Heb 1:10-12 | KingComments | STEP | . The third quotation ( ) is about worshiping the Son. Only a Divine Person is worthy of worship. God appeals to “all” angels to do that, not just a few. They are called “the angels of God”, which means, creatures who are nearest to Him and who are instruments of His power and government. In that position they ought to worship the Messiah. God makes this appeal “when He again brings the firstborn into the world”. That certainly refers to His birth in Bethlehem. Then God brought Him into the world and the angels were praising God ( ). But God will bring Him again into the world. Then He will not come as a Baby, but in power and majesty ( ). He will come as ”the firstborn”, which means that He will be in the midst of others and amongst them He will take the first place. That also appears from the description of His return in Revelation 19 ( ). He is also the Firstborn of the whole creation ( ), the Firstborn from the dead ( ; ) and the Firstborn among many brethren ( ). . The fourth quotation ( ) shows that angels have been made to something, namely “winds” and “ministers”. The Son however is not made to something. The messengers, these invisible creatures, are swift and invisible as the wind, but their work is observable. They are ministers with a power of flame of fire, terrible, terrifying and consuming. Therefore angels are exalted far above men. But the Son is exalted immeasurably far above the angels. While He is the Son, the angels are compared to no more than the elementary forces of wind and a flame of fire. . The fifth quotation is from Psalm 45 ( ). Psalm 45 is a Messianic psalm, in which the Divinity of the Messiah is emphasized strongly. The psalmist addresses the Messiah as “God”. As it is said, the Son has not been made to something, as the angels were, but God acknowledges Him in what He is: God. God speaks about His “throne”. That is His earthly throne, which ends to exist when He takes possession of an eternal throne. It is an eternal throne because righteousness is the foundation of it. The Messiah exercises His dominion, of which the scepter is the symbol, as a righteous King. No one can dispute His kingdom and no one can question the righteousness of His reign. Any ground for this is lacking. Regarding the angels, they do not sit on a throne, but they are standing before the throne, ready to serve. He is entitled to that place. He proved that when He was on earth. He showed that He loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore He was a pleasure to God and therefore God anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His companions, i.e. the believing remnant of Israel. The wonderful thing in this quotation is that on the one side you see that the Divinity of the Lord Jesus is affirmed again as well as His eternal throne. On the other side you see Him as the faithful Man on earth where He made God-fearing people His companions, above whom He at the same time is highly exalted. . But His glory is presented yet more extensively: He is Yahweh. There can be no misunderstanding about this because of the sixth quotation ( ). The quotation starts with ‘and’, which makes it clear that it connects and adds to what has already been said about the Son. In Psalm 102 He is not only seen as Man, but as Man in the deepest humiliation, in His suffering and finally in His death. However, He is also acknowledged by God as the Maker of heaven and earth. The psalm is the prophetical expression from the heart of the Savior, in the prospect of what He endured on earth as Man. But you also hear God’s answer to Him in this quotation. The answer implies that, however deeply He was humiliated, He was at the same time the Creator. That answer is quoted here by the writer. You read that God addresses His Son with “You, Lord”. To the readers of the letter, and for you too, this means that the Jesus of the New Testament is the Yahweh of the Old Testament. Then you read in the quotation about “the beginning” ( ; ). He is at the beginning of all things. All things owe their beginning to Him Who Himself has no beginning. He also has no end, though His works do have, for they will perish. Mockers do say that all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation ( ), but they will be cruelly disillusioned. The material world has no life in itself and is neither eternal, as its Creator is. Here in one phrase you move from the beginning to the perishing at the end, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 21:1. It indicates the huge contrast between the Creator and the creation. He is eternally the Same. His years will last endlessly, even now He has become Man, for also as Man He has no end. The creation will be changed, but He Himself is the Eternal and the Unchangeable. “Will be changed” indicates a new heaven and a new earth ( ). Creation will be like a “garment” and He will deal with the creation as with a “cloak”. A garment finally grows old and you can fold up a cloak or change it for another one. That is not the case with the Son. Christ is Creator and also Recreator. . The seventh quotation ( ) is in accordance with the seventh glory of the Son in . Not only His Person is glorious and Divine, not only does He take the first place toward all creatures in the universe, but He has His own place at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. He Who had been with God in eternity, came to earth, was despised, but will rule soon, is now seated at God’s right hand. Psalm 110:1 is the verse from the Old Testament quoted the most in the New Testament. That’s because in the Old Testament, in fact, only this verse says something about the present place of the Lord Jesus in heaven after His suffering, dying and resurrection and before His return. He is now seated, while the angels are always standing ( ; ). When Michael and his angels have fought against the dragon and his angels and have defeated them ( ), they will return to God’s presence and stand there in their place of humble servants, awaiting the next order. What God says to His Son He will never say to the mightiest angel. . The chapter ends with a question that consists of a conclusion. Angels minister, but Christ rules. Angels are ministers of God, but also of the believers. Angels are spirits, they have no terrestrial bodies. They see the believers, they are spectators of what the believers do and don’t do, as 1 Corinthians 11 proves ( ), and they provide them with assistance where it is needed, because the believers are companions of the Son. The believers are presented here as “those who will inherit salvation”. With salvation in this letter is meant the millennial kingdom. Therefore you should see salvation here as something that is in the future. Salvation is also something you already possess. Therefore you may know for sure that you are saved on the ground of your conversion to God and your faith in the Lord Jesus ( ). It is important that you, to know what the expression ‘salvation’ means, look at the context in which it is written. Salvation often means to be placed on a new territory, beyond the reach of evil spirits and connected to Christ. In the quoted Ephesians 2:8 the point is that you are already in heaven now, in safety in an area where you are connected to a glorified Christ. As it is said, in this letter it is about salvation as something in the future. That implies that we sometimes have to go a tough and difficult way before we reach that salvation. That applied to the Jewish believers anyhow. Therefore they urgently needed a ministry of empowerment, comfort and protection. The Lord uses among other things His angels to minister His own. He deploys them, He sends them. They go on His command. Like when He sends an angel to Cornelius ( ) and to Philip ( ). He deploys them to bring Lazarus to Him ( ). God uses angels to protect us ( ; ). These angels are the chosen or holy angels ( ; ). You see a multitude of ministries that the angels do and that on your and my behalf. Therefore not the angels are worthy of praise – they would reject it ( ) – but the Lord of the angels: the Man Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator and Heir of all things. Now read Hebrews 1:6-14 again. Reflection: Which glories of the Lord Jesus have you learnt about? Worship Him for them.

‏ Hebrews 1:10-12

The Son Far Above the Angels (II)

Heb 1:6. The third quotation (Psa 97:7) is about worshiping the Son. Only a Divine Person is worthy of worship. God appeals to “all” angels to do that, not just a few. They are called “the angels of God”, which means, creatures who are nearest to Him and who are instruments of His power and government. In that position they ought to worship the Messiah.

God makes this appeal “when He again brings the firstborn into the world”. That certainly refers to His birth in Bethlehem. Then God brought Him into the world and the angels were praising God (Lk 2:13). But God will bring Him again into the world. Then He will not come as a Baby, but in power and majesty (Rev 19:11-16). He will come as ”the firstborn”, which means that He will be in the midst of others and amongst them He will take the first place. That also appears from the description of His return in Revelation 19 (Rev 19:11-16). He is also the Firstborn of the whole creation (Col 1:15), the Firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5) and the Firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29).

Heb 1:7. The fourth quotation (Psa 104:4) shows that angels have been made to something, namely “winds” and “ministers”. The Son however is not made to something. The messengers, these invisible creatures, are swift and invisible as the wind, but their work is observable. They are ministers with a power of flame of fire, terrible, terrifying and consuming. Therefore angels are exalted far above men. But the Son is exalted immeasurably far above the angels. While He is the Son, the angels are compared to no more than the elementary forces of wind and a flame of fire.

Heb 1:8-9. The fifth quotation is from Psalm 45 (Psa 45:6-7). Psalm 45 is a Messianic psalm, in which the Divinity of the Messiah is emphasized strongly. The psalmist addresses the Messiah as “God”. As it is said, the Son has not been made to something, as the angels were, but God acknowledges Him in what He is: God. God speaks about His “throne”. That is His earthly throne, which ends to exist when He takes possession of an eternal throne. It is an eternal throne because righteousness is the foundation of it.

The Messiah exercises His dominion, of which the scepter is the symbol, as a righteous King. No one can dispute His kingdom and no one can question the righteousness of His reign. Any ground for this is lacking. Regarding the angels, they do not sit on a throne, but they are standing before the throne, ready to serve.

He is entitled to that place. He proved that when He was on earth. He showed that He loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore He was a pleasure to God and therefore God anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His companions, i.e. the believing remnant of Israel.

The wonderful thing in this quotation is that on the one side you see that the Divinity of the Lord Jesus is affirmed again as well as His eternal throne. On the other side you see Him as the faithful Man on earth where He made God-fearing people His companions, above whom He at the same time is highly exalted.

Heb 1:10-12. But His glory is presented yet more extensively: He is Yahweh. There can be no misunderstanding about this because of the sixth quotation (Psa 102:26-28). The quotation starts with ‘and’, which makes it clear that it connects and adds to what has already been said about the Son. In Psalm 102 He is not only seen as Man, but as Man in the deepest humiliation, in His suffering and finally in His death.

However, He is also acknowledged by God as the Maker of heaven and earth. The psalm is the prophetical expression from the heart of the Savior, in the prospect of what He endured on earth as Man. But you also hear God’s answer to Him in this quotation. The answer implies that, however deeply He was humiliated, He was at the same time the Creator. That answer is quoted here by the writer. You read that God addresses His Son with “You, Lord”. To the readers of the letter, and for you too, this means that the Jesus of the New Testament is the Yahweh of the Old Testament.

Then you read in the quotation about “the beginning” (Gen 1:1; Jn 1:1). He is at the beginning of all things. All things owe their beginning to Him Who Himself has no beginning. He also has no end, though His works do have, for they will perish. Mockers do say that all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation (2Pet 3:4), but they will be cruelly disillusioned. The material world has no life in itself and is neither eternal, as its Creator is. Here in one phrase you move from the beginning to the perishing at the end, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 21:1. It indicates the huge contrast between the Creator and the creation.

He is eternally the Same. His years will last endlessly, even now He has become Man, for also as Man He has no end. The creation will be changed, but He Himself is the Eternal and the Unchangeable. “Will be changed” indicates a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 20:11 ; Rev 21:1). Creation will be like a “garment” and He will deal with the creation as with a “cloak”. A garment finally grows old and you can fold up a cloak or change it for another one. That is not the case with the Son. Christ is Creator and also Recreator.

Heb 1:13. The seventh quotation (Psa 110:1) is in accordance with the seventh glory of the Son in Heb 1:3. Not only His Person is glorious and Divine, not only does He take the first place toward all creatures in the universe, but He has His own place at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. He Who had been with God in eternity, came to earth, was despised, but will rule soon, is now seated at God’s right hand.

Psalm 110:1 is the verse from the Old Testament quoted the most in the New Testament. That’s because in the Old Testament, in fact, only this verse says something about the present place of the Lord Jesus in heaven after His suffering, dying and resurrection and before His return.

He is now seated, while the angels are always standing (Lk 1:19; Rev 8:2). When Michael and his angels have fought against the dragon and his angels and have defeated them (Rev 12:7-8), they will return to God’s presence and stand there in their place of humble servants, awaiting the next order. What God says to His Son He will never say to the mightiest angel.

Heb 1:14. The chapter ends with a question that consists of a conclusion. Angels minister, but Christ rules. Angels are ministers of God, but also of the believers. Angels are spirits, they have no terrestrial bodies. They see the believers, they are spectators of what the believers do and don’t do, as 1 Corinthians 11 proves (1Cor 11:10), and they provide them with assistance where it is needed, because the believers are companions of the Son.

The believers are presented here as “those who will inherit salvation”. With salvation in this letter is meant the millennial kingdom. Therefore you should see salvation here as something that is in the future. Salvation is also something you already possess. Therefore you may know for sure that you are saved on the ground of your conversion to God and your faith in the Lord Jesus (Eph 2:8).

It is important that you, to know what the expression ‘salvation’ means, look at the context in which it is written. Salvation often means to be placed on a new territory, beyond the reach of evil spirits and connected to Christ. In the quoted Ephesians 2:8 the point is that you are already in heaven now, in safety in an area where you are connected to a glorified Christ.

As it is said, in this letter it is about salvation as something in the future. That implies that we sometimes have to go a tough and difficult way before we reach that salvation. That applied to the Jewish believers anyhow. Therefore they urgently needed a ministry of empowerment, comfort and protection.

The Lord uses among other things His angels to minister His own. He deploys them, He sends them. They go on His command. Like when He sends an angel to Cornelius (Acts 10:3) and to Philip (Acts 8:26). He deploys them to bring Lazarus to Him (Lk 16:22). God uses angels to protect us (Mt 4:6 ; Mt 18:10; Acts 12:15). These angels are the chosen or holy angels (Mt 25:31; 1Tim 5:21).

You see a multitude of ministries that the angels do and that on your and my behalf. Therefore not the angels are worthy of praise – they would reject it (Rev 22:8-9) – but the Lord of the angels: the Man Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator and Heir of all things.

Now read Hebrews 1:6-14 again.

Reflection: Which glories of the Lord Jesus have you learnt about? Worship Him for them.