Our present historical moment — situated between Jesus’ ascension and return — falls within his current heavenly session.
Jesus reigns in heaven right now, seated at the right hand of God. He has reigned thus since his ascension, and will continue to do so until he comes again in glory at the end of history.
‘Ruling all things in his Father’s name and with his Father’s Almightiness for the long-term good of his people.’
Bavinck on Where This Ends
‘Christ on the basis of his perfect obedience has been exalted to the highest sovereignty, majesty, dignity, honor, and glory. He has received not only his glory once more, which according to his Divine nature he had with the Father before the world began (John 17:5), but was now crowned with honor and glory according to his human nature (Heb 2:9; Phil 2:9-11). All things have been subjected to him, except him who did put all things under Christ (1 Cor 15:27). And even though we do not now see that all things are subjected to him, we know that he will reign as King until he has put all his enemies under his feet (Heb 2:8 and 1 Cor 15:25). That will take place at his return when he comes to judge the living and the dead. His being seated at the right hand of God and the whole of his exaltation ends and reaches its pinnacle in the return for judgment (Matt 25:31-32).’1Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith, 374.
Notice the honest admission in the middle of that: even though we do not now see that all things are subjected to him. Bavinck doesn’t pretend the reign is obvious.
Right Now, on the Throne
Having conquered through his incarnate life, death, resurrection and ascension, the Lord is seated there now.
At this very moment he sits on his throne ‘together with’ God the Father at his right hand — the Father who is himself seated ‘on his throne’ (Rev 3:21).
This is precisely what the gospel announces. The good news declares to all living creatures that Jesus Christ reigns now, today, throughout the visible and invisible cosmos, sharing God’s own throne.
Seated together with his Father, the Son of God and Son of Man occupies a position of ultimate rule across the entire creation, wielding supreme authority over every realm and sphere that exists.
He is, at this moment and in every moment that follows, ‘ruling all things in his Father’s name and with his Father’s Almightiness for the long-term good of his people.’2Packer, Growing in Christ, 64.
Why That Is Good News Today
Across the world, in our present experience as Christians of at times predatory and vicious persecution, of constant temptations to not love our neighbours as ourselves, to lose sight of God by collapsing in on ourselves in the vain pursuit of the ‘Big Me’ — Jesus’ present rule as our prophet, king and priest is good news indeed.
‘Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end’ (Isa 9:7).
Hidden, But Only for Now
That Jesus Christ is seated in heaven now, on the throne of God, at the Almighty Father’s right hand, means that — despite the continued presence and activity of principalities and powers of darkness — he really does rule over and within God’s world.
To us on earth, that supremacy remains hidden and invisible.
But it is merely a matter of time until his true rule is finally and fully revealed.
The Analogy
This strange in-between moment — the certainty of victory coexisting with the reality of ongoing conflict — is well captured by the following:
‘God’s war with Satan is now like a chess game in which the result is sure but the losing player has not yet given up, or like the last phase of human hostilities in which the defeated enemy’s counter-attacks, though fierce and frequent, cannot succeed, and are embraced in the victor’s strategy as mere mopping up operations.’3Packer, Growing in Christ, 65.
Both halves of that image are doing work. The counter-attacks are fierce and frequent — nobody is minimising the damage. And they cannot succeed.
Power That Was Earned, Not Seized
The energy and vigour of Christ’s ongoing reign is both grounded in the achievement of his atoning work and characterised by continuing priestly intercession.
His atonement accomplished, his sitting therefore combines kingly power with advocacy: in fulfilment of Zechariah 6:13, a priest of royal honour sits and rules on the throne of God. It is to this place — won by his sacrificial, priestly death — that Jesus Christ ascended and was enthroned (Heb 1:3; 10:12; 12:2).
Christ’s sitting down, then — his right to wield all the might that God possesses — results from ultimate virtue, not bare authority.
As A. A. Hodge puts it, ‘His atonement is the foundation of his royal right to his people and his royal administration in their behalf.’4A. A. Hodge, Evangelical Theology (The Banner of Truth Trust, 1976 [Orig. 1890]), 227.
Christ’s power is, in this sense, the power of moral perfection.
What Kind of Power
It is founded on self-sacrifice, on self-sacrificial love. It is power for saving good. It is the power of saving grace. It is power that reaches out, embraces us, and through forgiveness moves us from being under the rule of sin and Satan to being his brothers and sisters, children of God (Heb 2:5:18)
Or, as Hodge again puts it, ‘His kingly office is essentially the royal dispensation of grace by him as Saviour.’5A. A. Hodge, Evangelical Theology, 227.
This is power flowing from his atoning death — absolute power, to be sure, but gracious and honourable power: wise, compassionate, merciful, and perfectly just.
It is based upon and expressed by the supreme excellence and virtue of saving work, whereby believers — though deserving the opposite — forever receive his inexhaustible favour and gifts (Eph 1:20-22; Heb 1:3-4).
That’s the distinguishing mark of this throne. Every other power in history was taken. This one was earned by dying for the people it now governs.