Christ Sits at God’s Right Hand

In the Bible the right hand is a symbol of power and honor. Jesus is seated at God’s right hand in heaven and reigns forever. It is a sign of His great power and willpower in bringing the kingdom of God to earth (Acts 7:55-56).

The right hand symbolizes honor, dignity, and authority. It also is the symbol of power and the ability to do anything, so it is important to understand what the right hand means when we hear that the Bible says that Christ sits at God’s right hand.

A common objection is that because Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, that He is inferior to the Father. This is a rather illogical argument, however, for this is not an indication that Jesus is lower than the Father.

Many people are accustomed to comparing a person’s position with their height and it is natural for them to compare a person with the highest position in the world with another who is lower than them. In this regard, a number of arguments have been presented to show that the right hand of Jesus is not lower than the Father, but higher.

One such argument is that the right hand of a king was a high post and was considered a place of honor. This was an advantage in battle and therefore it was a desirable position to hold. In fact, Joseph seated his two sons on his right and left hand when he gave them their blessings before he died (Genesis 48:13-14).

This was a way to separate them, because a king was the highest of all people. The position of the king’s right hand was so important that when a person became king, they were given a special crown with a picture of the king on it.

There are some other references to the right hand of a king in the Bible. The right hand is a place of honor and authority that comes from the Old Testament and was especially important to the coming Messiah (Matthew 26:64).

In the New Testament the right hand is used to refer to Jesus as well. When the apostles asked for a sign that Jesus had risen from the dead, He told them that they would see Him in the future seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:10-12).

The right hand was a sign of the future Kingdom of God and was only possible for the one who was destined to be the Messiah. The Pharisees and the high priest understood that when Jesus told them that they would see Him in the kingdom, He was claiming to be the promised Messiah.

If the right hand of Jesus is a sign of the future kingdom of God, then that would mean that he is going to rule with the Father and the Holy Spirit in community and power. This is an important statement for Christians to make because it affirms the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity and is a good reason to believe that Jesus is indeed the Lord of all.