THE MYSTERY OF GOD

[Leafrivermac]

"THE MYSTERY OF GOD"
BY O. F. FAUSS
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For our text let us read Colossians 2:2, 3, 8-10; "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. . .Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." I Corinthians 2:7, 8 says, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
Paul said again, in I Timothy 3:16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
I want to call your attention to a statement that Jesus made in Matthew 13:10, 11, "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why bleakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." In Matthew 11:27 Jesus said, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
We have that illustrated in John 14:6-9: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"
God has been known as a God of revelation. No man will ever know God, unless God reveals Himself to him. Jesus said in the Scripture already referred to in Matthew 11:27, "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Remember that when the disciples asked Jesus the question, "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" He said, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 13:11). Now turn back to the text in Colossians 2:2-3, "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
God is such a mystery. Jesus Christ was the mystery of God revealed to reconcile the world unto Himself. We read in John 1:1, where the writer begins like this: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Somebody said, "Well, that's the Word; the Word was the Son." All right, let us read it that way: "In the beginning was the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was God." But that doesn't change the meaning of God's Word at all. The Word was God. "The same was in the beginning with God." Then we read in the 14th verse, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
In Galatians 4:4 we read, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." II Corinthians 5:19, reads: "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." That is our Lord Jesus Christ; He was both human and divine.
I want to give a few statements that will make us to recognize the mystery of God.
As a man, He was born in humility; but as God, He was worshipped by men and angels.
As a man, He was tempted in all points as we are; but as God, He defeated every power of the devil.
As a man, He sat down on a mountain and spake unto the people; but as God, He brought peace and comfort to every troubled life.
As a man, He taught the people; but as God, He forgave their sins.
As a man He grew weary; but as God, He claimed to have all power in heaven and in earth. (That must be the Almighty, the only Omnipotent.)
As a man, He walked the paths of men; but as God, He walked upon the waves of the sea.
As a man, He slept on a pillow in the hinder part of a ship; but as God, He rebuked the wind and the sea, and they obeyed Him.
As a man, He hungered; but as God, bread grew and multiplied in His hands.
As a man, He wept at the tomb of Lazarus; but as God, He called him from the dead.
As a man, He talked with the blind and lame; but as God, He opened their eyes and made their feet to walk.
As a man, men scorned Him; but as God, the devils obeyed Him.
As a man, He suffered and died; but as God, He arose from the dead.
As a man, they laid Him in a tomb; but as God, He came forth conquering.
As a man, He was mocked as He hung on the cross; but as God, the whole universe trembled when He cried, "It is finished."
As a man, men rejected Him; but as God, He opened the way to the Holiest of holies, when the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
As a man, He sat at meat with His disciples; but as God, He vanished out of their sight. He appeared to be a man to men; but He proved to be the God of the Scriptures, fulfilling His word.
As the Son of man, He was visible; but He was the image of the invisible God.
As a Son, He was known to the world; but through the Spirit, He was revealed to His chosen as Lord of all.
As the Son of man, He came into the world; but as God He ascended to heaven, to come to earth again, as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The natural mind places Him as the second person; but the Spirit of God reveals Him as the first and the last. Notice Ephesians 1:20, 21: "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places [the right hand denotes position or power], Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come."
And we turn to Philippians 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name [and the highest name that God could give would be His own name]: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Then we turn to Colossians 1:15-19, "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence; For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell."
Tradition seeks to prove Him a distinct person from God the Father; but He Himself said, "I and my Father are one."
Modern theology sees Him only as a son; but the Apostle Thomas proclaimed him, "My Lord and my God."
Men have adored Him only as Christ, the anointed one; but angels adored Him as both Christ and the Lord Jehovah.
Peter declared that He was both Lord (Jehovah) and Christ (the anointed one).
He was a lion, and yet He was a lamb. He was the sacrifice, and also the great high priest. He was the door of the sheepfold, yet He was the shepherd. He was the root and the offspring of David.
Finally, let us notice Paul's admonition in Colossians 2:8-13: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (May I pause here between the ninth and tenth verses to say that tradition and history, and the records in your encyclopedias, and church history, prove that in the third and fourth centuries, the fathers of Roman Catholicism gave the world the doctrine of the trinity, which is a tradition of men, and not a Scriptural truth.) Let us begin reading now in the tenth verse: "And ye are complete in him [not in them], which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses."

THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY WORD AFLAME PRESS, 1985, PAGES 219-225. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.

[Venator1]

Going on vacation tomorrow so this will be a keep it simple thing sorry. I am a keep it simple kinda guy anyways and that was a really long post.

Think about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Picture them...okay now realize that your image and your thoughts on their nature can't possibly be correct.

[Leafrivermac]

I have spent some time meditating on the nature of God, and have spent a great deal of time discussing the subject. . . .I don't recall that I have ever had this discussion with a Catholic before however.
In viewing the contrasts between the way folks of the same persuasion as myself and a trinity person . . .I would ask what does the average person who calls himself a Christian really believe? Of course, most Christian denominations officially accept trinitarianism. However, most studied trinitarians carefully distance themselves from tritheism and many use terminology that sounds almost like Oneness.
Many church members do not really understand the doctrine of trinitarianism and, as a practical matter, are closer to Oneness belief. Some questions which if answered in the affirmative indicate a leaning towards Oneness or a functional acceptance of it are:
1.Do you usually pray directly to Jesus? When you pray to the Father, do you switch over into language indicating that actually you are thinking about Jesus (for example, using "Lord," "in your name," or "Jesus")?
2.Do you expect to see only one God in heaven, namely Jesus Christ?
3.Is it correct to say that you seldom or never pray directly to the Holy Spirit as a separate person?
4.Is the doctrine of the trinity confusing to you or a mystery to you?


Based on answers to these questions and others like them, the majority of Bible believers instinctively think in Oneness terms and not in trinitarian terms.

Most folks do not have a well developed concept of the trinity, do not know in detail what trinitarianism teaches, and cannot explain Bible passages in trinitarian terms.
A simple question will help the trinitarian clarify his own beliefs. The question is: "When we see God in heaven, what will we see?" If he answers that we will see three persons with three bodies, then he is a strong, radical trinitarian. His answer indicates a pagan tritheism, not the strong monotheism of the Bible. If he answers that we will see one God with one body, then he is close to Oneness. Given this answer, it is easy to demonstrate from Revelation that the One we will see is actually Jesus Christ, for in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.


I would imagine that as a Catholic you have been indoctrinated into believing in a trinity . . .much the same as probably every other trinity believer.
But you are probably aware that the doctri9ne of the trinity was brought into the church in its first recognizable and accepted form at the counsel of Nicea in 325 A.D. This doctrine is not a developed Bible doctrine as trinitarian writers freely admit. The doctrine of the trinity is a mystery but further than that it is a mystery never explained in the Word of God. . . .The great mystery has compound problems . . .First, the doctrine of the trinity does not appear in the Word of God. Second, most of the terms used so freely by folks to explain the trinity doctrine do not appear in the Word of God. For instance . . .the Bible has no eternal Son . . .and no eternal Father (In the sense that a son was born unto Him in eternity). God is never called a person, nor are the terms first, second, and third persons ever mentioned in the Scriptures. God is never found to be co-equal to any other, nor co-existant to any other, nor co-eternal with any other. In His own words God is alone, above and beyond all others.
His Words are:
"To whom will you liken me, and make me equal and compare me, that we may be like?..." "... for I am God, and there is none else: I am God and there is none like me" "I am He; I am the first, I also am the last" (Isaiah 46:5,9;48:12)
I don't see the doctrine of the trinity as a mystery at all but rather an invention. . . .at best , a mistake.

[Snooky]

Going on vacation tomorrow so this will be a keep it simple thing sorry. I am a keep it simple kinda guy anyways and that was a really long post.

Think about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Picture them...okay now realize that your image and your thoughts on their nature can't possibly be correct.

Yes it was a lenghty post with a great amount of scripture quoted to support the idea being set forth. I would think you could have found at least one scripture to show the error of the scripture set forth.

[mudhead1s wife]

Great Post Mac even if it was long and I can say reading it was like honey on my tongue. I have been fed. I also thought of other scriptures reading it so in my mind I made it even longer. The hardest part is trying to teach my kidsOneness. Isaac is now old enough to understand that as humans we need to mentally calculate the 3 parts of one God. There is only one God but that one God is put into humanistic terms of understanding. Isaac once asked me if we need to pray to Jesus and to God and I told Him that we pray to both at one time and the Holy Spirit is God and helps us disern right from wrong but the Spirit is God and He will never be any thing except God. God was given manynames in the bible and I will sometimes say Jesus or Father God or Lord but I know I am praying to one God and I am merely acknowledging His almighty power.

Just a side note a bit off the topic but I was thinking about the time that the demons asked Jesus to send them into a herd of swine and when He did this act of compassion no doubt the whole herd ran into the water and was drowned. I am having a hard time putting into words exactly why this came to mind reading your post but mainly it is the part where it talks about Christ as man andChrist as God. The demons didn't deny Him, and begged for mercy, yet how often do we down play His abilities as God and think of Him as humanistic? I know it is to many to count. Thank you for your post Mac and tell Lizzie Hi for me. God Bless.

[Leafrivermac]

Thank you M1's Wife, all folks have to do to find the truth about God is to turn to the many passages where God is specifically revealing Himself to all who will open their heart to the truth.
Many Bible folks recieved a personal heaven sent revelation of the Almighty God and wrote of those things revealed to them. . . .Moses and Isaiah in the OT, and the apostle Paul and John the Beloved in the NT. these men had one thing in common in all of their writings . . .they testified of one God.
If we want to know how many god's there are, we can depend on Moses to tell us, he had a personal relationship with God unmatched by any other OT writer. This is what he has written:

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exo 6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

When the Lord delivered Israel out of Egypt, God proved He was the only true God in the universe, and Moses wrote to Israel:
Deu 4:35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.
Deu 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

God gave a personal testimony and it was recorded by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was chosen by Almighty God to be the mouthpiece who would declare and write God's personal testimony concerning Himself. When we read the book of Isaiah we read the very words out of the mouth of God as He declares the oneness of His being.
First of all He is alone and above all others . . no one is equal to Him.

Isa 40:25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Isa 46:5 To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

Second, there is no God before Him, after Him, or beside Him.

Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

Third, He is a jealous God and will not give His glory to another, therefore He is the only Saviour.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isa 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Fourth, He has hidden Himself from the wise and prudent.

Isa 45:15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

2 John1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2Jo 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
2Jo 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jo 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

[PikeTipper]

Isaiah 48:13
My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.

Thanks for the post! Just thinking out loud here but I was always confused by the idea of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God so I always thought of seperate individuals. Could it be that Jesus is not seated at the right hand of God but IS the right hand of God? I did a quick search on "right hand" to find some passages and was amazed at everything that came up in the OT, many spots where Jesus and Right Hand could be interchangeable.

[motor]

Thanks Mac, as usual a very interesting and enlightening essay..wish you would do more of them..of course you know i do not agree with all you say but that's neither here nor yon. no one fully understands the term Trinity and never will this side of Heaven..but you know and i know that our biggest concern is not the trinity or baptism or the Lord's supper, though they are very important, it's what we are doing for the cause of Christ while we are here on earth..yes, i believe in oneness, in the sense that we all as one body, should should be spreading the gospel to a lost world where most are dying and going to hell..
thanks again for your posts, and if nothing else, they make me study my bible more each day..God bless you and Miss Liz and i'll see ya in Heaven one day, and i believe it will be soon..Amen!

[Leafrivermac]

Thanks Mac, as usual a very interesting and enlightening essay..wish you would do more of them..of course you know i do not agree with all you say but that's neither here nor yon. no one fully understands the term Trinity and never will this side of Heaven..but you know and i know that our biggest concern is not the trinity or baptism or the Lord's supper, though they are very important, it's what we are doing for the cause of Christ while we are here on earth..yes, i believe in oneness, in the sense that we all as one body, should should be spreading the gospel to a lost world where most are dying and going to hell..
thanks again for your posts, and if nothing else, they make me study my bible more each day..God bless you and Miss Liz and i'll see ya in Heaven one day, and i believe it will be soon..Amen!

I'll tell you what Bro Motor, there are several here that have my respect an admiration, but none more so than yourself. I save every sunday semonette and every essay you post . . .even the ones that I don't agree totally with. Of course I believe that a one God in Jesus the Christ belief is very important or I would'nt continue to put myself out in the open like this. I don't judge over the issue tho and I wish that I could exhibit half of Christ like virtues as you do. My heart tells me that we will meet one day soon and all will be crystal clear then.

[Leafrivermac]

Isaiah 48:13
My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.

Thanks for the post! Just thinking out loud here but I was always confused by the idea of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God so I always thought of seperate individuals. Could it be that Jesus is not seated at the right hand of God but IS the right hand of God? I did a quick search on "right hand" to find some passages and was amazed at everything that came up in the OT, many spots where Jesus and Right Hand could be interchangeable.

This is really lengthy PikeTipper, but if your interested in the subject you may like this:
Numerous passages in the New Testament tell us Jesus sits on the right hand of God. Peter used this expression in Acts 2:34, quoting Psalm 110:1.
According to Acts 7:55, Stephen looked up into heaven while being stoned to death and "saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." What does this phrase mean? Does this mean that there are two physical manifestations of God in heaven, God and Jesus, with the latter perpetually stationed on the right hand of the former? Is this what Stephen saw?
A physical interpretation of "the right hand of God" is incorrect. First, no man has seen God at any time, nor can a human see Him (John 1:18; ITimothy 6:16; IJohn 4:12). God is a Spirit and as such He is invisible (ITimothy 1:17). He does not have a physical right hand unless He chooses to manifest Himself in a human form. We know Stephen did not literally see God apart from Jesus. If he saw two persons, why would he ignore one of them, praying only to Jesus? (Acts 7:59-60). If he saw separate physical manifestations of the Father and the Son, why did he not see the Holy Ghost as a third person?
A careful reading of Acts 7:55 will support the statement that Stephen did not see God apart from Jesus. Verse 55 does not say Stephen saw the Spirit of God, but tells us he saw "the glory of God" and Jesus. In verse 56 Stephen said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." The only visual image or person Stephen actually saw was Jesus Christ.
Other problems arise if we take "the right hand of God" in a physical sense. Is Jesus sitting on the right hand of God as recorded in Acts 2:34, or is Jesus standing on the right hand of God as recorded in Acts 7:55-56? Is Jesus sitting on top of God's outstretched right hand or is Jesus sitting next to God's right hand? Is Jesus in the Father's bosom? (John 1:18). What about Revelation 4:2, which describes one throne in heaven and One who sits on that throne? Does the Father sit on the one throne and does Jesus sit beside it? What about the fact that Jesus is the One seated on the throne? (Revelation 4:2, 8 with 1:8, 18).
Obviously, then, the description of Jesus on the right hand of God must be figurative or symbolic. Indeed, this is evident from numerous references throughout the Bible to the right hand of God. In Psalm 16:8, David wrote, "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." Does this mean the LORD was always bodily present at David's right hand? Psalm 77:10 says, "I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High." Did the psalmist promise to remember the number of years God had a right hand? Psalm 98:1 declares of the LORD, "His right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory." Does this mean God defeated His enemies by holding back His left hand and crushing them with a physical right hand? Psalm 109:31 states that the LORD "shall stand at the right hand of the poor." Does He physically station Himself next to poor people all the time? The LORD declared in Isaiah 48:13, "My right hand hath spanned the heavens," and in Isaiah 62:8 the LORD swore by His right hand. Did God reach out a giant hand and literally cover the sky, or did God put His left hand on His right hand and swear by it? Jesus cast out devils by the finger of God (Luke 11:20). Did He pull down a giant finger from heaven and punch devils out of people?
Of course, the answer to all of these questions is "No." Therefore, we must understand "right hand of God" in a figurative, symbolic, or poetic sense and not in a physical, bodily sense. This being so, what does the phrase signify?
In the Bible, the right hand signifies strength, power, importance, and pre-eminence just as it does in the English phrases, "He is my right hand man" and "I would give my right arm for this." Trinitarian scholar Bernard Ramm says, "God's almightiness is spoken of in terms of a right arm because among men the right arm is the symbol of strength or power. Pre-eminence is spoken of as sitting at God's right hand because in human social affairs the right hand position with reference to the host was the place of greatest honor."
Some biblical examples to show this association of the right hand with power are interesting and instructive. Exodus 15:6 proclaims, "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power." Psalm 98:1 and Psalm 110:1 associate the right hand of God with victory over enemies. When the Bible speaks of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, it means Jesus has all the power and authority of God. Jesus Himself made this clear in Matthew 26:64: "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (See also Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69.) Jesus thus claimed to have all the power of God; by this implication He declared Himself to be God. The Jews understood these claims and because of them the high priest accused Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65). Apparently, the high priest knew the symbolic meaning of the right hand in the Old Testament, and he therefore realized that Jesus was claiming to have God's power and to be God. First Peter 3:22 further demonstrates that "right hand" means Jesus has all power and authority: "Who is gone to heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." Similarly, Ephesians 1:20-22 uses this phrase to say Jesus has pre-eminence over all principalities, powers, dominions, and names. This passage also links the right hand with the exaltation of Christ. In this connection, Acts 5:31 states, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." (See also Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:33-34.)
Acts 5:31 indicates that the right hand of God or the arm of God sometimes specifically refers to God's power in salvation. Many other verses of Scripture speak of the right hand of God as representing the deliverance and victory God gives to His people (Exodus 15:6; Psalm 44:3; Psalm 98:1). Isaiah 59:16 says, "His arm brought salvation." It appears, therefore, that the description of Jesus on the right hand of God connotes that Jesus is the expression of God's saving power. This concept harmonizes with the association of the position of Jesus on the right hand of God with His mediatorial role, particularly His work as our intercessor and high priest (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 8:1).
With this understanding of the right hand of God, we still may wonder why the Bible sometimes says Jesus "sat down" on the right hand of God (as in Hebrews 10:12) instead of simply saying He is at the right hand of God (as in Romans 8:34). It is probable that this particular phrasing indicates that Jesus received complete glorification, power, and authority at a certain point in time. This exaltation began with His resurrection and was completed at His ascension. At that time He freed Himself from all human limitations and physical restraints. This is the opposite of the self-limitation to which Jesus submitted in the Incarnation as described in Philippians 2:6-8. He completed His role as a human walking on this earth.
No longer does Jesus submit Himself to human frailty and weakness. No longer is He the suffering servant. No longer are His glory, majesty, and other divine attributes hidden from the casual onlooker. He now exercises His power as God through a glorified human body. He now displays and will display Himself as the Lord of all, the Righteous Judge, and the King of the whole earth. That is why Stephen did not see Jesus Christ as the ordinary man He had appeared to be while on earth, but he saw Him with the glory of God and the power of God. Similarly, John saw Jesus revealed as God in all His glory and power (Revelation 1). This exaltation, glorification, and unveiling of Christ culminated at His ascension. Mark 16:19 says, "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God."
The phrase "sat down" indicates that the sacrificial work of Christ is not continuing but is complete. "When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3). "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes"¦ But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool" (Hebrews 10:11-13).
In summary, we would encounter many inconsistencies if we were to interpret the description of Jesus on the right hand of God to mean a physical positioning between two Gods with separate bodies. If we understand it as symbolic of the power, strength, authority, pre-eminence, victory, exaltation, and saving ability of Jesus as manifested in flesh, then we eliminate the conflicting concepts. Furthermore, this interpretation is consistent with the use of the phrase "right hand of God" throughout the Bible. The "right hand" reveals the omnipotence and absolute deity of Jesus and vindicates the message of one God in Christ.
Returning to our original question, what did Stephen actually see? It is apparent that he saw Jesus. Isaiah 40:5 says with reference to the coming of the Messiah, "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." Jesus is the revealed glory of God. Stephen saw the glory of God when he saw Jesus. He saw Jesus radiating the glory that He possessed as God and with all the power and authority of God. In short, he saw the exalted Christ. He saw Jesus not merely as a man but as God Himself, with all glory, power, and authority. That is why he called on God by saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59).