The Right Hand of God

The first verses I'd like to quote here are from Psalms 110:1,2: "The Lord said unto my lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thing enemies thine footstool." Verse two: "The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule in the midst of thine enemies." Here David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has written down for our benefit what the Father has said to the Son. The Lord Jesus will not leave His Holy Abode -- Heaven until the Father prepares His enemies to be His footstool. Christ does the conquering, the Father does the preparing of the enemies to be His Christ's footstool. The Hebrew word used in the O.T. passages occurs in the Book of Psalms, Isaiah and Jereimiah is SHIYTH, Strong's #7896 and means: to place, apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay [up], let alone, look, make, mark, put (on), +regard, set, shew, be stayed, take.
The Greek word used in the N.T. is TITHEMI, Strong's #5087 and means: to place, appoint, bow, commit, conceive, give, kneel down, lay (aside, down, up), ordain, purpose, put, set (forth), settle, sink down.
In the Synoptic Gospels, which is Matthew, Mark, and Luke--in Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:42 the Lord Jesus is using this Scripture to prod, encourage, and to challenge the Pharisees to think. And the Lord shows forth His deity and refutes them, all at the same time.
In the end of the Gospel of Mark 16.19 in the Great Commission, Jesus here, is the Risen and Victorious Savior and He is with all power given unto Him from the Father in heaven and on earth. After Jesus gave the Great Commission, our Lord ascended back to Heaven to be seated at the Father's right hand! So in Ephesians 1:15-23: "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, will give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this Age but in that [Age] which is to come and He put all things under His feet and made Him to be the head over all things to the Church which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fill all in all." The word [Age] is inserted only for emphisize the teaching of the two Ages. For a more informative study on the "ages" turn to the message entitled: "Age Before Beauty". Acts 2:32-35:"God has raised this Jesus to life. We are all witnesses of the fact. He is exalted to the right hand of God, received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear, for David did not ascend into heaven but he said, Lord said unto my Lord, "Sit thou at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." And again in the Book of Acts 5:30,31: "The God of our Fathers raised Jesus from the dead whom you have killed by hanging Him on a tree, has exalted Him to His own right hand where He is Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. And Phil 2:9: "Therefore God has exalted in to the highest place and gave the name that is above every name." To the highest place is to the Father's right hand. Hebrews 1:3 "Who [Jesus] being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." And again in Hebrews 12:2" Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 10:10,13: "But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool." How emphitic can words be or have to be to get this clear message across? In laymans terms: Jesus isn't going to leave heaven until He has waited the full period of time for the God the Father to prepare Jesus' enemies as His footstool! This verse in Hebrews and the other verse that are quoted in the Gospels from the book of Psalms confirming the same thing. That Jesus has fulfilled His earthly ministry concerning His atonement for mankind, that He has ascended back to heaven and that He waits for the time of His enemies to be made or prepared as His footstool. In Hebrews 8:1: "The point we are saying is this; we do have such a highpriest who sat down at the right hand of the throne of majesty (UP IN HEAVEN). Heb.12.2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." 1 Peter 3:22 "[Jesus] who has (GONE INTO HEAVEN) and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him." God doesn't repeat Himself just to hear Himself speak. God repeats Himself to be heeded, listened to. Here are some more verses that pinpoint where [besides in the heart of every true believer] the risen glorified Savior, Jesus is and from where He will be coming from! Ephesians 6:9b "...knowing that your own Master also is (IN HEAVEN), and there is no partiality with Him." And it's parallel passage in Colossians 4:1"Masters give your servants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master (IN HEAVEN)." And Philippians 3:20,21 "For our citizenship is (IN HEAVEN, FROM WHICH) we also eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." I can not over state that Jesus is NOW in a Glorified, Resurrected, body. And when Jesus comes from heaven; in the state of being that He is now [at this moment] glorified, then and only then will He transform our lowly bodies to be like His.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 "And to wait for His Son FROM HEAVEN, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delievers us from the wrath to come."
2 Thess. 1:7 "And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed FROM HEAVEN with His mighty angels." The rest that is going to be given to Christians from those who trouble Christians, is when Jesus Christ is revealed in glory with His mighty angels (from heaven). And Hebrews 9:24 and 28 "For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, BUT INTO HEAVEN ITSELF, NOW to appear in the presence of God for us...so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him [from heaven] He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." Colossians 3:1-4: "Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above and not on earthly things since you died and your life is now hidden in Christ and God. And when Christ, Who is our life, appears then you also will appear with Him in glory." These verses in Colossians 3:1-4 are also devastating to the lie of a pretribulational rapture. If anyone knows anything of grammar, it's pretty obvious that "When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory", it's obvious that when Christ appears, He appears in glory. Because of the wording of this verse, "then you also will appear with Him in glory. At the time when Christ appears [ is revealed/is made manifest/visible/is made public to the world ] then and not a moment before will the last days surviving Christians be raptured at the end of the Great Tribulation!
God doesn't mince words. All Scripture is given for inspiration, for reproof, for correction, for instruction that the man of God be fully equipped, thoroughly furnished unto righteousness, ready for every good work, that he might put an end to the gainsayers, to hold forth good doctrine. All Scripture, not just a few verses taken out of context by some people who want to believe something so much, that they'll believe anything that sounds good to them. This is a terrible fruit of laziness, in not doing their vitally needed Bible homework. Too many people are believing, too many churchgoers or Christians are believing what their pastors are telling them and haven't been like the Bereans that were diligent and studied of the Scriptures which were given for our instruction and reproof, etc. It's sad, but the fruit of it will be shown in the end. If you have in the past held to this teaching, that Christ will secretly leave Heaven as a thief and descend half-way down to receive the Church, then write this verse in BOLD LETTERS across that pre-trib teaching. Acts 3:21: "BUT HE MUST REMAIN IN HEAVEN UNTIL THE TIME COMES FOR GOD TO RESTORE EVERYTHING AS HE PROMISED LONG AGO THROUGH HIS HOLY PROPHETS." Here these are confirming the verses that were quoted here that Jesus must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything that He has promised that long ago by the holy prophets. He will establish the Millennium, the earthly kingdom and give us resurrected bodies and many of the prophecies in the O.T. and N.T. from the holy prophets and the apostles will be fulfilled during the Millennium.
Incredible prophecies, but what I am declaring here is simply what the Scriptures say that He, meaning Jesus, must remain in heaven until that time comes. That is what I'd like to emphasize here...." Until the time comes for God to restore everything as He promised..." As Jesus doesn't come in glory until His enemies been prepared so in like manner [ or in the same way/or by the same token] God doesn't restore creation until Jesus comes to put His enemies under His feet. God is going to restore all things through Jesus Christ! This Restoration is of all believing mankind and all of fallen creation! And like I just mentioned this will be fulfilled when Christ comes in power and glory to establish His reign upon the earth, the Millennium! Notice I John 3:1-3: "Behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called children of God. Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is and everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure." These verses are rich and full and teach us much, they show the love of the Father, that we're now the children of God, that the world does not know us but even as it did not know Him. But one thing I would like to say in verse two is that "we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him." This is what I'd like to emphasize here. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him. Many places in the Scripture mention Jesus Christ and all are agreed that this is, when it talks of the revelation of Jesus Christ coming in glory, here the word is revealed. And we shall be like Him, that we shall be changed when He is revealed, we shall be like Him and everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure. Dear friend, How is Jesus right now? In what state or condition is Jesus Christ in now? Friend, Jesus is now risen and gloried with power given to Him from the Father! And when Christ returns He returns as He now is, in glory! Again in Psalm 110:1,2 This is a direct command from God the Father to God the Son, "The Lord said unto my lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make [or prepare] thine enemies thine footstool." The pre-tribbers would have us believe, and they teach us that the Lord is to descend half-way or most of the way down from heaven and raptures the Church.
I Thess.4:13-18 is one of their major verses as proof texts. This would in the pre-trib rapture lie, [call it what it is] have Jesus leaving heaven before, even seven years before God the Father has prepared His enemies as His footstool. This is contrary to the very nature of Jesus. The Gospel of John 8:29 proves that Jesus always does the things that please the Father, yet the pre-tribbers in their pre-tribulational lie have Jesus leaving the throne and descending half-way or the majority of the way down from heaven into the earth's atmosphere and taking the Church out of the earth before the seven-year tribulation begins. This is contrary to Scripture, contrary to sound doctrine, and the nature of Jesus. They have Jesus in the pre-trib lie leaving heaven before the Father has prepared His enemies as His footstool. FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL NOT DESEND FROM HEAVEN until the Father has prepared His enemies as His footstool! Some might argue that Christ left heaven to show Himself to Paul. Again let's turn to God's Word to test any such reasoning. Paul on two of occasions refers to his encounter with the Lord on the Damascus road as a "vision". Acts 9.1-9 is the account of Saul on the Damascus road. Notice verse three "And as he [Saul] journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven." And verse seven "And the men who journeyed with him [Saul] stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one."
This is the description of a vision even if someone audioibly spoke to Saul and the others heard also. The other set of scriptures that call or discribe what happened to Saul [later Paul] is also found in the book of Acts 26.12-19. In verse ninteen we read "Therefore King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the "heavenly vision". Paul is discribing a vision in verse thirteen we read "at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me". If the Lord had left heaven making an exception to the other scriptures that say Jesus will remain in heaven than this wouldn't be a vision to Paul and his fellow travellers, but an actual coming of the Lord to the earth. The entire inhabited world at that time would have seen this same bright light. Some might argue in Acts 7.54-60 that Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of Majesty and somehow argue that Jesus could, did or will leave heaven in a pre-rapture sense. Yet God Himself has said "Thus says the Lord: HEAVEN is My throne..." Isaiah 66.1a. David said in Psalms 11.4 "The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is IN HEAVEN." And Jesus said in the New Testament Matthew 5.33,34 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not sware falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' But I say to you do not swear at all: netither by HEAVEN for it is God's throne." Heaven is Jesus' Abode, it is His home. And wether He stands ,sits runs or walks it is His Home and as the Scriptures say He will not leave there UNTIL His enemies are prepared as His footstool and the time is ripe for the restoration of all things. Again Hebrews 9.28 "So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." With Hebrews 10.11-13 "And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, SINCE THAT TIME waiting till His enemies are made His footstool." Hebrews 10.12,13 of the N.A.S.V says "but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, WAITING FROM THAT TIME ONWARD UNTIL His enemies be made a footstool for His feet." This version really drives the point home. Here there is no room for a secret second coming, the second coming is when Christ comes to subdue His enemies and bring ulitmate salvation to those who eagerly wait for Him from heaven! From heaven to earth, no u-turn back to heaven, just one onward victory flight to put His enemies to flight and rescue His faithful ones.