AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER . EPHESIANS ( 1:19-23,)

PAUL SAYS: GOD'S LIMITLESS POWER WAS AT WORK IN THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, 1:19,20.  THE SAME MIGHTY POWER IS AT WORK IN THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN CHRIST, 1:19
HE GOES ON TO SAY THAT, AFTER THAT, AFTER THE FATHER RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, "HE MADE HIM SIT AT HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES" WHAT DOES PAUL MEAN BY THIS STATEMENT?  THESE WORDS HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST, WHERE IT WAS THE CUSTOM TO PORTRAY THE RULER OF A REALM SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE "god" OF THE CITY OR NATION. THE IDEA WAS THAT THE KING RULED IN NAME OF, AND FOR, HIS god; HE HELD THE PLACE OF HONOR AND POWER. PAUL, THE, IS SAYING THAT AFTER THE FATHER RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD, HE GAVE HIM  THE PLACE OF HONOR AND POWER IN THE UNIVERSE!  CHRIST RULES AND RUNS THE UNIVERSE FOR HIS FATHER, AND HE DOES WITH THE WELFARE OF HIS CHURCH IN MIND",... FOR  THE CHURCH," EPHESIANS 1:22. CHRIST IN CHARGE OF THE UNIVERSE! THIS IS A SOURCE OF GREAT COMFORT O CHRISTIANS. IT TELLS THEM THAT HISTORY IS NOT JUST "JUST ONE FOOL THING AFTER ANOTHER".  BECAUSE OF WHAT THE FATHER ACCOMPLISHED I CHRIST THROUGH THE EVENTS OF THE CROSS AND THE EMPTY TOMB, LIFE IS NO LONGER " A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT, FULL OF SOUND AND FURY, SIGNIFYING NOTHING," AS ONE OF SHAKESPEARE'S CHARACTERS SUGGEST. IN A WAY NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS  TO HUMAN EYES, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS CONTRIBUTES TO GOD'S GRAND DESIGN FOR THE UNIVERSE. JUST THINK!  THROUGHOUT THE COUNT  
 LESS GALAXIES OF OUR CREATED ORDER, WITH ITS BILLIONS O SUNS AND PLANETS, JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. IT BOGGLES THE MIND TO THINK OUR ELDER BROTHER (MATT 12:46-50) HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH THE AUTHORITY TO RUN THE UNIVERSE, AND THE WORLD IN PARTICULAR, ACCORDING TO GOD'S PLAN. WE KNOW THE ONE WHO IS IN CHARGE! THOUGH AT TIMES MEN APPEAR TO BE IN CONTROL  OF HISTORY. CHRIST IS IN CONTROL- CHRIST, WHO

 LOVED US ENOUGH TO GIVE UP LIFE ITSELF. THEREFORE, WE CHRISTIANS HAVE A PRECIOUS SENSE OF SECURITY ABOUT LIFE, DEATH, AND ETERNITY. WE ARE IN GOOD HANDS, IN ALL PLACES AND AT ALL TIMES, PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7. REMEMBER GOD HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER CHRIST'S FEET. IN EPHESIANS 1:22, PAUL WRITES"... AND HE HAS MADE HIM HEAD OVER ALL THINGS FOR THE CHURCH." ONCE AGAIN, ANCIENT PRACTICES UNDERLIE PAUL'S MEANING. IN ANCIENT NEAR EAST, A KING HAD THE FACES AND FIGURES OF ENEMIES HE HAD OVERCOME CARVED OR WOVEN ONTO HIS FOOT STOOL. THE VISUAL MESSAGE IN RESTING HIS FEET ON THE FOOTSTOOL WAS OBVIOUS - THOSE WHOSE IMAGES APPEARED ON THE FOOTSTOOL WERE UNDER HIS AUTHORITY. PAUL'S MESSAGE, THEN, IS THAT EVERY POWER, RULE, NAME AUTHORITY, AND PRINCIPALITY IN THE UNIVERSE- WHETHER PRESENT AND FUTURE IS UNDER CHRIST FEET." THE APOSTLE GOES ON TO STRESS CHRIST RULES ALL THINGS. " FOR THE CHURCH 1:22. CHRIST'S FEET ARE RESTING ON A FOOTSTOOL THE CROWN SUPERIMPOSED ON THE FEET POINTS TO CHRIST ROLE AS AUTHORITY AS KING OF THE UNIVERSE. THE SIX SYMBOLS ON THE SIDE OF THE FOOT STOOL, 1). THE POWER OF SIN: JESUS DID NOT SUBMIT TO IT ON ANY OCCASION, JOHN 8: 46.  THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE HE WAS THE HUMBLE SERVANT WHO SOUGHT ONLY TO DO THE FATHER'S WILL., LUKE 2:42. HE BREAKS ITS HOLD ON US BY DECLARING US FORGIVEN, LUKE 7: 48-50. JESUS KEPT THE  "LAW" PERFECTLY,AND DESTROYED ITS AUTHORITY OVER HUMANITY. IN COLOSSIANS 2:13-15, PAUL USES THE PICTURE OF A ROMAN GENERAL RETURNING IN TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION AFTER CONQUERING HIS FOES TO STATE THAT CHRIST CONQUERED THE LAW. IT "DIED" WITH HIM.  NEXT FOLLOWS JUDGMENT AND CONDEMNATION. CHRIST VICTORY OVER THE LAW DESTROYED ITS AUTHORITY TO JUDGE AND CONDEMN THOSE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM, ROMANS (8:1,2,33,34).
 SATAN: CHRIST'S MINISTRY WAS A STRUGGLE TO OVER SATAN AND HIS REALM. CHRIST WON, (MARK 3 : 22-27.) 1 JOHN 3;8).
 THE HEAVENLY POWERS: THE CROWN WITH THE ASTROLOGICAL REFERS TO THE TERMS PAUL USES, EPHESIANS  1:21; 6:12; COLOSSIANS 1:16; ROMANS 8:38 CHRIST HAS AUTHORITY OVER EVERY SO-CALLED POWER IN THE UNIVERSE. HE IS LORD OF ALL!  FINALLY DEATH: CHRIST IS LORD OF DEATH AND THE GRAVE. IT MUST OBEY HIS COMMAND TO GIVE UP ITS VICTIMS. LUKE 7:11-17; JOHN 5:25-29; 11:25,26.
IN PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11, PAUL WRITES: " GOD HAS HIGHLY EXALTED CHRIST, AND BESTOWED ON HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, THAT EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH AND EVERY TONGUE CONFESS THAT  JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, TO GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.