How can Jesus say that nobody has gone into heaven when Enoch and Elijah both did? He is speaking of raising oneself into heaven in order to see into these things and men cannot raise themselves to heaven. (Deut 30:12, Romans 10:6)  Some thought this attainable through works but as Luther points out, “It is well to note this text, which hurls a thunderbolt against all the work-saints.” (qt’d in Morris p. 223)  Only God can attain heaven.  The original sin of Satan (the son of the morning) was that he would ascend into heaven and be like God, but he could not, even though he still tries (Isa 14:12-15). Jesus, however, has been there and knows what He is talking about.  John 1:18,51

Deuteronomy 30:12  It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?”

Romans 10:6  But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)

Isaiah 14:12-15  How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!  You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.

John 1:18  No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

John 1:51  He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

“Son of man” = Jesus uses this title of Himself more than any other.  It is sometimes used in the O.T. to simply mean “man” and Jesus uses it in this manner quite often, but more often He uses it with the thought of Dan 7:13-14 where it speaks of a heavenly being who is at the same time an individual and the ideal representative of the entire people of God.  Christ was the second Adam.  Both had representative relationships with all of mankind, but Christ’s was far deeper and more complete than Adam’s.  Since He is our perfect representative, He perfectly took our place on the cross and perfectly suffered our penalty, thus making our redemption perfect and complete.

Dan 7:13-14  “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Calvin said, “Christ, who is in heaven, put on our flesh that, by stretching out a brotherly hand to us, He might raise us to heaven along with himself.” (qt’d in Morris p. 224)