On the 40th day after His resurrection, Jesus Christ ascended visibly into a cloud from a slope of the Mount of Olives near Bethany. This visible departure marked the finality of His time with the apostles until His return. He had completed the work given by the Father and oriented Himself toward return to the Father. After the ascension, He was brought with the clouds of heaven before the Ancient of Days. Dominion, glory, and a kingdom were given to Him. He sat down at the right hand of God in a position of honor and rulership. The Father told Him to sit there until His enemies are made His footstool. This enthronement combined the roles of King and Priest on His throne. As Priest, He entered the heavenly Most Holy Place with His own blood. He received gifts because of His victory and gave them to men, including the Holy Spirit poured out on the 50th day. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit demonstrated that He had been exalted to the right hand of God and made both Lord and Christ. He was declared greater than the angels and given a name above every name. All angels, authorities, and powers became subject to Him. His exaltation opened the way for the government of God to operate from heaven through Him as Head of the church. He is now waiting at the Father's right hand until the time of restoration.

Jesus Christ, in His exaltation, became something He was not before, as stated in Hebrews 1:4. At the moment of His birth, He was exalted to a position He had not literally held before, becoming the New Covenant High Priest. He did not need to qualify for this role, for He was already God, performing the responsibilities throughout His ministry. As God, akin to Melchizedek, He was free to counsel as a High Priest, replacing the Old Covenant with the New. God placed His own Son in this position, just as He was already the King and the payment for our sins, fulfilling this role legally and in good order. Hebrews 1 presents Jesus Christ as holding the threefold offices of Prophet, Priest, and King simultaneously. As Prophet, He is the person through whom God spoke, as noted in Hebrews 1:2. As High Priest, He provided purification for sins, according to Hebrews 1:3. As King, He is seen ruling from His throne in the Kingdom, with His authority settled for eternity from Hebrews 1:6 onward. God placed Him in these offices because He loves righteousness and hates lawlessness, as stated in Hebrews 1:9, anointing Him with the oil of gladness above His companions. Jesus Christ has been exalted to the right side of the Father in heaven, rising from the dead by the Father's power to work together in Their plan to complete making mankind in Their image. His exaltation is further evidenced by the rightful worship He received at His birth from angels and wise men, affirming He was always God, even in the womb. Hebrews 1:8 and John 1:1-2 make it clear that addressing Him as God is appropriate, for He is the perfect image of the Father in character and purpose. In His kingly role, the Kingdom of God under Jesus Christ already exists in one sense, as those converted bear the same Spirit as the Father and Son, with Him anointed and on the throne, as revealed in Hebrews 1:8-9. His unchanging nature, as stated in Hebrews 13:8, assures that He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever, providing safety and stability amidst earthly changes. His exaltation underscores His role as the door to salvation, holding the power to save and desiring to do so for all eternity.