In the Gospel of Matthew, Salome requests that her sons James and John receive the honor of sitting at the right and left hands of Jesus. He replies that such positions belong only to those for whom they have been prepared by the Father. The same imagery appears in the epistle to the Ephesians, where Paul explains that although believers were once dead in sins and cut off from God, He has raised them and seated them at His right hand in Christ. This placement constitutes the highest position in the Kingdom of God, yet the Father already regards the redeemed as occupying it through Jesus Christ. The description forms part of a larger portrayal of mercy, in which God restores those separated by transgression to the closest possible fellowship with Himself and thereby demonstrates that His mercy endures forever.

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles over forty days, speaking of the kingdom of God, before ascending visibly from the Mount of Olives on the fortieth day. This ascension culminated in His being received into heaven and seated at the right hand of God, an event that enthroned Him with dominion, glory, and an everlasting kingdom. The Father instructed Him to sit there until His enemies become His footstool, combining the roles of King and High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, a position no Levitical priest could hold. This enthronement marked a decisive shift. Christ received gifts through His victory over captivity to sin and Satan, then distributed them to men, including the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost as evidence that He now occupies the place of honor and authority beside the Father. The same exaltation placed Him far above all principalities, powers, and angels, making Him Head over all things to the church and granting Him the right to intercede as the sympathetic High Priest who understands human weakness. The position at the right hand also established His ongoing work of building a dwelling place for the Father and Son through the gifts and offices given to the church. It confirmed His superiority to every created being and His authority to execute judgment when the time comes. The apostles repeatedly testified that this seating at the right hand authenticated Jesus as both Lord and Christ, enabling forgiveness of sins and empowering witnesses. The vision in Daniel of the Son of Man brought before the Ancient of Days with the clouds of heaven, the psalms foretelling the ascension and enthronement, and the descriptions in Hebrews and Revelation all converge on this single event. It set in motion the present heavenly reality in which Christ rules as Priest on His throne while waiting to complete the subjugation of His enemies, providing the foundation for the church's hope and endurance.