Could Psalm 110:1 Be God's Favorite Bible Verse?
This Might Literally Be the Most Significant Verse in the World
Psalm 110:1 is one of the most profound and influential passages in the Old Testament, and its significance is underscored by its frequent citations in the New Testament. No other OT passage is quoted or alluded to as often as this single verse. One might say it is God’s favorite Bible verse. Due to the prolific number of references to this Psalm, we should pay close attention to what it teaches about God’s purposes, plans, and promises for this earth.
The verse reads: “The LORD said to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’”(Psalm 110:1).
While I won’t cite every Scripture that refers to or echoes this verse, I will spend time dealing with those passages that explain the significance of its meaning. It is interesting to note, that almost every writer in the New Testament addresses this topic multiple times. I will include one reference for each and leave the rest of the research to the reader: Matthew (Matthew 22:44), Mark (Mark 12:36), Luke (Luke 20:42), Peter (Acts 2:33), Paul (Ephesians 1:20), the Author of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:3), and John (Revelation 3:1). Only James and Jude are missing from the list. Yet, even they allude to the implications of the passage, which are inescapably tied to Christ’s victory and judgments until He returns.1
Additionally, the NT reveals the identity of other characters that reference this passage as well, including the Apostles (Acts 5:29-30), David (Luke 20:42), Steven (Acts 7:55), the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:36), and Jesus (Matthew 22:44).
One could argue that Psalm 110:1 is the central theme of the Bible and the driving force behind the gospel of Christ. Let’s explore its meaning, timing, fulfillment, and implications for the future of this realm we call earth.
Background of Psalm 110:1
Psalm 110:1 is a prophetic Scripture that speaks of the promised Messiah. In the original context, it is a Psalm, where David records a dialogue between two divine figures: "The LORD" (YHWH) and "my Lord" (Adonai). David's use of "my Lord" demands that the Messiah is superior to David. Jesus quotes this verse when questioning the Pharisees about the identity of the Christ. In the passage, YHWH invites Adonai to sit at His right hand, a place of honor, authority, and power, until all His enemies are subdued and placed under His feet, signifying total victory and dominion. We know this speaks of the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. Let us investigate the Scripture to learn more about the implications of this passage in time and history.
New Testament Citations and Allusions
Since Psalm 110:1 is the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament, it is imperative to study the quotations and allusions to understand the significance of the verse. We will start with the Gospels and the testimony of Jesus.
Jesus Says The Messiah Is Divine
Jesus sought to show the Pharisees that the Messiah existed before David and was therefore of divine origin.
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
They said to Him, “The Son of David.”
He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”
And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
Matthew 22:41-46
By highlighting that David called the Messiah "Lord," Jesus emphasizes that the Messiah is greater than David and not merely a descendant, i.e., the Son of David, but rather David’s Lord. This establishes Christ’s divine authority and eternal kingship. See also Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42-43. Plus, it alludes to the fact that when Messiah sits at the right hand of God, He would be serving a specific purpose: namely to rule until all of Christ’s enemies are a footstool for His feet.
“The allusion is to the custom of conquerors treading upon the necks of the conquered.”2
To fully appreciate the rule and reign of Christ, it is helpful to understand the timing of when Christ sat down on the throne of glory to begin subduing all His enemies.
When Did Jesus Sit At The Right Hand?
When on trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus testified, “Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69). What time frame is meant by “hereafter”? Christ is referring to His ascension. Mark testifies to this: “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19). The author of Hebrews also testifies to this three times. “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). See also Hebrews 1:3; 12:2.
Despite the modern notion that the Bible is a book of doom and gloom with the world growing worse and worse until Christ returns, we shall see that the Scripture takes a starkly different approach to history. The ascension of Christ encapsulates victory over death and the present sovereign reign of the King of kings and Lord of lords over the affairs of men and nations. Daniel 7 vividly illustrates this monumental event and reveals its far-reaching ramifications.
The Significance of the Ascension
Daniel 7:13-14 describes a vision of “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven “up” to the Ancient of Days and being given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. This prophecy is widely interpreted in Christian theology as foretelling Christ’s ascension and subsequent enthronement. If you’d like more evidence that Daniel 7:13 refers to the ascension of Christ, check the footnotes.3
What then, is the result of the ascension?
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.Daniel 7:14
At Christ’s ascension, He was given everlasting dominion, glory, and an eternal kingdom so that all peoples, nations, and languages should SERVE Him.
Legally, this is what happened at the ascension. Jesus Christ was granted total dominion over the entire cosmos. From that time onward, it would be the church’s job to work toward that mission in time and history through preaching the gospel and declaring the crown rights of Jesus over all creation.
Think of this as akin to God promising the Land to Abraham. The promise was not fulfilled overnight. It took many centuries to occur. The promises to Abraham continue to be fulfilled in Christ to this day and extend to the cosmos. “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world (cosmos) was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13). This lines up precisely with Daniel 7:13-14.
Consider also that David was anointed King of Israel legally many years before he took the throne. Even the New Testament speaks of the gradual growth of the kingdom as peoples are more and more subjected to Christ and His Law-word.
These promises of victory began well before they were given to Daniel and Abraham.
A Promise with Deeper Roots
It is critical to note that the promise that Christ would be the heir of the world has roots deeper than the Patriarchs and Prophets. The promise began in Genesis 3:15 at the protoevangelium:
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.
The bruising of the serpent’s head was promised after the Fall of mankind and was fulfilled at the cross. This death blow foreshadows an ever-decreasing reign of the powers of darkness and an ever-increasing expanse of God’s kingdom of light.
Sometimes, we look at the world around us and forget that the reality of Christ’s kingdom started with 12 disciples and grew to 70. Soon, there were 120 in the upper room. Next, thousands were coming to Christ. Today, we can see the residual effects of the gospel everywhere. Even those walking in darkness cannot have the freedoms and blessings they enjoy apart from this truth.
The kingdom may ebb and flow like all upward movements we observe. But God always takes steps to get the church back on track when she loses faith. We are in that kind of season. The only way to get back on track is to remember the power and provision of our reigning Lord. Only then can we operate from a position of faith and not defeat.
On his deathbed, Jacob (Israel) prophesied of this conquering Messiah who would come from the tribe of Judah.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people [nations].Genesis 49:10
What is the obedience of the nations he speaks of?
At Christ’s ascension, He was given everlasting dominion, glory, and an eternal kingdom so that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve [OBEY] Him.
That’s the obedience of the nations prophesied as far back as Genesis.
Christ Commissions the Church
When we understand the plan and purpose of Christ, even the promise that God’s glory should fill the earth as the waters cover the sea (Exodus 14:21; Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14, etc.) — we can make sense of His Great Commission to the church.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20
Have we forgotten the power of God, the promises of victory, and the provision of the cross? Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth, and He has commissioned us in that power to do what He already promised, even total dominion so that ALL peoples and nations will serve Him.
However, it takes faith to overcome.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4
Will you believe?
Let’s return to our review of Psalm 110:1.
Peter’s First Sermon After Pentecost
In the very first sermon after the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, Peter preached about the exaltation of Christ to God’s right hand.
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Acts 2:32-36
But Peter didn’t stop there.
Peter’s Second Sermon After Pentecost
Later, after healing a lame man, Peter preached yet another sermon. This is a long passage, but there are several critical elements I will draw out. Emphasis is mine.
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
— Acts 3:19-26
Let’s break down a few of these points which speak to everything I’ve shared from the Scripture thus far:
Repentance brings times of refreshing. This is true at a personal, familial, and societal level. Read afresh the Old Testament and the importance of turning from sin and turning to God’s Law. God doesn’t change. Obedience brings natural and supernatural blessings.
Heaven must receive Christ until the restoration of all things. Most people get this backward, thinking that when Christ returns He will restore all things. When Christ returns, there will only be ONE enemy left to destroy, death (1 Corinthians 15:25). This happens at the resurrection when death itself is thrown into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15). We will see this theme repeated when we look at verses from 1 Corinthians and Hebrews.
God has spoken about these things from all His holy prophets. When the prophets of old spoke of the days of Messiah, they spoke of blessings (Genesis 18:18), long life (Isaiah 65:20), obedience (Daniel 7:27), nations seeking after God’s Law (Isaiah 42:4), wars ceasing (Psalm 46:9), and many additional Messianic benefits that come from Christ. He paid for the victory on the cross, plundered the enemy (Colossians 2:15), and gave His church every spiritual blessing to succeed (Ephesians 1:3). And He is reigning from heaven NOW and we are reigning with Him NOW (Ephesians 2:4-7; Colossians 3:1).
Christ came to BLESS all the nations of the earth. Somehow we have reduced Christianity to a chore, a duty, and a burden. Yet, God sent Christ to bless the entire world. This is the heart of the gospel. Salvation is not merely about personal piety and eternal life. Rather, it includes reversing the curse so that His will can be done on earth even as it is in heaven. This honors God, hallows His name, blesses the world, and forwards justice and righteousness on earth. God desires this and promises He will not rest until it is accomplished (Isaiah 9:6-7; 42:4). The Bible says that even the creation groans under the weight of sin, waiting eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God (Romans 8:18-22). Why? Because the land is defiled by sin (Leviticus 18:25). When more and more people submit to Christ, obeying everything He commands, even the creation will experience relief from her groaning.
The blessing comes through repentance and obedience. This theme is repeated throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Obedience is critical for God to bless a people or nation. Jesus had to make a way for us to be forgiven of our sins and walk in obedience through the power of the Spirit. It is NOT an outward obedience that brings blessings. The Pharisees had that and came under God’s wrath to the utmost. Christ came to write the Law of God on our hearts so that we’d cheerfully obey. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
This brings to mind one of my all-time favorite Bible verses. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
God rewards obedience. But it takes faith.
Will you believe?
The Apostle Paul and the Right Hand of God
Of all the NT writers, the Apostle Paul is preeminent in discussing Psalm 110:1 and its implications. I will look at material from only a portion of his writings, particularly from those that have most influenced my understanding of the present reign of Christ.
Colossians and Ephesians
I lump these two books together because they share and complete a theme. First, in Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul makes it abundantly clear that he wants us to KNOW these things. He wants us to have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, the eyes of our understanding open so that we may KNOW:
The hope of His calling;
The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints; and
The exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.
And all this is by the working of God’s mighty resurrection power and the power of the Christ that sits at the right hand of God. This power toward us who believe is “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
But Paul doesn’t stop there in Ephesians. He continues, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to behead over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Paul states that Christ has given the responsibility of His headship to the church. Note: This passage does not say that Christ is the head of the church. Yes. He is the head of that too. But that’s not what this passage says. Instead, it says God has put ALL things under Christ’s feet (Psalm 110:1) and gave Him to be head over ALL things TO the church, not OF the church. The implication is that the church is to be a steward that proclaims Christ’s Lordship over everything. And I will prove this when we look at Colossians. I mentioned these books worked together to make a complete picture. So, let’s jump over there now.
Colossians 1:9-20 is closely related to Ephesians 1:15-23, with a few exceptions. Most glaringly, Paul states here that Christ is the head OF the church. This differs from Ephesians in wording, but not in purpose. Paul explains to what end Christ is head of the church, namely, “that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Splendidly, Paul defines exactly what ALL THINGS are in verse 16: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”
The purpose of the church is to declare Christ’s preeminence over all creation, teaching the world to obey Him, just as He prophesied as far back as Genesis 49:10. When it says that God has placed all things under Christ’s feet, that includes the invisible powers of darkness and those held under their sway. His rule extends to every sphere, discipline, person, idea, philosophy, religion, and everything in His creation whether visible or invisible.
God wants to reconcile everything in the world to Christ, and He paid for it at the cross. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
God has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18), the power to accomplish it, and the promise of its certainty.
Will you believe?
Let’s move on to Romans.
Romans
I will not spend as much time here as I did above. There is only one point I wish to make. Paul opens this book with a recurring theme: the obedience of the nations.
Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nationsfor His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:5).
Paul closes Romans with the same theme. It is as if the idea of the obedience of the nations acts as the book ends to a larger theme, namely, the rule and reign of Messiah at the right hand of God.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith — to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen
Romans 16:25-27
Since Christ is at the right hand of God, the church must teach the nations to obey God’s law — even as Christ commissioned the church (Matthew 28:18-20).
Yet, Paul gives no illusion that this task would be easy. Smack dab in the middle of Romans, Paul shares what hardships some would face as they bring the gospel to bear on all of life. Yet, God commands us all to march forward in His mighty power. When we face death, persecution, hunger, distress, peril, or the sword — we are still more than conquerors. Why? Because Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf. Hear it from Paul. Emphasis is mine.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:31-39
I especially love that while Christ is on His throne ruling and reigning, He is also praying for us just like He did for Peter when Satan sought to sift him. What an incompressible thought that Jesus Christ is making intercession for us.
1 Corinthians
This is the final book we will examine by the Apostle Paul. Not only is 1 Corinthians 15 a significant chapter when discussing Biblical Cosmology (1 Corinthians 15:40-41), but it is also a significant passage for discussing Hopeful Eschatology. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, Paul lays out what must occur before the end of history as we know it. I will share the passage and make some comments. Emphasis is mine.
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
The immediate thing to notice in this passage is that those not in Christ are still dead in their trespasses and sins.
If you have not trusted Christ for the forgiveness of sins — or are not seeking to live a life of obedience — I implore you to turn from your sin and trust Christ alone as your Savior. His offer is not as free as some suppose. It cost Him His life. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. Christ paid the penalty for the sins of those who come to Him in faith. Those who do not trust Christ will pay for their own sins for eternity.
This passage also teaches that Christ will return one day to tie up all the loose ends of history, raise the dead, give new bodies to those who yet live, judge the living and the dead based on their deeds, and usher us all into the eternal state. At that time, the heaven above the firmament, including the mansions Christ prepared for His children, will come down to earth — and heaven and earth will be forever joined together.
Finally, according to this and other passages we have examined, this will happen after Christ has subdued or had victory over all His enemies, save one: death. This is what "He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet" means. We have already seen that Christ is reigning NOW in heaven. This passage teaches that He must continue reigning there until He has destroyed all other rule, power, and authority contrary to His.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. This happens at the resurrection. Jesus will return to a bride without spot or wrinkle. This should motivate the church to keep fighting the good fight, keep tearing down strongholds, and keep taking dominion back for the Lord Jesus Christ.
For those who have questions about the final rebellion (sometimes called Satan’s Little Season) mentioned in Revelation 20, I commend this sermon by Phillip Kayser: The Last Rebellion.
Even if you are not convinced by the biblical arguments I have presented that Christ must reign from heaven until all His enemies are subdued, you ought to live like it. Why? Because Christ commands it.
When the apostles were overly concerned with the end, Jesus instructed them to focus on building the kingdom in the power of the Spirit. And look how they turned the world upside down. We ought to do the same.
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:6-8
The Apostle Paul understood the significance of Christ’s present rule from heaven. He instructed the church to proclaim Christ’s preeminence over all created things visible and invisible in the mighty power of God — and to keep proclaiming it until the last day.
The Book of Hebrews and Christ’s Exaltation
Though there is debate over the authorship of Hebrews, there is no question that the author also understood that Christ was ruling from heaven and He was the Preeminent One over all creation.
The book opens with talk of the exalted Christ. Emphasis is mine.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
— Hebrews 1:1-3
Notice that the author speaks of these last days. Just as we can wrongly assume that references to Jesus' “coming” always mean the end of the world [see footnote 1], we can make the same mistake with the phrase “last days.” Here specifically, the author was writing to an audience 2,000 years removed from our understanding. For these words to have any meaning at all — they must have meant something to the original reader first. Hebrews continues to talk about the end of the Old Covenant, which was finally done away in and around 70AD with the destruction of Jerusalem.
We also see the idea of inheritance once again. Jesus Christ has been appointed heir of all things. What was it that Jesus was to inherit?
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.— Psalm 2:8
Do you think Jesus forgot to ask? Hebrews has the answer. God appointed Jesus as the heir of all things, even the nations, the ends of the earth, and the whole cosmos.
He paid for it at the cross.
And He upholds all things by the word of His power. Wait…I thought it was gravity that did that. No. It is Jesus, the reigning the Messiah. When you are tempted to believe that Klaus Schwab is calling the shots and Albert Bourla is dolling out the clots — stop. God is in control. He is allowing these wicked men to have power because that’s what happens when we stop proclaiming the Lordship of Christ over all creation.
God cannot lie. He MUST discipline a fruitless church, and He MUST bring curses upon a culture that is steeped in wickedness. The blood of the innocent is crying out against us. We deserve much worse than we received in 2020. And I suspect we will receive worse and worse judgments until we repent.
Have we gone too far to turn around? If so, God will allow a wilderness generation to die off, an idol-worshipping generation to be enslaved, or a wicked generation to be destroyed.
God gave us the stories of the Old Testament as warnings.
But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.1 Corinthians 10:5-11
Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Majesty. We best submit to Him lest we also be destroyed.
But there are more warnings in Hebrews that we need to heed.
Hebrews 10 and 12 include much commentary about the implications of the present reign of Christ at the right hand of Majesty. I encourage you to read both chapters. I will draw out a few points that you can go back and study yourself.
Jesus was the final sacrifice for sin and now sits at the right hand of God (10:12; 12:10);
Christ is waiting in heaven until all His enemies are His footstool (10:13);
His offering has forever perfected those being sanctified (10:14);
He promises to write His law on our hearts and minds (10:16);
Because of His sacrifice, we can come boldly to the throne of majesty (10:19-23);
While there we can ask Him anything according to His will (application);
If we know it is according to His will — He will give us that thing (application);
We know it is His will to subdue all His enemies (application);
When we pray in faith the demons and deceptions will begin to fall (application);
We have an entire book of God-approved prayers to tear down God’s enemies (Imprecatory Psalms);
Live a righteous life and accept God’s chastisement (12:1-17);
We now have access to the Heavenly Jerusalem through Christ (12:22-24);
God is in the process of shaking away all evil from the earth so that only the things which cannot be shaken remain (12:25-27);
God’s kingdom cannot be shaken so be about His business in reverence and fear (12:28-29).
Can you see how the theme of Christ’s victory runs through and through the Scripture?
I will finish off this discussion with additional testimony from the Apostle Peter.
More Praises from Peter
Peter wrote his first epistle to those suffering hardship and tribulation, to a church scattered by edicts and persecutions. We, too, could face such trouble due to God’s chastisement and judgments on a world that has turned away from Christ’s law.
Yet, God’s discipline and judgments are always redemptive, meaning that He brings them about as a way to correct an erring people or to destroy evildoers that are beyond redemption so He can preserve His people.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
—1 Peter 3:18-22
This short passage starts with the suffering of Christ for our sins, the righteous One for the unrighteous many, but it finishes with the victory of the resurrection, ascension, and reign of Christ.
Without humility and suffering, Christ could not have been exalted to the right hand of God. We too need to walk in humility and accept suffering as Christ did. If you are living a life of obedience to Christ in this sin-steeped world, you are likely facing some sort of persecution already. Bear it patiently and let God lift you up in due time.
Notice what else happened from Christ’s death, resurrection, and exaltation: angels, authorities, and power were made subject to Him. Because we share in His power and are reigning with Him, the demons are also subject to us. This is WHY we can win this battle against evil. We only need to remember the power of Christ, the purpose of His reign, and the promise of His victory.
The Battle Cry of Victory
Christ is seated at the right hand of power, waiting there until all of His enemies are a footstool for His feet. God has granted Him the inheritance of nations and the ends of the earth as His possession. It was paid for at the cross and given at the ascension. And He has commissioned the church to get it for Him.
Let’s go in Christ’s power, make disciples of the nations, baptize them in the name of the triune God, and teach them to obey everything Christ has commanded.
Let’s take up our mighty spiritual weapons loaded with resurrection power and begin “pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when” our “obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
Let’s declare the crown rights of Jesus over all of creation. It’s His rightful inheritance, and as joint heirs with Christ, it belongs to us too. The devil has no claim on what belongs to Christ. The meek shall inherit the earth.
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).
Do you believe?
One common misconception about the Return of Christ is that every time the Bible mentions Jesus “coming” — we assume that means His Return. That is not the case. I will share two examples here. Hopefully, in the future, I can address this topic more fully. In John 14:18, Jesus says, “ I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” In this passage, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit, who came at Pentecost. In Revelation 2:16, Jesus says, “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” This passage is not saying that if the people don’t repent He will return sooner. Rather, Jesus is referring to “coming” in judgment. Many passages in the NT that speak of Jesus “coming” refer to this same idea, which came from the Old Testament. See Micah 1:3 for example. “For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down And tread on the high places of the earth.”
Gill’s Exposition: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/psalms/110.htm
In Acts 1:9-11, we read about Jesus being taken into heaven and the promise of His return in the same manner. Following this, Acts 2:32-36 records Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, where he declares, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God…” Peter ties the resurrection and ascension directly to Christ being seated at the right hand of God.
Furthermore, Hebrews 1:3 states, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” This verse emphasizes that Jesus sitting at God’s right hand followed His redemptive work on the cross and His resurrection, aligning with the timing of the ascension.
Commentators and Church Fathers testify (this is not an exhaustive list):
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary on Daniel 7:13: “This investiture was at His ascension "with the clouds of heaven" (Ac 1:9; 2:33, 34; Ps 2:6-9; Mt 28:18).”
Matthew Poole Commentary on Daniel 7:13: “This relates to his ascension, Acts 1:9-11, at which time, though King before, Matthew 2:2, yet now, and not before, he seems to receive his royal investiture for the protection of his church and the curbing of their enemies.”
Geneva Bible notes on Daniel 7:13: “That is, when he ascended into the heavens, and his divine majesty appeared, and all power was given to him, in respect that he was our mediator.”
John Calvin’s Commentary on Daniel 7:13: “It afterwards follows, He came to the Ancient of days This, in my judgment, ought to be explained of Christ's ascension; for he then commenced his reign, as we see in numberless passages of Scripture.”
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Daniel 7:9-14: “Some refer this to his incarnation; he descended in the clouds of heaven, came into the world unseen, as the glory of the Lord took possession of the temple in a cloud. The empires of the world were beasts that rose out of the sea; but Christ's kingdom is from above: he is the Lord from heaven. I think it is rather to be referred to his ascension; when he returned to the Father the eye of his disciples followed him, till a cloud received him out of their sight, Acts 1:9.”
Eusebius of Caesarea, in his “Ecclesiastical History,” page 9, ties Daniel 7 to the ascension of Christ.
Saint Augustine, in his work “The City of God,” connects Daniel’s vision with the ascension of Christ. See page 863.