Hebrews Chapter 1:1-4/Commentary

Hebrews Chapter 1:1-4

Outline: 1:1-4 1.

2.

3.

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The fact of Divine Revelation The reality of the Old Testament as a Divine Revelation The Superiority of Christ as a Divine Revelation Proofs of Christ’s Superiority A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Christ is the Heir Christ is the Creator Christ is the Revealer Christ is the Sustainer Christ is the Redeemer Christ is the Ruler Christ is Supreme

Introductory Comments “The first paragraph of the Epistle gives a summary view of its main subject, the finality of the absolute Revelation in Christ as contrasted with the preparatory revelation under the Old Covenant” 1 1:1 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

1 The Epistle to the Hebrews, B.F. Westcott, p. 3.

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1:1 “God, after He spoke”: Beginning just like Genesis 1:1, it is simply stated as a fact that God exists. This is the First Great Affirmation. “Revelation is, however, the opposite of discovery, and it is God who has revealed Himself, not man who has discovered God”. 2 This verse makes it very clear that God exists and this God is the author of both the Old and New Testament. Therefore, the Bible is a unit, and that it is throughout perfectly consistent in all its parts (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The motivation to read the Bible, should be self-evident---“God has spoken”! God has taken the initiative, God has not left man in the dark, and God has communicated with mankind. This is good news! We have been contacted by extra-terrestrial life.

1:1 “Long ago to the fathers”: God spoke in ancient times, that is, in the Old Testament era. The term “fathers” refers to forefathers, ancestors. This indicates that the recipients of this letter are Christians from a Jewish background, that is, Christians who were related physically to ancestors who heard the prophets in the Old Testament.

1:1 “In the prophets”: That is, by or through the prophets. The prophets were God’s spokesmen (Exodus 7:1; 4:12-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). “The English word prophet is now generally used to denote one who foretells future events, which is the meaning of the original word. But in Classic Greek it means one who speaks for another. The corresponding Hebrew word is navee from the root to boil up as a fountain, and means literally one who boils over. The name was given to the ancient prophets, because under the influence of the Holy Spirit, they seemed to pour out their inspired utterances, as a fountain pours out its waters”. 3 The Old Testament is no less than the voice of God and every time it is read, God is speaking (Matthew 22:31). “These men were not free to interpret the message they had received from God in words of their own choosing, for the divine afflatus under which they spoke extended to the very words they uttered (2 Peter 1:21).

There is general unbelief in the Word of God because it is commonly mistaken for a purely human word, which men may reject with impunity. Those who now stoutly refuse to hear Moses and the prophets will believe their testimony one day, for there are not agonistics in hell (Luke 16:19-31)”. 4 2 Hebrews. A Devotional Commentary, W.H. Griffith Thomas, p. 20.

3 Commentary on Hebrews, Robert Milligan, p. 49.

4 Hebrews, Geoffrey B. Wilson, pp. 13-14.

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Unbelievers complain that they cannot see God, but they fail to realize that God speaking through human instruments is for our protection, for no man can see God and live.

1:1 “In many portions”: The Old Testament revelation was not given all at once, rather the Old Testament Scriptures were revealed in stages (Joshua 24:26; 1 Samuel 10:25; Jeremiah 36:2). “And in many ways”: That is, God used various methods of communication. He spoke by dreams, visions (Nahum 1:1), audible voices and so on. God also used various writing styles, such as law, history, poetry, and psalm. In the book of Malachi, God used the style of question and answer, in the book of Habakkuk by arguments and discussion and in the book of Hosea, by the experiences in the life of the prophet. We should note that the same God who spoke to them, spoke to us. In addition, this verse makes it clear that the Old Testament is complete and finished. Concerning the Old Testament, Lenski writes, “The Old Testament is history that covers ages, but history as God wanted it written with true, spiritual intent for our learning (Romans 15:4), God’s voice speaking in every historical line” (p. 30).

1:2 “In these last days”: “In this final age” (NEB). There could be two ideas here: 1. First, Jesus did speak at the end of the Jewish age, that is the expression, “these last days”, refers back to 1:1. 2. The expression refers to the time when Jesus spoke to “us”, that is Christians in the New Testament era. The expression, “last days” does refer to the time period since Pentecost (Acts 2:14-17); Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1ff). It is clear that the expression, “last days” does not refer to some supposed millennium at the end of time.

1:2 “Has spoken to us in His Son”: By the time this letter was written, God had already spoken through Jesus. While upon the earth, Jesus claimed He was speaking for the Father (John 8:28; 12:49).

Observe that Jesus is contrasted with the prophets. “It is the transcendent dignity of the One through whom this final revelation is made which emphasizes the great responsibility of those who are the recipients of it. ‘But last of all He sent unto them His Son’ (Matthew 21:37). After sending His own Son, God has no one else to send. Thus Christ is God’s last word to man” (Wilson p. 15). Note that there is nothing said about future revelation coming through such men as Joseph Smith or Muhammad.

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Who Is This Son? The Son will now be described in six particulars which illustrate His supremacy over the Old Testament prophets and His fitness to reveal God’s final revelation to mankind: 1. His universal Lordship. 2. His agency in Creation. 3. His likeness to God. 4. His relation to this world. 5. His redemptive work. 6. His exaltation.

1:2 “Whom He appointed heir of all things”: Being the Creator, Jesus in a sense has always been heir of all things, yet there was a time when He was appointed or designed heir of all things by the Father. In Psalm 2:7-8 being appointed heir of all things is connected with the term “begotten”, and Paul notes in Acts 13:33 that Jesus was “begotten” when He was raised from the dead. Jesus was appointed heir of all things upon His resurrection. This agrees with the statement, “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), that Jesus stated after His resurrection. Compare with Acts 2:36; Ephesians 1:22; Philippians 2:10; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 1:18 and Daniel 7:13-14. Do we live our lives as if Jesus truly owned everything, including all our possessions, our time and our lives? (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). In addition, if we follow the heir, then we will reign with Him! One writer noted, “Be married to the heir, and have all!” (John Trapp). (Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

1:2 “Through whom also He made the world”: He who is heir of all things, is also the Creator of all things. The term “through” emphasizes the point that the entire Godhead was involved in Creation (Genesis 1:1,3), and that Jesus was the active agent through whom everything was created (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16).

He can only guide the universe who at first with wisdom equal to His power brought it into being. How does Jesus know what is best for us on this planet? He created us, as well as everything else in this universe! “The word which is translated in this verse as ‘world’ or ‘worlds’ usually means ‘ages’, and all this suggests the further thought that Christ continues to uphold and direct the universe” (Wilson p. 17). That is, Jesus is both the Lord of the universe and the Lord of history (Acts 17:26).

Are we taking time to appreciate what God has created? Do we see the hand of God in the physical universe? Do we treat other people as people created by God just like we are?

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The Nature and Work of the Son 1:3 “And He is the radiance”: The word translated “is” can also be rendered “being” and is in the present active tense, indicating, “absolute and timeless existence” (Philippians 2:6) (Robertson p. 35). “Radiance” means, “reflected brightness” (Thayer p. 55), such as light that shines from a luminous body (Vine p.

19). “To radiate, to beam forth brightness” (P.P. Comm. p. 4).

1:3 “Of His glory”: That is, the glory of the Father. “Glory” is a term that refers to God’s attributes, those things that make God, God (Exodus 33:18). This means that in Jesus we see the Father (John 14:9), we see that all makes God, God. We see the wisdom, power, grace, mercy, and justice, and other virtues of God in Jesus Christ (John 1:14 “We beheld His glory”). Jesus manifested the attributes that befit the Father’s only begotten Son. “Here we are told that all the brightness of God shines forth from Him” (Wilson p. 17). The fullest expression of God’s glory that man is bear in the flesh is seen in Jesus Christ. The glory manifested in Jesus far outweighs even the glory seen in the Creation.

1:3 “And the exact representation of His nature”: “The exact image or expression, precise reproduction in every respect” (Thayer p. 665). The expression “exact representation” comes from the Greek term CHARAKTER, which denoted first a tool for engraving (English character, characteristic); then a stamp or impress, as on a coin or seal, in which case the seal or die makes an impression bearing the image produced by it. The idea is that in all points Jesus is exactly like the Father (John 14:9).

The term “nature” can be defined as, “for the being or essence of God” (Robertson p. 336); “the substantial quality, nature” (Thayer p. 645); “Substantial nature, essence, actual being, reality, an exact representation of His (God’s) nature” (Arndt p. 847). The writer could not have expressed it more clearly, Jesus is exactly as much God as the Father is God (Colossians 2:9). “This phrase shows that the Son is both personally distinct from, and yet literally equal to, Him of whose essence He is the adequate imprint” (Wilson p. 17). This statement should also remind us that God can only be known truly and firmly through Jesus Christ (John 1:18). The nature of God is not veiled in Jesus, but rather fully exposed and perfectly revealed.

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1:3 “And upholds all things by the word of His power”: “Upholds”, to bear up, to carry, “who bears the universe by His mighty word” (Arndt p. 855). The tense here is present active, that is, Jesus continues to hold the universe together (Colossians 1:17 “and He is before all things, and in Him all things consist”). The reason that Jesus is able to cause the universe to completely dissolve at the end of time (2 Peter 3:10), is because He presently holds it all together. Without Jesus, this universe would cease to exist!

“This abundantly discovers the vanity and folly of them who make use of the creation in an opposition unto the Lord Christ and His peculiar interest in this world. His own power is the very ground that they stand upon in their opposition unto Him, and all things which they use against Him consist in Him. They hold their lives absolutely at the pleasure of Him whom they oppose; and they act against Him without whose continual supportment and influence they could neither live nor act one moment: which is the greatest madness and most contemptible folly imaginable (John Owen) “ (Wilson p. 18).

1:3 “By the word of His power”: He spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1:1,6); and He continues to keep it in existence by the same powerful word. Be impressed with the power of Jesus! The mere words from His mouth sustain the universe. One word from Him and the universe completely dissolves into nothing!

The miracles of Jesus (John 11:43; Matthew 8:26), were but a small sample of His actual power. The expression “all things” reminds us that our own existence, even the existence of unbelievers, is dependant upon the will of Jesus. “To say that He does this by the word of His power amounts to an attestation of His divine power” (Wilson p. 18).

Jesus’ power and influence extends to all things, whether angels, men, suns, moons, planets, comets, solar systems, atoms, so that by it the very hairs of our head are all numbered (Matthew 10:29-30), and the revolutions of the planets are constantly regulated. “Who can properly estimate the mediate and immediate energies and influences by which Christ preserves, upholds, regulates, and governs all things throughout His vast dominion?” (Milligan p. 55).

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Do we live like Jesus is in control? Do we live like every breath we take depends upon His power? Do we worry as if things were out of control? Or, do we rest confident in His wisdom and ability to govern this creation?

1:3 “When He made purification of sins”: The One who died for our sins, was none other than the Son of God, the Creator of all things! The term “purification” is in the aorist tense, that is, a single act of purification, one sacrifice for all time (Hebrews 9:26-28). Jesus did not come merely to teach, reveal God, or set a good example, rather, He came to die for our sins (Luke 19:10). The term “purification” infers that sin is defiling to mankind (2 Corinthians 7:1). Do we view sin as defiling? Remember, this writer is speaking to an audience from a Jewish background. The statement about purification would naturally remind them of the constant and yearly need for such purification under the Law of Moses (Leviticus 16:30,34). Jesus did not merely announce purification to the world, rather, He affected it by the sacrifice of Himself. What happened on the cross can only be appreciated when we realize Who died on the cross. The person described in Hebrews 1:2-3 died for our sins. It took the life of One who is the Creator and the exact representation of God, to purify us from sin. This should impress upon us: 1. How bad sin is. 2. How much God loves us. 3. How inexcusable it is to reject Jesus and to end up lost.

1:3 “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”: Following His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven and began reigning (Psalm 110:1-4; Acts 2:30-31; Ephesians 1:20-23; Daniel 7:14). The verb “sat down” denotes a solemn and formal act, and also denotes entrance upon a reign.

The “right hand” among the Hebrews from the earliest times, was the place of honor. “The Kings right hand was the place of power and dignity, belonging to the minister of His authority and His justice, and the channel of His mercy the Mediator in short between Him and His people” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 252). The word “Majesty” denotes greatness and dignity, “the Majestic One” (Hebrews 8:1; Jude 25). “Angels and men stand before the throne, the Son sits, not in idleness, but in active power and rule” (Lenski p. 41).

In these verses, Jesus has been pictured as: Prophet: 1:2 Priest: 1:3 7

King: 1:3 Premillennialists often argue that Jesus is not presently ruling as King, yet the Hebrew writer has Jesus being an active King on His throne, for Jesus is a PriestKing, and He is presently interceding for all who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25).

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