinsically evil and Jesus was said to have been pure spirit.
