Jesus Sitting At The Right Hand Of The Father Proves He Is God

Acts 7:55&56
.5But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

This is when Stephen was stoned in Acts 7, 55. ‘But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And said, Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God’.

What did Stephen see? He did not see two persons. He saw one person. He saw Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God.

The term right hand is symbolic of power. It is not literal.

He did not see two bodies. And I’ll tell you why. John 4, 24, God is a spirit.

You cannot see a spirit. Where is the right hand of the Spirit of God? God’s Spirit is everywhere. John 1, 18.

This was written long after the events of Acts. John 1, 18 says, No man has seen God at any time. So it would be a mistake to interpret this as Stephen saw a separate person of God.

He saw Jesus. You can see Jesus, it’s obvious in verse 59. They stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

If he saw two persons, he ignored one of them. And he only spoke to Jesus. And then the next question is, if there’s a trinity, why didn’t he see three persons? Why did he see only two? So it’s not, it’s not talking about a trinity.

It’s not talking about seeing God as a separate person from Jesus. It’s talking about Jesus, seeing Jesus in the position of power. Now in Hebrew, in Greek, and also in English, when you say the right hand, it’s symbolic of power.

Because for most people, they’re right handed. And if you’re, if you are right handed, and you try to work with your left hand, you see how awkward it is. Your right hand signifies your power, your strength, your ability.

Well, we find this in the Bible. Exodus chapter 15, verse 6. Thy right hand, O God, is glorious in power. It’s talking about when he delivered Israel from Egypt.

Is it saying that a big hand came out of heaven and pulled him out? He had his left hand tied behind his back and he used his right hand? No, it’s talking about the power of God.

Here’s another good example. At the trial of Jesus in Matthew chapter 26, 64, Jesus said to the high priest, Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds at the right hand of power.

Now when Jesus comes back, are we going to see two persons in the clouds? No, we’re going to see one person, but we’re going to see him in the position of power.

When Jesus walked on earth, he looked like an ordinary man. To the eyes of faith, they could know who he was, but to the average person, he just looked like another man.

In fact, at the last supper, John, who was his close friend, he leaned up against his breast at supper, talked to him very personally and closely. But that same John in Revelation chapter 1, when he saw the glorified Christ in his power, what happened? He fell down at his feet as dead. It’s the same John, the same Jesus.

What’s the difference? He saw him in the position of power, not just as an ordinary man, but as God manifest in the flesh, the glory of God. So what Stephen is saying, I see Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He’s saying, I see Jesus in the position of power.

I see him with glory and power and majesty. And that’s why he says, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. He prays to this one who has all power.

And so he saw, Jesus as the only visible being, but he saw him surrounded by the glory of God in the position of all power. And that matches what we see in Revelation chapter 4 verse 2, where there’s one throne in heaven, not two thrones, and one sat on the throne. And that matches what we saw in Revelation 22, 3 through 4, the throne of God and of the lamb and his servant shall serve him.

One throne, not two thrones. So the right hand is not a physical position, but it is a metaphor or a symbol of God’s power.

Psalm 110.1 says that David says that the Messiah is not only his Lord, but that he sits at Yahweh’s right hand. Now, why is that significant? Because to sit at Yahweh’s right hand means to be a co-occupant of God’s heavenly throne. Psalm 103.19 tells us, Yahweh, Psalm 103.19, Yahweh the Lord, Kyrios in the Greek, translation of the Hebrew, has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all.

Now, notice where Yahweh reigns from. He reigns from heaven on his throne over all creation, over the entire inhabitants of the earth. For Jesus to sit at Yahweh God the Father’s right hand means that Jesus is also sitting on that throne with the Father ruling over all creation.

So, he’s a co-occupant of God’s heavenly throne and the sovereign king and ruler with the Father over everything and everyone. Does that sound Islamic to you, Dave?