If the enemies of Jesus from Psalm 110:1 are now under his feet, as stated in Ephesians 1:22, then why does Paul imply that Jesus is waiting for His enemies be made a footstool for His feet?
From reading the Bible, I understand that even death was defeated for it could not hold him, so Jesus Christ has total victory. However the Hebrews passage seems to conflict with everything so please teach me why this is written.
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.
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Jennifer Rothnie
Supporter
In Psalm 110:1-7:, we see God the Father asking God the son to sit at His right hand, until God makes all Jesus' enemies as a "footstep" for His feet. This chapter mixes events from Christ's first coming in with the second (Such as the Day of Wrath, the Judgement, etc). This is one reason that the Jews expected a victorious, conquering king - not a suffering savior. To make an enemy as a footstool was to completely defeat them (Josh 10:16-27). We see Jesus was granted this position at the right hand of God the Father in Eph 1:17-22. This is a position of authority. All things (enemies, Christians, the world, etc) were placed under His feet - Jesus rules over all. However, while Jesus gained the authority over all kingdoms of the world, and thus the authority to judge and rule these nations and put all things under His feet, He did not immediately conquer/defeat them in an earthly sense and make them 'His footstool'. This is not for lack of authority, but due to God's patience in deferring the judgement (II Pet 3:9-15, Rom 2:4). This is why God uses the crucial word 'until'. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father even now, and He holds authority over all the earth - but the time has not yet come for Christ to return and judge the world. This is why Heb 10:11-12 says that Christ waits "for his enemies to be made his footstool". His death granted Him the authority to judge, but the execution is waiting for His second Coming. This is to give us the gracious opportunity to repent and follow Christ, thus becoming children of God! Judging and defeating the nations in a political sense will take place on the Day of God's wrath (Psalm 110:5-6). Another place we see this is in Daniel 2:34-35 and Dan 2:44-45. Christ is the rock cut from the mountain, but not by human hands. The mountain is Mount Zion and symbolizes the covenant with Israel [Christ is a descendant of David]. That it was not by human hands indicates that this was by God's power, not by works of the law or human initiative. When Christ first came, He was a tiny stone - humble, overlooked, spoken against. The rock grows into a mountain that fills the whole earth, symbolizing both Christ's authority over the kingdoms of the world as well as the growing church built upon this rock which is made up of people from all nations. At the same time, this tiny stone crushes and grinds the nations of the world. This is a progression of time (at least from the human perspective). Christ is the stone that grinds those who reject Christ to powder (Matt 21:42-45). At the final judgement, Christ will judge all people and nations and defeat all enemies - including sin and death. Jesus' authority for judging/defeating stems from His current authority over all things that has been granted Him (Ps 82:8, Rev 20:7-15, Dan 7:26-27). We see this difference between the authority/reign of Christ, and His acting on that authority to judge, in I Cor 15:20-28. "... Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For He “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all". Jesus' reign (governing the church, saving sinners, etc), from man's perspective anyway, starts with His death/Resurrection and ends with the final judgement. He then willingly gives this kingdom back to God the Father, for His position as mediator of the covenant is now complete (Rev 11:15).
Michael Bartlett
It's true that the victory has already been gained through the blood of Jesus. Keep in mind that His feet are part of His body, His body being the church. So, His enemies are made a footstool for the church who is in the world. He is waiting for the church, His body, to take hold of the victory gained and enforce this defeat of the enemy in the earth. As believers we have had a tendency to wait for God to do something whereas He is waiting for us since He has done all He is going to do. Jesus gained the victory and His parting statement was "now you go...". I believe we are now in that time of a great move of the Holy Spirit upon the church that we are indeed seeing the enemy made a foot stool. This will continue to grow with intensity as His people wake up to who they are in Christ and to the power and authority He has provided to each of us in Christ Jesus.
Zion Lucier
This is an excellent question! Yes Jesus has overcome EVERY enemy and they are under His feet. So what is He waiting for? He is waiting for His body to rise up and put the enemies under THEIR feet! Jesus is the Head, and we are His body. The Head has overcome all. But the rest of His body have not risen up to become mighty overcomers yet. We are meant to, and we are called to. That is why there are promises for the overcomers in Revelation chapter 2 and 3, because we have to overcome too! “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.” Hebrews 10:12-13 We come to understand this verse when we look at Ephesians 1:22b-23: “…and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” We are to arise as mighty warriors, using all the divine powerful weapons that He has given us and put everything under our feet... which are His feet. The Word tells us we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. It says we are joint heirs with Him. We are one with Him in every way and He is waiting on us. Time to arise and shine! Time to overcome and rise up in full union with Him. Then all will be under His feet and Our feet, which is His body:)
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