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Things above.
#4.
"Where Christ sitteth" (Col. 3: 1).
pp. 1 - 4
We shall not have completed our examination of the Scriptures that speak of Christ
sitting on the right hand of God, until we have considered the definite statement that is
included in several of the citations of Psalm 110: 1:
"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies
Thy footstool."
This we will now do. The verse is quoted seven times in the N.T. The references are:
Matt. 22: 44; Mark 12: 36; Luke 20: 42; Acts 2: 34; I Cor. 15: 25; Heb. 1: 13 and
10: 13; and it will be observed that the three references in the Gospels and Heb. 1: 13
centre round the question of our Lord's Person. "Whose Son is He?" "What think ye
of Christ?" "To which of the angels said He at any time . . . . .?" The quotation in
Heb. 10: 13 has in view the completeness of the Lord's one sacrifice for sin, as
I Cor. 15: 25 looks forward to the end of the ages when the last enemy, Death, shall be
destroyed.
There are therefore the two remaining declarations of truth to be considered before we
complete our survey of these references to the seated Christ at the right hand of God.
They are references to His enemies, and His own questions concerning Himself.
The Psalm is a psalm of war and of victory. The conqueror is not only a King, but a
King-Priest, for the heart of the Psalm reveals the burden of the epistle to the Hebrews.
"The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of
Melchisedec" (Psa. 110: 4).
In the wisdom of God, kingship and priesthood were kept distinct in Israel, the
dreadful fate of Uzziah revealing the seriousness of any attempt to break down the
distinction. Just as Moses broke down when called upon the undertake the leadership of
Israel, thus necessitating the passing on of the priesthood to Aaron, so no son of Adam is
capable of combining these great offices. This high glory is reserved for the Lord Jesus
Christ. Melchisedec set Him forth in type, and Zechariah spoke of Him in prophecy
saying: "He shall sit and rule upon His throne: and He shall be a priest upon His throne"
(Zech. 6: 13), and when He enters into this double office, at the time of the end, then
redeemed Israel shall become a kingdom of priests unto God" (Rev. 1: 6).
This King-Priest rules "in the midst of His enemies": He shall "wound the heads over
extensive territories" (Psa. 110: 6). These words refer to the Day of the Lord and the
judgment on the Beast, the Antichrist and the False Prophet.