The Ascension Gifts
When Jesus ascended, He went all out in the gifts He poured down upon us. On the road to Jerusalem and the cross that awaited Him there, Jesus told His disciples that it would be better for them if He went away. He wasn't kidding! In ascending to heaven to receive His inheritance, Jesus showered humanity with our inheritance. Because so much of our inheritance is given without fanfare, the only way to discover “what’s coming to you” or what’s already been given, is to dig into the Word. The Bible is our treasure map to a super-abundance of gifts.
Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." Ephesians 4:8
All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
The Gifts from the Cross
The death and resurrection of Jesus showered us with tremendous gifts. Some are listed below, but it will take eternity to unwrap all the presents!
Such largess staggers the mind and liberates the heart. Consider these spectacular gifts of love: All of our sins can now be forgiven. The way to heaven is now opened to us. By faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection we can now be born again and live with confidence of our forgiven past and our eternal future.
This same conversion regenerates us on the inside, as God gives us a new heart and a new nature. To top it off the Holy Spirit is joined to the new spirit that we receive so that we have the presence and power of our Lord always with us. How can it get any better than this? In fact, Jesus said it would get better. Astonishingly, He said that it was “better” for us if He went away.
Let me assure you, it is better for you that I go away. I say this because when I go away I will send the Helper to you. But if I did not go, the Helper would not come. John 16:7
The Gifts from the Ascension
By His death and resurrection, Jesus gained for us free access to every good thing that heaven provides. Some of those things, however, could only come to us once He ascended. If He had chosen to stay on earth, many good gifts could not have come our way. (see His Glorious Ascension for more on this.) This isn’t speculation on our part. It is the obvious outcome of the truth that Jesus described. It really is better for us that Jesus ascended to heaven. We need Him there for more even than the one reason He gave – that unless He departed the Holy Spirit Would not come. Let’s take some of them one by one.
1. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The first coming of the Holy Spirit had already taken place 40 days before Jesus ascended. In the Upper Room on the evening of the resurrection as the disciple’s eyes were opened, they received saving faith in the Risen Lord. Jesus was standing right in front of them! They had seen Him die. Now, they saw Him fully and miraculously alive. Can anyone deny that they were born again and filled with the Holy Spirit? We only get saving faith by, well, faith. They got it with eyes wide open. Indeed, John tells us that it was Jesus Himself who invited/commanded them to receive the Holy Spirit and who then breathed the Spirit into them. This is the Risen Lord infusing faith and the Holy Spirit into His disciples as the first order of business under the new conditions of spiritual life. You can’t get more born again than that or more Holy Spirit indwelt.
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:20-22
Why is this important? Jesus told the disciples that He must depart (“go away”) for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Prior to His ascension, He hadn’t departed. He was still with them, coming and going, just as He would be with us today had He chosen to stay down here, rather than depart. It was, therefore, only after the Ascension that the Holy Spirit could come in the way that Jesus said would be “better” for us. This happened at Pentecost, only ten days after Jesus ascended. This should alert us to the reality that the Holy Spirit didn’t come at Pentecost to indwell believers, much less to convert the disciples. They had already been converted (born again) and Spirit-infilled by Jesus 50 days earlier.[i]
What happened at Pentecost was the giving of the Holy Spirit as an outpouring – the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The sign of this outpouring upon a believer is exactly the same today as it was then: speaking in tongues. This baptism in the Spirit is not for conversion and infilling, though these could happen together. Rather, it is for “power from heaven” to do the supernatural aspects of Christian ministry and to, therefore, be effective witnesses throughout the world. Few students of history have tried to deny that what turned the Roman world “upside down” [ii] was not preaching alone, but the Word was confirmed by signs and wonders, healings and deliverance from evil spirits.[iii] This is still going on today, throughout the world, as the Spirit is poured out upon believers who seek this ascension gift.
“Remember that I will send you the one my Father promised. Stay in the city until you are given that power from heaven." Luke 24:49
2. A Name above Every Name
When Jesus ascended to His throne, He received a Name that is above every name. Names are extremely important in the Biblical revelation. They tell us a lot about people; they tell us even more about God. God not only gives us names, thereby revealing much about Himself (what He sees; what He honors or abhors). He also reveals Himself by Self-given names and, surprisingly, adopts names that we give Him.[iv] Names convey character and authority. We are told that it was because Jesus humbled Himself, even to the point of death on a cross, that God exalted Him and chose to give Him this Name. (Go here for more on the Name of Jesus.)
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11
Now, the timing of this is interesting. Jesus “earned” this Name (which is an exaltation of His birth name) by humbling Himself and going to the cross. It could not be given sooner. It took the full, final obedience of His death on the cross for this name to be given. It could not be otherwise, because only His atoning death could fulfill the divine meaning of His name: Jesus in Hebrew means “Yahweh saves.” Nevertheless, this name, so richly earned at the cross, was not given immediately. Only after He ascended to heaven and God “seated him at his right hand” would this name be given. The Father placed His beloved Son “far above” everything in creation and above “every name that is named.” It is at this point that His name, Jesus, is raised above the names of all other created beings “in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:20-22
This holds meanings of tremendous importance for us. This name is not only given to Jesus; it is also given to us. We get to use His Name! In prayer or petition, in command of demons or of nature, we who are in Christ have full authority to use His Name. His inheritance – His Name -- is our inheritance. Rather than being lifted up by this, it should humble us. Jesus received His name by the path of self-sacrificial obedience. Only once He had completed that assignment did He receive the exaltation of His Name. So, it is with us. Unless we walk in the way of the cross, being faithful to die to self, we may in the end receive quite a different name than the one we have been given to use in the meantime. For to go the way of pride and self-exaltation would gain for us a name of opprobrium. May that never be our way!
3. The Joy of the Lord
Unquestionably, Jesus walked the earth in an abundance of joy. Scripture says that He was filled with joy beyond that of His companions.[v] He had every reason to be joyful. Jesus was the one and only person who ever chose to be born! Already from heaven, as the pre-incarnate Son of God, He desired to live among us as our Emmanuel. Or, perhaps better yet, as the kings of legend who disguised themselves in order to move freely among their people. Jesus loved being down here with us. After all, He created everything exactly to His liking, declaring it all “good” with mankind being “very good.” What’s not to like? Well, certainly the sight of our wretchedness would have grieved Him, the sight of oppression always angered Him, and the impending cross brought unspeakable agony to His soul.
Despite these very real heartaches, Jesus knew how to cast His cares on God and unburden His Soul like no one else ever has. He walked in the ancient paths of humility, uprightness and wisdom which allowed Him to reap all the blessings that faithful steps bring.[vi] He knew the love of the Father and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. Of the three great joys that we are given, He excelled in all three: the joy of God’s blessings; the joy of God’s salvation; and the joy of God’s presence. Nevertheless, there was one joy that could only come in heaven. One joy that required His death to receive. One joy that made dying a thing to be desired.
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
What is this joy that was “set” before Jesus? For the sake of it, He “endured the cross” and despised its shame. It wasn’t the other three joys that carried Him through that awful day. It was the hope of a joy that could only be gained by enduring what should never have had to be endured. This wasn’t the joy of God’s blessing. There was no blessing in being mocked, beaten and crucified. This wasn’t the joy of the God’s presence. His Father seemed absent as Jesus underwent the worst time of His life. It certainly wasn’t the joy of the God’s salvation. No one, not even God, would same Him from this dreadful hour.
Yet, there was joy there, nevertheless. There had to be. The joy of the Lord is our strength.[vii] Jesus needed strength for this ordeal like no other time in His life. Where did He get the joy that strengthen Him? He got it by looking through the cross to what lay on the other side. There was the joy of the liberation this would bring to all who believe. That’s what was set before Him! That’s why He could be made “perfect through suffering.” For the love of us, He drew joy out of knowing (by faith) that the suffering He endured would bring salvation to “many sons” (and daughters).
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. Hebrews 2:10
This gives us quite a take-away, doesn’t it? We, too, encounter painful, shameful trials even in daily life. And it is hard in the midst of those trials to find a blessing, hard even to find God’s presence (though He never leaves us). And the joy of His salvation is necessarily still remote, or we wouldn’t be praying so hard for deliverance! Nevertheless, there is still a joy we can reach for. We, too, can know by faith that there is always a redemptive purpose worth the pain of passage through life’s unwanted crosses. We can know that into our life and that of the ones we love (hopefully all people) will come untold benefits and blessing -- if we remain faithful as Jesus did to bear the suffering and stay the course.
4. Our Great High Priest
Jesus fully embodies the three great roles of prophet, priest and king first introduced to us through the ancient nation of Israel. While on earth Jesus fulfilled the role of Prophet, giving us many powerful words about His Return and predicting accurately the judgment that would come to those in Israel who (unfortunately) rejected their Messiah.[viii] He also appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos and prophesied events of the Last Days which we are only now coming upon us. The entire Book of Revelation testifies to Jesus as Prophet.[ix]
Jesus also came as King of the Kingdom of God that He was inaugurating. He called everyone to repent for this kingdom (His Kingdom) was “at hand.”[x] He said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.”[xi] So, His Kingdom was in some sense here, and in other significant ways still distant. Even now, He reigns from heaven with all of creation placed “under His feet.”[xii] Nevertheless, it should be obvious that the fullness of His Kingship will have to await His Return. Only then, can His millennial Kingdom be established upon the earth.[xiii] Only then, will our heavenly Lord live visibly among us as our King. So, Jesus is the Prophet who came and the King who is coming.
That leaves His role as Priest. Jesus isn’t our priest in the past or a priest to come. He is our priest fully in the present tense. This, too, is an ascension gift, both to Him and to us. It just may be one of the least understood or appreciated gifts of them all. In fact, right about now you may find yourself thinking, “But, I’m not an Old Testament believer. I don’t need a priest -- I’ve got Jesus!” That’s the point. You’ve got Jesus but look how you’ve got Him. With the Ascension, God our Father chose to present Jesus to us as a priest, and not just any priest, but “our great High Priest.”
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14
The writer of the Book of Hebrews devoted several whole chapters to Jesus as priest (Chapters 5-10) and wove many verses such as this one throughout his letter. This gives us an idea of the importance of this role that Jesus currently (and forever) holds. Since we have little or no modern-day experience of priests, we need to look to the scriptures to understand their function. From the Old Testament we can see that under God’s direction a priest has two dual roles:
A priest represents the people to God and represents God to the people.
A priest presents the sacrifice to God and presents God’s response to them.
These are mediatorial roles. Simply put, it means that a priest is the “middle man” in every necessary way between God and us. As stated earlier this is first of all an Ascension gift to Jesus. Only the successful God-man Jesus of Nazareth could possibly qualify for this high title and position. And qualify He did! It cost Him everything, but through His sacrifice He gained so much more than He had before. He now has gained the divine right to be priest to us. That is our part of the Ascension gift! For more on what this means see “Our Great High Priest.”
The Secret Working of Heaven Unveiled
When Jesus came to earth there was so much going on behind the scenes that it took a vast company of angels, specific angelic visitations, numerous dreams and extraordinary occurances to "clue in" the key participants to what God was doing. They certainly needed the help. The Incarnation was something that never had happened before. An unthinkable and stupendous event seemed like a natural occurance, the birth of a little baby boy. And yet, through the conception and birth of Jesus, God became Man. The High and Holy One descended to inhabit human flesh as one of us. No wonder Mary said, "How can this happen? (Luke 1:34)"
Fast forward through all the mysteries and miracles of His life, death and resurrection. The final act of this divine drama is no less amazing. It will require fully half the Book of Hebrews to lift the veil upon God's secret working. As at the beginning, so now at the closing, an unthinkable and stupendous event occurs. It occurs somewhat in reverse. This resurrected Man, Jesus of Nazareth, ascends to become God in all the fullness of the Three-in-One! that, too, had never happened before. The Man Jesus of Nazareth now sits upon the Throne of Grace, ruling with the Father and the Holy Spirit over all of creation. Just to be clear, Jesus never ceased to be fully God in His nature, but He chose to set His divine fullness aside during His time on earth. See His Miraculous Birth for more on Jesus' Self-emptying, but by all means, follow the trail of discovery to explore more about The Ascension Mysteries.
Ascension Gifts for New Life
Many and varied are the gifts that have come to us from our risen and ascended Savior. As you look over the following (partial) list, try to see which ones come to us because Jesus rose from the dead. Then, look for those which we could not have received without His ascension to heaven. Every part of the redemptive work of God is necessary for our full and final salvation. Simple faith is good for receiving it all. Nevertheless, a heart of devotion seeks to understand (as well as one can) all the fascinating parts of this incredible, life-giving mystery. And give Him glory for each one of them!
Gifted with Acceptance We all want to be accepted, don't we? We yearn to find those people, places and events where we feel like we truly belong, where we can "be ourselves" and not have to put up a false front. What if there is a place we can always go and be accepted immediately—just as we are, even when we are most messed up? What if there is someone who will never push us away, but always welcome us with open arms? Wouldn’t you want to go running to that Person? Wouldn’t you always want to be with that Person?
Gifted with Adoption Maybe you don’t think you need this one or that it could possibly apply to you. Maybe you were one of the fortunate ones who was never abandoned by either or your birth parents. That’s a good beginning, but it sure isn’t the end of the story. The truth is you were abandoned long ago and the consequences have been showing up painfully in your life ever since. Our Father has the perfect remedy, but first you have to recognize the disease.
Gifted with Forgiveness This is usually the first, the biggest and the most desperately needed gift of all—apart from the never-ending wonder of discovering that Jesus is alive and well, Risen from the dead and Ruler of the universe. You can’t really top that one! But being forgiven comes close.
Gifted with Glorification Glorification is God going "over the top." All we really needed Him to do was save us from our earthly hells that bound us and from the hell we were inevitably earning by our accumulated sins. Just let us escape either one of those hells and God could have our praises into eternity! So He did; and so we shall. And still there is more…
Gifted with the Holy Spirit This gift is literally “out of this world.” The God of heaven has determined that to complete your rescue, He would have to descend from above the starry heights and dive into you, indwelling you (your body and soul) and uniting Himself to your newly regenerated spirit. In this way He can personally empower you, enliven you, and lead you out into the new life He has in Mind. The Person of the Godhead tasked with this daunting assignment? The Holy Spirit Himself! Almost all of the other gifts listed here are restoration gifts—things that you need to be a New Creation. Holy Spirit takes it from there. He has come to help you live like one!
Gifted with Justification Don’t you just hate feeling inwardly accused or condemned? It is bad enough feeling guilty when we are guilty, but it really stinks to feel like a skunk for no good reason! The truth is that we need to be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have truly been forgiven where our real sins are concerned. But because we have an enemy (A.K.A. “The Accuser”), we also need powerful protection against that “shadowy” voice which is always finding fault. God’s answer to both? He “justified” us!
Gifted with Love Love is the greatest gift of all. It is the reason that all the other gifts have been given. If you have received faith in Christ, this is no accident. Long before any of us were born, God loved us and chose to save us. For the sake of love all of the other gifts have been given. It was for love that the Father sent Jesus to die for us. It is for love that the Father sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. So great is the mystery of God’s love for us that Jesus said the Father loves us even as much as He loves Jesus!
Gifted with Propitiation This is definitely an old fashioned word, a relic from the ancient past which sounds as if it can have no relevance to our life and times. Certainly it is a word which we never use anymore, but is it an action that is no longer done? In fact it is done all the time! Whenever we try to gain someone’s favor, placate their anger, or appease their demands we have been “propitiating” without even know it. Yet, God did it best of all when God did it for God...
Gifted with the Ransom Everyone loves a good romance. The idea of star crossed lovers, of undying love, of wicked villains and heroic sacrifice—these are the stuff of legend and great movies. They are also the hidden truths of your story. The Lord’s rescue of us has all the elements of a great romance. What could turn the bride-to-be’s heart better than that sight of her Beloved risking His all to ransom her from the grip of pure evil?
Gifted with Reconciliation Have you ever had someone so upset with you that no matter what you did, you couldn’t help them get over it? It feels terrible when one of our relationships is out of whack—and so peaceful and life-giving when it is restored. Our relationship with God was in desperate need of reconciliation, even if we didn’t know it. Have you noticed, though, how much more peaceful you feel now that you believe in Jesus and have Him living inside of you? That peace—the peace of Christ—is the peace of reconciliation!
Gifted with Redemption Redemption has many meanings and practically infinite applications. The idea behind it is payment of a debt, setting free from slavery, releasing from captivity, or buying back something sold. Jesus, our mighty Redeemer, does all of the above! That’s the meaning—treasure it in your heart. Then saturate it with faith and spread it all over every troubled area of your life. The application has endless possibilities…
Gifted with Regeneration Regeneration simply means that we have been brought back to life: re-generated. Of course it can be made much more complicated than that by asking the obvious question: "Was I dead and didn't know it?" Yes, that's it! "But in what way dead? And how was I brought back to life? And why didn't I know it? And why don't I always feel more alive?" Now, that's too many questions!
Gifted with Relationships You may be thinking, "But I already have lots of people in my life—that's part of the problem!" We all have relationships with other people, but that's not what the new birth brings us. It doesn't bring us more of the same, it radically changes what we have had in every dimension. Here's how…
Gifted with Repentance Have you ever thought of repentance is a gift? It sure doesn't feel that way! Usually, when we realize that we have done wrong, we feel guilt which feels lousy—not at all like receiving a present. We may also feel fear ("What kind of trouble am I in now? Is God going to be mad at me?"). That certainly doesn't feel like a blessing! We may also feel the sting of wounded pride and shame ("How could I have done that? I'll just die if _____ finds out!"). Not good, right? Just guessing, but you probably didn’t like to take your medicine either.
Gifted with Resurrection Naturally enough, the big resurrection that has all of us shouting is that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Because He lives, we have a solid hope that one day we too will be raised from death to live eternally with Him. But don’t stop there. Many things go down towards death: hopes die, relationships die, careers die, loved ones die, dreams die. Our need for “resurrections” is life-long!
Gifted with Revelation You are trapped in a dark room and can't find the door. You can't think of a way out. You can't grope for and find the way out. You are getting increasingly worried and desperate. Then some kind Person turns on the lights for you. Now you can see your way around. You can even see the One who took pity on you and enlightened you. What a revelation!
Gifted with Salvation Have you just been saved? Get used to being saved. It is a whole new way of life. When the Lord put in scripture three times that everyone who calls on His name would be saved, He wasn’t wasting the ink. He knows He will have to save us often. Like toddlers who need a lot of looking after so do we: From reminders that come in the nick of time, to deliverance from oppressive feelings, to helping with problems at work, at home, with finances, etc. Make sure you know how to call His number!
Gifted with Sanctification Maybe you didn't ask for this, but your prayer to be saved has now enrolled you in a life-long process of being "sanctified." Yes, that is a $5.00 church word if ever there was one, but it means something you won't want to miss. It means that we are washed clean. We are being cleansed of wrong thoughts, mistaken beliefs, sinful practices—all kinds of things that get in the way of the peace-filled, grace-full way of life set before us.
Ascension Gifts of Holy Spirit Equipping
Although the indwelling presence of the Spirit was given before the Ascension, all the others followed it.
The Indwelling Presence Surprise! The Holy Spirit of God is now living inside of you! He has always been with you, but now He is in you. This is our “guarantee” that we are indeed going to heaven, but it is so much more. Holy Spirit has been sent to bring into our lives everything necessary for life and right living. It is impossible to live as a true Christian without God’s help and we don’t have to: the Helper is always as close as your next thought.
The Baptism of Power Jesus actually told the first disciples “Don’t leave home without this!” So important is this spiritual empowerment that even the followers who had been trained by Him in person, who had received saving faith and the indwelling Spirit on Easter evening, even these dedicated believers were told to stay in Jerusalem and pray to be “baptized with the Holy Spirit.” If they needed it, don’t we?
Praying in Tongues Do you have to? No, but you can if you want to and you just may want to. Paul did. In fact he was glad that he prayed in tongues more than the people to whom his letters were addressed. Since he also wrote more of the New Testament than anyone else, he ought to know why something this "scandalous" is so secretly good!
5 Ministry Gifts Everyone benefits directly from these five gifts for they are given by the Father for the express purpose of building up the whole Body of Christ so that we can be fully equipped to play our part in the Rescue. Considering how important they are in God’s plan, it should not be too surprising that the enemy has tried to eliminate or decimate them. Several of these ministry gifts have nearly passed out of everyday experience for many in the church. The good news is that they are all staging a comeback!
7 Motivational Gifts These should be of particular interest to everyone, since each of us has been given at least one. Oddly enough, it’s not always obvious to us what our unique gift is. Perhaps the Lord enjoys playing Hide and Seek more than we might imagine! Here’s a clue: usually you will find them “hidden in plain sight,” since people often live out of their gift before they catch on to what it is. Intrigued? See if you can spot your own.
9 Manifestation Gifts Jesus never intended for His church to be powerless or penniless. Just as the tithe is the Lord’s provision for material supply, so the baptism in the Spirit is His provision for supernatural supply. Neither is forced on anyone, but when believers come into obedience, watch out! The “windows of heaven” open wide! Through the baptism in the Spirit, Jesus pours out gifts that will manifest as signs and wonders for the sake of ministry to someone He wants to bless.
Explore More about Jesus
The Ascension Mysteries Mystery abounds whenever we consider of our amazing God(s). Still, some Mysteries seem bigger than others, like the Incarnation, the Resurrection and this one.
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Endnotes
[i] Since it can be confusing, the timeline is this: The Ascension took place 40 days after Resurrection Evening. The Day of Pentecost came 10 days after the Ascension, or 50 days after the Resurrection.
[ii] And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also. Acts 17:6
[iii] It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Hebrews 2:3-4 , The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 2 Corinthians 12:12
[iv] One example of this is the divine name, El Roi (or El Ro-ee), by which Hagar, a non-Jew called Him: So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." Genesis 16:13
[v] The writer of Hebrews quotes from the Psalms and applies it directly to Jesus: You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions." Hebrews 1:9
[vi] I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live. Deuteronomy 30:19
[vii] Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
[viii] For examples of Last Days prophecies see Matthew 24 and Luke 21. Here are specific prophecies already fulfilled by these cities’ destruction: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Matthew 11:21
[ix] Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10
[x] Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Mark 1:14-15
[xi] Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." John 18:36
[xii] You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. Hebrews 2:7-8
[xiii] Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6