SESSION
SESSION
615
He 8\ they carefully avoided all puerile aiithropo- morijhisni in their treatment of ' the right hand of God'; for example, ' plenitudinem majestatis sum- mamque gloriam beatitudinis et prosperitatis debe- mus i^er dexteram intelligere in qua filius sedet ' (Primas.) ; ovx Sti rbirij Trepi/cXeierat 6 deos, dXX tva rb OfjLorifj.ov avTou deixdy t6 Trpos TOf Trar^pa (Theophy- lact).
As regards Jesus Christ, however, it is not so clear that the expression is entirely figurative. He ascended with His human body, ■which was indeed glorified and freed from many of its previous limitations ; but it belongs to the very essence of the idea of a body that it should occuj^y a certain definite space. Since, then. His body cannot be ubiquitous, it seems necessary to think of it as raised at the Ascension to some distinct place. ' He went into the place of all places in the universe of things, in situation most eminent, in quality most holy, in dignity most excellent, in glory most ilhistrious, the inmost sanctuaiy of God's temple above' (Barrow, Sermon on the Ascension). Thus Stier holds fast ' the certain ttoG of heaven, yea, of the throne of God in it.' And Meyer (on Mk W^, Eph 1-'') says the exj^ression is not to be transferred into a vague conception of a status coelestis, of a higher relation to the world and the like, but is to be left as a specification of place ; for Christ is with His glorified body, as awdpovos of the Father, on the seat where Divine Majesty is enthroned (cf. Mt 6^), from which hereafter He will return to judgment ; meantime He is patiently waiting at the centre of all worship and i^ower (He 10'-- ^•') : cf. also Ellicott on Eph 1-". This view agrees with the tenor of the Holy Scriptures, which seem to imply that while God is eveiy where, yet there is a place (described as iv vxpriXoh, kv ovpavoh) where He specially manifests Himself in peculiar glory to heavenly beings (cf. Is 6^ 66^, Ps 2* 102i9, 1 Ti 6^^), whence the Holy Spirit and the voice of God came (Mt 3i«- ^^ Jn 122»). Yet, on the other hand, MiUigan {The Ascension of Our Lord, Lect. I.) points out that heaven in the NT ' is contrasted with earth less as one place than as one state is contrasted with another,' comparing Jn 3^^ 'No man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven ' [but NBL do not give 6 civ (V T(^ ovpavi^], and quoting Westcott (on He P), 'all local association must be excluded,' the refer- ence being to dignity and honour, not locality ; cf. also Jn 1'", Eph 4*". And Grimm-Thayer says ' that these expressions are to be understood in this figurative sense and not of a fixed and definite place in the highest heavens, will be questioned by no one who carefully considers Rev 3^^' See also Abbott, ' Ephesians' (ad ]-»), in the ICC.
Sitting at the right hand of God is the com- pendious description of the present life of Christ in glory. It is evident from those passages which speak of it as a continuous state, tliJit the expres- sion cannot be taken literally, otherwise they would convey tlie idea that the attitude of sitting is ))er])etual. Besides, we find sim])ly ' is at the right hand ' in Ro 8-''*, 1 1' 3-- ; in other places He is represented in a different attitude, as standing (Ac 7^"), Avalking (Rev 2^ 3^ 14^) ; and John (Rev P*) saw Him 'girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle ' (which was ' worn in tiiis manner by priests when they were engaged in active service ' [Milligan]).
In the vision of St. Stephen a beautiful explanation of the 'stanflin^' has loni^ liecn ^iven, viz. tliat he saw .Jesus as risen from His throne and in the act of coniini^ to lielp His suffering; servant an<l faithful martyr. So Meyer, Trench, Conybeare and Howson, et at., foUowinjf Chrysostom, ri oi'v
u-oLPT'jpn' xxi yocp Ttpt TOV TatTpo; h-yitoLi * avtiff-rec o Heo',* and Gregory the Great, 'Stephanus in labore certaniinis positus
stantem vidit quern adjutorem habuit.' See the Collect for St. Stephen's Day, and Alford's note on Ac 7™, where he inclines to a different interpretation.
The Session of Christ is connected with His work as King, Priest, Intercessor, and Judge. (1) It e>^'esses His sovereignty and majesty; thereby He entered on the full and permanent participa- tion in the Divine glory, not merely resuming the glory which He had resigned at the Incarnation (Jn 17^), but receiving the added glory won by His obedience even unto the death of the Cross (Ph 2^'-, He 2") ; thereby the promises made to David concerning his son were fulfilled (cf. Ps 2"^ 24^*, 1 Co 15-'', Eph l-"*-)- All power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth (Mt 28^®), God ' hath put all things in subjection under his feet' (1 Co 15-'''). (2) It betokens an accomplished work (He 10'-'-) ; His earthly life completed, the suffering and the humiliation ended ; yet not inactivity, for Jn 5''' still holds true of the exalted Christ ; such perfect rest as 'answers to the being of God "who worketh hitherto" without effort and without failure' (West- cott, The Historic Faith, Art. vi. ), and is consistent with His readiness to sympathize with His people on earth, and to help them in time of need ; cf. He 2'^ 4^^'-. (3) It signifies His tmigue dignity and honour. In God's presence the angels stand, or fall on their faces (Is 6^, 1 K 22^^) ; the priests stood in the Temple when ministering (He 10"). He alone is said to sit on God's right hand, to eardvai rod Xeirovpyecv iarl a-q/xeiov, ovkovv rb Kadijcrdai Tou \ei.Tovpyeia0aL, and tovto ovxl rov iepews dWa tovtov cp iepdcrdai iKetvov xpv (Chrys. ). Bebv ^x^M-^" ctpX'^P^"- rb yap Kadrjcrdai ovdevbs dWov rj deov (Theopliylact). (4) It expresses His dignify as Priest-King. West- cott remarks (Add. Note on He 8^) that in this EpLstle to the Hebrews His Se.s.sion is always (except in P"*) connected with the fulfilment of l)riestly work, of which it marks two different aspects. Before He sat down He fulfilled the type of Aaron, ottering the sacrifice of Himself and passing into heaven, into the presence of God. Since that time He fulfils the royal priesthood of Melchizedek ; He intercedes for men as their re- presentative (Ro 8^^, He 7^^, 1 Jn 2'), presenting their petitions and praises (He 13l^ Ro 16-'', 1 P 2^), securing .access for His peojile now to ' the holy place' where He Himself is, by His blood (He 4"" 10^"'-), and acting as a minister {XeLTovpyos) of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle (8'^ where see Westcott's note) ,: He also rules and guides His Church, being with His people always, even unto the end of the Avorld (Mt 28-"), and in the midst where tA\o or three are gathered together in His name (18^"). (5) It implies His work as Judge, which is the aspect (chiefly presented in the Gospels (Mt lO-** 2o^^, Mk 14«-; cf. Is 16« and 2 Co S'" 'the judg- ment-seat of Christ'). Thus we are to understand by the Session that Christ, having accomplished on earth the work of redemption, now occupies the place of highest honour, most exalted majesty, and perfect bliss, and that God has conferred upon Him all pre-eminence of dignity, power, favour, and felicity. With regard to the jiarticular form in which this is expressed, Sunday (in his art. 'Je.sus Christ' in Hastings' DB n. \x 642'') well says : ' We speak of these things Kara, di'dpojirov ; or rather, we are content to echo in regard to them the language of the Apostles and of the first Christians, who themselves spoke Kara HvOpo^wov. The reality lies behind the veil.' See also art. ASCEN.SION.