Verse 1-2. “God, who in various portions and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us “in a Son”, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He make the universe.”
Abraham was born about BC 2166. “The fathers” would begin with Abraham. Some say that Enoch (7th from Adam) was a prophet. One writer finds 78 prophets in the O.T., some being female.
“Last days” speaks of our current time in history, between Pentecost in Acts 2 and Christ’s coming the second time. See Joel 2: 28-32 and Hebrews 9:26: “… now once for all at the consummation of the ages He has appeared to put away sin through the sacrifice of Himself.” The phrase “consummation of the ages” means that the ages are coming together to their climax. The consummation of the ages began when Jesus came approximately two thousand years ago. Joel 2: 28-32. Joel 2: 28-32: “And also on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.”
How did God speak through prophets to “the fathers?” 1) through words; 2) through writings: 3) through dreams; 4) through visions; 5) through symbolic actions (Hosea marrying a prostitute); 6) through allusions; 7) through types; 8) through analogy; 9) through miracles; 10) wonders; 11) through signs.
“At many times and in many ways” is emphasized in the sentence by putting it at the beginning of the sentence.
The idea of “portions” is that God spoke revelation and each communication was a separate, fragmentary, progressive revelation of Eternal Truth. These fragmentary and progressive revelations of Eternal Truth built one upon another, like pieces of a puzzle. As the puzzle grew more complete, Jesus became more clearly seen. Jesus is the ultimate revelation to which all other partial, fragmentary revelations lead.
“In Son” is translated “in a son,” “in His son,” “by His son,” “through a son,” “through His son.” The emphasis is on the quality of the vehicle of God’s last revelation. It is a final revelation and a revelation of a new, higher order. Jesus is no human spokesman, like the prophets; nor is He an inferior being like an angel (The Hebrews believed that God used angels to communicate the 10 commandments to Moses). Rather, Jesus, is acquainted with the Father in a way that only a family member could be.
Literally, as I understand it, the phrase is “in Son” or “in a Son.” I speak to you in English. God is now speaking “in Son.” Jesus is God’s language. Jesus is how God communicates to us now.
God speaks to us through Jesus with finality. Jesus is God’s last word. “God spoke in a Son. It’s one thing to speak by prophets, it’s another thing to speak in a Son. Now He’s speaking “Son-wise.”
Jesus is described as God’s eternal Son. It’s Jesus in His eternal nature that is described. He entered human history as Jesus of Nazareth, the man, but eternally He is the Son of God. In Isaiah 9 it says, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.”
Seven Statements About Jesus.
Statements 1-5 depict Jesus in His Divine Nature. 1) Jesus is the inheritor of all things. He inherits each person who has ever lived, the created universe, the unseen world, time, matter. 2) Jesus is the Creator of all things. Jesus created all people. If He created each of us with our particular gifts, looks, inclinations, callings, that gave Him greater incentive to come and redeem us. The Creator redeemed those He created. It was through Jesus that God created the world, Greek “aeons”- all space, all time, all ages, all matter. Universe is a better translation than worlds. “He set the ages in motion.
Pro. 30:4: “Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name and what is His son’s name, if you know?
Somewhere in eternity, the Father made a covenant with the Son and with the Holy Spirit. They each made a covenant with one another. The Son committed to paying the price to redeem us. The Father and the Holy Spirit committed to raising the Son from the dead after He had paid the price.
Verses 3-4. “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they have.”
3) Jesus is the “outshining of God’s glory,” the “radiance” of His Glory, the Effulgence of His Glory . . .” Radiance is taken from the Greek word for “rays.” Jesus is “the raying-forth of the glory of God,” the “out-raying” of the Glory of God.
4) Jesus is the “Image of His glory,” the “express Image of God’s person,” the “mirror Image of God’s character.” Jesus is the exact representation of God’s substance. The word that’s translated “exact representation” is used of a seal ring and of the exact imprint that it produces in the wax. The word translated “nature” means “that which is under something else and that which keeps it up.” In Hebrews 11 the same word is translated substance.
5). Jesus upholds time, matter, the universe, all creation, both seen and unseen, by the Word of His power. He carries all things by the word of his power - carries, upholds, sustains.
Statements 6-7 depict Jesus in His Divine work. 6) He made purification of sins . . . Or provided purification for sins. He made purification for our sins through His sacrifice on the cross. 1 John says He’s the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world. Jesus, by His sacrifice on the cross, dealt with the sin problem in the universe once and for all. When God initiates what He’s planning, sin will have been totally eliminated forever. There’ll not even be any stain left by sin. There will have been total purification.
Descriptors for Jesus work: cleansed sin from us, purged sin from us, purified us from sin, released us from sin, washed away our sin, cleaned sin from us, cleared our record of sin, sacrificed Himself for our sin, made a way for us to be made pure from sin.
How did Jesus do that? There had to be a sacrifice. He had to be the sacrifice. He had to suffer death and all its evil consequences.
The awfulness of sin. Ro. 1:18. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the knowledge of the truth.” I Jo. 5:17: “All unrighteousness is sin.” So, sin repels the truth and runs to the darkness of falsehood. Jo. 3:19. “Light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light.” Knowledge of the goodness and love of God is repulsive to sin. Jo. 1:19. The root of suppressing the knowledge of God is a desire to not praise and glory God. When the real God is rejected, love for other, lesser, evil things takes its place. Sin replaces the glory of God with images. Ultimately, as Ro. 6:23 says “the wage of sin is eternal, never-ending death. Our sin nature separates our souls from God.
Is hell a real place? Rev. 20:15; 2 Thes. 1:9. Jesus mentioned hell more than heaven and said that some will go there. Mt. 10:28. In Lu. 16:28, the rich man described hell as a “place of torment” that he did not want his family who he loved to come to. It’s a terrible prison where you’re tortured night and day. Mt. 25:41; Mt. 8:12. There is constant weeping in hell and constant gnashing of teeth. Hell is a place of eternal fire and utter darkness. It’s eternal punishment, eternal alienation God and everlasting destruction. 2 Thes. 1: 6-9. Ro. 2:8. The citizens of hell are recipients of God’s wrath continually. Conscious, eternal torment is how some have described it, a place of unending suffering and pain for which there is no escape.
God promised to provide a sacrifice that would finally put away sin (Gen. 22:8-14). Jesus tasted my death and death for all humanity. He. 2:9. In Jo. 12: 27-28 in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said: “Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”
Jesus had to die to satisfy God’s justice regarding sin. Jesus had to die because of God’s righteousness, His rightness. Justice flows out of Righteousness. Every sin must have a death consequence. Jesus had to die to defeat death, to remove eternal death from our ledger, to remove eternal punishment from our lot. “Our savior Jesus Christ has abolished death, eternal hellfire and eternal punishment and instead brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Tim. 1:10. Jesus lived a life without sin for us. Jo. 3:17: “God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” This shows the depths of God’s love for Tony Brewer and the depths of Jesus’ love for Tony Brewer.
Jesus willingly went to His death for our sake. We were criminals before God. The middle cross was made for us. I was Barabbas – a rebel, murderer. We have been corrupted by sin because we chose sin. Jesus took all that rebellion, became that rebellion, accepted punishment for that rebellion.
I Jo. 2:2: “And He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of everyone.”
9:14: “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds[a] so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Ps. 110:1. “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”
The “more excellent name” that Jesus received reveals that He is deity. Three times in verses 1-2, the OJB uses the name “HaShem” for God. Jesus is identified as God-as Hs Shem. That’s the more excellent name that he has.
7) Jesus sat down. “He sat down at the right hand of the majesty in the high places.” Jesus, once He made His sacrifice, sat down. In the tenth chapter, He’s contrasted with the Levitical priests who never sat down. They always stood to offer the same sacrifices which could never take away sin. Their job was never complete. Why did Jesus sit down? Because He’d never have to do it again.
8) (Jesus is) having become so much superior to the angels, as He has inherited a name that is more excellent than theirs.
How excellent is His name? See Philippians 2 and also Ephesians 1:21: God has exalted Jesus above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age, but also in the one to come.
So, He’s far above every name and in Philippians 2:9 it says. Wherefore God also highly exalted him and gave Him the name which is above every name. Not “a” name but “the” name. The name which is above every name.
. . . that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, things in heaven, things on earth, things under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
His name is totally supreme. At His name, all created beings will bow and all will confess that He is Lord.
Jesus earned His exaltation. He came into His inheritance by right because He met the conditions. He humbled himself to the lowest point. So, God has also exalted Him to the highest place. The passages in Philippians and Hebrews indicate it wasn’t a whim of the Father to bestow this name upon Him; it was the appropriate reward for what He had done. Because He humbled Himself more than all others, He is exalted above all others. He came into His name by inheritance. If we’re going to come into our inheritance, we have to meet the conditions as Jesus did.
Colossians 1:13-18 repeats Hebrews 1: 2-4. 1) “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (WORK). 2) In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (BENEFIT). 3) He is the image of the invisible God (pertain to His eternal being), 4) the firstborn over all creation (pertains to His eternal being). “He’s the firstborn before all creation (pertains to His eternal being), not “the firstborn of creation” but “the firstborn before all creation.” He’s uncreated, eternal, divine. 5) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is the beginning and the ending (pertaining to His eternal being). 6) And He is before all things. He is eternally existent. He never came into being. And the next statement (pertains to His eternal being) 5) all things hold together in Him (pertain to His eternal being), and 7) In Him all things consist (pertain to His eternal being). 8) And He is the head of the body, the church (relate to His redemptive work). In a natural birth, the head normally comes out first. When the head comes out, it’s a guarantee that the body will follow. Jesus’ resurrection is a guarantee that we will be resurrected. 9) who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead (pertains to His eternal work), 10) that in all things He may have the preeminence (pertains to His eternal being).”
Verse 5. “For to which of the angels did God ever say: ‘You are my son, today I have begotten you? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to me a Son.’”
Notice the emphasis in both these on the Father/Son relationship. That is taken from 2 Samuel 7:12. This is a message to King David sent to him from the Lord through Nathan the prophet.
“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me; . . . That was partially fulfilled in Solomon but not completely. 2 Sam. 7:13: “He shall build a house for My name.” Solomon did that. “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” That was not fulfilled in Solomon.
God never said that to any angel. “I will be Your Father; You will be My Son.” So that’s His second Scripture to show how immeasurably superior Jesus is to all angels.
Seven OT passages that show the supremacy of Jesus’s name from Psalm 2.
Psalm 2 is a Messianic psalm. This psalm presents One who is four things. 1) “the Lord’s anointed (v.2).” Anointed is the English translation for “Messiah,” or mashiach, which is the Hebrew word, which means “anointed.”
Verse 2. 2) The political, religious, business, academic, and media leaders stand together against the LORD and against His Anointed: . . . See Acts 4.
Then it reveals one who is the Lord’s king. Verse 6. 3) “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, . . . So, He’s “the Lord’s Anointed” and the Lord calls him “My King.”
He’s the Lord’s Son. Verse 7. 4) “He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee.’” The Hebrew word for son there is ben, which is the normal word. But at the end in verse 12 it says to the kings and rulers:
Do homage to the Son, . . . The Hebrew word is bar, which is another word for son. And in certain phrases was habitually used as a title of Messiah.
This predicts seven things in relationship to Messiah. 1) It predicts the rejection of Messiah by earth’s rulers. Ps. 2: 1-3. 2) It predicts the Lord’s anger at those rulers. Ps. 2: 4-5. 3) It predicts Messiah being anointed, set or installed as king on Zion. Ps. 2:6. “I have installed, set, anointed My King on My holy hill of Zion.” That’s the heavenly Zion. But the word that’s translated in the New American Standard “installed,” is literally “anointed.” 4) It predicts the Lord’s acknowledgment of Messiah as His Son. Ps. 2:6. 5) The Son acknowledges that the Father testifies that He is His Son, and it predicts the resurrection.
Note: Jessi s twice the firstborn: firstborn before all creation and firstborn from the dead. This speaks of resurrection. The beginning of the new order, the new creation, the head, followed by the Body.
5) The fifth prediction of Psalm 2 is that God the Father acknowledges the Messiah as His Son through resurrection.
6) The sixth prediction is that Messiah is declared ruler over the whole earth. Ps. 2: 8–9. The word translated “rule” is the same word used for a shepherd. The word “rod” refers to a shepherd, but instead of having a rod of wood He will have a rod of iron indicating the severity of His judgment.
7) The seventh prediction is a warning to earth’s rulers to submit to Messiah before judgment falls on them. Ps. 2: 10-12.
And finally, the eighth prediction of Psalm 2: How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! Or trust in Him. So, there’s a promise of blessing to all who trust Messiah. Ps. 2:12.
Verse 6. “But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’”
Dt. 32:43: ““Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” (DSS manuscript of this verse adds: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” (Septuagint and DSS agree, but Masoretic text leaves last sentence out.)
The Greek word for worship here means: 1) to bow down before Him; 2) to Kiss the Son; 3) to pay homage to the Son. What does it mean to “kiss the Son?” Kissing is associated with love. How do we love Jesus? By obeying Him. Jo. 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I Jo. 4:19: “We love Him because He first loved us.” I Jo. 3:24a: “Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God and God abides in Him.’”
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” (1 John 5:2-3)
If you love Christ, you will depart from iniquity―you will hate sin. (2 Timothy 2:19)
If you love Christ, you will flee from the sin of sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
If you love Christ, you will delight in God’s Law-Word and store it up in your heart. (Psalm 119: 11, 47)
Jo. 14:24: “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.”
Homage is worship.
Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods.” Ps. 97:7.
Going back to Hebrews 1:6 and accepting this as part of Scripture, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” We notice that this is something that is to happen when God brings back the firstborn [that’s Jesus] into the world at the close of this age (2nd coming). All the angels are ordered to worship Him. That is clear proof that He is higher than the angels, because the angels are worshiping Him. No one is ever to be worshiped in Scripture except God Himself. So, it establishes His divinity and His supremacy to the angels.
Verse 7. “And of the angels, He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.’”
Ps. 104:4: “Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.’” “Ministers” here might better be “ministering servants.”
Verse 7. But of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.” Psalm 104:4. This is an introductory passage to the psalm portraying the glory and majesty of God. It says in verse 4: Who makes his angels spirits, his ministers a flame of fire.
Angels are servants. The word for wind in Hebrew is ruach, which is also the word for “spirit.”
Angels are servants. They’re not on the same level as Jesus.
Verse 8-9. “But to the Son, He says: ‘Your Throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is a scepter of your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, Your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’”
“beyond your companions”
Ps. 45: 6-7. “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”
But notice that Jesus experienced the depths of hell. He was anointed with joy after obedience. See Is. 53:3: “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”
Hebrews 1:8: To the Son, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever . . .” Literally “for the age of the age.” Or “an age that’s made up of ages.” The scepter of righteousness is the scepter of His kingdom. You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, for this reason, O God, Your God anointed You with the oil of rejoicing above your companions [or fellows].”
There are two persons in those verses, each of whom is called God. That’s the Old Testament. Let’s go back to Psalm 45:6–7. If you go to the beginning of Psalm 45 you see that it’s a theme of praise and worship of the king. My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King . . . So, it’s the Messiah, the King Messiah, who’s the theme of this.
There are two distinct persons, each of whom in the Old Testament is called God. And the Hebrew word there used is Elohim, which is the normal word for the one true God. So, you have the whole mystery of the Trinity really in that one-word Elohim. But you see, the king who’s anointed is called God.
God anoints the king. This passage emphasizes the divinity of Messiah. Previously it’s been emphasized his Sonship, but now it speaks about His divinity.
The person addressed is Himself God. Hebrew: Elohim. Second, He’s a king and He has a kingdom. Third, He’s totally committed to righteousness. He loves righteousness and He hates lawlessness. Fourth, it’s this reason that God anoints Him as Messiah. Again, Messiah earned His position. It wasn’t bestowed on Him out of a whim or out of favoritism. He was anointed because of His absolute, total commitment to righteousness. That was the reason why God anointed Him or made Him Messiah. And five, He has fellows [or companions] who are also anointed but not in the same degree.
Verse 10. “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.”
Ps. 8:3: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers. The moon and the stars, which You have ordained.”
He. 1:2c: “through Whom also He made the worlds.”
Jo. 1:3: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
Colossians 1: 16-17: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Hebrews 1:10–12. “You, in the beginning, O LORD founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; they will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old as a garment, and like a cloak [or a mantle] You will roll them up; and as a garment they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will never pass away.”
Your years will “never run out.” Psalm 102:25–27. “Of old Thou didst found the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing Thou wilt change them, and they will be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end.”
Verses 11-12. “They will perish but You remain. And they will all grow old as a garment. Like a cloak You will fold them up. And they will be changed. But You are the same and your years will not fail (cease).”
“But you are the same” in the Aramaic version says: “You are as You are.” Ex. 3:14a: “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”
Ps. 102: 25-27: “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment. Like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same and Your years will have no end.”
Rev. 21:1: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea.
Verse 13. “But to which of the angels has He ever said: ‘Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’”
Ps. 110:1: “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
Placing your feet on your defeated enemy was a gesture of triumph. Josh. 10:24: “So it was, when they brought out those kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of war who went with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” And they drew near and put their feet on their necks.
I Ki. 5:3: “You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under the soles of his feet.
Hebrews 1:13 is also quoted in the O.T. “But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”? See Ps. 110:1.
“The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.” The LORD is God, who is “my Lord.” This passage is quoted in each of the three synoptic gospels: It’s also quoted by the apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:34–35. See Matthew 22:41 and following.
“Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ (Messiah)?” “What do you think about the [Messiah], whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.”
He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, “The LORD said to My lord, sit at My right hand, until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet.” Verse 45. “If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how is He, his son?”
Psalm 110:1, occurs in each of the three synoptic gospels; once in Acts; and three times in in Hebrews 1. It is the most quoted verse from the Old Testament in the New.
Verse 14. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”
Ministering spirits might better be “ministering servants.” Since we are “in Christ,” angels love to minister to us because it is as if they are ministering to Christ Himself. By the way, God wants you to consider most of the people you see daily as Him and treat them accordingly. Mt. 25:40: “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”