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This is the glory that was given Him, and which the Saviour said "I have given them"
(John 17: 22). It is NOT the glory which was His by right "before the world was"; in
that the redeemed can never share. To sit at the right hand of Majesty is not the same as
absolute Monarchy. Even some of the redeemed are told that:
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, EVEN AS I ALSO
overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne" (Rev. 3: 21).
There can be no possible thought of sharing Deity! The elements of the reward or
recognition of faithfulness are still uppermost. Even that majestic passage, Phil. 2: 5-12,
is introduced with the words:
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus",
and concludes with the words:
"Wherefore, my beloved . . . . . work out your own salvation".
Again, some, through not recognizing that the seat at the Right Hand is not a claim to
essential Deity, have strongly objected to the words of Eph. 2: 6 as though it invaded the
Divine prerogative. To return to the type in Genesis, as Pharaoh said to Joseph, or as
Joseph himself acknowledged:
"Only in the throne will I be greater than thou."
"He made him ruler over all."
"Thou art even as Pharaoh."
"He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler
throughout all the land of Egypt."
"God hath made me lord of all Egypt."
"Tell my father all my glory in Egypt" (Gen. 41:-45:).
When the Mediatorial kingdom is finished and the last enemy is destroyed, then the
Son vacates the seat at the Right Hand to enter the glory that was His before the world
was (see I Tim. 6: 16). The association in Hebrews with this session at the right hand of
God is related particularly with the office of High Priest, and the office of High Priest
will not be retained for ever. The blessed fact is that just as His sacrifice for sins will
never be repeated, just as the glory of the New Jerusalem will not consist in a more
magnificent temple than ever, but that rather there will be no need for a temple any more,
so the perfection of Christ's priesthood is that it will not need to be perpetuated beyond
the confines of the ages.
"In the Sanhedrin, the highest court of judicature among the Jews, he who presided in
it was called Ab din or Ab beth din, the father of judgment, or the father of the House of
judgment, and sat at the right hand of the prince of the Sanhedrin . . . . . Of this Ab din
mention is made in the Targum, Cant. 7:4, The Father of the house of judgment, who
judgeth the judgments agreeably to that. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed
all judgment unto the Son" (Dr. John Owen).