It is important to understand that Jesus Christ rules right at this moment AS A MAN IN HEAVEN.
We identified with Him in his death, burial and resurrection, because He experienced those things in order to include us in them because He was a man. The only way in which His death could ever take place in order to benefit us, was for God to manifest in the flesh.
Hebrews 2:14-17.. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ..(15).. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. ..(16).. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. ..(17).. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Were it not for his humanity, He would not have died. We would have nothing to identify with so that His death could count as our own.
Hebrews 9:27-28.. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ..(28).. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
The reason Jesus was offered ONCE is because you and I had to DIE ONCE due to our sins.
Many stop reading at the end of verse 27 and don't see the actual POINT of that verse in verse 28. Verse 27 was giving the reason for Christ's single death. It is because WE HAD TO DIE ONCE that He died once to sin. And it is because we had to die and then face judgment that He will appear the second time without SIN! It is render us without sin so there are no sins in our lives to be judged at the judgement , IF WE REMAIN HOLY and situated IN CHRIST by the time that judgment occurs.
So, the reason it can be said that we died with Jesus (Ro 6:6), and we were buried with Him (
Rom 6:4) and we were raised with Him (
Col 2:11-12), is the same reason we can say that we rule and reign with Jesus (
Rev 1:6.) It is because HE RULES AS A MAN from Zion in heaven now, as Adam should have ruled over the world but failed.
So we can identify with His dominion on Zion as much as we can identify with His death, burial and resurrection! HE RULES NOW AS MAN!
Hebrews 10:12.. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
When
Psalm 110:1 stated the LORD said to David's Lord to SIT DOWN AND RULE, that was talking about the HUMANITY of Jesus being told to sit. It is not speaking about His deity being told to sit. Nobody tells deity what to do.
So, when He sat down on the right hand throne, IT WAS AS MAN THAT HE SAT DOWN, according to
Hebrews 10:12.
If people try to figure how he can be a MAN ruling the earth from heaven, they will easily get confused and be tempted to ask how that can be. The fact is it does not matter how, but it simply matters that the Word of God says it is the case! THIS MAN sat down on the right hand throne!
Jesus told John He was DEAD and is ALIVE FOR EVERMORE, in
Revelation 1:18.
John saw the resurrected Jesus actually appear to Him on the island of Patmos. And Jesus identified Himself as having died and resurrected! If Jesus was no longer man, how could he say he died and was alive again? God cannot die!
The most glorious picture I can find in the bible is that single vision of Jesus holding the keys of death and hell, and stating he died and was alive for evermore. A MAN whom satan targeted to destroy and kill by the power of death, was killed. And yet THROUGH THAT DEATH He took the power of death and hell from the devil, like David taking Goliath's own sword and cutting his head off with it! The devils own weapon!
AND THAT Man now rules as the LAST ADAM over this earth, when Adam should never have lost his dominion to begin with!
We cannot say that we are seated with him, like Paul said we are in Ephesians chapter 2, if he's not seated as a man. It's because he was a man when he died was buried and resurrected that we experience those things with him. By the same token we are seated with him because he's seated as a man.