Shortly after his resurrection, Jesus was elevated to a new, glorified level of existence. After he had disappeared from their sight, the apostles who had witnessed Jesus’ elevation were told by two angels that Jesus was “taken up…into heaven” (Acts 1:8-11). Later, Stephen, a member of the early Christian church, was granted a vision of the glorified Jesus “standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56). This vision was given to Stephen as a blessing from God, to help him endure the severe experience he would soon have. 

Like most visions in the Bible, it didn’t necessarily mean that Stephen directly saw God or the glorified Jesus, but it was meant to strengthen Stephen’s faith that he correctly understood the truth about the glorified Jesus in spite of the opposition of the religious leadership that was persecuting him. Both accounts tell us that Jesus was elevated to the same plane of divine existence that God is on.

The Bible isn’t clear about exactly what heaven is or where it might be. As human beings existing on the physical plane of existence, we can’t help but try to apply our own perceptions of reality to concepts like heaven. Perhaps because the Bible describes Jesus as being “taken up into heaven,” we may tend to think of heaven as a physical place with a physical location. However, we also know that both God and Jesus must exist on a level that transcends physical concepts. 

As Christians, we know in our hearts and minds that God and Jesus exist despite the fact that we can’t see them (John 1:18, John 14:19). We are also used to thinking that “God is everywhere;” or maybe more specifically, God’s will and power are always wherever they need to be in our physical universe to enable whatever He wills whenever He wills it. Elevated to the divine plane of existence “at the right hand of God,” Jesus would share this ability to transcend physical concepts such as location and exert his power and influence (to “be”) wherever and whenever his Father’s will needs him to be.

The Bible doesn’t clearly answer every question that we may ask, because, in His wisdom, God knows some concepts are so far from what we can comprehend that there is no direct way to completely provide an understandable answer. However, through His grace, God has ensured that the Bible does answer the questions we need to understand. An exact understanding of beings who exist on the divine plane of existence, such as God Himself and Jesus, glorified to be at God’s “right hand,” and where they actually may “be” is beyond our ability to grasp. However, the Bible does provide an answer to the question that both God and Jesus want us to understand now, which is, what is Jesus doing right now, and how can we understand his purpose?

In Matthew 24, Jesus describes a great transitional time in God’s plan for mankind, which would serve as the ending point of mankind’s failed systems of ruling and the beginning of the everlasting, just and joyous kingdom of God. This period of transition is also briefly described in Daniel 12:1, when Jesus (identified as “Michael” in the verse’s wording) would “stand up,” or begin to exert his power to enable this great transition. 

As with any large-scale change, there will be a great deal of churn as the old systems are torn down, which both Matthew 24 and Daniel 12:1 describe as “a time of trouble.” This is the time in God’s plan in which we are currently entering into. God provided these scriptures to help us understand the reason for the troubled times around us, to understand where we are in the timeline of His plan, and to provide not only with a warning of the troubled times, but to provide hope and comfort that the troubled times will give way to His everlasting kingdom. The scriptures also provide comfort and reassurance that although the times may seem difficult, the glorified Jesus is firmly in control, perfectly executing God’s plan for the benefit of all mankind.

Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1185: “What Are the True Reasons for Jesus’ Return to Earth?”
Uncovering the remarkable and inspiring mission of Jesus’ return
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode #1194: “Could Jesus Return Without You Knowing?”
Revealing the three scripturally progressive phases of Jesus’ return
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

PDF Booklet: Our Lord’s Return