… and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Ephesians 1: 19-21 NKJV

The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power;

In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. The Lord has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.

Psalm 110 NKJV

I believe there is a very direct and pertinent Old Testament reference here. Paul’s prayer (and much of chapters one and two) direct us to Psalm 110 as a foundational passage which he draws from to build his message to the Ephesians. The same “Messianic throne anointing” bestowed upon Jesus in Psalm 110 is the same anointing by which Jesus commissioned Paul into as an apostle, and it is the same anointing by which we have been born again. Even more, we’ve been born by this anointing into the three great desires of which Paul prays the Ephesians would possess. The same anointing which resulted in Jesus’ resurrection and authority is the same anointing which begets into us the hope, wisdom, revelation, and power of God! This anointing is called grace.

1. Hope of His calling… God’s grace provides the revelation to perceive as well as the effective working power to walk in the hope of Messiah’s calling.

2. The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints… The spirit of wisdom and revelation allows us insight into our worth as Jesus’ chosen inheritance. This has implications on our own heart as well as the redeemed creation which God longs to share with us.

3. Exceedingly great power towards us who believe… Understanding and walking in God’s effective and mighty power requires God to open our eyes and our spirits to His working. I have met many faithful christians who do not understand His power. It is a fantastic work of God on its own to remain faithful in Jesus, however there is still much lacking in our lives and fellowship when God’s exceedingly great power is not present. There is a reason Paul prays for the Ephesians to possess this revelation. It doesn’t come automatically when you begin following Jesus. Wisdom and revelation require a life of prayer and dependency on the Holy Spirit.

I often tell people that it is important to understand where we are in God’ prophetic timeline if we are to best understand our role and followers of Jesus today. This is where Psalm 110 comes into play. Psalm 110 is the most quoted passage of the Old Testament by writers of the New Testament. The Psalm reveals where the apostles saw themselves on God’s timetable.

Jesus has ascended into heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. One day, Jesus will leave the right hand of the Father and return to the earth to establish His kingdom, but we haven’t reached that point yet.

One day in the future, Jesus will rule in the midst of His enemies, once every last enemy has been subjected beneath the feet of Jesus. The subjugation of Jesus’ enemies is what is happening in the heavens and on the earth in this present age. The battle for Jerusalem, at the end of this age, is when Jesus Himself will rule in the midst of His enemies. Until that day, we are engaged in a spiritual battle that involves the pulling down of heavenly powers. (2 Cor 10:4-6)

As Jesus’ ambassadors, we have been commissioned with the gospel of His coming kingdom. We are to invite as many as possible to follow and submit to Jesus now and up to the day of His coming.  We are to warn the powers of the earth and the powers of the heavens that their time is coming. The king will return. Wicked rulers and authorities will one day be removed from the heavens and the earth. Jesus will execute them, as Psalm 110 notes, and as other prophetic passages state, He will “throw them into a lake of fire”. I chose to believe these are literal and important promises.

Jesus’ workers will be volunteers on the day of His power. During the darkest hour of history, prior to Jesus’ return, there will be willing souls from every tribe, nation, and tongue! These will be those with hearts eager to receive the kingdom. As judgment and wrath befalls those who refuse to receive Jesus, there will also be a great revival throughout the earth of those willing to follow the Lamb, and when He returns, they will join Him on the clouds in the great coming procession towards earthly Jerusalem where Jesus will defeat the final antichrist.

This apocalyptic view of the New Testament is the backbone of the apostle’s theology, and it should be the backbone of ours as well. We are 2,000 years closer to the return of Jesus, so these words should hit harder now than they did when the apostles preached them.

We are called to live as fully alive messengers of His kingdom, empowered by the hope of Jesus’ calling, experiencing the riches and vibrant lives of those who understand we are Jesus’ beloved inheritance, and effectively walking in the great power granted to those who choose to follow Jesus today.