After His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus was with His disciples for forty days.

"To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:" - Acts 1:3

There is significance that it was 40 days between His resurrection and His ascending up to heaven.

The number 40 is significant throughout the Bible. It is said the number 40 represents transition or change; the concept of renewal; a new beginning; a lifting of a spiritual state. We can see this throughout the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.

We can see that after we receive the Holy Ghost, we begin a lifelong transition of perfecting from the old life we lived to our new life in Jesus. Our new birth, of water and of the Spirit, brings a “new beginning.” This time period after we have been born again and when we see Jesus is a “lifting of a spiritual state.”

We follow Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection by our repentance and turning our back on sin, by getting baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus, and by our receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives us utterance. (Acts 2:38, Acts 2:4)

Just as Jesus had a 40-day interim between His resurrection and ascending to heaven, we too have this 40 day interim symbolically between our receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost (our resurrection) and when we meet Jesus in heaven (our ascension to heaven) (1Thessalonians 4:15-16).

Just as Jesus was a witness of the power of His resurrection to those close to Him as well as great multitudes (1Corinthians 15:3-8), we too are witnesses to family and friends and many others of the power of the Holy Ghost in our life, that gives us resurrection from our old life to a new life in Jesus (1Corinthians 6:9-11).

Paul speaks of this 40-day period when Jesus was a witness that He had been resurrected:

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

“And that he was seen of Cephas [Peter], then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once… after that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." - 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 KJV

Jesus told His disciples before He poured out His Spirit on the Day of Pentecost that they would be witnesses of Jesus with the power of their new resurrected life. Just as He had been a witness after His resurrection.

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." - Acts 1:8 KJV

This promise of the Holy Ghost is for us and all that Jesus calls!

This is what Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost when Jesus first poured out His Spirit:

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV