Acts 7:55-56 „55 But he, being filled with the Holy Spirit and having his eyes fixed to heaven, saw the glory of Elohim and Yehoshua standing out of the right hands of Elohim. 56 And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of human standing out of the right sides of Elohim“

This spiritual vision was received by Stephen, the first martyr. It was the reason for his stoning. Among religious people and those who have (as yet) little insight into the overall message of the Bible, this vision can lead to the mistaken belief that two persons are seated or standing at the heavenly throne. Our aim is to provide clarification on this matter through this treatise.

1) The Throne of Elohim

First, let us imagine the setting Stephen must have seen in his vision and consider the statements of Yehoshua himself. The following scene took place during the interrogation before the Sanhedrin:

„61 … Again the high priest asked him, and says to him: Are you the Mashiah, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Yehoshua said: I, I AM. And you will see the Son of human sitting out of the right sides of power and coming on the clouds of heaven“ (Mark 14:61–62).

A little earlier, Yehoshua (Jesus) had already confided to his disciples on the Mount of Olives:

„31 And when the Son of human comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 And all the nations will be gathered together before him. And he will separate them one from another, like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats“ (Matthew 25:31–32).

The following facts emerge from the three Bible passages read so far:

Yehoshua is referred to as the Son of Man.
Elohim (God) is and has the power.
The glory of Elohim refers to his throne.
Yehoshua passes judgement.
Yehoshua, who stands at the right hand, also sits at the right hand and at the same time sits on the throne! Who but Elohim can do such a thing?

One might well claim that there is a throne for Elohim and one for Yehoshua. But this is clearly refuted in Revelation:

„2 And immediately I appeared in spirit. And, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3 And he sitting had the appearance of a jasper and a sardius stone. And a rainbow around the throne, of an appearance like an emerald“ (Revelations 4:2–3).

„1 And I saw upon the right hand of him who sits on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed with seven seals. […] 5 And one out of the elders says to me: Do not weep! Behold, he has conquered, the Lion being of the tribe of Yehudah, the root of David, to open the book, and to loose its seven seals. 6 And I saw, and, behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living beings, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of Elohim sent into all the Earth. 7 And he came and took the book from the right hand of him sitting on the throne„ (Revelations 5:1, 5–7).

„And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals …“ (Revelations 6:1).

We gather from these three texts

This is the throne of Elohim, not several.
To the right of the one on the throne, that is, exactly where one would expect to find the Son of Man (!), there is a book.
The Lion of the tribe of Yehuda (Judah), who is also the root of David, was supposed to open the book. In fact, however, the book is opened by the Lamb, which means that the Lion is the Lamb.
The Lamb sits on the throne, yet at the same time takes the book from the hand / right hand of the one sitting on the throne. So are there two persons sitting on the throne? If so, one would be sitting on top of the other! Nowhere else in the Bible does it ever say that there are two people on the throne. It is the throne of the one Elohim!
Elohim is ONE who sits on the throne: the Lamb, the Lion, the Son of Man, who holds the book and who looks like precious stones. We can only marvel at his mysteries and manifestations, but never fathom them with our human minds.

2) The Son of Man

Our opening Bible passage states: „And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of human standing out of the right sides of Elohim“ (Acts 7:56).

Of this Son, the Epistle to the Colossians says: „Who is the image of the invisible Elohim, the firstborn of all creation„ (Colossians 1:15).

But why is Yehoshua repeatedly referred to as the Son of Man, particularly in Luke (who wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles)?

The Incarnation

Elohim cannot be seen, for he is spirit (John 4:24). It required the incarnation of Elohim. Since he was born on this earth as a human being, he is also called the Son of Man.

For the Jewish people, Stephen’s vision of the exalted Son of Man must have been, on the one hand, something particularly provocative (for opponents) and, on the other hand, something very joyful (for believers in the new way), since they had been waiting for the Mashiah (Messiah), who had to fulfil various human criteria. In the Old Covenant, for example, it was prophesied concerning this Son of Man that he would be the son of David and that he would be a priest.

The Son of David

The Saviour expected by the Jews was to be a descendant of David, and thus the son of a man. In the case of Yehoshua, this applies in two ways, as both his adoptive father Joseph (from the line of Solomon) and his mother Mary (from the line of Nathan) were descended from David [1].

In Jeremiah 23:5–6 we read something astonishing: „5 Behold, the days come, says YHWH, that I will raise to David a righteous Sprout, and a King will reign and prosper, and will execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Yehudah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he will be called. YHWH-Tsidkenu„ (which means „YHWH our righteousness“).

According to Israeli law, David’s descendants inherited David’s kingship. According to our text, however, this particular descendant was to inherit not only earthly kingship but also the divine name! This had been revealed to Moses at the burning bush: „YHWH“ [2] (Exodus 3:14). The fact that the King’s son was to be named after Elohim himself must trigger a genuine „aha moment“ for us! Yehoshua also confirms this statement:

„… Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, so that they may be one, just as we are“ (John 17:11).

The man Yehoshua hereby admits that he has inherited Elohim’s name and is therefore Elohim! In fact, the name „Jesus“ is merely an abbreviation of the Hebrew „YEHOSHUA“, which translates as: „YaHWeH saves“. Since he saves people from unrighteousness, Yehoshua can also – as with Yirmeyah – be called „YaHWeH, our righteousness“. Thus, the promised royal descendant of David is not merely a human being, but Elohim Himself! This fulfils the extraordinary promise made to David that his throne will endure forever, even though a human descendant of David’s own flesh and blood will sit upon it (2 Sam 7:12–13).

The Priest

Tehilim/Psalm 110:4 foretells: „YHWH has sworn, and will not repent, You are a priest forever after the order of Malkiy-Tsedeq“

Once again, the insights we have just gained apply here: to be an eternal priest, Yehoshua must be divine.

Nevertheless, Yehoshua’s being fully human played an important role:

„14 Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Yehoshua the Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things in like manner, without sin“ (Hebrews 4:14–15).

The high priests of the time, together with the religious elite in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), were confronted by this simple man, who, in a reformist spirit and without mincing his words, questioned and challenged all human traditions. They had to admit that behind Jesus’ words and deeds lay divine authority:

„1 But there was a man out of the Pharisees, Nikodemos his name, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This one came to Yehoshua by night and said to him: Rabbi, we know that you are a Teacher come from Elohim, for no one can do the signs that you do, except Elohim be with him“ (John 3:1–2).

All the more was Yehoshua of Nazareth a thorn in their side, as the majority of these people were not prepared to repent. Since they did not wish to have their status challenged, they sought an opportunity to kill this Yehoshua (Mark 14). They did not know that in doing so they were fulfilling Elohim’s plan, which from the very beginning had provided for a pure sacrifice to be offered.

The human sacrifice

For Yehoshua was not only the High Priest who offers sacrifices, but also the sacrifice itself! He had to die as the Son of Man so that he might be a credible sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 4:15). As Elohim or the Son of Elohim alone, it would have been nothing extraordinary for him to defeat the former law or Satan and his demons or human flesh along with its sins.

He triumphed as the Son of Man, and did so in firm faith in the Father (1 John 5:4) and in obedience to the Father to the very end (Philippians 2:8), even when Elohim had already forsaken him:

„… Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is: My El, my El, why have you forsaken me?“ (Matthew 27:46).

The man Yehoshua of Nazareth had to endure the punishment for all sin in his flesh. He therefore became a curse as a human being:

„Mashiah has redeemed us away from the curse of the torah, having become a curse on our behalf, for it is written: Cursed, everyone that hangs on a wood“ (Galatians 3:13).

Elohim cannot be cursed; therefore, Yehoshua was cursed in his humanity, not as Elohim. Nietzsche’s philosophy, „God is dead“, is thus entirely incorrect. Anyone who invokes this to avoid having to believe in Elohim is following a false doctrine.

3) The Opened Heavens

With this background knowledge regarding the Son of Man, we shall next examine why it was so revolutionary that Stephen saw the heavens opened:

„And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of human standing out of the right sides of Elohim“ (Acts 7:56).

The closed heavens

Several Bible passages indicate that the closed heavens are always a sign of human sin and separation from Elohim.

„26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; 27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel …“ (2 Chronicles 6:26-27).

„1 Behold, the hand of YHWH is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your Elohim, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear“ (Isaiah 59:1–2).

The books of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1) and Daniel (Daniel 2:28) show that when the heavens are open, Elohim reveals his secrets, that is, grants his people enlightenment and understanding. However, if heaven remains closed, this signifies not only earthly drought—that is, no rain—but also spiritual death:

„My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge“ (Hosea 4:6).

From the very beginning, that is, after the Fall and the expulsion from Paradise, people sought this knowledge and thus access to heaven by their own means. This failed, however, as the Tower of Babel demonstrated. Many people, such as the Gnostics or followers of Far Eastern religions, still attempt today to reach heaven or divinity by their own means.

How much better it would be for them to accept the work of the Cross of Yehoshua! For only Elohim Himself was able to remove the separation between heaven and earth, and so in Isaiah 63:19 we read this plea to Elohim: „Oh that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down, …“

Yehoshua as the Opener of Heaven

Through the incarnation of the Son of Elohim and the death and resurrection of this Son of Man, Yehoshua of Nazareth, the above-mentioned plea of Yesha’yah (Isaiah) was fulfilled 700 years later. Through Stephanos, Elohim proclaimed that there is now an opening in heaven, meaning the work was accomplished!

The exaltation of the Son of Man to the throne of Elohim offers believers great assurance. For this also means that everyone who belongs to the Son of Man has access to heaven, to the throne of Elohim, by grace, because Yehoshua went there for us as our forerunner, as the firstborn of creation! Let us hear what the Epistle to the Hebrews has to say on this:

„15 For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things in like manner, without sin. 16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy, and find grace, for seasonable help„ (Hebrews 4:15–16).

„19 Which we have (namely, the hope we possess) as an anchor of the soul, not only sure but also firm, and entering into that within the veil, 20 where Yehoshua has entered as a forerunner for us …“ (Hebrews 6:19–20).

The curtain between us and heaven was removed by the Son of Man:

„51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52 And the sepulchers were opened …“ (Matthew 27:51–52).

From now on, every person may ask Elohim for forgiveness of their sins without an intermediary (Levites, priests or other clergy); heaven opens up for them and they have direct access to Elohim!

Yehoshua told us in John 10:7,9: „I, I am the Door“. Without him there is no entry into heaven: „This gate of the YHWH, into which the righteous will enter„ (Psalms 118:20).

4) The Right Hand of YaHWeH

We shall now seek to understand why Yehoshua is seen at the right hand of Elohim’s glory, and whether we can conclude from this expression that two persons reign in heaven. To this end, we shall primarily examine passages from the Prophets and Psalms that explain to us what „the right hand of YHWH“ actually is.

The right hand in human terms

First, let us look at the passages that speak of the right hand of man. We read in Psalms 91:7:

„A thousand will fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come nigh you“.

From these words, it may be assumed that “side” refers to the left side, since the right side is mentioned specifically. This „right hand“ appears to be particularly strong; otherwise, even more people would not fall there.

If we examine 2 Corinthians 6:7, this is confirmed: „… in the power of Elohim, through the weapons of righteousness of the right hands and of the left„.

This passage is rendered in some other translations as follows: „… God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense„ (New Living Translation – NLT).

We recognise that the right hand is used for attack. It is the side that symbolises strength, power and victory.

The right hand of YHWH as the arm of Elohim

The human arm or hand cannot exist separately from the human being. My limbs carry out the actions conceived in my brain. That is why I am one and the same person. One can imagine it in the same way with Elohim and his arm – Yehoshua, the man. It is one and the same Elohim.

„… O sing to YHWH a new song; for he has done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, has gotten him the victory„ (Psalms 98:1).

It is therefore clear that the right hand refers to Elohim’s arm (see also Isaiah 53:1). Since Acts 7 describes Yehoshua as the one who is at the right hand of Elohim, this must therefore be Yehoshua Mashiah (Jesus Christ).

John 17:4 also shows that this arm of Elohim does what the Father commands him:

„I glorified you on Earth, I have finished the work that you have given me to do“.

The right hand of YaHWeH as salvation

If we continue reading Psalms 98, we discover that this right hand, the arm of Elohim, proclaims salvation:

„1 A Psalm. O sing to YHWH a new song; for he has done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, has gotten him the victory. 2 YHWH has made known his salvation: his righteousness has he openly shown in the eyes of the nations. 3 He has remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Elohim“ (Psalms 98:1–3).

Salvation is another word for deliverance: „YHWH has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our Elohim“ (Isaiah 52:10).

The salvation (the healing) of Elohim is Yehoshua Mashiah. His name means „YHWH saves“ in Hebrew. How exactly YHWH saves is described in Isaiah 53. There, the sacrifice and suffering of Yehoshua Mashiah are foretold, through which not only Israel but also the nations will be saved. For this reason, the chapter begins with the following question:

„Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of YHWH revealed?“ (Isaiah 53:1).

Indeed, the arm of YHWH brings salvation only to those who believe in it: in the proclamation of the Gospel.

As the Servant/Arm of YHWH, Yehoshua – as already stated in John 17:4 – does what is commanded of him. Thus, what was mentioned in chapter 2 is confirmed here as well: The right hand of YHWH obediently carries out what is prescribed for it:

„5 Let this mind be in you, which is also in Mashiah Yehoshua, 6 who, being in the form of Elohim, did not consider it robbery to be equal to Elohim. 7 But he emptied himself taking the form of a slave, and was made in the likeness of human beings, 8 and being found in figure as a human being, he lowered himself, becoming obedient until death, moreover the death of the cross. 9 Therefore Elohim also has highly exalted him to supreme majesty and given him the name which is above every name, 10 so that in the name of Yehoshua every knee should bow, of existing in heaven, and of existing on earth, and things under earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Yehoshua Mashiah is Lord, to the glory of Elohim the Father“ (Philippians 2:5–11).

Thus the Servant became Lord over all, which brings us to the next aspect of YHWH’s right hand.

The right hand as an expression of power

We have just heard that Yehoshua is highly exalted. In Psalms 118:16 we also read:

„Die Rechte des YHWH ist erhoben! Die Rechte des YHWH tut mächtige Taten!“

Once again, we can marvel at how many details were already given to us in the Old Covenant, which were then fulfilled through Yehoshua Mashiah!

He who is exalted reigns. It is clear from the Psalms that the right hand is synonymous with authority, government and power. So when Stephanos sees the exalted Son of Man at the right hand, this merely shows that Yehoshua controls everything and that he is the one spoken of in the Psalms (e.g. 93, 96, 98).

However, the religious leaders in Israel at that time absolutely refused to hear or accept this. Therefore, Stephanos, as a witness to Yehoshua’s reign, had to be eliminated.

The right hand as a place of refuge

He who holds power can also show mercy to whomever he chooses. One finds protection with him when one flees to him:

„Distinguish your kindness, O you who saves those seeking refuge by your right hand from those that rise up against them!“ (Psalms 17:7).

In this way, Esther also found favour with the Persian King Ahasuerus, when he extended his royal sceptre to her with his right hand. Through this, she was granted refuge and her people were saved from the enemy (Book of Esther).

„He that dwells in the covering of Elyon will lodge under the shadow of Shadday“ (Psalms 91:1).

The right hand as judge and guarantor of justice

„11 According to your name, O Elohim, so is your praise to the ends of the earth: your right hand is full of righteousness. 12 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Yehudah be glad, because of your judgments„ (Psalm 48:11–12).

From time immemorial, the administration of justice has been the responsibility of the authorities. In Psalms 89:15 we read: „Justice and judgment are the foundation of your throne …“.

In former times, the legislative, judicial and executive powers lay in the hands of the king. Elohim, as the supreme power, is likewise the lawgiver, the judge and the one who watches over the enforcement of the laws.

King Belshazzar felt the judicial hand of Elohim when, during a banquet, the fingers of a hand wrote the following words on the wall: „Mene, mene, tekel, parsin“ („Counted, counted, weighed and divided; or: found wanting“ Daniel 5:25-28).

We find parallels to this in John 8:6–8: „6 … But Yehoshua, having stooped down, wrote with his finger on the earth …“.

This chapter deals with Yehoshua’s encounter with the woman caught in adultery and with the teachers of the law and Pharisees who brought her before him so that Yehoshua would agree to her stoning. His reply came as a surprise to everyone:

„… He that is without sin among you, cast the first stone at her“ (John 8:7).

In this way, Yehoshua condemned the self-righteousness of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Contrary to their expectations, Yehoshua, with the finger of Elohim, executed judgement upon them:

„… and they that depart from me will be written in the earth, because they have forsaken YHWH, the fountain of living waters„ (Jeremiah 17:13).

5) The stoning of Stephen as a triumph over the religious system

Wherever the Lord Yehoshua appears, the man-made religious system always trembles. Just as the planned stoning of the adulteress was a defeat for the religious leaders of Israel, so too was the subsequent actual stoning of Stephanos.

On both occasions, YEHOSHUA presented himself as the sovereign Ruler, Judge and Determiner of human lives, and thus as Elohim. He reveals himself as powerful in every situation, whether as a man among men or as Elohim, exalted on his throne of glory. His rights reign.

Among those who had agreed to the stoning of Stephen was, for example, Shaul of Tarsus, the later Paul, who subsequently arrived in Asia and Europe as a great apostle and teacher of the divine mysteries, opposing religious systems. Just as the woman caught in adultery and Stephen did, he too, as an apostle to the nations, came to realise later:

YEHOSHUA is „… YHWH; for he comes to judge the earth: with righteousness will he judge the world, and the people with equity.“ (Psalms 98:9).

„The right hand of YHWH is exalted: the right hand of YHWH does valiantly„ (Psalms 118:16)

Summary of a teaching by Br Emmanuel & Sr Nicole with an excerpt from Br Shora Kuetu

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[1] See William MacDonald: „Is the Bible True?“ Betanien-Verlag 2002

[2] YHWH is also referred to as the Tetragrammaton because it consists of four letters. In Hebrew, vowels were not written down, only the consonants. Consequently, the name of Elohim is pronounced in various ways today: Yahweh, Jehovah… We adopt the pronunciation commonly used among the Jewish people: YAHWEH.