My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ,
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN!
THE HOLY ASCENSION OF OUR LORD, GOD, AND SAVIOR
JESUS CHRIST, “THE KING OF GLORY.” [Part III]
Saint John Chrysostom speaking on the presence of the holy Angels at the Ascension says that the TWO ANGELS appeared and said to the Disciples what was mentioned before, for two basic reasons. First, to comfort grieving at the separation. Also the fact that Christ said that He would come again belongs to the same perspective. Secondly, to teach that Christ had ascended to Heaven, and this because the space of the sky is the highest and the eyes of the Disciples could not penetrate it and see where He is re-established. Furthermore, so that the Disciples would not think that He had gone up “as if to heaven” like the Prophet Elijah, but “INTO HEAVEN.”
In another analysis as well the Psalm of David has been mentioned in which some are presented commanding the leaders to open the Gates, and indeed they repeat it twice. The command is: LIFT UP THE GATES, O YOU RULERS AND BE LIFTED UP, YOU EVERLASTING DOORS, AND THE KING OF GLORY SHALL COME IN. The rulers ask: “Who is the King of glory?” And the answer given the first time is: “THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY, THE LORD MIGHTY IN BATTLE”, and the second time, “THE LORD OF THE POWERS, HE IS THE KING OF GLORY” [Psalm 24:7-10].
In order for this interpretation to be better understood, we must say that according to early Church Tradition the Angels, which are NOETIC SPIRITS, are DIVIDED INTO THREE TRIADS, of which the FIRST is close to the THRONE OF GOD, the Last Triad IS ON THE EARTH AND SERVES HUMAN BEINGS and the intermediate Triad IS BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH. According to this interpretation, THE LOWER ANGELS ARE ON EARTH, THE NEXT HIGHER ARE IN THE SECOND HEAVEN, CALLED THE FIRMAMENT, AND THE OTHER ANGELS, WHICH ARE ABOVE ALL THE OTHERS, ARE IN THE FIRST HEAVEN, WHERE GOD IS.
When the orders of Angels the Higher Angels, THE RULERS OF THE FIRMAMENT, THE SECOND HEAVEN, TO OPEN THE GATES FOR THE King of glory to come in. The ANGELIC GUARDS are gates which are everlasting and have NEVER BEEN OPENED BEFORE. And when Christ DESCENDED AGAIN THEY WERE CLOSED. Therefore the Mystery of Christ’s Economy was unknown even to the Angels (Saint John Chrysostom). The Angels of the firmament asked to know who this king of glory was. This question WAS ABOUT THE BODY AND THE SYMBOLS OF THE PASSION, THAT IS TO SAY ABOUT THE WOUNDS OF THE CROSS (Saint Gregory the Theologian). They were puzzled, that is, about the presence of the King of glory WITH A BODY AND WOUNDS. Then the Angels of the firmament (the second heaven) ordered the rulers, the Angels of the First Heaven, to open the gates for the King of glory to come in. And to the similar question of these Angels as well, the answer was that Christ is the Lord of the powers, the King of glory.
No one should think that the Angel’s question “who is the King of glory” is strange and invalid. It is true for two basic reasons, First, because since the Angels ARE CREATED BEINGS, THEY DO NOT HAVE FOREKNOWLEDGE, NOR DO THEY KNOW EVERYTHING. ONLY GOD HAS THIS KNOWLEDGE, AND TO THOSE TO WHOM HE WISHES TO REVEAL IT. The Angels, as well as the Saints, know ONLY what they are taught (Theodorite). The second reason for the Angels’ puzzlement, as we said, IS DUE TO THE UNION OF DIVINE AND HUMAN NATURE, TO CHRIST’S PASSION AND TO HOW CHRIST HAD THE WOUNDS OF THE CROSS ON HIS RISEN BODY. Fear is born in the soul from anything supernatural. Just as a man (a person) is frightened when he sees an Angel and therefore bows down, etc., so ALSO THE ORDERS OF THE BODILESS ANGELS, ON SEEING A BODY ABOVE THE CLOUDS, HAVE PUZZLEMENT ALONG WITH THE FEAR (Saint Athanasius the Great). Likewise, the wonderment of the Angels is due to how deified what was assumed, how He raised to heaven the earthly body, how He placed the fallen nature on the right hand of the Father’s Throne, how He made a Church of Angels and men, and in general how He defied (theosis) man and RESTORED HIM TO HIS FORMER GLORY (Saint Macarius Cyrosocephalos).
Saint Gregory the Theologian, referring to Christ’s Ascension and interpreting the passage of the Prophet Isaiah, 63:1-2, says: “Set forth the beauty of the array of the Body that suffered, adorned by the Passion, and made splendid by the Godhead, that which nothing cna be more lovely or more beautiful.” The body of Christ assumed WAS BEAUTIFIED, MADE SPLENDID AND ADORNED BY THE PASSION AND HIS RESURRECTION.
At His Ascension Christ HAD WOUNDS OF THE CROSS ON HIS Body and He is on the Throne of the Father with these. Saint Nicodemos the Hagiorite collected Patristic passages in which one can see why Christ after His Resurrection left on His Body the wounds made by the nails and the spear, while He could have healed them. He gave FIVE REASONS. FIRST, TO ADORN AND BEAUTIFY HIS BODY. Just as the windows in houses are a decoration, because they transmit the light of the sun, so it is too WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST (Saint Gregory Palamas). SECOND, He left the wounds open for Thomas to feel them and to theologise about the Resurrection, to confess that He is GOD and man. THIRD, to SHOW THE GREAT LOVE WHICH HE HAS FOR MAN, BECAUSE HE SUFFERED AND IN FACT BOASTS ABOUT THESE MARKS OF THE CROSS. FOURTH, He left the holes open SO THAT WE MAY TAKE SHELTER IN THEM IN TIME OF TRIAL AND BE COVERED, JUST AS THE PIGEON RUNS TO ITS NEST WHEN IT IS PURSUED BY A HAWK. FIFTH, He left the wounds FOR THE JEWS TO SEE AND RECOGNIZE ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. In the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse) it says characteristically: “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and ever eye will see him, even those who pierced him” (Revelation 1:7).
The Devil’s pain is great as Saint Epiphanius presents it, because as he confesses, when as Lucifer he sinned in heaven he was flung down to earth and when He found him hidden in the channels of the Jordan, He caught him and chewed him like a dragon. He wants to rule the earth, but he hears the voice: “THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF, THE WORLD AND ALL WHO DWELL THEREIN.”
From these words it can be seen that Christ’s Ascension COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE POWER OF THE DEVIL, BECAUSE THE EVIL DEMON SAW CHRIST’S FINAL VICTORY, AND EVEN HIS FAINTEST HOPES WERE FRUSTRATED WHEN HE SAW THE HUMAN NATURE OF CHRIST ASCENDING TO HEAVEN AND BEING PLACED ON THE RIGHT OF THE THRONE OF GOD. THEREFORE THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION IS THE FULLNESS OF THE FEASTS OF THE LORD.
The Holy Disciples obeyed Christ’s command and, after worshiping Him, “they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple, praising God” (Acts 24:52-53). Indeed, as it says in the Acts of the Apostles they were up into the Upper Room and “they all joined together persevering in prayer and supplication, along with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Luke 24:52-53).
FIRST. The Holy Disciples left the Mount of Olives with great joy. Although they had been deprived of their Master Christ, they were exceedingly glad, precisely because they had THE ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE MEMBERS OF His Body. Actually, being deprived of Christ in the flesh was a blessing, because they gained another communion and unity with Him. Moreover, Christ had assured them: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32). Thus the Disciples’ joy had two reasons. First, THE HOPE OF PARTAKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SECOND, THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GRANTED TO BE PERSONAL EYES AND EAR WITNESSES OF SUCH GREAT MYSTERIES.
SECOND. Between the Divine Ascension and Pentecost there was A PERIOD OF PRAYER, SUPPLICATION AND STILLNESS, HESYCHIA OF BOTH BODY AND SOUL. No one can partake of the Holy Spirit UNLESS HE/SHE IS IN A STATE OF PRAYER AND INNER NEPSIS. Moreover, the practical life, which is the keeping of Christ’s commandments, PREPARES THE GROUND FOR WHAT IS CALLED PURE PRAYER, AND PRAYER IS THE BASIC PRECONDITION FOR ACQUIRING AND PARTAKING OF THE GIFT OF THE ALL-HOLY SPIRIT. [Resources: The Twelve Feasts of the Lord by Metropolitan of Nafpaktos Hierotheos]
___________
“Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!”
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Glorious, Grace-Filled and Redeeming Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 