By Dr. Josh Wilson
Introduction to the Article Series
In the fall of 2022 I started preaching a sermon series called “A Political Theology for the Citizens of Heaven.” I had developed the bulk of this sermon series prior to the 2020 presidential election when I had been wrestling with and thinking through issues of politics and governance. What had propelled much of my thinking and researching during that election season was a political dilemma in which I had found myself. On the one hand I was staunchly pro-life. (I would call myself an abortion abolitionist now.) One the other hand, however, the only pro-life presidential candidate I could vote for, who had any shot of winning the presidency and changing abortion policy at the federal level, was an arrogant, ungodly reality TV star. Having worked biblically through that dilemma on my own, I wanted to give the congregation of First Baptist Church in Park Hills, Missouri, a biblical framework and foundation from which they could understand and operate within the political landscape of the 2022 midterm elections. I wanted to do this because I knew that through social media, they had been hearing and reading a variety of messages from the online evangelical world about how they should or should not be voting.
On the one hand, the people of FBC were familiar with the decades-long, probably centuries-long, conventional wisdom that says you shouldn’t mix religion and politics and that you can’t legislate morality. Also, in the online world, one major evangelical leader had been communicating to his followers that character is what matters in your political candidates. Thus, according to this leader, Christians should not be voting for candidates of questionable moral character even if they support your views on social issues. Another major evangelical leader had been communicating to his followers that they shouldn’t be one-issue voters. Thus, according to this leader, there should be room for Christians to vote for candidates with whom they disagree on social issues, but agree on other policy issues.
On the other hand, however, when I began preaching this sermon series, the people of FBC had recently learned that their home state of Missouri had just outlawed the government-sanctioned, systematic slaughtering of unborn image-bearers of God (abortion). This vile practice had been legal in Missouri since 1973, and had taken the lives of countless Missouri children. Now the only reason that the state of Missouri had outlawed this abominable practice was because in that same year, the Supreme Court of the United State had struck down Roe v. Wade.
On top of that, the only reason that the Supreme Court had struck down Roe v. Wade was because the previous U.S. president, that arrogant, ungodly reality TV star, had appointed three pro-life justices to the Supreme Court whose votes were crucial in that landmark decision. The truth of the matter was that if that previous U.S. president had not been elected to office by one-issue-voting, pro-life evangelicals, the wickedness of abortion would still be legally protected in the state of Missouri. This reality of politics and policy bringing about this right and just legal outcome in state of Missouri was not lost on the people of FBC Park Hills who had been hearing and reading these varying political opinions from the online evangelical world.
No doubt this sweeping reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022 left many other Christians, who had also been hearing and reading these varying political opinions, in the horns of a political dilemma. Should we now mix religion and politics? Is it really okay to legislate morality? Is it okay to vote for morally bankrupt candidates, especially if they will bring about outcomes like the reversal of Roe v. Wade? Is it okay to be a one-issue voter? Based upon what had just transpired in the nation that year, some of the answers to those questions were now much clearer than they once had been. However, some of the other, differing answers to those question were now not as clear as they once had been.
My 2022 sermon series, “A Political Theology for the Citizens of Heaven” was meant to help the congregation of FBC Park Hills answer those questions from an informed, biblical framework. Those series of sermons that I preached then have been edited into this series of articles that I am putting forth now. Just as those sermons were intended for the laypeople of FBC Park Hills, this series of articles is also intended for laypeople. Because of that, I have purposefully abstained from both footnotes and any theological jargon in order to make these articles as simple and logical as possible to follow. My prayer is that any laypeople who read them can have a logical and biblically informed political theology as sojourning citizens of an eternal home whose builder and founder it God.
(For those with a more robust understanding of theological concepts and categories, these forthcoming articles will eventually show that I am not a theonomist, nor a post-millennialist, and until there is an acceptable and agreed upon definition of the term, I would also not call myself a “Christian Nationalist.” What I do hold to is a reformed, two-kingdoms theology.)
The Session of Christ
I love fantasy and science fiction. I openly confess to being a fan of the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, and many other fantasy and science fiction series. When I was younger, I read countless fantasy and science fiction novels. My wife, however, one of the most avid readers I know, hates both genres with a passion. She cannot stand reading anything that could not happen in real life. Her caricaturized view of fantasy stories is that they are all about men in tights running around with swords fighting dragons and wizards. Her caricaturized view of science fiction stories is that they are all about little green aliens shooting space lasers, landing on earth in their flying saucers, and declaring, “Take me to your leader.” In order to encourage her to try reading a science fiction book, I have told her, jokingly, that such a scene could happen in real life one day, so she should give science fiction a try in order to be prepared. Such encouragement never works on her.
However, let’s do a thought experiment of our own and pretend that such a science-fiction scene happens one day in the near future. We are visited by aliens from a distant world who make First Contact with us and utter the famous phrase, “Take me to your leader.” (See what I did there, fellow Trekkies?) Here is the thought experiment: To whom would you take them? Your mayor? The governor of your state? Your President or Prime Minister? There are many leaders in positions of political power over you, and they all function at differing levels of authority, so “take me to your leader” is a complicated request. However, think about this: Right now, right where you are, what person is the highest governing authority over you and the citizens of your specific geographical region? Someone has probably come to your mind, so who are you thinking of right now? What is that person’s name? Is this person the mayor of your town or city? A mayor is certainly a governing authority, but you know that right now there is someone in a higher position of authority over you and your fellow citizens than a mayor. Did you instead think of the governor of your state or province? A governor is also a high-ranking governing authority, but again, you know that there is someone right now in a higher position of authority over you and your fellow citizens than a governor. Did you instead think of the president or prime ministry of your country? Your president or prime minister is certainly one of the highest governing authorities over you and your fellow citizens, some would even say the highest. However, right now, there is another governing authority over you and your fellow citizens whose authority supersedes even that of your country’s current president, prime minister, king, or dictator. He is King Jesus, and the Bible makes it very clear that, right now, He reigns and rules as the highest governing authority over every citizen and every system of government in this world. There is even a theological term that describes this present reign and rule of Christ. We are talking about the “session” of Christ.
You are probably familiar with theological terms like the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the ascension, and the second coming of Christ. The incarnation is a reference to God the Son taking to himself a human nature. The crucifixion is a reference to the incarnate Son of God atoning for sin through his death on the cross. The resurrection is a reference to the crucified, incarnate Son of God rising again from the dead on the third day. The ascension is a reference to the resurrected Son of God ascending up into heaven until his return. Finally, the second coming is a reference to the eventual return of the ascended Son of God. These are all important theological concepts related to the work of Christ, but sometimes the most overlooked work of Christ, a work that is very important for our discussion, is the session of Christ.
The session of Christ is a theological term used to describe the incarnate Son of God receiving from God the Father the rulership over all the nations of the earth and then “sitting down” (Latin: session, sessionis) at the right hand of God the Father upon the throne of that rulership. This theological concept is described in a handful of places in the Old and the New Testaments. One of the most foundational passages describing the session of Christ is found in Psalm 110, a psalm looking forward to Christ, what we would call a messianic psalm.
Psalm 110:1–2 (ESV) — 1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!
This specific portion of the psalm is used in many places in the New Testament as a reference to the session of Christ (Matt 22:42-44; Mark 12:35-36; 16:19; Luke 20:41-43; Acts 2:34; Eph 1:20-22; Heb 1:3, 13; 10:12-13; 12:2; 1 Pet 3:22). Now notice in this passage that Christ is bid by the Father to sit down at his right hand and to rule in the midst of his enemies until all of those enemies have been brought into subjection under his feet. Thus, Christ sitting at the right hand of God implies Christ reigning at the right hand of God. Both concepts go hand in hand with one another: sitting and reigning.
Another important passage describing the events surrounding the session of Christ is found in Daniel 7. This is another passage looking forward to Christ, what we would call a messianic passage.
Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV) — 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.
Notice in this passage that Christ is given a kingdom whose dominion extends over all peoples, nations, and languages. The phrasing of this passage is also used in several places in the New Testament in reference to Christ. In fact, throughout the gospels, over eighty occurrences in them, Jesus uses the title “Son of Man”, a title taken from this passage, as a reference to himself. He even makes allusion to this specific passage as a description of his second coming (see also Rev 14:14).
Matthew 24:30 (ESV) — 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew 26:64 (ESV) — 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 13:26 (ESV) — 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
Luke 21:27 (ESV) — 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Even later Jewish interpreters of Daniel 7, who did not believe that Jesus was the Christ, did believe that this passage was speaking of their Messiah. The Babylonian Talmud, a Jewish work, states, “If [Jews] are meritorious, [Messiah] will come with the clouds of Heaven.” The Medieval Rabbi Rashi commenting on this passage wrote, “That is the King Messiah.” Notice in this Daniel 7 passage that although there is no explicit mention of Christ sitting down to rule, there is the still the description of him receiving from the Father an unending kingdom and rulership over all peoples, nations, and languages. Christ reigning implies Christ sitting at the right hand of God. Again, with respect to the session of Christ, both concepts go hand in hand with one another.
Now the passages from Daniel and the Psalms are clearly looking forward to future events in which the coming Christ will participate, so this begs the question: When will these things take place? When will Christ receive from the Father this kingship over all the earth, and when will he take his seat at the right hand of the Father in order to exercise this reign and rule? Consider the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 14:61–62 (ESV) — 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Notice in this passage how Jesus ties together the rulership language of Psalm 110 and Daniel 7. Notice also how Jesus communicates that He will already be sitting on the throne at the right hand of God at his second coming. So according to the words of Jesus, his session will have already taken place before his second coming. But this begs another question: How soon before his second coming? Right before his second coming or long before his second coming?
Consider again the text of Daniel 7. It can shed more light on when the session of Christ will take place.
Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV) — 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.
Notice that the Son of Man in this passage, Christ, is not coming down to earth, but rather He is coming up to the Ancient of Days, the Father, to receive this rulership over all peoples, nations, and languages. Now, as we have seen, Jesus does use the language of this passage as a descriptor of what his second coming will look like (Luke 21:27; Matt 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; Rev 14:14). However, this Daniel passage is not describing Christ’s second coming; rather, it is describing the scene of heaven at the ascension of Christ when ascended there after his resurrection and appearance to his disciples. Consider the corroborating words of the angels at the Christ’s ascension.
Acts 1:9–11 (ESV) — 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
According to the angels in this passage, Jesus, in the same way that he ascended into heaven on the clouds, will also come again on the clouds just as He himself declared in the Gospels. In other words, the angels are communicating that the ascension of Christ, the Son of Man, to the Father, the Ancient of Days, will look just like the second coming of the Son of Man. In both instances, He comes upon the clouds of glory.
Daniel 7:13-14, therefore, is a picture of the events that took place just after the ascension of Christ, when he ascended to the Father, the Ancient of Days, on the clouds of heaven. Thus, Christ has already received from the Father that unending rulership over all peoples, nations, and languages. Although it is not described in the Daniel passage specifically, we can conclude from it, and from Psalm 110, and from other passages that the session of Christ at the right hand of the Father has already taken place. Christ is already seated upon the throne of the world, ruling over all peoples, nations, and languages.
Several New Testament passages describe the session of Christ as an event that has already taken place. Many of these passages, making clear allusions to Psalm 110, describe Christ as already sitting down or already at the right hand of the Father or both.
Mark 16:19 (ESV) — 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Acts 2:34-36 (ESV) — 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Acts 5:30–31 (ESV) — 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 1:3 (ESV) — 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 10:12-13 (ESV) — 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
Hebrews 12:2 (ESV) — 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider also the passages that describe Christ as already ruling over all the earth from his seat at the right hand of the Father.
Ephesians 1:19b–21 (ESV) — 19b according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
1 Peter 3:22 (ESV) — 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Lastly, consider also Paul’s words about Christ in 1 Corinthians 15.
1 Corinthians 15:24–27 (ESV) — 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.
First, Paul in this passage, not only quotes directly from Psalm 8, in verse 27, he also makes a clear allusion to Psalm 110, the “session” psalm. Notice that the language of verse 25 specifically describing the subjection of the enemies of Christ under his feet is a theological concept taken from Psalm 110:2-3, not Psalm 8. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, is making use of both passages. Second, notice also in this passage that Paul describes Christ as already ruling with a reign that will continue until everything in creation, including Christ’s enemies, is brought into submission under his feet. Finally, according to Paul, once every enemy has been brought into submission under his feet, the last enemy being death, Christ will hand over his present kingdom to God the Father. Thus, Paul in this passage is affirming that Christ is already reigning over all things (Dan 7; Ps 8) and that Christ already has enemies, though not all enemies, as a footstool for his feet (Psalm 110). In other words, Paul seems to be writing under the assumption that the session of Christ has already taken place and is now a present reality.
While many examples from the New Testament demonstrate that the session of Christ has already taken place, this theological truth has also been the confession of the church from its beginning. Consider these words from the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
The session of Christ, that is his reign and rule over all the earth, is already a present reality even though it has not yet been fully consummated like it will be in the eternal state after the second coming of Jesus when he sets up his eternal kingdom. As we have seen, this present reality of the session of Christ has been the confession of the Apostles and the Church since its founding.
Conclusion
The session of Christ should then be one of the most important theological starting points for Christians who are seeking to understand how they can and should act in their own political climates. While human civil magistrates do exercise a governing authority over all people in this present world, every single one of these magistrates exercises their authority underneath the present reign and rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. All people everywhere may have chiefs, mayors, governors, presidents, kings, or even dictators ruling over them, but the most supreme authority currently ruling over all peoples and their magistrates is the King Jesus. His reign and rule is absolute and uncontested, meaning it is not dependent upon whether all those under his authority submit to or even acknowledge it.
Christians who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, especially those living in a democracy where they have the opportunity decide with their vote the laws that will be passed and the people who will rule over them, should first and foremost recognize this reign and rule of Christ in their present political landscapes. Christians should exercise any political privilege they have, whether it be voting or serving in government, in light of and in loyal submission to the present session of Christ. In future articles, we will further explore how the session of Christ can inform a Christian’s understanding of and relationship to civil government.
Josh Wilson is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Park Hills, MO, and is a professor of Bible at Missouri Baptist University, professor of Old Testament at International Reformed Baptist Seminary, and professor of Hebrew at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a part of the leadership team for Founders Midwest and has been a speaker at the Founders Midwest Conference. If you would like more information about Founders Midwest and the annual conference, be sure to check out our Facebook page or visit our website for more information.