In this lesson we will look at the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Christ’s ascension. After His resurrection Christ appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days. Thereafter, in the presence of His disciples He ascended into heaven from Mount Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, being taken up by a cloud (Acts 1:3, 9-12). After His ascension Christ sat down at the right hand of God, the Majesty, on the throne of the authority of God to exercise dominion over the universe for God. Moreover, He was crowned with glory and honor to carry out God’s eternal economy in His heavenly ministry and office. As the High Priest, Christ intercedes for His believers and takes care of their case. He also poured out the Spirit upon His sons and daughters that they may become the corporate and enlarged Christ (2:1-4, 16-18).
Psalm 110:1 is a prophecy concerning the resurrected Christ being seated at the right hand of God in ascension: “Jehovah declares to my Lord, / Sit at My right hand / Until I make Your enemies / Your footstool.” This verse is quoted numerous times in the New Testament (Matt. 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35; Heb. 1:13), indicating that the writers of the New Testament testified unanimously that Christ’s ascension fulfilled the prophecy in Psalm 110:1. The right hand of God is the highest place in the universe. After His ascension Christ sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3). Acts 2:34 also speaks of the Lord Jesus sitting at God’s right hand, which is the position of glory, honor, and power (Exo. 15:6; 1 Kings 2:19; Mark 14:62). Sitting at the right hand of God implies Christ’s kingship. In His ascension He was made the Lord, the Christ, the Leader of the entire universe, and the Savior (Acts 2:36; 5:31; 10:36).
Christ’s ascension is not merely a matter of His being in a place but of His being in a person, the Father. In His ascension Christ entered into the Father’s being and sat down there. Christ’s ascension and His sitting on the right hand of God also stress the fact that Christ has accomplished everything for God and us, leaving nothing for us to do. His sitting at the right hand of God signifies that His work has been accomplished and that He is resting there, waiting for only one thing—for God to set His enemies as His footstool so that He may have complete rest.
Psalm 8:4-8 prophesied concerning Christ being a man, a little inferior to the angels, but in ascension being crowned with glory and honor and set over the works of God’s hands. The fulfillment of this prophecy is confirmed in Hebrews 2:6-9. The first man, Adam, who was created by God in Genesis 1, failed to accomplish God’s purpose for man. Psalm 8 then alludes in the way of prophecy to another man who will replace the first man to fulfill God’s purpose. Hebrews 2 says that this other man, the second man, who is Jesus, has come and has accomplished so much for the fulfilling of God’s desire in man. This is revealed in Genesis 1:26 and 28 and is alluded to in Psalm 8:4-8. The first man, Adam, failed, but the second man, Christ, succeeded by replacing the first man.
Hebrews 2:9 says, “We see Jesus, who was made a little inferior to the angels because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.” Glory is the splendor related to Jesus’ person; honor is the preciousness related to Jesus’ worth, value, and dignity, which is related to His position (2 Pet. 1:17; cf. 1 Pet. 2:17; Rom. 13:7). In 1 Peter 2:7 the Greek word for preciousness is the same as for honor in Hebrews 2:9. After Christ was crowned with glory and honor in His ascension, God gave Him the dominion over all things in His exaltation: “You have made Him a little inferior to the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor and have set Him over the works of Your hands” (v. 7). This is similar to what God did with Adam. Adam lost the authority that God had given him, but according to the prophecy in Psalm 8, Christ recovered what Adam lost. The same dominion has now been given to Christ as the second man. He has been crowned with glory and honor and entrusted with the divine dominion, which was lost by the first man, to rule over the entire universe created by God’s hands.