The Right Hand of God

Psalm 110:l: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." This Psalm is quoted five times in the New Testament. It is a key text in relation to our Lord's mission here on this earth. It is also one of the stumbling blocks to those who would see more than one person in the Godhead.

The fact that the LORD, the creator, said unto the Lord who came from David obviously determines that this had to be prophetic anticipation. David's Lord, the Lord that was the descendant of David, did not live when this Psalm was spoken. The LORD , capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, in this verse is Jehovah. My Lord ,  in this case refers to the Messiah who descended from David. He did not exist yet except in the mind and plan of God. God could speak to the envisaged, Messiah through His prophetic word. God could lay down things in the Old Testament even when they did not yet exist. Romans 4:17: ". .. God who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."

The LORD could lay down in his word the prophetic plan that would apply to the Messiah. "The LORD said unto my Lord." Revelation 22:16: "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." Jesus said he is the root and the offspring of David. Jesus was both the root and the offspring, he was both the LORD , capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, who created Adam from whom David descended, and he was Daivd'sLord, the man who was born at Bethlehem, that descended from David.

When Jesus was on this earth, he was always God; God manifest in the flesh. From conception, birth, and throughout his childhood, adulthood, all the way to his crucifixion, Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. When he was here on this earth, he did not come out and say I am God Almighty. He came close. The works that he did testified to the fact that he was God. He did those works without prayer, many times. He would simply say "I will, be thou clean. Go wash in the pool of Siloam, come seeing" (John 9:7). At Lazarous' grave he prayed, but he said "I don't need to pray, I pray for their sakes." Then he said, "Lazarous come forth" (John 11:43). To the wind and waves he said, "Peace be still" (Mark 4:39). The works that he accomplished attested to his identity as God, but the words concerning his Deity never came from his mouth. Jesus probably came the closest to admitting who he really was when he said, "Philip, have I been so long time with you and yet thou hast not known me. He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). But he did not say I am God almighty. This did not mean he was not God.

Now if he was God in any sense, there is only one sense in which he could have been God. He had to be THE GOD, because there is only one God, and he is indivisible. When John 1:1 says the word was God, God himself, and when Thomas said, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28) there was only one sense in which he could be God. He had to be indwelt in total by the omnipresent and omnipotent God. The Bible very clearly says that he was. Colossians 1:19; 2:9: "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Everything was in him. John said God gave not the spirit by measure unto him (John 3:34). Jesus said the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (John 14:10). So, there is only one sense in which Jesus could be God. The Trinitarian sense that says he was indwelt by the eternal son of God fails because there was no eternal son of God. There was no second person. There was no inferior being in eternity. There was no subordinate individual in Heaven that could come down and indwell Christ. There is only one God.

The only way Jesus could be God was for the one God to be in him. In Psalm 110 the Creator speaks of the incarnation. "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until. . .." The word until  seems to indicate a time when Jesus will not have to sit at the right hand. Right hand, no matter how we phrase it, seems to be a second position. "...sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." There is indicated in this right hand position a sense of imminent promotion. I do not believe that up in heaven there is one person of the Godhead with another person of the Godhead sitting at his right hand actually.

The Bible says there is one God and one mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus was a man and as a man he performed mediatoral tasks. The term right hand is a priesthood term. As a priest Jesus acted in a go-between role. A role in which he could take us to the throne. Because of his sinlessness, his mercy, and his grace, he could make intercession for us. It is not as though Jesus were in heaven praying and actually interceeding with another divine being who was God. Jesus was in the role of being a mediator, an intercessor, a priest. He assumed those roles when he became a man. Praise the Lord. Our Lord became a man.

When we tell the story of God becoming a man, it is really only half of the story. The story is not over yet. We are about to see some of it being fulfilled. But we are living in that period of time when Jesus is a mediator, an intercessor, a high priest. He is in this position of right hand. But the scripture says, ". . . sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." What is this indicating? It is indicating that there will be a promotion. You will be at my right hand, until  I make thine enemies thy footstool. Where can Jesus go from the right hand position? How can he get any higher than the right hand position? The only answer is to elevated to the very throne itself. At the right hand Jesus is in a position as a crowned princeuntil  his enemies are made his footstool.

Hebrews 2:5-7: "For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels. . .." Actually, he was made the lowest of the low. He was born in a stable. His parents were Galileans. His mother was perhaps, a young Hebrew girl, possibly only sixteen years old. His father was a carpenter. When he became a man, he became one of us, he became our brother. Jesus tasted all the things that we taste, except sin. He became very low, actually even lower than that because he ended his life nailed to a tree. Like the most despised, accursed criminals.

"Thou crownest him with glory and honour and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now, we see not yet all things put under him" (Hebrews 2:8). Remember the Lord said, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. "But, now we see not yet all things put under him." It is not done yet. Jesus is still in the mediatorial role.

Hebrews 2:9-14: "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Verse 10: For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Verse 11: For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Verse 12: Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Verse 13: And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, behold I and the children which God hath given me Verse 14: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Look at that, ". . . that through death, he might destroy him. . .." "And deliver them. . .." Those are two great things. That our Lord sits at the right hand until  they are done. Our Lord occupies a position of intercession, until  they are done, until  "he" is destroyed, and until  "they" are delivered.

Verse 15". . . deliver them who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Verse 16: "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels: but he took on him the seed of Abraham." Verse 17: "Wherefore, in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren. . .." Jesus absolutely lived like a human being. There was not a time when he was not God, but he did not strut his stuff, if I could say it that way.

Paul wrote to the Phillipians and said that he made himself of no reputation (Philippians 2:7-9). He did not come out and say, I am God Almighty. Although that is what he really was. He was also Jesus Christ born at Bethlehem. He was also the man. He was made in all ways like unto his brethren. He got thirsty, he got hungry, he needed to wash like we do. Perhaps he got lonely, he got a little frightened, he prayed, cried and was in agony. The Bible says "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly" (Luke 22:44). It says he was praying "more earnestly." It is not as though he was not in earnest in the first place, but he experienced degrees of those things as a human being. And he died, rose again, and was glorified.

It is not over yet. "Until, I make thine enemies they footstool." There is a time coming when our Lord will no longer be at the right hand. The Bible says ". . .until  I make thine enemies they footstool." I would like to repeat that I do not believe there is in heaven a deity with Jesus at His right hand. I do not believe there is a positional relationship that two persons are occupying, two side by side positions. I do believe that our Lord in his mission is in an intercessory position, a priesthood position, he is in a mediatoral position. He is acting the go-between because he is putting enemies under his feet.

"Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed" (I Corinthians 15:51). Verse 52: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible." At the last trump we will get a body likened unto his glorious body. There is more. One might say, I will get to heaven and be with the Lord, and rightly so. But our Lord will still be putting enemies under his feet. Which enemies? We are part of that first ressurection but that is not the whole ressurection. Christ was the first fruits, he rose from the grave two thousand years ago. Those that are Christs' will rise when he returns. There is a little subsequent rapture found in Revelation 6:9 of those who give their lives during the tribulation period. ". . . of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they

held. . ." In other words, death is still conquering. Revelation 7:9: "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." There is another group of tribulation martyrs, they also must be raptured.

There is still another group of tribulation martyrs who must be raptured. "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints" (Revelation 15: 2, 3).

These are all things the Lord has yet to do in his role as mediator, in his role as intercessor, in his role as the man Christ Jesus. Revelation 19:11-19 speaks of the Battle of Armegeddon. Our Lord is involved in this. This is an enemy that has to be destroyed, the Anti-Christ. He has to drive sinners from the face of the earth, and so he is still involved in these activities of putting enemies under his feet. Verse 11: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." Verse 12 "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew, but he himself." Verse 13 "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God." Verse 14 "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." Verse 15 "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." This is our Lord. This is our Messiah. He is still in his messianic role. He is still conquering enemies. Another conquest of Jesus is found in Revelation19:20: The beast and false prophet are taken and they are cast alive, into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. The devil, the old serpent, is bound one thousand years (Revelation 20: 2). In verse three the old serpent is cast into the bottomless pit and shut up and a seal set upon him that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years be fulfilled. After that he must be loosed a little season. Even after the thousand years of peace there is still the opportunity for the devil to be loosed and to deceive the people that only lived for the Lord because it was the law that they had to live for the Lord. That has yet to take place.

Revelation 20:7, 8: "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea." There is another little skirmish there, after the thousand years of peace. "And fire comes out from God out of heaven and devours them. Then the devil, verse ten, is cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone where the beast and false prophet are, and he is tormented day and night forever" (Verse 9).

In Revelation 20:11-14 there is a Great White Throne ". . . and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, which is the book fo life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14) And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This was the second death."

Some people will not escape out of the tribulation period if there had not been a mediator who shed his blood for them. Enemies must be conquered; battles won; intercessions made; mediation done. They may shed their own blood, but his blood also is evocatious. That they might be able to be raptured out of that tribulation period.

1 Timothy 6:15: "Which in his times. . ." Psalm 110, "Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Here is a little hint at a time significance. ". . . Which in his times he shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen."There is only one blessed and only Potentate. There is only one King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is only one who has immortality. There is only one that dwells in the light that no man can approach unto. There is only one that fits that description, not two.

The Bible says Jesus shall show who is that blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, but he shall do it "in his times." This is the fulfillment of what Jesus said in John 16:25-27 when he says, Now I speak unto you in proverbs but in that day I will no longer say to you, I will pray the father for you. I will no longer be in that intermediate role. I will no longer be in that role of mediation. I will no longer be in that place where we are putting enemies under our feet; when we are fighting the devil; when we are fighting sin; when we are fighting sickness; when we are wiping up the earth and getting rid of all the sinners, and calling men from the graves and judging them. They will no longer have to play that part! And in that day, I will show plainly whose the Father. It says, "In his times he shall show who is his blessed and only Potentate and King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." That is when he will not be at the right hand any more. He will be on his throne, and we will be on his throne with him. He will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 is not a problem for Oneness Pentecostals. It certainly would be a problem to one believing Jesus was an eternal second person. I do not believe Jesus is an eternal second person. I believe he is a first person, that made himself of no reputation. He was the first person that came and found himself fashioned as a man (Philippians 2:6-9). He was a first person that allowed himself to be made a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7). He was a first person who became so human that he experienced everything that humans experience (Hebrews 2:18). But he is not always going to be this lowly person. He will not always be in this role of mediation. He will not always going to be in this intercessory role. He is going to complete this work. The Bible says one of these days it is going to all be done, and Jesus is going to show us who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He will show us plainly of the Father. I believe it is at that time that he is going to say, I am the Lord God Almighty. I came in flesh to redeem the world.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, "Now we see through a glass darkly but then, face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." An enemy will be put under his feet when the rapture takes place, because the death that holds all of his precious saints will be conquered. That part of death will be put under his feet. In Revelation 6:9 another part of death goes under his feet. Revelation 7:9 is another, and in Revelation 15:2 and 3, another bit under his feet. At the Battle of Armageddon, he puts another enemy under his feet. He puts the devil in the bottomless pit, then looses him for awhile to deceive more sinners until the fire of God comes out and destroys him. That is another enemy that is put under his feet.

In the Great White Throne judgment, all those in the graves hear his voice and come forth to be judged according to their works. Those who are righteous, and those who are filthy and unjust, those enemies are put under his feet. The Bible says "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted. . . "(1 Corinthians 15:26, 27). God is not included in what is to be under Jesus' feet.

"And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all"(1 Corinthians 15:28) It was not necessary to put Jesus Christ under the Father's feet. That is not what this means. Jesus Christ was always subject to the Father. "Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will, O God" (Psalm 40:7,8 cf Hebrews 10:7). He was always subject to the will of the Father, who was in him. He said, "Not my will, but thine be done"(Luke 22:42). "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46). He was always in subjection. It was not necessary to put Jesus under anybody's feet. What is, "put under feet" and whose feet is it put under? It is put under the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ, because Psalm 110 says, ". . . Sit thou at my right hand, until  I make thine enemies thy footstool." These are all negative things that are put under his feet. One might ask, "Was the son a negative thing?" The "sonship" was a negative thing. The sonship   by which he played this inferior role. The sonship by which he had to go about the earth and never take any glory for himself, and make himself of no reputation. The sonship  by which he saved mankind, by which he worked through the tribulation period and then on out into the thousand years of peace and then out into the White Throne Judgement as he conquered enemy's death. That sonship office or position will finally be done away with.

Will he not be Jesus Christ then? Yes, he will be Jesus Christ. He made himself a man. He became a man. He took upon himself our nature. He will always be a man, but he will not always be the son. He will be God, all and in all! I am glad we know who Jesus is right now. We are not in the dark about that. He is the Almighty God. But the day is going to come when he will say, "I no longer have to say I will pray the Father for you. . . I will show you plainly of the Father. I am the Father. I was the son, I am the Father. I am Jesus Christ, the Lord God Almighty, the Alpha, the Omega, the beginning and the end."

Night will not be found in the 21st chapter of Revelation. Why? Darkness has been put under his feet. There is no need of the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, nor the candlelight. Why? He has put all that under his feet. The Bible says there will be no sorrow there; there will be no pain; no suffering or death, because he has put all that under his feet. He will take a handkerchief and dry the tears from our eyes. As he has put all these enemies under his feet. Then he will be God all in all.

Our Lord is going to take us with him to glory! He said, "In my Father's house are many mansions" (John 14:2). He had to speak that way because he was in a sonship role. When he conquers all these enemies, he says, "to him that overcometh will I grant to sit down with me in my throne, even as I also overcame" (Revelation 3:21). Notice we are not to sit down with him on the right hand side of the throne. The right hand position was necessary as was the sonship role only until all things have been put under the feet of Jesus. Jesus is on the throne and he is going to share it with us.