Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 20 March 1997 — Page 35

The Muncie Times, March 20, 1997, Page 35

Christ lowered himself to represent God on earth

What is the meaning of the quotation, “Jesus on the right nand of God.” (I Pet. 3:22) To understand the quotation, “Jesus on the Right Hand of God'’, we must understand the meaning of that term, right hand. First of all, it means a place of acceptance and favor or blessing. Note these verses concerning Jesus Christ. “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy: at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psa. 16:8-11; Acts 2:2536). When Rachel bore Benjamin, she named him Ben-o-ni, meaning son of my sorrow. Jacob renamed him Benjamin, meaning son of my right hand. (Gen. 35:16-18). Now the reason why Christ is said to be sitting on God’s right hand, is because He is represented as the son of man or man himself. Nowhere in the scriptures do we see that Jesus is said to be on the right hand of God before His resurrection and ascension. Before Jesus came to earth to become a man, He was in the form of God. (Phil. 2:7) So then, we see Christ descended from a high position to a low position of a man. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor: that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. .Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also

Bishop W.J. Duncan, D.D.

himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power death, that is, the devil: and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.” (Heb. 2:9, 1416). Now Christ came down to represent the human family. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body has thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou has had no pleasure.” (Heb. 10:4-6). When Jesus Christ got into a body, He began to represent the human family. What He does in God's sight is in the behalf of man. When Christ died on the cross, it was man that died. All the world became dead to God in the death of Christ. “For the love of Christ constraineth us: because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” (IICor. 5:14,15). So Christ became -a part

of the human family to bring us back to God. So as Christ died and rose again, so are they that believe in His death, burial, and resurrection. “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless 1 live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which 1 now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20). So when Christ arose and ascended on high, it was Jesus as Man who received the position at the right hand of God. He was man’s representative at the place of. favor and acceptance in the presence of God. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Tim. 2:5,6). “Therefore being by.£he right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is notascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.” (Acts 2:33-35; Matt. 22:4146). Now, one in the verse is called the Lord and the other is called my Lord. The Lord is the Father in the Spirit, and my Lord is the same Father in the flesh, or we can say the

Son of God, or Jesus in a body as a man. This is a prophecy of David which saw what was coming to pass in God's process of salvation. The Lord is supposed to make the enemy of my Lord, My Lord's footstool. When Christ took upon Him the form of man He also took on Him the enemies of man. But that is what the Lord wanted to do. He wanted to destroy the enemy. Now the enemy is the devil and death. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2:14,15, 1 John 3:8; Hos. 13:4,14). “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam, all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive, but every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits: afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom of God, even the Father: when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:20-26). “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself...” (IICor. 5:19). To show that the Lord and my Lord are the same one in both position, the Lord is supposed to make the enemy of my Lord, my Lord’s footstool. But we see in I Cor. 15:25^26,

that Jesus as the Son of God is making the enemies to become a footstool. Yet in II Cor. 5:19, it said that God is doing it. Read I Tim. 3:16. On this subject, on the right hand of God, I conclude in saying that all that are saved are in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Eph. 1:3. So the place by the right hand of God is not a seat, but a blessed state that man has obtained with God through Jesus Christ. God’s Names Has God Revealed Himself through only one name? No. God has revealed Himself through various names. Note this: “And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name, Jehovah was I not known to them.” (Ex. 6:2,3). Why do some say that God’s name should be called Jehovah, some Yahweh, some Yashuah, and some Jesus? Some say that God’s name should be called Jehovah instead of the term Lord, as is primarily used in the King James translation. The Old Hebrew only used consonants and vowels Hence, if you used the consonants in the name Jehovah, they would be Yhvh. If you used the consonants in the Yahweh, they would by Yhwh. In ancient Hebrew there was no “J” in the name Jehovah,but there was a “Y”, of Yahweh. Yet on the other hand there was no “W” of the name “Yahweh, but a “V” was used instead of a “W”. So the letters would be Yhvh instead of Yhwh. There were no vowels between the letters of either name. So in the Hebrew, the ancient writing would be Yhvh (type in Hebrew).