Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Psalm 24:7, 8.
Christ came to earth as God in the guise of humanity. He ascended to heaven as the King of saints. His ascension was worthy of His exalted character. He went as One mighty in battle, a conqueror, leading captivity captive. He was attended by the heavenly host, amid shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song.19SDA Bible Commentary 6:1053.
The disciples not only saw the Lord ascend, but they had the testimony of the angels that He had gone to occupy His Father's throne in heaven.... The brightness of the heavenly escort, and the opening of the glorious gates of God to welcome Him, were not to be discerned by mortal eyes. Had the track of Christ to heaven been revealed to the disciples in all its inexpressible glory, they could not have endured the sight....
Their senses were not to become so infatuated with the glories of heaven that they would lose sight of the character of Christ on earth, which they were to copy in themselves. They were to keep distinctly before their minds the beauty and majesty of His life, the perfect harmony of all His attributes, and the mysterious union of the divine and human in His nature.... His visible ascent from the world was in harmony with the meekness and quiet of His life.20Spirit of Prophecy 3:254, 255.
What a source of joy to the disciples, to know that they had such a Friend in heaven to plead in their behalf! Through the visible ascension of Christ all their views and contemplation of heaven are changed.... They now looked upon it as their future home, where mansions were being prepared for them by their loving Redeemer. Prayer was clothed with a new interest, since it was a communion with their Saviour....
They had a gospel to preach—Christ in human form, a Man of sorrows; Christ in humiliation, taken by wicked hands and crucified; Christ resurrected, and ascended to heaven, into the presence of God, to be man's Advocate; Christ to come again with power and great glory in the clouds of heaven.21Spirit of Prophecy 3:262, 263.
From God's Amazing Grace - Page 49
God's Amazing Grace