Ascending
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Definition and Usage:
The term "ascending" in the biblical context often refers to the act of rising or going up, both in a physical and spiritual sense. It is used to describe movements towards God, heaven, or a higher state of being. The concept of ascending is significant in various biblical narratives and theological themes, symbolizing elevation, exaltation, and divine approval.

Biblical Instances:

1. Jacob's Ladder:
In Genesis 28:12, Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. This vision signifies the connection between God and humanity, with the ladder representing a pathway to divine presence. The Berean Standard Bible states: "And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it."

2. The Ascension of Jesus:
One of the most significant events involving ascending is the ascension of Jesus Christ. After His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven in the presence of His disciples. This event is recorded in Acts 1:9-11 : "After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.'"

3. The Psalms of Ascent:
The Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) are a collection of psalms sung by pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. These psalms express themes of worship, trust, and anticipation of meeting God in His holy city. Psalm 121:1-2 begins with: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

4. Elijah's Ascension:
The prophet Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, as described in 2 Kings 2:11 : "As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." Elijah's ascension is a powerful demonstration of God's power and the prophet's unique role in God's plan.

Theological Significance:

· Symbol of Divine Approval:
Ascending often symbolizes divine approval and acceptance. Jesus' ascension is seen as the ultimate affirmation of His mission and His divine nature. It signifies His exaltation and the completion of His earthly work.

· Connection Between Heaven and Earth:
The act of ascending serves as a reminder of the connection between heaven and earth. It emphasizes the accessibility of God to His people and the hope of eternal life with Him.

· Spiritual Growth:
Ascending can also represent spiritual growth and the believer's journey towards holiness and closer communion with God. It encourages believers to seek higher spiritual ground and to strive for a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Conclusion:
The concept of ascending in the Bible is rich with meaning, encompassing physical movements, spiritual journeys, and divine encounters. It serves as a powerful metaphor for the believer's aspiration to draw nearer to God and to experience His presence in a profound way.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Ascend.

2. (a.) Rising; moving upward; as, an ascending kite.

Greek
305. anabaino -- to go up, ascend
... Word Origin from ana and the same as basis Definition to go up, ascend NASB Word
Usage arise (1), ascend (2), ascended (7), ascending (3), came (7), climbed (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/305.htm - 9k
Strong's Hebrew
5927. alah -- to go up, ascend, climb
... Definition to go up, ascend, climb NASB Word Usage all means go (1), approach (1),
arise (2), arose (1), ascend (12), ascended (10), ascending (2), ascends (2 ...
/hebrew/5927.htm - 8k

5930. olah -- whole burnt offering
... Or mowlah {o-law'}; feminine active participle of alah; a step or (collectively,
stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke) -- ascent ...
/hebrew/5930.htm - 5k

Library

See the King of Kings Ascending
... ASCENSION See the King of kings ascending. tr., John Brownlie 8.7.8.7. I. See
the King of kings ascending. To His throne of power again; ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the apostolic church/see the king of kings.htm

See the King of Kings Ascending
... HYMNS OF THE EARLY CHURCH See the King of kings ascending. 8,7,8,7. See
the King of kings ascending. To His throne of power again; ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the early church/see the king of kings.htm

Psalm 47. Christ Ascending and Reigning.
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 47. Christ ascending and reigning.
1 O for a shout of sacred joy To God the sovereign King! ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 47 christ ascending and.htm

Psalm 47 Christ Ascending and Reigning.
... THE PSALMS OF DAVID PSALM 47 Christ ascending and reigning. CM Christ ascending
and reigning. O for a shout of sacred joy. To God the sovereign King! ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/psalm 47 christ ascending and.htm

The Security of Contemplatives Lies in their not Ascending to High ...
... Chapter XXII. The Security of Contemplatives Lies in Their Not Ascending
to High Things if Our Lord Does Not Raise Them. The Sacred ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/chapter xxii the security of.htm

How Constantine is Represented on Coins in the Act of Ascending to ...
... Book IV. Chapter LXXIII."How Constantine is represented on Coins in the
Act of ascending to Heaven. A coinage was also struck ...
/.../the life of constantine/chapter lxxiii how constantine is represented.htm

He Ascended into Heaven, and Sitteth on the Right Hand of the ...
... For having consummated what was to be done on earth, and having recalled souls from
the captivity of hell, He is spoken of as ascending up to heaven, as the ...
/.../31 he ascended into heaven.htm

John Chapter vi. 60-72
... "Then what if ye shall see the Son of man ascending where He was before?" What
is this? Did He hereby solve the question that perplexed them? ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xxvii john chapter vi.htm

Whether Christ's Ascension is the Cause of Our Salvation?
... Him so no longer.". On His part, in regard to those things which, in ascending,
He did for our salvation. First, He prepared the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christs ascension is the.htm

Whether Consanguinity is Fittingly Distinguished by Degrees and ...
... Now descent is placed in the above definition of consanguinity. Therefore consanguinity
cannot be divided into ascending, descending and collateral lines. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether consanguinity is fittingly distinguished.htm

Thesaurus
Ascending (16 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Ascend. 2. (a.) Rising; moving upward; as, an ascending
kite. Multi-Version Concordance Ascending (16 Occurrences). ...
/a/ascending.htm - 11k

Scale (38 Occurrences)
... by exposure. 17. (vi) To separate; to scatter. 18. (n.) A ladder; a series
of steps; a means of ascending. 19. (n.) Hence, anything ...
/s/scale.htm - 22k

Descending (23 Occurrences)
... John 1:51 He said to him, "Most certainly, I tell you, hereafter you will see heaven
opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man ...
/d/descending.htm - 13k

Burnt (392 Occurrences)
... Burnt offering: Hebrew olah; ie, "ascending," the whole being consumed by
fire, and regarded as ascending to God while being consumed. ...
/b/burnt.htm - 42k

Ascend (86 Occurrences)
... Ascend (86 Occurrences). John 6:62 Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before? (Root in WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). ...
/a/ascend.htm - 37k

Government (20 Occurrences)
... that there is in the New Testament no warrant for ecclesiastical grades in the ministry
of the churches, by which there may be created an ascending series of ...
/g/government.htm - 50k

Vale (20 Occurrences)
... Miller of Madras, who made a special study of the locality (Least of All Lands,
chapter v), considered that the little valley ascending Northeast from Wady ec ...
/v/vale.htm - 29k

Nations (683 Occurrences)
... difficulty touches the question of time, which, whether it includes five centuries
or twenty, is met by the principle that to the prophets, "ascending in heart ...
/n/nations.htm - 58k

Joab (128 Occurrences)
... David sends ambassadors with his good wishes to Hanun on his ascending the throne
of the Ammonites; these are ill-treated, and war follows, David's troops ...
/j/joab.htm - 53k

Jacob (361 Occurrences)
... had formerly seen at Bethel, when, twenty years before, the weary, solitary traveller,
on his way to Padan-aram, saw the angels of God ascending and descending ...
/j/jacob.htm - 77k

Resources
What is Jacob's Ladder? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Feast of Weeks? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Nathanael in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Ascending: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Ascending (16 Occurrences)

Matthew 15:29
Again, moving thence, Jesus went along by the Lake of Galilee; and ascending the hill, He sat down there.
(WEY)

Luke 19:28
And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
(KJV WBS)

John 1:51
He said to him, "Most certainly, I tell you, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

John 6:62
Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
(WEB WEY ASV DBY NAS RSV)

John 20:17
Jesus said to her, "Don't hold me, for I haven't yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them,'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
(WEB WEY RSV)

Revelation 7:2
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
(KJV DBY WBS NAS)

Genesis 28:12
He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 32:24
And Jacob is left alone, and one wrestleth with him till the ascending of the dawn;
(YLT)

Joshua 6:15
And it cometh to pass, on the seventh day, that they rise early, at the ascending of the dawn, and compass the city, according to this manner, seven times; (only, on that day they have compassed the city seven times);
(YLT)

Judges 19:25
And the men have not been willing to hearken to him, and the man taketh hold on his concubine, and bringeth 'her' out unto them without, and they know her, and roll themselves upon her all the night, till the morning, and send her away in the ascending of the dawn;
(YLT)

1 Samuel 9:26
And they rise early, and it cometh to pass, at the ascending of the dawn, that Samuel calleth unto Saul, on the roof, saying, 'Rise, and I send thee away;' and Saul riseth, and they go out, both of them -- he and Samuel, without.
(YLT)

1 Samuel 28:13
And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
(KJV DBY WBS)

2 Kings 3:20
And it cometh to pass in the morning, at the ascending of the 'morning'-present, that lo, waters are coming in from the way of Edom, and the land is filled with the waters,
(YLT)

1 Chronicles 26:16
to Shuppim and to Hosah to the west, with the gate Shallecheth, in the highway, the ascent, charge over-against charge;
(See NAS)

Ezekiel 41:7
The side chambers were broader as they encompassed the house higher and higher; for the encompassing of the house went higher and higher around the house: therefore the breadth of the house continued upward; and so one went up from
(See NIV)

Amos 7:1
Thus hath the Lord Jehovah shewed me, and lo, He is forming locusts at the beginning of the ascending of the latter growth, and lo, the latter growth 'is' after the mowings of the king;
(YLT)

Subtopics

Ascending

Related Terms

Beth-horon (12 Occurrences)

Bethhoron (12 Occurrences)

Ascending (16 Occurrences)

Territory (140 Occurrences)

Ebal (8 Occurrences)

Clamor (7 Occurrences)

Ascent (32 Occurrences)

Uproar (33 Occurrences)

Tumult (56 Occurrences)

Mount (311 Occurrences)

Moses (9295 Occurrences)

Foes (95 Occurrences)

Adversaries (93 Occurrences)

Forget (77 Occurrences)

Ascension (1 Occurrence)

Septuagint

Judah (802 Occurrences)

Ages (114 Occurrences)

Arabia (9 Occurrences)

Isaiah (64 Occurrences)

Ascendeth
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