Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, December 22nd, 2024
the Fourth Week of Advent
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Bible Commentaries
Concordant Commentary of the New Testament Concordant NT Commentary
Copyright Statement
Concordant Commentary of the New Testament reproduced by permission of Concordant Publishing Concern, Almont, Michigan, USA. All other rights reserved.
Concordant Commentary of the New Testament reproduced by permission of Concordant Publishing Concern, Almont, Michigan, USA. All other rights reserved.
Bibliographical Information
"Commentary on Hebrews 1". Concordant Commentary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/aek/hebrews-1.html. 1968.
"Commentary on Hebrews 1". Concordant Commentary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/
Whole Bible (51)New Testament (18)Individual Books (15)
Verses 1-10
1 Though the title, "Hebrews" is not inspired, the opening strain shows that this epistle is addressed to Israelites "whose are the fathers" ( Rom_9:5 ), and who alone had the oracles of God. No author is given. This is an inspired omission. It is a grave mistake to seek to supply one. It is fatal to put Paul's name here, for his ministries are distinct from and above all that this epistle has for the Hebrews.
2 The Son is the Speaker to Whom the Hebrews are directed. His glories, as they relate to the kingdom and their blessing, is the great theme of the epistle. Beginning with a brilliant cluster, showing His relationship to God, He is given a place superior to angels, and to all the great figures in Hebrew history.
2 "Tenant" seems the nearest word in English for one who has the possession and enjoyment of a thing, yet is not the owner. But it should also include the distribution by lot. So we have used the phrase "enjoyer of the allotment". The whole universe was created for the Son
( Col_1:16 ). He is the Image of the invisible God, and He it was Who made the eons. Thus the Hebrews are introduced to the higher glories of the Messiah of their ancient Scriptures.
3 We speak of seeing the sun, but it is hid behind its brilliant beams. So the Son is the Effulgence of the invisible God. The shekinah glory, which filled the temple, was a token of His presence. God condescends to assume certain characters in relation to His creatures in order to reveal Himself to them. Even as Father, He cannot be known except through the Son ( Joh_14:9-10 ). It is only through His Emblem that God reveals Himself. Not only the creation, but the operation of the universe is in His hands. The entrance and presence of sin in the universe is all accounted for by one word He has made a cleansing of sins. It is evident that, in His grand concerns, sins are considered only as a temporary stain on His escutcheon, already disposed of in truth, as they will be eventually in fact. The right hand of the divine
Majesty is the true place of the One Who wields all the power of God, and Who, for creatures such as we, is the only One in Whom we can apprehend and approach the Deity.
4 The term "messengers", often rendered "angels", does not denote nature but office. They may be men. Many in the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as John the Baptist ( Mat_10:11 ), his disciples ( Luk_7:24 ), the Lord's disciples ( Luk_9:52 ) are called by this appellation. Applied to celestial beings it denotes those who are God's couriers, who have the power of moving about freely in the universe, and thus perform the duties of messengers. Our Lord Himself is God's Chief Messenger ( 1Th_4:16 ). The Hebrew oracles had come through messengers. The law was prescribed thus ( Gal_3:19 ). Now all further revelations will flow through the only begotten Son.
5 God has had many "sons". When earth's corner stone was laid all the sons of God shouted for joy ( Job_38:7 ). Adam was a son of God ( Luk_3:38 ). The prophet Hosea foretells the time when all Israel shall be called the sons of God ( Hos_1:10 ). So that the particular point in this passage is the introduction of His Son, not by creation, but by begettal. He is His only begotten Son ( Psa_2:7 ; Mat_1:23 ; Luk_1:32-33 ; Joh_1:14 ). As such He is infinitely better fitted to communicate the heart of God to man.
5 This, in its first application, was said of Solomon ( 2Sa_7:14 ) the type of David's greater Son.
6 See Psa_97:7 and Deu_32:437 The messengers are like the forces of nature, mere instruments to carry out His will ( Psa_10:44 ) .
8 As Christ, He reigns over the next eon, including the thousand years. After that, in the new earth, He reigns as Son. This is called "the eon of the eon", because it is the fruit of His reign during the preceding eon. When the Son has reigned to such purpose that there is no further need of His rule, He abdicates, turning over the kingdom to God the Father ( 1Co_15:28 ; see also Psa_45:6-7 ).
10 The Greek term here used means "originally." There is a remote possibility that it denotes "through sovereignties" and that these ( Eph_3:10 ; Col_1:16 ) may have been associated with the Lord in the foundation of the earth, much as the saints in Israel will be in the administration of the kingdom. Thus the term would correspond to "hands" in the parallelism"
Verses 11-14
11 The destruction of the earth and the heavens is but a crisis in their change (12), for they are not to be made non-existent, but created anew. All things are in a state of flux until the consummation. Only the Son remains the same, and through Him all else attains permanence and perfection.
13 David's Son and David's Lord will, like David, subdue all His enemies ( 1Ch_22:18 ; Psa_110:1 ). It is the very essence of His glory that this is only "till". When the last enemy has been abolished, the Son subordinates Himself. All enmity being banished, His sovereignty ceases.
14 Nothing is said here of the great part which angels play in judgment, for judgment, in its last analysis, is but a prelude to salvation. Paul never mentions any such angelic ministry, because our nearness to God precludes the necessity of any intermediaries. The higher the revelation, the nearer we approach the consummation, the more intimate is the creatures' fellowship with God and the less need there is of any link until finally all these vanish when God becomes All in all.
1-4 Here the teaching of Hebrews is definitely linked to that of the Lord in the gospels and those who heard him, in the Acts. Paul's ministries are thus carefully excluded. The fact that these ministries had failed to eventuate in the kingdom, is the ground for this exhortation, for, doubtless many paid no further heed to the promises, now that they seem to have failed of fruition. That the kingdom is in view is shown in the next paragraph. A study of the contexts of the above quotations reveals the fact that they all deal with "the future inhabited earth whereof we speak".
5 Nowhere are messengers or angels accorded a place of rule. In the future, in the heavens, we shall judge them. On the earth the Circumcision saints will have dominion. Even now the sovereignties and authorities in the heavens are distinguished from the messengers ( Rev_5:8-12 ).
6 Man's inferiority to angels is only temporary. In the resurrection they will no longer be greater in strength and power ( 2Pe_2:11 ).
7 Even in the heavens the saints of this economy will be above them. This is only hinted at in Hebrews. 8 The immediate "all" refers only to the earth (Ps.8).
8 The resurrection and exaltation of the suffering Saviour is the promise and pledge that He will elevate all who are His during the eons into the place of dominion over the universe. Only the One Who has been lowest can claim the place supreme.
9 The words "in the grace of God" may, originally, have been "apart from God". This reading is supported by several early fathers and versions, as well as by the context.
1 It is not easy, in English, to distinguish between the celestial calling, here referred to, and the "calling above" ( Php_3:14 ) of Paul's latest revelation. That which is celestial as to location is often spoken of in Ephesians, as our blessing among the celestials ( Heb_1:3 ), His seat ( Heb_1:20 ), our seat ( Heb_2:6 ), the sovereignties and authorities ( Heb_3:16 ), our conflict ( Heb_6:12 ). This is in the dative case, which gives us the place in which anything is found. It occurs once in Hebrews ( Heb_12:22 ). The genitive denotes source or character. The shadow of the divine service of the celestials ( Heb_8:5 ) was on earth. So the city sought by the faithful ( Heb_11:16 ) will descend to earth
( Rev_21:10 ), and the celestial calling is from the ascended Christ, not to heaven, but from heaven. We are called to heaven, the Hebrews are addressed from heaven. They have no part in the calling above. Their blessings, though celestial in character, are on earth. Our calling is gracious ( Rom_11:29 ), for God's glory ( 1Co_1:26 ), fraught with the highest expectations ( Eph_1:18 ), not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before eonian times ( 2Ti_1:9 ), but this calling is conditional ( Heb_3:6-14 ) as in Peter, who exhorts his readers to confirm their calling through ideal acts ( 2Pe_1:10 ). The spiritual in Israel are God's house ( 1Pe_2:5 ). Just as, at the exodus, Moses was over the nation, so now, God's Son is their Mediator. And as Moses combined the office of apostle with that of priest, so Christ is commissioned by God to the people and stands before God for the people.
7 The Pentecostal period is the antitype of the wilderness experiences. As Israel wandered forty years in the desert, so now they wander a like period in the wastes of unbelief. The kingdom does not come.