The Exaltation of Christ
The Session and Return
Reigning Until He Comes Again
Description
Christ currently reigns at the Father's right hand, exercising dominion over all creation and interceding for His people. This heavenly session continues until all enemies are made His footstool. He is now putting all things under His feet through the preaching of the gospel and the advance of His kingdom. Yet this present reign is not the consummation—Christ will return personally, visibly, and gloriously to judge the living and dead, resurrect His people, and establish His eternal kingdom. The same Jesus who ascended will return in like manner. This blessed hope animates Christian living, fuels evangelistic urgency, and comforts suffering saints.
Key Verses
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.