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1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
(ESV)
We do not know the writer of Hebrews and honestly, it doesn’t matter. The book is absolutely beautiful. Written with a unique elegance, this Holy Spirit-inspired author had mastered the principles of rhetoric and the oral persuasion of the Greek language. On top of this, the author demonstrates a firm grasp of Jewish history and how it should be interpreted in light of the Messiah. Hebrews is loaded with citations from the Old Testament, which helps us to theologically understand the heart of God from the beginning.
Even though I stated that the authorship doesn’t matter, just for the record, my money is on the “Paul dictated and Luke wrote it down” theory.
The point of Hebrews 1 is to validate the God-man Jesus Christ. In the past, God had spoken through the prophets. However, the curse of sin was hovering over this stubborn generation when Jesus stepped onto the scene. So, taking on the burden of proof, the author of Hebrews dives into an explanation of Jesus’ superiority to the voice of the prophets.
Naturally speaking, if you wanted to receive a revelation from a father, his son is a more reliable resource than his servant. Jesus is the exact expression of God’s nature. God made it clear in the Old Testament that no one could see Him and live. Jesus is the purest expression of God’s heart. He can be examined and experienced.
As God’s Son, He is the heir to all things. This is interesting because it is the fulfillment of Psalm 2:8 which is quoted here in Hebrews 1.
I will declare the LORD’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. 8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.
Psalms 2:7-8 HCSB
If you remember, when Jesus was tempted by Satan, He also made a similar promise…
Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”
Matthew 4:8-9 HCSB
Satan offered Jesus the world. God granted Him eternity. This is such a powerful truth to consider in our own lives. So many times we fall victim to accepting a quick-fix cheap imitation when God has promised us the real deal. Satan’s offer sounded good on the surface, but Jesus knew how flimsy His offer really was in light of God’s promises.
Because Jesus is the heir to all things, He will rule forever. That Kingdom has not yet been seen, but His presence satisfies both the human and supernatural prophecies from Scripture.
“The rabbis applied it midrashically to the people of Israel, but the New Testament’s application of it to the Messiah is a chiddush (“innovation”) meant to show not only that Yeshua, as God’s Son, is better than angels, but also that the entire prophecy, including the promise that the House of David will rule forever, is fulfilled in Yeshua, “descended from David physically” (Rom 1:3, Mat 1:1, Luk 3:23-38), but “Son of God spiritually” (Rom 1:4, Luk 1:35).”
Jewish New Testament