Freethought & Rationalism Archive

sabalseed · 03-09-2006, 03:04 PM

Reading an internet version,the most I can find is that jesus "ascended"into heaven.How did he do it?Float up,vanish.fly away,or what?It also says about 500 people witnessed the event.Are there any non biblical versions of the event?

Buster Daily · 03-09-2006, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabalseed

Are there any non biblical versions of the event?

Non-biblical accounts of Jesus of any kind are woefully lacking.

Toto · 03-09-2006, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabalseed

Reading an internet version,the most I can find is that jesus "ascended"into heaven.How did he do it?Float up,vanish.fly away,or what?It also says about 500 people witnessed the event.Are there any non biblical versions of the event?

First of all, distinguish between the resurrection and the ascension. The resurrection involves a biological impossibility - a dead man coming back to life. The ascension is just that dead man or his spirit going to heaven.

Someone once found a Christian children's book that had Jesus getting into a space ship, but I can't find the reference now.

I think that whatever Hollywood effects your mind can come up with will do the trick.

Of course, your modern science-friendly liberal Christians do not believe that Jesus literally went up into the sky. (We now have airplanes that go up into the clouds, and we know there is nothing there.) He traveled to some higher dimension in the quantum space-time continuum, or whatever bit of incomprehensible modern physics they rely on.

And the notorious "500" witnesses did not witness the ascension, but had the risen Christ "appear" to them. The word is ambiguous and might refer to a spiritual appearance inside their brains.

robto · 03-10-2006, 05:12 AM

The gospel of Peter has an interesting version:

Quote:

Now in the night whereon the Lord's day dawned, as the soldiers were keeping guard two by two in every watch, 36 there came a great sound in the heaven, and they saw the heavens opened and two men descend thence, shining with (lit. having) a great light, and drawing near unto the sepulchre. 37 And that stone which had been set on the door rolled away of itself and went back to the side, and the sepulchre was 38 opened and both of the young men entered in. When therefore those soldiers saw that, they waked up the centurion and the elders (for they also were there keeping 39 watch); and while they were yet telling them the things which they had seen, they saw again three men come out of the sepulchre, and two of them sustaining the other (lit. the 40 one), and a cross following, after them. And of the two they saw that their heads reached unto heaven, but of him that 41 was led by them that it overpassed the heavens. And they 42 heard a voice out of the heavens saying: Hast thou (or Thou hast) preached unto them that sleep? And an answer was heard from the cross, saying: Yea.

jakejonesiv · 03-10-2006, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabalseed

Reading an internet version,the most I can find is that jesus "ascended"into heaven.How did he do it?Float up,vanish.fly away,or what?It also says about 500 people witnessed the event.Are there any non biblical versions of the event?

Hi sabalseed,

I think this account will meet the criteria of what you are looking for.

According to the "Acts of Pilate" five hundred soldiers who were guarding the tomb of Jesus were converted after witnessing the resurrection, and subsequently they viewed the ascension also.

Chapter 12
"Pilate therefore, upon this, gave them five hundred soldiers, who also sat round the sepulchre so as to guard it, after having put seals upon the stone of the tomb ...”

Chapter 13
“And upon this there came up one of the soldiers guarding the tomb, and he said in the synagogue: Learn that Jesus has risen. ... And from fear of him, all of us soldiers became as dead, ...”

Chapter 14
“...teaching them, and saying, Go into all the world, and proclaim the good news; and whosoever will believe and be baptized shall be saved; but whosoever will not believe shall be condemned. And having thus spoken, he went up into heaven. And both we and many others of the five hundred besides were looking on."

Jake Jones IV

P.S. The biblical account is here.

03-09-2006, 03:04 PM	#1
sabalseed Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: elberta alabama Posts: 153	I want more resurrection details Reading an internet version,the most I can find is that jesus "ascended"into heaven.How did he do it?Float up,vanish.fly away,or what?It also says about 500 people witnessed the event.Are there any non biblical versions of the event?

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