The Source of the Story of Jesus' Ascension into Heaven

Chapter III

The Sources of the Gospels and the Way of Writing Them

Section VI

The Texts which were quoted from the Old Testament, but they have not been attributed directly to it

In this section will examine the texts which were quoted from the Old Testament, but they have not been attributed directly to it, as is the case in the previous sections, which I call it Storyline or Plot-story or screenplay of the Gospels, where we will review the most of the events and stories and sayings that mentioned in the Gospels, and comparing them with the Old Testament and with Jesus as was portrayed in the Gospels, and his attributes in the laws of the faith of the churches as well.

30 - The Source of the Story of Jesus' Ascension into Heaven

After the story of the Resurrection of Jesus and his appearance to the disciples; the Gospels authors finished talking about the life and the preaching of Jesus, and they started writing the epilogues of their gospels according to their method and approach, which is shown in this book, away from the historical events and away from the revelation and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as well, for this we find that the authors who are supposed to be of the twelve Apostles, i.e., Matthew and John, have ended their Gospels without mentioning the story of Jesus' ascension into heaven!

While has been added paragraphs to the epilogue of the Gospel of Mark, who was not of the disciples, as is well-known, that talked about Jesus' ascension into heaven, as in the following text:

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Mark 16:19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

And Luke, who he was also not of the disciples, has written about Jesus' ascension into heaven twice. The first in his Gospel, and said that Jesus ascended at the same day that appeared to the disciples. The second in the Acts of the Apostles; and stated that Jesus has ascended into heaven after forty days! As in the following texts:

Luke 24:50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

Luke 24:51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

Luke 24:52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

Act 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Act 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Act 1:10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

So, if the story of Jesus' ascension into heaven is true, and Luke has heard the story from a trusted source, or as he said in the prologue of his Gospel "just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account" (Luke 1/2-3), he will not be disagreed with himself in determining the exact timing of Jesus' ascension into heaven, which has been ignored by Matthew and John!

Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,

Luke 1:2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,

Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,

Luke 1:4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Now the question that arises here is what is the source that has been relied upon by Luke and those who wrote the epilogue of the Gospel of Mark to write the story of Jesus' ascension into heaven?

Let's read the following text:

2Kings 2:11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

2Kings 2:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

This story talks about Elijah's ascension into heaven, and I do think that Luke and those who wrote the epilogue of the Gospel of Mark had relied upon it to write the story of Jesus' ascension into heaven, while Matthew and John were not convinced that this story can be relied upon or to be basis to write a story of Jesus' ascension into heaven, or they did not pay attention to the story of Elijah, for this they have not written anything about this story, unlike the story of the Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem sitting on a donkey and colt, which is written by the four Gospels authors, because there is a clear text written in the book of Zachariah, (9:9), talks about the Entry of a king into Jerusalem riding on a donkey and colt, which I have discussed previously, and showed how they wrote different stories and how they distorted the text of Zachariah!

Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

And this shows clearly the method and the approach of writing the Gospels, as is shown in this book, away from the historical events, as well as away from the revelation and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, otherwise, writing the story of Jesus' ascension into heaven by all of them; is more important than writing about that Jesus rode on a donkey and colt! Because could anyone imagine that an author composes a book about Neil Armstrong biography without mentioning his ascension into Moon, and who cares or remembers if he was riding on a horse or a donkey or even a colt! And this refers that the law "do not accept the lying and false" applies to the story of Jesus' ascension into heaven!