3.1 “Sitting at the Right Hand of God”

How can Messiah be sitting at the Right Hand of God and be God Himself as Scripture claims?

What is the importance of correct interpretation in this matter?  How does it effect Salvation and a right to Eternal Life?

The exalted position of “sitting at the Right Hand of God”,  has been occupied by the risen Messiah since His Resurrection from the Grave and His Ascension to Heaven, forty days after.  Both the Tanach (‘Old Testament’) as well as the ‘New Testament Scriptures confirm that “He is now sitting at the Right Hand of God”,  in 12 excerpts spread over eight Books – no small matter, therefore.

While trinitarians have used these Scriptures to validate their interpretation that “God is one Being consisting of three Persons”,  Oneness believers vehemently denied such interpretation of the Divine Identity as ‘unscriptural’ and in contradiction of the Shmah (Deuteronomy. 6:4) and the overall spirit of the Tanach, which confirms that “God is One”, indivisible, and that He knows not,  neither recognises  any other.  If any Oneness treaties exist to date,  which extensively explains the concept of  “sitting at the the Right Hand”, and how it fits into the Oneness theory,  then it is certainly not well publicised.  The publisher of this Web Site has certainly not come across any such material and believes that the time has come to analise this controversial Scriptural concept and render a viable Scriptural explanation which should confirm the Oneness Truth and therefore the eternal validity of the Shemah.

Fundamentals of Life versus God’s Purpose for Mankind

Life on earth is a dispensation – currently some 6000 years of age.  Man’s life fills but a spell of this,  60 – 80 years on average, but running its own cycle.

The individual life cycle consists of a continuous series of opportunities which may be utilised or ignored.  One such opportunity which continuously presents itself, is the Divine Plan or Purpose for man on earth.  Some people use it, others lose it.

This opportunity, in Scriptural terms, is referred to as the Salvation Plan of God.

This Plan in itself is a progressive cycle.  One enters it at the chosen opportunity, and develops it at will as further progressive opportunities arrive.  Some people progress, others stagnate.

The Divine Salvation Plan for the individual itself is a Cycle – within the Greater Universal Plan or Purpose of God for this world and its inhabitants, which also follows a cyclical Pattern.

The Bible explains this Greater Cycle as follows (and we will present a greatly summarised version here):

• Creation
• Paradise lost
• Destruction of degenerate civilisation by Flood
• New formation of civilisation
• Appointment of a Modular nation, Israel, to be Carriers of the ‘Keys of Life’
• Degeneration
• Reconciliatory Divine Intervention by Messiah of God
• Culmination of Dispensation in Chaos
• Divine Intervention
• Establishment of Universal Kingdom under direct rule of God
• Eternity

Reconciliatory Divine Intervention by Messiah

For purposes of our subject, we shall concentrate on this event – which sets the pattern of a Cycle within the Greater Cycle once more.

This event started some 2000 years ago, when YHVH the Most High, Creator God, interjected into degenerate mankind in order to establish a Token for Reconciliation of mankind to Himself.  In an event that staggered the Heavenly Population, the Creator God manifested Himself as a Human Being, YAHU’SHUAH (proclaimed “the Messiah” by His followers), born from an Israelite woman, to experience at first hand and to set a pattern for those individuals in mankind who would grasp the Opportunity which He presented them, to qualify for entry into His Kingdom.  In this way also,  He would overcome any accusations in the Great Judgment of mankind to come at the End of the Dispensation, that He unfairly judges because of a lack of experience of what the Life System which He created, really is all about.

This intervention ended in Him being rejected by His own creation and brutally tortured to death for making Himself out to be the God and King of Israel.  This event, in religious cliché, became known as:

• The Crucifixion
• The Messiah shedding His Blood for the salvation of man
• The Sacrificial Offering of His Life for man’s salvation,
• The Restoration of His unfaithful Bride (the 10 Tribes of Israel – Judah never deserted Him), etc.

The New Testament Scriptural Witness declares that He was raised from the Grave after three days and that 40 days later He ascended into Heaven “where He sits at the Right Hand of God”.

Contradictory Theologies

For 2000 years now, the same question has raged which remain unanswered during His Lifetime on earth:  “Who art Thou?”

The answers range from Him being:

• a Prophet, slightly higher ranking than mankind but below the Angels
• The Son of God, a 2nd Person in a Triune God
• YHVH God, but co-existing and subservient to YHVH the Eternal, to
• YHVH, the Eternal Creator and God of Israel Himself, a Human Manifestation of the Divine Spirit Being, the One True God.

Returning to our subject now, of Him “sitting at the Right Hand of God” – the first three interpretations above hold no problem whatsoever.   As ‘Prophet’, ‘Son of God’ or ‘2nd YHVH’,  He is simply sitting next to God. the Father.  Easy!

But Oneness believers, who proclaim the 4th alternative above (as is the stance of BIBLE REVELATIONS in this matter also),  need to expound on how it is possible for “God to sit next to Himself” – as is the question which is hastily flung at us all the time.  Other similar questions are:

• “How can God pray to Himself?” referring to Messiah’s prayers;
• “How can God be His own Father?”, etc.

The latter two questions have been extensively answered in the Pages of this Web Site and the Tenet of the Oneness and the Deity of Messiah, fills many many Pages also.

How can He Pray to Himself? Did God die on the Cross? Refer QA: Why did Messiah say “My Father is greater than I”

Key to the Riddle unlocks the Truth

The true answer to this Mystery of Him “Sitting at the Right Hand of God”, will serve to unlock the sublime Truth of the Identity of The One True God and the immense implication for the sincere seeker after Truth.

The Key lies in the cyclical nature of God’s Purpose and Plan,  as discussed at the outset above.

The Salvation Plan of YHVH for mankind, follows a Cycle within the Greater Cycle,  starting from the Creation to the Setting up of His Kingdom.  The Messianic Sacrificial Intervention, 2000 years ago, started this direct Cycle of Reconciliation for mankind to its Creator – that is, for those who wish to accept the Divinely given opportunity.

Question now is:  Did that Cycle stop at His Crucifixion / Resurrection / Ascension,  or is it a yet incomplete Cycle?

As much as some believers would contend that it is completed. the obvious is apparent, namely, that we are not in the Kingdom yet!  We need to pass and qualify in the Coming Judgment.  We need to behold and enter the Kingdom – and that is yet future!

The Reconciliatory Divine Intervention Process has not been completed yet.  The Sacrificial Provision has been made – but daily new souls are subjected to the opportunity to accept it – and daily many do, and become integrated into ‘The Family of God”.

But even that, is not a completed process, once for all.  These souls are exposed to  a continuing process of discovering progressive Truth and practicing the new lifestyle.  There are failures, set-backs and restarts.  It needs continual Divine guidance, protection, and intercession.  And the Ascended Messiah is continually involved in this ongoing Salvation Process – until the Day of Judgment when those who overcome will be rewarded and the rest of mankind subjected to conviction for their Godless living.

This continued Designation of Messiah is clearly delineated in some of these Scriptures regarding His “sitting at the Right Hand”

Hebrews. 8:1  “We have a High Priest .. He has His place at the Right Hand of the Throne of Majesty in the Heavens; and He is the Minister of the Sanctuary.”

Hebrews 10:11,12  “All the Priests stand at their duties (in the Temple) every day, offering over and over again, the same sacrifices.  He on the other hand, has offered one single Sacrifice for sins, and then taken His place for ever, at the Right Hand of God, where He is now waiting until His enemies are made His footstool.” (Ps 110:1 thus fulfilled).

Roman  8 : 34  “He rose from the dead, and there at God’s Right Hand, He stands pleading for us”.

1 John 2:1  “But if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father.”

Hebr.7:25  “His Power to save is utterly certain, since he is living for ever, to intercede for all who come to God through Him.”

So, when we who believe in the Oneness of God acknowledge that “He is sitting at the Right Hand of God”, interceding for us – are we not then admitting that there are two Beings in the Godhead?

The Essential Divine Nature of God

A correct understanding of the essential nature of God,  will reveal the right answer to the question of whether it is a “2nd Person of the Godhead” sitting at the Right of the Throne or not.

Consider that:

• YHVH is a Spirit Being (Gen. 1:2;  John 4:24;  2 Cor. 3:17),  omnipresent throughout the universe.
• YHVH is the ONLY TRUE GOD (Exod. 20).
• YHVH is ONE  (Deut. 6:4).

His omnipresence and omniscience allows Him to manifest Himself in various
forms and shapes – as treated in the Bible Course:  appearing to Abraham,
Moses, Manoah, etc. Refer to the Bible Course.

In order to offer the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb for the reconciliation of man with God, YHVH manifested Himself as an Israelite, born from a Hebrew woman – the seed planted in her womb by miraculous Divine intervention (NOT sexually – as some opposers of the Oneness would keenly interject!!!).   He could have manifested Himself in a full-grown angelic ‘man’, as He did with Jacob, Manoah, and his wife, etc. To be beyond the condemnations and accusations of a “horror” Web site on the Internet, the author of which blames YHVH for “the murder of His own Son!”,  YHVH stunned the heavenly Angelic Host, by taking upon Himself perfect humanity (flesh, blood and soul) to manifest Himself as a man who could experience pain, hunger, satisfaction, rejection, human love, temptation etc. etc.

For a period of 30 years He took the shape of a man and lived amongst His ‘Chosen nation’, the Israelites – a nation chosen for the Divine Purpose of carrying His Oracles to the world (Romans 3:2) as a Testimony to The Blessings that would befall those who followed in His ways, but also the Curses which would befall them for despising His Law and System  (Deut 28).  As omnipresent Spirit,  He was still present throughout the Universe – which answers those who ask:  Did God die when Messiah blew out His last breath?

No, He did not!  His omnipresent Spirit resurrected His Human Body from the Grave.

For 30 years, yes, there were two:  A man on earth and an omnipresent ever-living Spirit Being filling the heavens.  This does not make two Gods, but two manifestations of the same One True God.

Trinitarians and all non-Oneness interpretations hold that Messiah was a second Being to God Himself.  That we could agree with on certain conditions of correct interpretation – the problem is they then declare Him non-God, or subservient to God, and this is blasphemous.  The difference is subtle, but vital!  It is the One Truth that Satan fights tooth and nail.

Similarly, “sitting at the Right Hand” does not make of Him a 2nd subservient Being to God.  It simply is His own selected Manifestation in a special Designation of completing a hitherto 2000-year Cycle of Salvation.

This Concept also found in ancient Times

A rude awakening awaits those who think that the seeming duality or multiplicity of The One True God only stems from the Time of Messiah’s Advent, 2000 years ago. Scripture records a lengthy event, at the destruction of Sodom, right in the first Book of the Bible!  Here God appeared as no less than three ‘Angelic Beings’.  The underlying Truth reveals itself though,  when one correctly replaces the Personal Name of YHVH in this record of His involvement in the destruction of this sinful city by fire and brimstone.  We shall merely draw the highlights here and refer interested readers to our comprehensive commentary of several of the physical Appearances of YHVH to man in the Tanach (O.T.). 

Refer BIBLE REVELATION COURSE

• Genesis 18:1 – YHVH appeared to Avraham as 3 men, eating and talking with him.
• Genesis 18:6 – The 4 men then headed for Sodom.
• Genesis 18:12 – At one stage 2 Men left for Sodom while  ‘Avraham remained standing before YHVH’, arguing the validity of God’s Intention to destroy Sodom.
• Genesis 19 – The 2 Angelic men overnighted in the house of Lot, where the Sodomite populace attempted to abuse the visitors, but were struck with blindness by the ‘men’!  The men then revealed their intention to destroy Sodom to Lot. The next morning they all left the city, and then …
• Genesis 19:24  “YHVH rained on Sodom and Gemorrah fire and brimstone from YHVH in Heaven.”

As our comprehensive Web study will show,  here we have an instance where YHVH required the form of three men in order to accomplish the destruction of Sodom.  The study will show how several factors in this recorded section of Scripture confirm that all three of these men were manifestations of YHVH, while He was also, as omnipresent Spirit,  filling Heaven simultaneously.  Is this impossible for an omnipresent, omniscient Being?

The Scriptural record of this and other manifestations in ancient times, confirm that YHVH can manifest Himself in any form He desires, conforming to the occasion and Purpose, as one or more, even diversified shapes.  We have another confirmation of this at the Baptism of Messiah, where YHVH spoke from Heaven in an audible Voice, He appeared as a Dove at the occasion, while He Himself was being baptized in the river as the Man Messiah.

Consummation of All things

We have stated above, that His ‘Right Hand’ Salvation Manifestation is part of an ongoing Cycle of the Salvation Process.  Ps. 110:1 stipulates the time period of this supplementary Heavenly Manifestation of ‘Sitting at the Right Hand of YHVH’:

Psalms 110:1  “Sit at My Right Hand until I have made your enemies a footstool for You.”

Hebrews 10:12 confirms this as applicable to our ascended Messiah. The Book of Revelations, in ch.11, specifies the time for the termination of this period, in the description of the final events under the 7th Trumpet, just before He takes up His Rule over the nations.

Rev. 11:15  “The Kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever ,,, now the time has come for Your own anger and for the dead to be judged … and for all who worship You to be rewarded.  the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Rev 3:19 – 21  “I am the One Who reproves and disciplines all those He loves, so repent in real earnest. Look, I am standing at the door knocking.  If one of you hears My Calling and opens the door, I will come in … Those who prove victorious I will allow to share My Throne, just as I was victorious Myself and took My place with My Father on His Throne.”

To the alert reader, this statement raises the specter of another hitherto Great Mystery in God’s ultimate Purpose for man – as controversial as the above topic may be.  But, this requires more research and revelation – we leave that for the future!