Jesus Christ ascended into heaven

When the earthly mission of Christ was fulfilled, He ascended into heaven to return to His Father. Is heaven a place where God lives? According to the Catechism of the Church, heaven is not just one kind of thing.

What is Heaven?

• Heaven is the perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity – a communion of life and love with the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, the angels and the saints. Heaven is the ultimate goal and fulfillment of the deepest human longings; it is the state of supreme, definitive happiness. (CCC 1024)
• Heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ. (CCC 1026)
• Heaven is the mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond all understanding and description. (CCC 1027)
• Heaven is the contemplation of God in His heavenly glory — also called the “Beatific Vision.” (CCC 1028)
• Heaven is the continual fulfillment of God’s will by the blessed in relation to people on earth and to all creation. (CCC 1029)

It is written in the Book of Psalms: God has gone up with a shout; the LORD, amid trumpet blasts; sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise. (Psalm 47:6-7) This psalm is like a prophecy. It was written by the Sons of Korah probably around the time of King Solomon (9th century BC). The psalm describes the Ascension of the Lord quite fittingly.

Jesus left His disciples on earth, but He promised to send the Holy Spirit. What happened after the Ascension of the Lord until Pentecost?

1. The 11 Apostles, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and other disciples stayed in the upper room and devoted themselves to prayer (cf. Acts 1:13-14). These were the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the starting point for the mission of the Christian disciples to the ends of the earth.
2. Peter proposed to the group of brothers a replacement for Judas Iscariot. The requirement was that the replacement had accompanied them the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among them since the Lord was baptized by John until the Ascension, and has witnessed the Resurrection. Matthias was chosen. (cf. Acts 1:15-26) It was necessary for the Apostles to replace Judas because Jesus appointed twelve apostles for the twelve tribes of Israel. The Christians have become the new chosen people, the new Israel.