Ascension

The Ascension story comes from three verses

The Gospel of Mark relates:

"So then after the Lord hath spoken unto them, he was received into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God"(Mark 16:19)

The Gospel of Luke relates:

"And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried into heaven" (Luke 24:51)

The Book of Acts relates:

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of sight. (Acts 1:9)

Spirtual Ascension

The Gospel of John relates:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up"(John 3:14)

The Gospel of John relates:

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me"(John 12:32)

We see that in the Bible other ascensions happened to figures like Enoch and Elijah.

Enoch's Ascension:

The Book of Genesis relates:

"And Enoch walked with God., and he was not; for God took him" (Genesis 5:24)

The Book of Hebrews relates:

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God hath translated him, for before his translation, he had his testimony, that he pleased God" (Hebrew 11:5)

Elijah Ascension:

The 2nd Book of Kings relates:

"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire. and parted them both asunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11)

The Gospel of John states
“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven”(John 3:13)

This shows that Jesus could not have ascended to heaven, as he was born on earth and did not descend from heaven. This matter of rising to heaven is not reported about Jesus only. Enoch and Elijah are also said to have had a similar experience.

The Ascension Story is a Later Addition

The Ecumenical Translation states:

"Mark 16.19 is not included in the two oldest complete manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark: The Codex Vaticanus and The Code Sinaiticus"(The Ecumencial Translation)
[Ecumenical means representing the whole of a body of churches]

The Encyclopedia Britannica states:

"It was added to the original account, in probably early 2nd century, to take place of the ending which had been lost or regarded defective"(The Enc. Brittannica Vol 17 Page 730)

Ancient authorities omit this verse and some conclude with the following:

'But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this Jesus himself sent out by means of them, the sacred and imperishable proclaimation of eternal salvation"
(The Holy Bible Revised Standard Edition, Catholic Edition, London Catholic Truth Society)