That doesn't agree with any formal form of Christianity that I'm aware of.He won't take possession until he returns. He's the owner-in-absentia.
In the creeds we state that "He is seated at the right hand of the Father....." which refers to this passage (notice the grammatical tense):
Ephesians 1:20-23 ~ “[God] raised [Christ] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places… . He put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
Quoting from Ligonier Ministries:
Our study of Christ’s ascension to heaven has thus far emphasized the critical nature of this event to our Savior coming into His kingdom. In line with the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14, Jesus predicted that He would return to the immediate presence of His Father and receive the kingdom that was appointed for Him upon the completion of His earthly ministry (Matt. 24:29–30). Christ’s reception of His kingdom is closely connected to several other events besides His ascension, one of which is the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The fall of the temple and priesthood was a visible, historical confirmation that the Messiah had come and, as the final High Priest, inaugurated a new covenant through the shedding of His blood (Heb. 9:1–10:18).
In addition to Jesus’ ascension and Jerusalem’s destruction, the session, or seating, of Christ at the Father’s right hand is also a part of His coming into His kingdom. Since the gospel tells us about the kingdom of God, we must understand the enthronement of our King. Consequently, in the Apostles’ Creed we confess that Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.” The Heidelberg Catechism examines this aspect of our confession in question and answer 50.
God’s right hand is the place of “highest favor with God the Father” (WLC, Q&A 54), and the phrase is used throughout Scripture to indicate His power and sovereignty (Ex. 15:6; Isa. 48:13). To say that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father is to say, as John Calvin explains, that “Christ was invested with lordship over heaven and earth, and solemnly entered into possession of the government committed to him — and that he not only entered into possession once for all, but continues in it, until he shall come down on Judgment Day” (Institutes 2.16.15).
In sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus sits on the “throne of his father David” (Luke 1:26–33). He is the Messiah of Israel, “the highest of the kings of the earth” and the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to keep the offspring of David on the throne forever. (Ps. 89:19–37). We are not waiting for Jesus to enter into His messianic reign, He enjoys it now. All of His enemies are being put under His feet as His gospel is preached and His kingdom expands (1 Cor. 15:20–28). ~ Ligonier Ministries
Our study of Christ’s ascension to heaven has thus far emphasized the critical nature of this event to our Savior coming into His kingdom. In line with the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14, Jesus predicted that He would return to the immediate presence of His Father and receive the kingdom that was appointed for Him upon the completion of His earthly ministry (Matt. 24:29–30). Christ’s reception of His kingdom is closely connected to several other events besides His ascension, one of which is the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The fall of the temple and priesthood was a visible, historical confirmation that the Messiah had come and, as the final High Priest, inaugurated a new covenant through the shedding of His blood (Heb. 9:1–10:18).
In addition to Jesus’ ascension and Jerusalem’s destruction, the session, or seating, of Christ at the Father’s right hand is also a part of His coming into His kingdom. Since the gospel tells us about the kingdom of God, we must understand the enthronement of our King. Consequently, in the Apostles’ Creed we confess that Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.” The Heidelberg Catechism examines this aspect of our confession in question and answer 50.
God’s right hand is the place of “highest favor with God the Father” (WLC, Q&A 54), and the phrase is used throughout Scripture to indicate His power and sovereignty (Ex. 15:6; Isa. 48:13). To say that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father is to say, as John Calvin explains, that “Christ was invested with lordship over heaven and earth, and solemnly entered into possession of the government committed to him — and that he not only entered into possession once for all, but continues in it, until he shall come down on Judgment Day” (Institutes 2.16.15).
In sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus sits on the “throne of his father David” (Luke 1:26–33). He is the Messiah of Israel, “the highest of the kings of the earth” and the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to keep the offspring of David on the throne forever. (Ps. 89:19–37). We are not waiting for Jesus to enter into His messianic reign, He enjoys it now. All of His enemies are being put under His feet as His gospel is preached and His kingdom expands (1 Cor. 15:20–28). ~ Ligonier Ministries
The Orthodox church acknowledges that God's last enemy is death - and He has trampled down and destroyed death by His death on the cross.
Quoting from Ancient Faith blog:
The Orthodox resurrection icon depicts what is known as the harrowing of hell. It shows our God and Savior in hell setting the captives free. Where the Western image shows Christ by himself with the angel looking on, the Orthodox icon shows Christ surrounded by people. The Western depiction has a serenity like the calm after a storm, the Orthodox icon has more of a busy excitement of a military victory to it.
Western Depiction of the Resurrection
The teaching of the harrowing or the ransacking of hell is not confined to East. It is a catholic (universal) belief of the early Church. Western Christians confess it every time they recite the Apostles Creed:
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Crucified, died, and was buried,
He descended to the dead,
On the third day he rose again.
Because the Apostles’ Creed is part of both the Roman Catholic and the Protestant traditions, Reformed Christians should also have no problem affirming Christ’s descent into hell. Calvin in his Institutes (2.16.8) referred to it as “a matter of no small moment in bringing about redemption.”
How to Read an Icon
Eastern Orthodox Resurrection Icon
We do not so much look at an icon as we read an icon, that is, we discern the meanings behind the symbolism. Icons have been referred to as sermons in color. The best way to read an icon is to start at the center, at the person depicted, then to look outward.
The first thing we see is Christ all dressed in white which symbolizes the divine light or the heavenly realm. We also see the mandorla or orb of glory around him. These indicate Christ’s divinity and brings to mind the line in the Nicene Creed: “Light from Light, true God from true God.”
Next looking down we see Christ standing on top of the broken gates of hell. The doors are laid on top each other in the shape of the cross. Over the shattered doors we see in some icons Death defeated and in other icons we see a black abyss filled with the instruments of torture.
When reading an icon, we look at the subject’s hands. Looking to the right and left of the resurrection icon we see Christ grabbing hold of our ancestral parents Adam and Eve pulling them out of the tombs. If one looks closely we that it is Christ grabbing hold of them; we do not see them grabbing hold of Christ. This shows our salvation being dependent on Christ’s power, not on our strength. In the background we see a crowd of people, some having halos around their heads and others without a halo. The halos signify their being saints, that is, the perfection of their salvation. A hymn in the Great Friday Vespers has this stanza:
When You, the Redeemer of all, were placed in a new Tomb for us all, Hades, the respecter of none, crouched when he saw You. The bars were broken, the gates were shattered, the graves were opened, and the dead arose. Then Adam, gratefully rejoicing, cried out to You: “Glory to Your condescension, O Merciful God.”
East and West: Different Emphases
Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are affirmed in both Western Christianity (Roman Catholic and Protestant) and in Eastern Orthodoxy. The differences in emphases reflect their respective theological paradigms. In the Western tradition greater emphasis is placed on the penal substitution understanding of salvation, that is, the innocent Son of God suffering or being punished on behalf of the law breakers who deserve eternal condemnation. In the Eastern tradition there seems to be a reticence to expound on the forensic understanding of Christ’s death on the Cross. It sees other themes like renewal and deification:
You transform the mortal by death, and the corrupt by burial; for as befits God, You have made incorruptible and immortal the nature you assumed; for Your body, O Master, did not see corruption, nor was Your soul abandoned as a stranger in Hades. (Great Friday Evening Service, Fifth Ode)
The Orthodox Church also interprets Christ’s death on the Cross typologically:
You came from a Virgin who knew no travail; Your side, O my Creator, was pierced by which You accomplished the re-creation of Eve, having Yourself become Adam. Supernaturally, You fell into a sleep that renewed nature, awakening life from sleep and corruption, as the Almighty. (Great Friday Evening Service, Fifth Ode)
As a Protestant I knew about typological interpretation but in these services I gain new insights into Christ’s death on the Cross. I had never thought of Eve’s coming from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:21-22) as a type of the death and resurrection of Christ and the birth of the church!
In Orthodoxy there is an eagerness to expound on the significance of Christ’s resurrection. It views Christ’s resurrection as the reversal of the Fall, the creation of a new humanity, a great victory over Satan, our being released from death, the ultimate healing of our souls and bodies.
When You, the Immortal Life descended to Death, it was then, that You put Hades to death by the lightning of the Godhead; and when You raised up the dead from the infernal depths, all the Heavenly Powers cried aloud: “O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to You.” (Matins of the Resurrection) ~ Christ is Risen from the Grave! Trampling Down Death by Death! - Orthodox Reformed Bridge
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In my opinion, the most destructive thing to have happened to our faith was the great schism of 1053. Since then, there's been so much division and distance from our original faith (thankfully much has also been preserved).
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