How Could Christ Ascend?

[FuzzyBunny116]

And by this, I mean that if Paradise is on some other plane of reality (as opposed to being somewhere “in the sky” as the ancients thought), why would it be that Christ would ascend “upward” towards Paradise, when Paradise isn’t really “up” at all.

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

Elijah was taken up to Heaven in a flaming chariot…

Jesus was removed from the apostles’ sight by a cloud. After he entered the cloud, who knows what happened…

 

[Pax]

Our minds eye is an important tool for appreciating and understanding both physical and spiritual things. Lofty places seem to naturally attract us and make us think of good things. Looking at a vista from a high mountain gives a breath taking view. Looking skyward from a deep hole gives a different and less spectacular view. Likewise, looking downward in a hole or tunnel provides a scene of darkness. One view is powerfully attractive while another is depressing and unpleasant.

God uses our experiences and modes of thought to relate information to us. It was appropriate for Jesus to ascend into heaven because of what it means to us as human beings. There is a certain symetry and beauty to this action that no other mode would have provided.

I hope this helps.

 

[FuzzyBunny116]

Our minds eye is an important tool for appreciating and understanding both physical and spiritual things. Lofty places seem to naturally attract us and make us think of good things. Looking at a vista from a high mountain gives a breath taking view. Looking skyward from a deep hole gives a different and less spectacular view. Likewise, looking downward in a hole or tunnel provides a scene of darkness. One view is powerfully attractive while another is depressing and unpleasant.

God uses our experiences and modes of thought to relate information to us. It was appropriate for Jesus to ascend into heaven because of what it means to us as human beings. There is a certain symetry and beauty to this action that no other mode would have provided.

I hope this helps.

Thanks all, that seems like the profoundly common sensical answer.

 

[DaveBj]

Well said, Pax.

I believe that the plane of existence inhabited by God and the angels is outside this created universe. However, moving from here to there would have been very hard to explain to people who didn’t have that kind of understanding. “Up” sums it up (pun intended) quite nicely.

DaveBj

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

Based on Eph 4, “led captives in his train” or “catpitves captive”, paradise was simply moved from the grave ( luke 16 ) to heaven, in fact Paul was caught up to paradise after the ressurrection of Jesus ( II cor 12 ).

 

[TOME]

When I saw the question about how Christ could ascend I turned to Our Holy Father’s book, “Introduction to Christianity”. I quickly realized that not only did what he write make sense but it was far clearer than what I could express. So I would hope all here would take a look at this work and for a response read the sections on Christ’s “Descended into Hell” and Ascended into Heaven".

But one thing I think I can relate with some accurcacy is when we attemp to understand this question we really have to go beyond the age old thought of a three tier cosmos and look beyond a physical understanding - he reality of the truths proclaimed in the Apostles Creed ( and forms the basis for this question) is so other in the physical or metaphysical sense of the word that we can only understand it through revelation but we can come to some knowledge. And, for me atleast, when contemplating this question from the view point of Our Holy Father it makes even more sense of Jesus taking off like a rocket to heaven. (By the way his teaching on Christ descent into hell - which he holds must be understood in the same light as the Assencion - really makes sense to me so again I urge all to read it - and perhaps explain it to me in a way I can grasp it ever more fully.)