Hebrews chapter 1....the full and final revelation of god
God speaking in times past.........................God speaking in the last days!
The writer certainly knew how to get the attention of his hearers. Every Hebrew child was reared to fear God in a reverential way. Such was their fear, they would not even spell out His name lest they should misspell it. In their writings they put G-d, instead of God, and YHWH instead of Yahweh, omitting the vowels. The very mention of the name struck an awesome chord, and this opening of the letter ensured that every Hebrew was paying attention. They would all read on with bated breath; for 400 years the voice of God had been silent, until John the Baptist came, the forerunner of Jesus, and now He is speaking again. This letter must have had a powerful effect, for the theme of the voice of God runs throughout the letter.
Chapter 1vv1-2 God the Father speaking
Chapter 2v3 & vv12-13 God the Son speaking
Chapter 3vv7-11 God the Holy Spirit speaking
Chapter 12v25 Warning to those who turn away from “Him who speaks from heaven”
In chapter 1 God is speaking in His son, verse 2; He is speaking to His son verses 5-12; He is speaking about His son verses 13-14.
The chapter has two distinct portions:
Verses 1--4 The superior glories of His Son Verses 5-14 The sevenfold Messianic proof texts from old testament scriptures.
The superior glories of the Son
Verses 1-4 These verses are one whole sentence in the Greek translation, and are written in the noblest form of classical Greek. They portray the unrivalled supremacy of God’s Son, which title is repeated throughout the letter (1v2; 1v5; 1v8; 3v6; 4v14; 5v5; 5v8; 6v6; 7v3; 7v28; 10v29.) His prophetic glory, His rights of inheritance, His creative glory, His Divine glory, the glory of His power, His redemptive glory, His majestic glory, the glory of His name.
The contrast in verses 1-2 is between the old and new testaments. We shall see later there is no conflict, but there is a contrast. Verse 1 describes the old testament scriptures; this is proof that the old testament is the word of God. “God spoke....in time past..” He spoke at sundry times (polumeros... in many portions as to time and agency); God raised up prophets to be His mouthpiece at different times in history. He spoke in divers manners (polutropos...in different ways, directly, indirectly, in dreams, in visions, in narrative, in poetry, in wisdom proverbs, in songs, in prophecy. At all times and in every way God communicated His mind to our fathers (ancestors). This belongs to a period called “time past” or “of old”. At no time was this Divine revelation complete or fully understood. Some have described the old testament as a time of unexplained dreams; of unfulfilled promises; of unfinished business. God did not fully reveal Himself of old but was preparing the ground for the final revelation in Christ. This is the whole point of this letter, nevertheless the 39 books of the old testament are the words of God through men. Just as the last of the old time prophets John the Baptist was to “prepare the way of the Lord....” (Mark 1v3 from Isaiah 40v3), so the whole was preparatory to the coming of the Messiah who would be the final revelation of God. The force of these words is significant “in these last days”....the writer is using language well understood by all Hebrews. The “last days” to them meant the time of fulfilment of all things. The phrase last or latter days or times occurs 14 times in the old testament, (beginning at Genesis 49v1). They would understand that we are now in these days and the “Coming One” has come and in Him all the dreams will be explained all the promises will be fulfilled, all the business of God will be completed. God spoke of old, He is speaking now, this is His final word. A succinct summary is this: God has spoken......In times past/ and now in these last days; to our fathers/ and now to us; in various prophets/and now in one person His Son; partially/and now fully and finally. He spoke in prophets who spoke for God, now in His Son who speaks as God.
These verses constitute a wonderful contrast and correlation between old and new testaments, both are the word of God, both require a response from all. The phrase “the last days” or similar, therefore refers to the period of time between the first and second advent of Christ, these are the days we are living in now! We have in our hands both testaments, the full and final revelation of God, the onus is now on everyone to respond.
He is the end of all things, the beginning of all things, and everything in between. He is depicted in His relationship to creation, to God, to the fall, to angels.
1) “..His Son whom He hath appointed heir of all things..” The rest of the letter will expand on each of these attributes, but first we focus on the obvious, that sonship and inheritance are always linked. It is so in life today as it was in biblical times. Genesis 25v3 “Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac”; Psalm 2v7 “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance...”. John 13v3 “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands....” The Son of God will inherit all things, all the holy angels, all the redeemed from men, all the material universe, and all the new heaven and earth that will be created in His honour. As is emphasised elsewhere, He is the reason for the existence of all things Colossians 1v17, “..all things were created by Him and for Him”. The one in whom God is speaking will have total say in all things future, He is God’s final word to mankind and will have the last word in everything. The universe is His, and all things in it, and only our relationship to Him will secure our future. There is no future without Him! He is the appointed heir, no one will frustrate it, God has decreed it (Psalm 2vv6-7) the future is guaranteed. The time is appointed (Acts 17v31 “He has appointed a day....” The exact time is known to God and the inauguration of His Son as judge of the world will take place on time. The place is appointed Psalm (2v6 “Yet have I set my king on my holy hill of Zion”). He has in His exaltation inherited a better name than angels, therefore above every name. His followers are heirs of salvation (1v14); they are heirs of promise of the God who cannot lie (6v17); their inheritance is eternal (9v15); Noah was called “heir of righteousness by faith” (11v7); Abraham “heir of promise” (11v9 and Romans 4v13 “heir of the world”). Christ was appointed heir before creation and all the faithful share with Him.
2) “..by whom also He made the worlds.” What He will inherit He also created, it is all His by right of creation but also now in subjection. He became subject to the very laws of nature He created. He is the end of all things, He is the beginning of all things. The word “worlds” is aionos which refers to time and space and matter, everything about the existence of the universe is of Him, including the ages of time, the passing eras in which all of life would be played out. He is the supreme architect and agent and aim and antecedent and authority of all creation visible or invisible angel or human or animal and all the garnish of the earth and the forces of nature which hold the universe together (Colossians 1vv15-17). He is creation’s heir and originator and sustainer.
3) “Who being the brightness of His glory...” His relationship to creation is supreme, now His relationship to God is equality. He possesses the outward and inward attributes of God. He is the brightness (the effulgence, the outshining) like the rays of the sun spreading it’s glory, so is the Son to God. When Moses spent 40 days in proximity to God, his face shone so that no one could look upon him. When Paul saw the vision of Christ on the Damascus road, it was “above the brightness of the noonday sun”. In eternity there will be no need of the sun for “The Lamb is the light thereof”. Externally He is the glory of God.
4) “And the express image of His person...” this is describing the innermost character of God, the moral glory of the Son. “Express image “ is the Greek word charakter which speaks of the nature of His being, He is the stamp, the engraving, the exact replica of God. He is very God of very God, He is everything that God is in His subsistence, He is the very essence of God. He told us when here, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14v9). He is truly “God manifest in flesh”, the most amazing truth in the entire universe, that the One whom the heavens could not contain demonstrated, in a body of flesh, every attribute of God right here on this earth, one of the smallest planets He created.
5) “...upholding all things by the word of His power... The word phero means to bear to carry forward. The idea is that all things are moving forward at His control; this universe is not a series of random coincidences as is being propagated, instead it is moving in linear fashion to a very definite goal. The designer is also the destination! Colossians 1v17 says “...in Him all things consist.” In Him everything holds together, not the curse on the earth, nor the events of time, will deter Him from bringing all things to a predestined conclusion.
6) “When He had by Himself purged our sins...” He dealt fully and finally with the sin problem, that had blighted the creation and mankind. The phrase is “made purification for sins” and is in line with the general context of the letter. For God to have anything to do with us, sin must be removed. Only those purified can approach God, and this is developed in the letter. At Calvary the Son of God cleansed the universe by purging sins to allow sinful man to approach God. The Old Testament ceremonies could not take away sins (9v9,10v4); only the sacrifice of Christ did that (10v10v14). The need for cleansing is repeated in the letter (9v13,9v22,9v23, 10v2). He made purification, it is an accomplished work, He purified the heavens, He purifies all who come to Him as worshippers, He did it all by Himself, only He and none other.
7) “...Sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.” There was no provision for the High Priest of old to sit down in the presence of God, for the work (symbolically) was not complete. By virtue of an act of cleansing and a mission accomplished, He sat down. He sat down on the right hand, the symbolic position of power. To enable us to understand God, the bible portrays Him with human characteristics. The fingers denote intricacy, the hand denotes power, the right hand speaks of eminent power, omnipotence. God has elevated His Son to the seat of absolute and universal power (Exodus 15v6; Psalm 16v8-11; 18v35; 44v3; 63v3; 78v54; 89v13; 139v10 and a host of references for the usage of “right hand” in scripture). He was there before, but now as a man, now as a kinsman redeemer. God has exalted to heaven the cleansing work of Calvary and the Saviour now possesses the judicial power of salvation for the world. In the words of Romans 5v 21 “Grace reigns”! He sits at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, dispensing grace to all who come to Him. His work is enshrined on the throne of Almighty God. Five times over this position of omnipotent redemptive power is stated in Hebrews....1v3; 1v13; 8v1; 10 v12; 12v2. The repetition of this amazing fact permeates the whole letter. No wonder in the next section He is the object of angelic worship!
Verse 4 climaxes it beautifully, as we observe the flow....”When He had...” “He sat down”....”...having become so much better than the angels...” This is the force of the flow of thought here, the entire context therefore of Hebrews is set at the start, that all that follows is post-Calvary, post ascension and exaltation, and His name, His status, in heaven is higher than all, even the angels. The inheritance has begun, and it is only a matter of time before He comes into the good of it all (Hebrews 10v13 “...sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting until His enemies be made His footstool”.) He was always higher than angels as God, but now as glorified man. In the incarnation, it is said in chapter 2, He became “lower than angels”, now as glorified man He is “better”, “more excellent” than angels as man. There is no one higher and His position is supreme, and His work is effective, and His word must be heard.
Verses 5-14 The sevenfold Messianic proof texts from the Old testament scriptures.
The Jews revered the very name of God, and they revered the scriptures as the word of God. Now the writer establishes from them the fulfilment of all the predictions in Jesus Christ, thus proving His credentials as the promised Messiah. He begins now to expound His glories as exceeding that of angels.....greater in His Deity (chapter1), and greater in His Humanity (chapter 2). If greater than angels, the highest of God’s creation, He is above all. In these seven quotations from Holy writ, the writer establishes the unambiguous claim to Deity of the man of Calvary. He uses the Hebrew scriptures to prove He is the long-promised Messiah. The scriptures taken from the Geek translation (the Septuagint) are directly applied to Christ by the Holy Spirit. There is a wonderful panoramic view in these verse outlining in chronological order the events involving the Son of God. In verse 5...the first advent, involving the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension (Acts 4vv25-28 interprets Psalm 2 in terms of the cross); in verse 6......the second advent when there will be universal acclaim, all angels and therefore all people; in verses 8-9....the millennium, which will be characterised by permanent and just and joyful rule; and in verses10-12..... the eternal state, in which all things will be new, in the new heaven and earth that He will create.
From Psalm 2v7 “For unto which of the angels said He at any time(that is none) Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee”. Angels are servants, Christ is Son. Corporately they were called “the sons of God” (Job 38v7), but never individually. The context of Psalm 2 is the exaltation of Messiah- king to universal glory, and so the “day” referred to is the day of exaltation and coronation although it assumes all events leading up to it including the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection and ascension. The Psalm ends with “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, lest ye perish from the way....”. The readers can be in no doubt that the Messiah is the Son of Hebrews 1 and that the Son is Jesus Christ who came to purge sins. He is set on the holy hill of Zion by Divine decree. Acceptance or rejection of Him will determine our eternal future.
From 2nd Samuel 7v14 “And again I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son”. The context of this is the eternal enthronement of the house, of the kingdom, of the throne of the seed of David. The fulfilment of this is in Jesus Christ ( Psalm 132v11; Matthew 1v1.) Christ alone has that unique relationship to the Father and this is enshrined eternally. Only He will sit on the Father’s throne and eventually on His own throne (Revelation 3v21). None of this applies to angels. There is no need to get embroiled in the argument raging over the eternal Sonship, since everything of Christ is eternal.
From Psalm 97v7 “And again when He bringeth the first begotten into the world, He saith And let all the angels of God worship Him.” The sense is “But when again He brings...” referring to the second advent of Christ. This agrees with the context of the Psalm which begins “The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice...” Without any doubt this refers to the Millennial reign of Messiah, and the angels will worship Him at the outset of the kingdom. Angels worship only God and this proves the supreme worth of the Son, He is truly God. He is coming to the habitable earth, the world of men, to take authoritarian control as God, and for God, and all the countless angels will acknowledge Him.
From Psalm 104v4 “And of the angels He saith Who maketh His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire”. In contrast angels are servants, high ranking, some of them, but subservient to the Son enthroned in glory. Some operate invisibly (spirits), some very visibly (flames of fire) There are ranks of angels indicated (the blanket term “principalities, powers mights dominions” applies). They are the “armies of heaven”, who do God’s bidding, but are servants. There is an archangel, there are seraphim, cherubim, angels of the presence, avenging angels, angels of power, watchers, angels of mercy, guardian angels, angels of wisdom, angels of churches, angels of little children, angels of the heirs of salvation, angels of worship, angels of understanding, angels of scripture interpretation, angels presiding over nations, and no doubt lesser authorities The avenging angels reveal themselves in flaming fire to represent the wrath of God against sin. The work of angels whether visible or invisible constitutes them as the servants, the messengers of God.
From Psalm 45vv6-7 “But unto the Son He saith Thy throne O God is forever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows”. Angels are described here as “His fellows” or “companions” in service, nevertheless He is above them in His position (the eternal throne), in His person(He is God), in His power (the sceptre of righteousness the standard of His kingdom), in His passion (He loved righteousness, and hated lawlessness); in His pleasure (anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows). In every way, in status, in being, in authority, His keen sense of right and wrong, His delights in His marriage bliss, He is supreme. He shall be satisfied when He sees the travail of His soul. This quotation from Psalm 45 describes His kingdom as combining everlasting duration, perfect integrity and justice, and unfettered festal joy. Nothing of this nature has existed, nor can exist without Him
From Psalm 102vv25-27 “And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thine hands: they shall perish, but Thou remainest; and they shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.” In the Psalm the writer is attributing the permanence of creation to God in terms of His Divine longevity, as opposed to human brevity; and in terms of Divine certainty as opposed to human uncertainty. The writer to the Hebrews applies this to Christ and presents it not as man speaking to God but as God speaking to the Messiah. The New Testament uses this method of interpretation regularly and establishes the unequivocal Deity of the Saviour of the world. The afflicted and oppressed people who cry for justice and integrity in a world without these virtues, must look to the One whose posterity is greater than the very earth He created. He shall outlive the creation and He shall change the created order, so tarnished with sins, the very sins He has put away. Through Him, a new world order will be swept in (the world to come...the whole topic of the letter). His promises stand even as the creation will perish; the prayers of the saints will be answered. Though everything we know will change ,He will not; this glorious truth book ends the letter for chapter 13 declares He is “the same yesterday today and forever”.
From Psalm 110 v1 “But to which of the angels said He at any time Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who are the heirs of salvation”. As a corporate body angels are described as “the sons of God”, but not one individual as “the Son of God”. No angel will sit on the throne, they stand in the presence of God. They are called “gods” as the highest of the created order but they are not God. They are sent to do His will, and it is the Son who sends them from the throne (verse 14). This final proof that the Messiah is the Son of God and that Jesus is the Messiah is enshrined in His present position of power at the right hand of God. The dilemma of the Psalmist is also the dilemma of many today, why the delay, if all is now ready, if all is so certain, if the present order will change, as every redeemed heart craves? The answer is in that little word “until”. There is a programme of world evangelism (salvation and preservation); there is a programme of subjugation, (all His enemies made His footstool by God). God will not allow His glorious Son to bring His beloved bride (won at infinite cost to Himself), into a world where there is the slightest vestige of opposition or rebellion. All Christ rejecters will be subdued before the kingdom of bridal joy will commence.
All of this is designed to encourage the saints in the long struggle of life until perfection is ushered in, in Christ. The hymn writer caught the mood of this astonishing portion of scripture with the words of ..........”Until then” the chorus of which goes like this;
“But until then my heart will go on singing
Until then with joy I’ll carry on
Until the day mine eyes behold the City
Until the day God calls me home.”
God speaking in times past.........................God speaking in the last days!
The writer certainly knew how to get the attention of his hearers. Every Hebrew child was reared to fear God in a reverential way. Such was their fear, they would not even spell out His name lest they should misspell it. In their writings they put G-d, instead of God, and YHWH instead of Yahweh, omitting the vowels. The very mention of the name struck an awesome chord, and this opening of the letter ensured that every Hebrew was paying attention. They would all read on with bated breath; for 400 years the voice of God had been silent, until John the Baptist came, the forerunner of Jesus, and now He is speaking again. This letter must have had a powerful effect, for the theme of the voice of God runs throughout the letter.
Chapter 1vv1-2 God the Father speaking
Chapter 2v3 & vv12-13 God the Son speaking
Chapter 3vv7-11 God the Holy Spirit speaking
Chapter 12v25 Warning to those who turn away from “Him who speaks from heaven”
In chapter 1 God is speaking in His son, verse 2; He is speaking to His son verses 5-12; He is speaking about His son verses 13-14.
The chapter has two distinct portions:
Verses 1--4 The superior glories of His Son Verses 5-14 The sevenfold Messianic proof texts from old testament scriptures.
The superior glories of the Son
Verses 1-4 These verses are one whole sentence in the Greek translation, and are written in the noblest form of classical Greek. They portray the unrivalled supremacy of God’s Son, which title is repeated throughout the letter (1v2; 1v5; 1v8; 3v6; 4v14; 5v5; 5v8; 6v6; 7v3; 7v28; 10v29.) His prophetic glory, His rights of inheritance, His creative glory, His Divine glory, the glory of His power, His redemptive glory, His majestic glory, the glory of His name.
The contrast in verses 1-2 is between the old and new testaments. We shall see later there is no conflict, but there is a contrast. Verse 1 describes the old testament scriptures; this is proof that the old testament is the word of God. “God spoke....in time past..” He spoke at sundry times (polumeros... in many portions as to time and agency); God raised up prophets to be His mouthpiece at different times in history. He spoke in divers manners (polutropos...in different ways, directly, indirectly, in dreams, in visions, in narrative, in poetry, in wisdom proverbs, in songs, in prophecy. At all times and in every way God communicated His mind to our fathers (ancestors). This belongs to a period called “time past” or “of old”. At no time was this Divine revelation complete or fully understood. Some have described the old testament as a time of unexplained dreams; of unfulfilled promises; of unfinished business. God did not fully reveal Himself of old but was preparing the ground for the final revelation in Christ. This is the whole point of this letter, nevertheless the 39 books of the old testament are the words of God through men. Just as the last of the old time prophets John the Baptist was to “prepare the way of the Lord....” (Mark 1v3 from Isaiah 40v3), so the whole was preparatory to the coming of the Messiah who would be the final revelation of God. The force of these words is significant “in these last days”....the writer is using language well understood by all Hebrews. The “last days” to them meant the time of fulfilment of all things. The phrase last or latter days or times occurs 14 times in the old testament, (beginning at Genesis 49v1). They would understand that we are now in these days and the “Coming One” has come and in Him all the dreams will be explained all the promises will be fulfilled, all the business of God will be completed. God spoke of old, He is speaking now, this is His final word. A succinct summary is this: God has spoken......In times past/ and now in these last days; to our fathers/ and now to us; in various prophets/and now in one person His Son; partially/and now fully and finally. He spoke in prophets who spoke for God, now in His Son who speaks as God.
These verses constitute a wonderful contrast and correlation between old and new testaments, both are the word of God, both require a response from all. The phrase “the last days” or similar, therefore refers to the period of time between the first and second advent of Christ, these are the days we are living in now! We have in our hands both testaments, the full and final revelation of God, the onus is now on everyone to respond.
He is the end of all things, the beginning of all things, and everything in between. He is depicted in His relationship to creation, to God, to the fall, to angels.
1) “..His Son whom He hath appointed heir of all things..” The rest of the letter will expand on each of these attributes, but first we focus on the obvious, that sonship and inheritance are always linked. It is so in life today as it was in biblical times. Genesis 25v3 “Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac”; Psalm 2v7 “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance...”. John 13v3 “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands....” The Son of God will inherit all things, all the holy angels, all the redeemed from men, all the material universe, and all the new heaven and earth that will be created in His honour. As is emphasised elsewhere, He is the reason for the existence of all things Colossians 1v17, “..all things were created by Him and for Him”. The one in whom God is speaking will have total say in all things future, He is God’s final word to mankind and will have the last word in everything. The universe is His, and all things in it, and only our relationship to Him will secure our future. There is no future without Him! He is the appointed heir, no one will frustrate it, God has decreed it (Psalm 2vv6-7) the future is guaranteed. The time is appointed (Acts 17v31 “He has appointed a day....” The exact time is known to God and the inauguration of His Son as judge of the world will take place on time. The place is appointed Psalm (2v6 “Yet have I set my king on my holy hill of Zion”). He has in His exaltation inherited a better name than angels, therefore above every name. His followers are heirs of salvation (1v14); they are heirs of promise of the God who cannot lie (6v17); their inheritance is eternal (9v15); Noah was called “heir of righteousness by faith” (11v7); Abraham “heir of promise” (11v9 and Romans 4v13 “heir of the world”). Christ was appointed heir before creation and all the faithful share with Him.
2) “..by whom also He made the worlds.” What He will inherit He also created, it is all His by right of creation but also now in subjection. He became subject to the very laws of nature He created. He is the end of all things, He is the beginning of all things. The word “worlds” is aionos which refers to time and space and matter, everything about the existence of the universe is of Him, including the ages of time, the passing eras in which all of life would be played out. He is the supreme architect and agent and aim and antecedent and authority of all creation visible or invisible angel or human or animal and all the garnish of the earth and the forces of nature which hold the universe together (Colossians 1vv15-17). He is creation’s heir and originator and sustainer.
3) “Who being the brightness of His glory...” His relationship to creation is supreme, now His relationship to God is equality. He possesses the outward and inward attributes of God. He is the brightness (the effulgence, the outshining) like the rays of the sun spreading it’s glory, so is the Son to God. When Moses spent 40 days in proximity to God, his face shone so that no one could look upon him. When Paul saw the vision of Christ on the Damascus road, it was “above the brightness of the noonday sun”. In eternity there will be no need of the sun for “The Lamb is the light thereof”. Externally He is the glory of God.
4) “And the express image of His person...” this is describing the innermost character of God, the moral glory of the Son. “Express image “ is the Greek word charakter which speaks of the nature of His being, He is the stamp, the engraving, the exact replica of God. He is very God of very God, He is everything that God is in His subsistence, He is the very essence of God. He told us when here, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14v9). He is truly “God manifest in flesh”, the most amazing truth in the entire universe, that the One whom the heavens could not contain demonstrated, in a body of flesh, every attribute of God right here on this earth, one of the smallest planets He created.
5) “...upholding all things by the word of His power... The word phero means to bear to carry forward. The idea is that all things are moving forward at His control; this universe is not a series of random coincidences as is being propagated, instead it is moving in linear fashion to a very definite goal. The designer is also the destination! Colossians 1v17 says “...in Him all things consist.” In Him everything holds together, not the curse on the earth, nor the events of time, will deter Him from bringing all things to a predestined conclusion.
6) “When He had by Himself purged our sins...” He dealt fully and finally with the sin problem, that had blighted the creation and mankind. The phrase is “made purification for sins” and is in line with the general context of the letter. For God to have anything to do with us, sin must be removed. Only those purified can approach God, and this is developed in the letter. At Calvary the Son of God cleansed the universe by purging sins to allow sinful man to approach God. The Old Testament ceremonies could not take away sins (9v9,10v4); only the sacrifice of Christ did that (10v10v14). The need for cleansing is repeated in the letter (9v13,9v22,9v23, 10v2). He made purification, it is an accomplished work, He purified the heavens, He purifies all who come to Him as worshippers, He did it all by Himself, only He and none other.
7) “...Sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.” There was no provision for the High Priest of old to sit down in the presence of God, for the work (symbolically) was not complete. By virtue of an act of cleansing and a mission accomplished, He sat down. He sat down on the right hand, the symbolic position of power. To enable us to understand God, the bible portrays Him with human characteristics. The fingers denote intricacy, the hand denotes power, the right hand speaks of eminent power, omnipotence. God has elevated His Son to the seat of absolute and universal power (Exodus 15v6; Psalm 16v8-11; 18v35; 44v3; 63v3; 78v54; 89v13; 139v10 and a host of references for the usage of “right hand” in scripture). He was there before, but now as a man, now as a kinsman redeemer. God has exalted to heaven the cleansing work of Calvary and the Saviour now possesses the judicial power of salvation for the world. In the words of Romans 5v 21 “Grace reigns”! He sits at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, dispensing grace to all who come to Him. His work is enshrined on the throne of Almighty God. Five times over this position of omnipotent redemptive power is stated in Hebrews....1v3; 1v13; 8v1; 10 v12; 12v2. The repetition of this amazing fact permeates the whole letter. No wonder in the next section He is the object of angelic worship!
Verse 4 climaxes it beautifully, as we observe the flow....”When He had...” “He sat down”....”...having become so much better than the angels...” This is the force of the flow of thought here, the entire context therefore of Hebrews is set at the start, that all that follows is post-Calvary, post ascension and exaltation, and His name, His status, in heaven is higher than all, even the angels. The inheritance has begun, and it is only a matter of time before He comes into the good of it all (Hebrews 10v13 “...sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting until His enemies be made His footstool”.) He was always higher than angels as God, but now as glorified man. In the incarnation, it is said in chapter 2, He became “lower than angels”, now as glorified man He is “better”, “more excellent” than angels as man. There is no one higher and His position is supreme, and His work is effective, and His word must be heard.
Verses 5-14 The sevenfold Messianic proof texts from the Old testament scriptures.
The Jews revered the very name of God, and they revered the scriptures as the word of God. Now the writer establishes from them the fulfilment of all the predictions in Jesus Christ, thus proving His credentials as the promised Messiah. He begins now to expound His glories as exceeding that of angels.....greater in His Deity (chapter1), and greater in His Humanity (chapter 2). If greater than angels, the highest of God’s creation, He is above all. In these seven quotations from Holy writ, the writer establishes the unambiguous claim to Deity of the man of Calvary. He uses the Hebrew scriptures to prove He is the long-promised Messiah. The scriptures taken from the Geek translation (the Septuagint) are directly applied to Christ by the Holy Spirit. There is a wonderful panoramic view in these verse outlining in chronological order the events involving the Son of God. In verse 5...the first advent, involving the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension (Acts 4vv25-28 interprets Psalm 2 in terms of the cross); in verse 6......the second advent when there will be universal acclaim, all angels and therefore all people; in verses 8-9....the millennium, which will be characterised by permanent and just and joyful rule; and in verses10-12..... the eternal state, in which all things will be new, in the new heaven and earth that He will create.
From Psalm 2v7 “For unto which of the angels said He at any time(that is none) Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee”. Angels are servants, Christ is Son. Corporately they were called “the sons of God” (Job 38v7), but never individually. The context of Psalm 2 is the exaltation of Messiah- king to universal glory, and so the “day” referred to is the day of exaltation and coronation although it assumes all events leading up to it including the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection and ascension. The Psalm ends with “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, lest ye perish from the way....”. The readers can be in no doubt that the Messiah is the Son of Hebrews 1 and that the Son is Jesus Christ who came to purge sins. He is set on the holy hill of Zion by Divine decree. Acceptance or rejection of Him will determine our eternal future.
From 2nd Samuel 7v14 “And again I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son”. The context of this is the eternal enthronement of the house, of the kingdom, of the throne of the seed of David. The fulfilment of this is in Jesus Christ ( Psalm 132v11; Matthew 1v1.) Christ alone has that unique relationship to the Father and this is enshrined eternally. Only He will sit on the Father’s throne and eventually on His own throne (Revelation 3v21). None of this applies to angels. There is no need to get embroiled in the argument raging over the eternal Sonship, since everything of Christ is eternal.
From Psalm 97v7 “And again when He bringeth the first begotten into the world, He saith And let all the angels of God worship Him.” The sense is “But when again He brings...” referring to the second advent of Christ. This agrees with the context of the Psalm which begins “The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice...” Without any doubt this refers to the Millennial reign of Messiah, and the angels will worship Him at the outset of the kingdom. Angels worship only God and this proves the supreme worth of the Son, He is truly God. He is coming to the habitable earth, the world of men, to take authoritarian control as God, and for God, and all the countless angels will acknowledge Him.
From Psalm 104v4 “And of the angels He saith Who maketh His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire”. In contrast angels are servants, high ranking, some of them, but subservient to the Son enthroned in glory. Some operate invisibly (spirits), some very visibly (flames of fire) There are ranks of angels indicated (the blanket term “principalities, powers mights dominions” applies). They are the “armies of heaven”, who do God’s bidding, but are servants. There is an archangel, there are seraphim, cherubim, angels of the presence, avenging angels, angels of power, watchers, angels of mercy, guardian angels, angels of wisdom, angels of churches, angels of little children, angels of the heirs of salvation, angels of worship, angels of understanding, angels of scripture interpretation, angels presiding over nations, and no doubt lesser authorities The avenging angels reveal themselves in flaming fire to represent the wrath of God against sin. The work of angels whether visible or invisible constitutes them as the servants, the messengers of God.
From Psalm 45vv6-7 “But unto the Son He saith Thy throne O God is forever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows”. Angels are described here as “His fellows” or “companions” in service, nevertheless He is above them in His position (the eternal throne), in His person(He is God), in His power (the sceptre of righteousness the standard of His kingdom), in His passion (He loved righteousness, and hated lawlessness); in His pleasure (anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows). In every way, in status, in being, in authority, His keen sense of right and wrong, His delights in His marriage bliss, He is supreme. He shall be satisfied when He sees the travail of His soul. This quotation from Psalm 45 describes His kingdom as combining everlasting duration, perfect integrity and justice, and unfettered festal joy. Nothing of this nature has existed, nor can exist without Him
From Psalm 102vv25-27 “And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thine hands: they shall perish, but Thou remainest; and they shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed, but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.” In the Psalm the writer is attributing the permanence of creation to God in terms of His Divine longevity, as opposed to human brevity; and in terms of Divine certainty as opposed to human uncertainty. The writer to the Hebrews applies this to Christ and presents it not as man speaking to God but as God speaking to the Messiah. The New Testament uses this method of interpretation regularly and establishes the unequivocal Deity of the Saviour of the world. The afflicted and oppressed people who cry for justice and integrity in a world without these virtues, must look to the One whose posterity is greater than the very earth He created. He shall outlive the creation and He shall change the created order, so tarnished with sins, the very sins He has put away. Through Him, a new world order will be swept in (the world to come...the whole topic of the letter). His promises stand even as the creation will perish; the prayers of the saints will be answered. Though everything we know will change ,He will not; this glorious truth book ends the letter for chapter 13 declares He is “the same yesterday today and forever”.
From Psalm 110 v1 “But to which of the angels said He at any time Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who are the heirs of salvation”. As a corporate body angels are described as “the sons of God”, but not one individual as “the Son of God”. No angel will sit on the throne, they stand in the presence of God. They are called “gods” as the highest of the created order but they are not God. They are sent to do His will, and it is the Son who sends them from the throne (verse 14). This final proof that the Messiah is the Son of God and that Jesus is the Messiah is enshrined in His present position of power at the right hand of God. The dilemma of the Psalmist is also the dilemma of many today, why the delay, if all is now ready, if all is so certain, if the present order will change, as every redeemed heart craves? The answer is in that little word “until”. There is a programme of world evangelism (salvation and preservation); there is a programme of subjugation, (all His enemies made His footstool by God). God will not allow His glorious Son to bring His beloved bride (won at infinite cost to Himself), into a world where there is the slightest vestige of opposition or rebellion. All Christ rejecters will be subdued before the kingdom of bridal joy will commence.
All of this is designed to encourage the saints in the long struggle of life until perfection is ushered in, in Christ. The hymn writer caught the mood of this astonishing portion of scripture with the words of ..........”Until then” the chorus of which goes like this;
“But until then my heart will go on singing
Until then with joy I’ll carry on
Until the day mine eyes behold the City
Until the day God calls me home.”
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