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Hebrews 10:12

"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God."

In dealing with this timely subject, there are three questions to be asked and answered: (1) What do the Scriptures imply by the use of this phrase? (2) Who is present at the right hand of God? (3) What is occurring at the right hand of God?

The answer to the first question can be summarized in the following simple statement: The phrase "the right hand of God" is the symbol of the perfections, attributes, and activities of an infinite God. No human portrait that man could ever paint can adequately describe God. Isaiah 40:18 states, "To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?" "To portray God with an artist’s brush is impossible since John 4:24 states that "God is a spirit…."

In order that mankind may understand and comprehend His nature and being, however, God uses the figure of a human personage and compares himself to a human being with a body. In the Scriptures God is pictured possessing eyes (Psalm 32:8), breath (Job 33:4), ears (Isaiah 59:1), a mouth (Job 23:12), feet (Isaiah 66:1), arms (Deuteronomy 33:27) and hands (Isaiah 59:1). These figures provide great preaching material for presenting the sovereign, infinite nature of a holy God.

The phrase, "the right hand of God," however, symbolizes in particular, the attributes, perfections, and activities of God the Father. This phrase describes numerous aspects of both God’s nature and action. Creation (Isaiah 48:13); righteousness (Psalm 48:10); salvation (Psalm 20:6); victory over enemies (Psalm 17:7); power and strength (Psalm 63:8); omnipresence and security (Psalm 139:8-10); defense, protection, and support (Psalm 109:31); and even God’s blessing (Ezra 7:9) are all declared to be resident in God’s right hand.

Left-handed "handicapped" believers (like the F.D. editor) have not been ignored by God, however. Ehud, the prophet of God, delivered a powerful message from God with his left hand! (Judges 3:15). The 700 left-handed warriors from the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:16) were chosen, because they could "sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss." In I Chronicles 12:2, David had some "mighty men…of war" who were expert in "hurling stones and shooting arrows" with their left hands. But when God desired to symbolize His attributes, perfections, and divine activities, He sovereingly chose to use the human figure of the "right hand."

The answer to question two, "Who is at the right hand of God? (The Father), can be simply stated in one word: Christ! ("…When He [Christ] had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high." Hebrews 1:3 "But this man [Christ] after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God." Hebrews 10:12. The problem with the Roman Catholic religion is that it has Jesus in the wrong place! Our Saviour is not dying on a cross today, that divine work having been completed. He is seated at God’s right hand as the Scripture states. (Roman Catholicism has [1] an incomplete Scripture; [2] an incomplete Saviour, and [3] an incomplete sacrifice. The phrase "the right hand of God and the person of Christ thus become synonymous in Scripture. It becomes impossible to consider the phrase "the right hand of God," without thinking of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In answer to question three, "What is occurring at the right hand of God?" There are several words that picture this divine scene in Heaven.

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IS A PLACE OF DIVINE PROPITIATION

(SATISFACTION)

In Romans 3:24-25, Paul makes it plain that God the Father was satisfied with the work of Christ on the cross (His shed blood in His death). The invincible proof of God’s satisfaction is our Saviour’s seated position at the Father’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3), with the approving smile of God upon His blessed Son.

The religions of this world are saturated with festivals, rites, and ceremonies all seeking to appease-satisfy the justice of an "angry" God for sin. Hindu festivals (bathing in the Ganges River), Moslem pilgrimages (to Mecca), Buddhist rituals, Roman Catholic masses, rosaries, prayer for the dead, etc., are all attempts to satisfy God with regard to sin. These sacrifices and rituals are all enacted in vain. God was entirely-completely satisfied with Christ’s sacrifice, the validation being Christ’s seated position at the Father’s right hand.

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IS A PLACE OF DIVINE PLEASURE

(Psalm 16:8-11)

These verses set forth the ministry-activity of our blessed Redeemer in a three-fold timed aspect: eternity past (vs. 8), time past (vs. 9-10) and time present(vs. 11). These verses are cited by Peter in Acts 2:25-28, 31 where he states that they refer to Christ.

In Psalm 16:8, Christ is pictured in eternity past as being seated at the left hand of the Father ("…He [God the Father] is at my (Christ’s) right hand." This is verified by Peter in Acts 2:25, "For David speaketh concerning him’ Jesus of Nazareth,’ I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved" Acts 2:22-24. In Psalm 16:9-10, the scene shifts to earth with the death and resurrection of Christ. "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one ("Holy one" is a phrase used prophetically 26 times in Isaiah for Christ) to see corruption." Peter quotes this verse in Acts 2:27, and then declares in Acts 2:31 that it refers to Christ. "He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption."

In Acts 2:33-34, Peter states that Christ is NOW at the "RIGHT hand of God" exalted by the Father, and quotes Psalm 110:4, where "The Lord (God the Father) said unto My Lord (God the Son) ‘sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool.’" Thus, when the Psalmist speaks in Psalm 16:11 about "Thy right hand," he is referring to the ascended Christ after His resurrection. It is at this exalted position where Christ is seated in the heavenlies, that the child of God can find "pleasure forevermore" (Psalm 16:11). The "heavens" (Acts 2:34) or "heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3) where Christ is seated at the right hand of God are the places where the divine riches of His grace, (Ephesians 2:7) spiritual blessings, and joyful pleasures (Psalm 16:11) can be obtained by the believer. The pleasures of this world (Hebrews 11:25) are temporary and cannot permanently satisfy. At the right hand of the Father─in Jesus Christ─however, the believer discovers the "path of life," the "fullness of joy" and "pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11); pleasures that leave no guilty hangover and abide forever, like the will of God.

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IS A PLACE

OF DIVINE PETITION AND PRAYER

Hebrews 8:1 states that at the right hand of God, Christ is seated, there acting as our high priest. ("…We have such an high priest, who is seated on the righthand of the majesty in the Heavens.) He is seated there acting as our advocate and intercessor (Hebrews 7:25, I John 2:1-2). When sin attacks us and Satan accuses us, we can be assured of His intervention on our behalf as mediator and lawyer. (Pleading His incorruptible blood as evidence, He has never lost a case to our adversary in 2,000 years!) It is to this "right hand" to which we are encouraged to come with our petitions and prayers as well.

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IS A PLACE OF DIVINE PROVISION

Philippians 4:19 states, "But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." The right hand of God is the place where the riches-divine wealth─so vividly described in Ephesians Chapters 1-3, can be claimed. Many believers are living in spiritual poverty, forfeiting their divinely designated wealth (spiritual blessings) due to default─simply failing to take them from God’s right hand─in Jesus Christ.

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IS A PLACE OF DIVINE POWER

Luke 22:69 states, "Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God." The Greek word translated "power" (dunamis) is the word from which we get the English word "dynamite," and is the same root word translated "strengtheneth" in Philippians 4:13 ("I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.")

At God’s right hand─in Christ─the believer finds (1) power over sin, I John 4:4, I Corinthians 15:57; (b) power over Satan, Exodus 15:6, and (c) power for service, John 14:12, Philippians 4:13. No matter what the need may be; service as a Sunday school teacher, the ministry of motherhood, the labor of a deacon, the witness in a concentration camp, etc., the source of divine power is the same─God’s right hand in Jesus Christ!

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IS A PLACE OF DIVINE PARADISE

When the repentant thief prayed on the cross Christ replied, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Under the Old Testament dispensation, the spirits of all the departed dead descended into "Sheol," a Hebrew word, ("Hades"-Greek equivalent word). According to Luke 16:19-31. Sheol-Hades was divided into two sections; (a) lower section (where the spirits of unrepentant sinners still descend) which was-is a place of torment (Luke 16:23) for the unrighteous dead; (b) an upper compartment (paradise) for the spirits of the righteous dead, which was a place of comfort (Luke 16:25).

When the Lord Jesus arose from the dead and ascended on high, however (Ephesians 4:8-10), He led "captivity captive" and emptied this upper section of its occupants, taking them with him to glory to the right hand of the Father. "Paradise" is not now located down somewhere in the heart of the earth, but upwards at the right hand of God. NEVER, after the ascension of Christ is it ever recorded of a dying saint that his spirit descended. In this new dispensation, the believer’s residence after death is declared to be in the "heavens" (II Corinthians 5:1). According to the apostle Paul, "Paradise" is now located "up" in the "third heaven" (II Corinthians 12:2 & 4).

In Acts 7:56-60, there is an interesting change of position. The New Testament consistently pictures Christ as being "seated" in the heavenlies at God’s right hand. However, when Stephen was martyred, the Scripture twice records that Stephen saw the Saviour "standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55-56) as the suffering martyr was welcomed home to glory. While the Scriptures do not dogmatically state this occurs every time a faithful servant of the Saviour dies, it raises the prospect that perhaps when a faithful pilgrim completes his journey, our Saviour─in recognition of a servant’s faithful labors─rises to His feet and welcomes the weary warrior home!

THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IS A PLACE OF DIVINE PREPARATION (John 14:1-3)

Shortly before his death and subsequent departure from this earth, our Saviour indicated that one of the purposes of his return to His Father would be for the express purpose of furnishing the saints future residence.

For nearly 2,000 years now, as the late Dr. Bob Jones Sr. so aptly stated, the Son of God has been doing "interior decorating" on those mansions in glory. These edifices will not be just "cabins in the corner of gloryland," but lovely palaces completely decorated and fully furnished by the Redeemer. (Our Lord did not return to construct these "mansions," but to "prepare" [make ready] these divine edifices for the saints.) When the last finishing touches are completed, our Lord will return and present them to His bride. What a cause for rejoicing!

With confidence and full assurance, the saint of God can sing assertively with the songwriter.

"Often my heart longed to pray; sinner so what could I say? Then I was told of the blood-sprinkled way opened by Jesus My Lord.

I’ve found the way, through the blood past the veil to the holy of holies with God. There by His power, over sin I prevail. I can walk in the path that He trod.

There in the presence of Jesus I stand, glorified Son at the Father’s right hand. There I can plead. I can claim. I can have, all that He purchased for me."

October-November 2007 The Fundamentalist Digest; Permission granted for reprint, so long as proper credit is given. The above item is a sample of the numerous timely articles that are contained in the bi-monthly issues of The Fundamentalist Digest