The Cloud Took Thee Up And Heaven Received Thee
The Ascension of Our Lord
from Festal Icons for the Christian
Year
by John Baggley
Until the
late fourth century, the ascent of Christ into heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit were celebrated together at the end
of the great 50-day period of Pentecost; the term ‘Pentecost’ in those early centuries applied definitely to the
whole 50-day period of rejoicing at the Resurrection, rather than signifying the fortieth day after the Resurrection, as happens
now in current Western liturgical usage. The development of a separate celebration
of Christ’s Ascension on the fortieth day after Easter began in Syria and Asia Minor during the latter part of the fourth
century and seems to have become almost universal by the seventh or eighth centuries.
The Feast rounds off the celebration of the Lord’s earthly life and ministry, and in many ways, has a lot in
common with the Feast of Christ’s Nativity. Whereas Christmas celebrates
the beginning of the economy of salvation with the human birth of the Incarnate Son of God, and explores the paradoxes and
theological implications that are involved, the Ascension celebrates the
accomplishment of salvation through Christ, and the taking of our humanity up to the throne of God.
Man is seated at the right hand of the Father in the Person of the Incarnate Son, our great High Priest, whose ministry
as Mediator between God and humanity provides access into the divine life.
The liturgical texts rejoice at the consummation of the work of salvation with
Christ’s Ascension:
“Marvelous is Thy birth, marvelous
Thy resurrection,
marvelous and amazing Thy divine ascension, O Life-giver,”
“Having appeared in the likeness of the flesh,
Thou
didst gather together into one the things that were formerly separated, O Friend of man.
And while the disciples were watching, O Compassionate
One,
Thou wast taken up into the Heavens”
- Ode 6 of Matins Canon for the Feast -
God’s search for Adam led to the Incarnation,
Christ’s humiliation on the Cross and his descent to the depths of Hades; it involved Christ’s triumphant resurrection
from the dead, his liberation of Adam from the bondage of sin and death, and his raising of Adam up to heaven:
“Having come down from Heaven unto the things
of earth, O Christ, as God, with Thyself,
Thou didst resurrect Adam’s form, which lay prostrate
in the neither holds of Hades’ vault;
in Thine Ascension to the heights, Thou didst lead it up unto the Heavens
and Thou didst seat it upon the throne of Thy Father, since Thou, the Friend of man, art merciful.”
- Sessional
Hymn from Matins for the Feast -
O Christ,
having taken upon Thy shoulders our nature, which had gone astray,
Thou didst ascend and bring
it unto God the Father”
- Ode Seven for Matins for the Feast -
Other texts develop the implications of the Ascension for the disciples of the
Lord. Three key consequences stand out:
First, Christ’s Ascension will lead to the Father’s
gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter:
“Thou hast ascended in glory, O Christ our God,
and gladdened Thy disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit;
and they were assured by the blessing that Thou art the Son of God, and Redeemer of the world”
- Troparion of the Feast -
Second, the Ascension will lead
to other gifts that will enable the Church’s ministry to develop [cf Ephesians 4.8-16], and there is also the assurance
that “I am not separated from you.” “I am with you, and
none shall prevail against you”:
“When Thou
hadst fulfilled Thy dispensation for our sakes,
uniting things on earth with things in the Heavens,
Thou didst ascend in glory, O Christ
our God,
departing not hence, but remaining inseparable from us
and
crying out unto them that love Thee:
"I am with you, and no one can be against you”
- Kontakion of the Feast -
And third, as a consequence of the Ascension, the Church
lives in expectation of the Second Coming of Christ in judgment. Although
judgment is not mentioned by the angels in Acts 1.11, it is implied in their reference to the Second Coming, and is given
prominence in the hymnody of the Feast:
“Having
mounted upon heaven’s clouds, O Christ,
Thou didst leave peace upon those upon the earth;
and Thou didst ascend and sit at the Father’s right hand on high…. Wherefore,
Thou now waitest till the last consummation,
when Thou shalt return to judge
all mankind upon the earth.
O Thou most righteous Judge and Lord, since Thou art a most merciful God,
do Thou spare
our souls and do Thou grant to us, Thy lowly servants,
the pardon of our failings and our sins”
- Sessional
Hymn at Matins of the Feast -
The events that mark the end of the Lord’s earthly life and ministry are seen in the light of Old
Testament passages that celebrate the sovereignty of God. One particular
text which is not read, but had a great influence on the imagery associated with the Ascension in early homilies and in icons
is Psalm 24.7-10 [23]:
“Lift high your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is the King of
glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty and in battle!
Lift high your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!”
The imagery of gates and doors and processions in this
Psalm is related in Christian tradition first to Christ’s ascent into
heaven, and then also to his descent into Hades, and form part of the way in which the Church
celebrates Christ’s accomplishment of salvation for the human race.
This same imagery is an active ingredient in Orthodox liturgical celebrations: the doors in the iconostasis facilitate
a movement between the nave and the sanctuary and also symbolize the interaction between heaven and earth.
The movement through the doors ar various points in the liturgy, while a functional necessity, also increases awareness
of the spiritual thresholds that have to be crossed in the course of our worship; the Divine Liturgy takes us across a threshold into the life of the Kingdom and the Communion of Saints, and also requires that
barriers within our hearts and souls be removed to prepare for the entry of the Heavenly King, the Life-Giver and Lover of
mankind who seeks to dwell with his people.
