Having referred to the seven-fold humiliation of the Lord and the subsequent seven-fold exaltation, it may be

that some reader would appreciate the following set-out of this feature, which we give before proceeding.

(Phil. 2:9-11).

(Phil. 2:7,8).

(1) The Name above every

(1) He emptied Himself.

(2) Every knee shall bow.

(2) A bond slave.

(3) Things in heaven.

(3) Likeness of a man.

(4) Things in earth

(4) Fashioned as a man.

(5) Things under earth.

(5) He humbled Himself.

(6) Every tongue confess.

(6) Obedient unto death.

(7) Jesus Christ is Lord.

(7) The death of the cross.

It is good to see something of what that joy was that was set before Him Who endured the shame of the cross and

is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:1-3). The covering term for this complete and

glorious reversal of His humiliation is expressed in Philippians 2:9 in the words `God also hath highly exalted Him',

and it is the delightful office of the seven-fold expansion of verses 9-11 to give some idea of what that high

exaltation involved.

Before we can consider this high exaltation we must be clear concerning the humiliation of which it is both

reward and consequence.

We read, `Now He that ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?'

(Eph. 4:9).

This `descent' is two-fold. (1) Into the realm of creation at all; (2) And then, as a man, stooping to the death of

the cross. The assumption of human nature was a condescension so great that the human mind cannot comprehend

it, and had the Son of God assumed the form of the highest and most majestic of creatures, the stoop down would be

something so tremendous as to be beyond our computation. This, however, was but the first stage of this gracious

descent. The second stage is introduced by the words `being found in fashion as a man' and these words are

followed by a humiliation that went to the lowest depths of human degradation, `the death of the cross'. All this

moreover was an act of consummate `obedience', the `obedience of one' in fact upon which rests our eternal

salvation (Rom. 5:19).

The exaltation of the Saviour was a direct consequence of His voluntary humiliation and in the nature of a public

recognition. The words `wherefore ... also' of Philippians 2:9, being in the original dio kai, suggesting the thought

`on this account'.

The exaltation of the Saviour, in one sense, was a return to the glory which He had before the world was (John

17:5), but in another sense it was a glory `given' to Him consequent upon the finishing of His redeeming work and a

glory therefore which the redeemed could share (John 17:4,5,22). This additional glory, consequent upon the

completion of His great redemptive work, is set forth in great power in the first chapter of Hebrews. There the `Son'

is given wondrous titles.

As the Son, He had been constituted `Heir of all things'. As the Son it could be written of Him `Who being the

brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power',

how then was it necessary to say `being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a

more excellent name than they'?

Surely One Who was essentially the express image of the substance of God, could not but be infinitely above

angels! The usage of the two words hon `being' (verse 3) and genomenos `having become' (verse 4) distinguishes

between that which was essential, and that which was awarded and obtained by inheritance. In between the glories

of His essential being and the reward of His exaltation, is interposed His redeeming work `when He had by Himself

purged our sins' and its glorious consequence `sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high' (Heb. 1:3,4).