It can feel that the Ascension is a subject not really covered in the Bible. If it happened, after all, why does only Luke talk about it in any detail?
While it can feel like this, that’s certainly not the case. There are references all over the Bible: in both the Old and New Testament. Below is a list of some of the many, many references (read more about what the Ascension means):
Psalm 47:5 - God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. (NIV)
Psalm 68:18 - When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious-- that you, LORD God, might dwell there. (NIV)
Mark 16:19 - After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. (NIV)
Luke 24:26 - Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? (NIV)
Luke 24:50-51 - When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. (NIV)
John 1:51 - He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (NIV)
John 6:62 - Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! (NIV)
John 7:33-34 - Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” (NIV)
John 7:39 - By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (NIV)
John 14:2-4 - My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” (NIV)
John 14:12 - Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (NIV)
John 14:28 - “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (NIV)
John 16:5 - but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ (NIV)
John 16:7 - But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (NIV)
John 16:10 - about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; (NIV)
John 16:16 - Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” (NIV)
John 16:25 - “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. (NIV)
John 16:28 - I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (NIV)
John 17:5 - And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (NIV)
John 17:13 - “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. (NIV)
John 20:17 - Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (NIV)
Acts 1:9 - After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (NIV)
Acts 3:21 - Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (NIV)
Romans 8:34 - Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (NIV)
Ephesians 1:20 - he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (NIV)
Ephesians 4:8-10 - This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) (NIV)
Philippians 2:9-11 - Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NIV)
1 Timothy 3:16 - Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (NIV)
Hebrews 1:3 - The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (NIV)
Hebrews 4:14 - Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (NIV)
Hebrews 9:24 - For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. (NIV)
1 Peter 3:22 - who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (NIV)
While it can feel like this, that’s certainly not the case. There are references all over the Bible: in both the Old and New Testament. Below is a list of some of the many, many references (read more about what the Ascension means):
Psalm 47:5 - God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets. (NIV)
Psalm 68:18 - When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious-- that you, LORD God, might dwell there. (NIV)
Mark 16:19 - After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. (NIV)
Luke 24:26 - Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? (NIV)
Luke 24:50-51 - When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. (NIV)
John 1:51 - He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (NIV)
John 6:62 - Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! (NIV)
John 7:33-34 - Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.” (NIV)
John 7:39 - By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (NIV)
John 14:2-4 - My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” (NIV)
John 14:12 - Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (NIV)
John 14:28 - “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. (NIV)
John 16:5 - but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ (NIV)
John 16:7 - But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (NIV)
John 16:10 - about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; (NIV)
John 16:16 - Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” (NIV)
John 16:25 - “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. (NIV)
John 16:28 - I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (NIV)
John 17:5 - And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (NIV)
John 17:13 - “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. (NIV)
John 20:17 - Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (NIV)
Acts 1:9 - After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (NIV)
Acts 3:21 - Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (NIV)
Romans 8:34 - Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (NIV)
Ephesians 1:20 - he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (NIV)
Ephesians 4:8-10 - This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) (NIV)
Philippians 2:9-11 - Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NIV)
1 Timothy 3:16 - Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (NIV)
Hebrews 1:3 - The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (NIV)
Hebrews 4:14 - Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (NIV)
Hebrews 9:24 - For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. (NIV)
1 Peter 3:22 - who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (NIV)
Want to learn more about the Ascension? Read my book, Jesus Ascended. What Does That Mean?
© 2023, Scott Douglas. All Rights Reserved.