by an apparently upward movement. In the statements about the ascended life of our Lord symbolism has to be still more freely employed, as no human language can adequately describe the new conditions. Just as symbol was neces- sary to describe the Temptation of our Lord, or the overthrow of Satan by the efibrts of the Seventy disciples (Lk 10^'''-), or the eventual triumph over evil foretold in the Apocalypse, so was it necessary in describing the heavenly life of Jesus. The use of symbolism, of which the Bible from beginning to end is full, does not mean that the incident or condition described is mj'thical, but that it cannot be expressed in ordinary human words. Sanday, in his striking lecture on ' The Symbolism of the Bible' (Life of Christ in Recent Research, Oxford, 1907), defines it as 'indirect description. '
The symbolism used to describe our Lord's ascended life is that of Ps 110^ which is quoted directly in Mk 123«, Mt 22«, Ac 2="'-, 1 Co 15■-^ He \\3 ioi2«-, and indirectly in numerous passages which speak of Jesus being, sitting, or standing, on God's right hand till all His enemies are subdued. In some passages it is said that He ' sat down' {iKAdurev, He 18 81 10^-, ' Mk ' W^) or 'hath sat down' {KeKdOiKev, He 1'22, inferior MSS iKidiffev) ; so in Eph P* it is said that God 'made him to sit' (/ca^tVas), and in Rev 3^1 Jesus says ' I sat down {iKadLua) with my Father in his throne ' (cf. 12^). In other passages Jesus is said to ' be sitting,' as in Col 3^ (iffrlv , . . KaO-Ziixevos) ; so in Mk 14®^ and || (see below). While the former method of expression emphasizes the historic fact of the Ascension on a certain day, the latter denotes that the Session was not an isolated, but is a continuous, action. The latter point of view is seen also in Ro S^-*, 1 P 3^^ (' who is at the right hand '), and in Ac 7^"* where Stephen sees the Lord 'standing' at the right hand of God — ready (such seems to be the meaning) to help His martyr (cf. also Rev 5^ 14^). And we note that in Ps 110^ [LXX] the imperative 'sit' (KdOov) marks the continuance of the Session (Westcott on He V^). This variation in biblical usage is reflected in the use of both ' sitteth ' and ' sat down ' [sedet, sedit) in different Creeds. The former is the usual form, e.g. in the 'Constantinopolitan' form of the Nicene Creed (KaOe^dfi^vov ; cf. Tertullian, de Virg. Vel. 1, 'sedentem nunc'). But the latter is sometimes found, especially in the 4th cent., as in the Creed of Jerusalem (Cyr. Jer. Cat. xiv. 27, Kadla-aura ^k de^iQv Tou HaTpds) ; in the Testament of our Lord (ii. 8) ; the Verona Latin fragments of the Didascalia (ed. Hauler, p. 110) ; the Egyptian and Ethiopia Church Orders; and in the Creeds of the Abbot Pirminius (8th cent.), of the Bangor Antiphonary (7th cent.), of the Gallican Sacramentary (7th cent. ; Codex Bobiensis), and of the Missale Galli- canum (Mabillon) ; cf. also Tert. de Prcescr. 13, 'sedisse.'
The Session is 'at the right hand of God' — either iK Sf^iwv or €v Se^iq. ; the former in Ps 110^ [LXX] ('at my right hand') and in the qiiotations of it in Mt 22", Mk 1238, ^c 2^^ He I'*, also in the allusions to it in Mk 14^^ and || Mt 268'' (both 'of power') and || Lk 22«9 ('of the power of God') and ' Mk ' 16'9, Ac 1^^'- twice ('of God '). But St. Paul, St. Peter, and the writer of Hebrews prefer iv Se^K? : Ro 8^*, He 10'^ (though v." is a quotation from Ps 110'), Col 3', 1 P S-' (all these have 'of God') ; so He P ('of the Majesty on high') 8' ('of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens') 12- ('of the throne of God '), Eph l''^" (' his right hand '). With these phrases cf. Ac 2^ ( ' being therefore by the right hand of God exalted,' vtf/wOeh) 5'*' ('him did (iod exalt with his right hand'), in both of which places RVm reads 'at' for ' by ' or 'with.'
The symbolism of Session, according to Pearson
ASCEilSIOX
ASCENSION
9;
(On the Creed, art. vi.) and Westcott (Historic Faith*, 1890, p. 52), is that of perfect rest from all pain, sorrow, disturbance, and opposition. Yet, as Swete points out (Ascended Christ, p. 14), this is, at best, incomplete. The seated monarch on earth is not idle, and so the seated Christ ' resets not day nor ni^dit from the unintermitting energies of heaven.' The symbolism of the right hand is unmistakable. It expresses the exaltation and glory of the Ascended Christ as Man. Jesus did not merely return to His former glory (cf. Jn 17* : 'which I had with thee before the world was'), but, in addition, was glorified in His human nature. For the exaltation see Lk 24^ ('to enter into his glory' — the glory which was His due), Jn 7^ 12'®, Ac 2'" (' God hath made him — caused him to be re- cognized as — both Lord and Christ' ; with reference to the Session), 2 Co 3'^'^®, Ph 2^ (aiirbv {nrepv^uae, 'highly exalted him,' in consequence of the self- emptying and self-humiliation), 1 Ti 3'® ('received up in glory'). He 2* ('crowned with glory and honour '), and the passages given above. The ex- altation or ' lifting up ' (v^ioais) is spoken of by our Lord in immediate reference to the Crucifixion (Jn 3i'» 8^8 123-- 3-1), but doubtless with the further thought that death leads to glory (cf. Jn 13^' ; see also Milligan, op. cit. p. 78 f. ). — It is not improbable that the period of Forty Daj's was one of increasing glory, of which the Ascension was the consumma- tion. In Jn 20^'' our Lord says to Mary Magdalene, ' I ascend ' {dva^aivu), that is, not ' I shall ascend,' as our looser English use of tlie present tense may suggest, but ' I am ascending.' ' The Resurrection had begun the great change ; from Easter morning He was already ascending ' (Swete, Hobj Spirit in NT, p. 374). But the last parting was the definite act of Ascension.