Expert: Clifford H. Readout, Jr. - 12/30/2009

Question
Pastor Readout,could you please help me answer these two questions please,1)is Jesus still interceding for us to the Father.2)what is meant by Jesus standing on the right hand of God,i have been blessed abundantly by your question and especially your answers page and how the Lord Jesus has been revealed to you,in all your answers no matter what the question may be,i have had these questions posed to me by a trinitarian and would humbly ask your help,as i am no scholar of the word but would love to learn more about my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
                                     thank you.

Answer
Dear George,
I answered this question for you on December 27, 2009.  Why art you asking again?

Here is the same answer I sent you two days ago.:

Questioner: George
Country: New Zealand
Category: Bible Studies
Private: Yes
Subject: intercession
Question:
Is Jesus still interceding for us daily, and is he standing on the right hand of the father whilst he is interceding.
Thank you

Dear George,

AllExperts indicates that you are from New Zealand, a nation I have enjoyed ministering in on four occasions. I am eagerly planning my next visit.  It is a truly beautiful place.

You ask two different questions, even though you relate them together.
1. Is Jesus still interceding for us daily?
2. Is He standing on the right hand of the Father (whilst He is interceding)?

I will explain why they are two separate questions by answering them with excerpts from some of my copyrighted Bible studies.  If you email me directly at <readout@gmail.com> and put "AllExperts.com Intercession Question" in the subject line, I will be happy to provide the whole lessons in PDF form, with the understanding that you will honor my copyright.

1. Is Jesus still interceding for us daily?
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The word translated "ever" is "pantote", and means "every when" or at all times.

Hebrews 7:25 has been construed by some among us to mean that Jesus will be doing the work of interceding for us forever and forever. Of course, that is not what the text says, nor does it imply it.  It does not say that "he lives forever interceding for us", but that His intercession has its effect from our initial salvation all through time to the uttermost (the full end).  The work Christ did has an endless effect.  His priesthood has an effect that lasts longer than His functioning in it.  It is the same with the merely human priesthood of Aaron.  He served his great high priestly function only once each year, but the effect lasted every day throughout the rest of the year.  He was not entering into the Holiest every day, but the one time he did it had an effect that worked every other day in that year.  Christ also entered once behind the veil for us, but His work endureth throughout all ages and generations.  He will never do it again.

2. Is He standing on the right hand of the Father (whilst He is interceding)?
The “Right Hand of God” motif (Psalm 110:1-3; Matthew 22: 42-45; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44; and Hebrews 1:13) cannot refer to a literal, physical position. The “right hand” imagery symbolizes power and authority. Christ is the Right Arm of God (See Psalm 89:13-18; 98:1-9; Isaiah 40:9-11; 52:7-10; 53:1-12; 59:16-21; 63:5; and John 12:37-41.) Christ is the power of God to accomplish his own purposes. (See Revelation 4:11; Hebrews10:5-10; Psalm 40:6-8; etc.)

If God is omnipresent, where is His right hand?  How big is it?  And if we are to insist that God has a literal right hand, may we not also insist that He is a bird with wings?
Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psalm 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Psalm 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

If God has a literal right hand, is Jesus a disobedient Son?  The command was for him to sit, and to sit until God made His enemies His footstool:
Psalm 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
But, keeping with the literal interpretation, He is seen standing, not sitting, and this was still prior to His enemies being made His footstool!
Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Even more wondrously, Jesus is not seen standing at or by the right hand, but ON it.  This would then indicate that God wasn't using His right hand for anything, since His son was standing on it.

And, if Jesus were "at" a literal, physical right hand, He and God must be facing opposite directions, since God is also at the Son's right hand:
Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Prophecy calls Jesus Christ "God's arm."  How can God's own arm sit/stand at/on His right hand?
Isaiah 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
Isaiah 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me

Prophecy refers to Jesus Christ as being God's "right hand," AND "His holy arm."  How can God's right hand sit/stand at/on His right hand?
Ps 98:1  O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

The "right hand" is an obvious symbol used throughout scripture, meaning "power," "authority," "ability," and "might."  Mark 14:62 shows this clearly, but look at all references to "right hand" in the scriptures and it becomes easy to see the symbolic use and meaning.

The scriptural imagery of Christ being on/at the "right hand of God" is declaring that "that holy thing which shall be born of thee," which was to be called "the son of God" (Luke 1:30-35) is the power of God at work in His creation; that "God manifest in the flesh" is the demonstration of God's power and authority to create, sustain, redeem, and judge.  The salvation God provided in "the lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8) was the foundation of His creating, the authority for His mercy and redemption of the corrupted, the empowering of His redeemed, and the sustaining of all life.  Jesus Christ, the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:8-10  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

I hope this helps.

Your for Truth,

CR