Bible Commentaries
Hebrews 1

Verses 1-18

XIX

CHRIST’S SUPERIORITY OVER ANGELS GOOD AND BAD

Hebrews 1:1-2:18.

In the first chapter on the exposition of the letter to the Hebrews, we considered Christ in his three sonships, showing that the Son of God by eternal subsistence, being the effulgence of God’s glory and the express image of his substance, and in that pre-existent state created the universe and all of these intelligences, and having created them he upholds them by his providence. Then we considered his second sonship, when he became the Son of God by birth of the virgin Mary in order to make purification for sins, and in that incarnate state he did make purification for sins. That in his third sonship he was the Son of God by his resurrection. We then followed his ascent into the heavens, in his disembodied spirit, presenting his blood as the basis for the atonement which he there made, followed by his exaltation a royal priest to the throne of the universe and his session there ruling and interceding. We then considered Christ’s superiority over the universe, that in the beginning he created it, and in his unchangeableness and the changeableness of the universe.

We then considered Christ’s superiority over the prophets of the Old Testament. They did give us a revelation as far as the Old Testament goes, but it was a fragmentary and diverse revelation. But the revelation he gave us completes theirs, and completes the canon of the Scriptures, and so he is superior to all the prophets.

So we come now to a new line of superiority: His superiority over the angels, good and bad. The question arises, Why introduce the angels in this discussion? Because the old covenant was given by the disposition of the angels, and inasmuch as the object of this letter is to show the superiority of the new covenant over the old covenant, it is necessary to show that Christ is superior to the angels. That accounts for the introduction of the angels into the discussion.

Then arises our second question: On what points is Christ superior to the good angels? Evidently he is superior to them in his pre-existence as the image of God and the effulgence of his glory, because that was before there were any angels. Then he is superior in that he created the angles as well as other intelligences of the universe; creator is greater than creature.

But these are not the points of superiority upon whisk this letter principally dwells. It is his superiority in his second and third sonship, not his first, that is emphasized. This superiority is that of the incarnate man, or God man, and what he did in his incarnation. No angel ever made expiation of sin. It was impossible that an angel could make an expiation for the sins of man. But Jesus, whose deity in the flesh was recognized by the angels, and who was worshiped by the angels in his humanity, did in that humanity by sacrifice of himself make purification for the sins of the world – for the sins of his people. And our text tells us that because he made purification for the sins of the world and is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, he has obtained a more glorious name than the angels. For a little season in his second sonship he was lower than the angels, but in that second sonship, having expiated the sins of the world, and having been exalted into heaven, he obtains a greater name than any angel ever had. In other words, as expressed in a previous letter "The name that is above every name," "King of kings and Lord of lords." High above all principalities and powers, be received that excellent name.

In arguing upon that name, Paul takes up the beginning of the exaltation of Christ, and says, "Unto what angel did he ever say, ’Thou art my son – this day have I begotten thee?’" referring to his resurrection. No angel is the Son of God in that sense. And then he says again, "When he bringeth again his only begotten Son into the world," as he does at the resurrection in order to obtain his risen body, "let all the angels of God worship him," that is, he is the object of angelic worship as the risen Saviour of men. He carries on the thought further – that he is not only risen, but he attains to the state above the angels because God said to him, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever." He never said that to an angel. And on that throne upon which he now sits – not the throne upon which he sat before he was manifested and became a man, but the throne upon which the risen Jesus sits today – on that throne he is superior to all angels. And Paul quotes Psalms 104:7: "And of the angels he sayeth, Who maketh his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire: but of the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; and the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity." That is the next point of the superiority.

The third point of the superiority is that, being so exalted to that throne, he is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Knox said that when he died, if his heart were examined, this writing would be found on it: "Scotland." And I feel that stamped on my innermost being, ineffaceably on the tablets of my memory forever, are two pictures: One is Christ, the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, the saddest man that ever lived. And the other is Christ anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, the gladdest man that ever lived, as it is presented again later in this book: "Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:8). This was a recompense of gladness beyond that any other being in this world will enjoy. In Luke 15 we have some beautiful illustrations of this gladness of Christ:

A sheep is lost. Whose sheep? The Shepherd’s. Who goes after the sheep? The Shepherd. Who finds the sheep? The Shepherd finds it. What does the Shepherd do when he finds it? He rejoices over it. Whose is the greatest joy over the finding of the lost sheep? His is the greatest joy. When it says there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth, it does not mean that the angels were glad, but that there was joy in their presence. It is the Saviour that is glad – the one that saved the sheep.

Then there is the woman who lost the coin. Whose was it? Hers. Who found it? She. Which was the greater joy, hers or the neighbors’ whom she called to share it? It was hers. She called in her friends and they rejoiced with her, but their joy was not equal to hers.

In the last parable, the lost son, whose son was the prodigal? That old father’s. Whose was the joy when that prodigal son came home? It was the father’s joy. When it is said that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows it means the same thing as what is said in Isaiah 53: "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." If his joy be so great over one sinner, who can measure the height, and depth, and breadth of the gladness of Jesus Christ when that great multitude – that uncountable number out of every nation and tribe and tongue – gets safely home to heaven and God? We are glad if a sinner is converted under our ministry, but we are not as glad as Jesus is. I have no doubt the angels are glad, but they cannot have the joy that Jesus has, because angels did not make us, angels did not die for us, and angels did not make atonement for us. Let us never forget this point of superiority of Christ over angels. As Paul elsewhere expresses it: "The gospel of the glory of the happy God" (1 Timothy 1:11).

The superiority is evidenced again in Hebrews 1:14: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?” Theirs is a subordination in service. They did not save men, but they have a subordinate service of ministering to the saved.

The next point is a very fine one. The law was given by the disposition of the angels, and it had very high penal sanctions. But the gospel was given by Jesus Christ, and it has a higher penal sanction; the superiority is in the higher penal sanction. Commencing at Hebrews 2:1: "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard." The point is that the punishment for rejecting the gospel is far beyond the punishment for rejecting the law.

When we get to Hebrews 10 the thought is brought out this way: "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. A man that hath set at nought Moses’ law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" First, he has trampled under foot the Son of God. This is sin against the Father, and is pardonable. Second, he has counted the blood of the everlasting covenant an unholy thing. That is sin against the Son, and is pardonable. Third, he has shown despite unto the Spirit of grace. That is sin against the Holy Spirit and hath never forgiveness. By so much as the light under the gospel is superior to the light under the law, by that much is the responsibility greater and the penalty severer. Why did Jesus say: "It shall be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah than for the cities around the Sea of Galilee"? Because the cities around the Sea of Galilee heard the gospel from the lips of Jesus, and Sodom and Gomorrah did not hear that.

In the final judgment men are judged according to the light they have had. It is on that account that the man who rejects Christ will be condemned in the final judgment by the men that repented at the teachings of a prophet – an unwilling prophet – a prophet who preferred to see them swept away, but Jesus is greater than Jonah. Thus at the last great day the Ninevites shall condemn those who refused the gospel. So also the queen of Sheba, who came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the derived wisdom of Solomon, shall condemn those people who rejected the gospel – rejected the original and underived wisdom of the greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:41-42).

The next point of superiority is that the gospel is better accredited than the law was accredited. That is set forth in this passage: "Was confirmed unto us by them that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will." All we have to do in order to get at this point is to contrast the miraculous prodigies at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai with the miraculous confirmation of the gospel when the church was baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. There were the gifts of the Spirit; there was the power to speak with tongues, to heal the sick, to raise the dead. By that much is Christ superior to angels.

The next point of his superiority is presented in Hebrews 2:5 in these words: "For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, whereof we speak. But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man that thou are mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownest him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thine hands: thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet." That says that Jesus, in his humanity, for a little season lower than the angels because of the work that he did, will have subjected to him the world to come. That never was subjected to the angels. And what is the world to come? It is the world after the general judgment. Then will be fulfilled what is said in Psalm 8. Christ, as the Second Adam, enters into the possession of all the authority and dominion conferred upon the first Adam. The first Adam in his temptation lost all in a garden, turning it into a desert. Christ, resisting temptation in a desert, converted it into a garden.

Paul goes on to show that we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we do see this much – that Jesus Christ, who in his flesh tasted death for every man, has been set upon the throne of authority in heaven and is waiting until that full promise shall be carried out, that all things shall be subjected unto him, as it is expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:25: "He must reign until all his enemies are put under his feet." That will put us into the world to come, and the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Death is not destroyed yet. Christ is up there reigning and bringing about the subjection of the world to come. In Psalm 110 we have this: "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." When every enemy is put under the foot of Christ, all of our enemies are put under our feet, for Christ does not do that simply for himself; he does it for humanity; he does it that all who are under him may sit down with him on his throne, and every enemy is to be put under their feet.

And that leads us to the next point of superiority. Commence at Hebrews 2:10: "For it became him for whom all things, and through whom all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified, are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren." The angels were not his brethren, but more scripture is quoted in confirmation of it: "I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." "I will not sit off and sing my song by myself, but I will sing it in the congregation," is the thought.

Now comes a very important question – to know when he did declare his name among the brethren, or sing among the brethren. The only place I know of in the New Testament so far is at the Lord’s Supper, where with his church memorializing his death for the sins of his people; at the conclusion of that service "they sang a hymn and went out." The hymn that they sang is what is called in the Psalms the great Hall el, or Hallelujah song. We find in the book ’of Psalms certain ones called Hallelujah songs. They were appointed to be sung at the festival of the Passover, this being the type of Christ causing the angel of death to pass over us. The Jews had sung that Hallel for ages at the annual paschal festival. So we know the hymn he gang when they went out from the Lord’s Supper.

And that proves that there was a church in existence then. In the church be sang.

The great fulfilment, however, will be when all of the redeemed are gathered together, as described in Revelation 19. Then is when they sing in the great congregation, the glory church: "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Let the earth rejoice. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" That is the final fulfilment. The one in the church nucleus at the Lord’s Supper was a foretaste of it – a prefiguring of the one in the glory church.

In that world to come, presented to us in Revelation 21-22, after the last enemy is destroyed – our enemy, Christ’s enemy that word is not subjected to the angels, but we have a glorious picture of the New Jerusalem coming down out of the heavens from God. Oh! the light of it, the joy of it! that is the world to come. But the thought is even finer than that. He has superiority over the angels not merely because the world to come is subjected to him and to his people, but because he gets nearer to us experimentally than an angel. Angels are fellow servants, but we are brethren of Christ. The angels minister to us, but they have not the sympathetic touch, that is, Gabriel is not my brother – he is my fellow servant, but not my brother. Christ is my brother, and that leads us to the last point of superiority as expressed in the end of that chapter, where he says, "wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted."

The angels cannot get close to you like that; they are not priests; they do not pass through that suffering and that temptation as he did; he took our place. We are born of woman; so was he. We have the helplessness of childhood; so had he. We confront hunger, cold, contradiction of sinners; so did he. And because he had these experiences that no angel ever did have, he can help us where no angel can. I have presented twelve special points of superiority over angels, and I am not through yet, because they are the points of superiority over the good angels.

We come now to consider his superiority over the bad angels, and let us see what they are: First, he successfully resisted all of Satan’s temptations, principally in the wilderness and in Gethsemane – two capital points at the beginning and ending of his earthly ministry. He successfully resisted Satan at the threshold of his public life. The first Adam did not. He fell. He was tempted in the Garden and turned it into a desert; Christ was tempted in a desert and turned it into a garden.

The second point is his victory over Satan on the cross. Hebrews 2:14 reads: "Since then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself, in like manner, partook of the same; that in death he might bring to naught him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." It was his mission to destroy the works of the devil. In these two conflicts he defeated Satan. In the three hours of darkness on the cross when God forsook him, and Satan and all of his demons shut out every light in the heavens, hovered around him and fought him to the death – there he obtained his final superiority over Satan. We learned in the letter to the Colossians that he triumphed over the principalities of power on the cross and made a show of them openly.

The imagery is that of a Roman general returning from a successful war over a national enemy of the Roman Empire and accorded a triumph therefore. His head crowned with laurels, in a snow-white chariot, drawn by snow-white horses, he comes to receive his crown. There is paraded before him the trophies that he won in the war – the jewels, the gold, the fine raiment. There come after, tied to his chariot wheels, the princes and nobles of that conquered land. And so he makes a show of them openly.

Moreover, he delivers all Satan’s captives – strips him of all his spoils. The idea of his superiority advances in Hebrews 2:16: "For verily not unto angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham." Our common version disguises that and says: "He took not on him the nature of angels." That is not the thought. His superiority over the bad angels is asserted in his excluding them from participation in salvation. He did not come down to this earth to save the devil and his demons – he came to save the spiritual seed of Abraham – and the devils are excluded from any participation in that salvation. Here comes up the question, "Does God love a sinner in hell?" the point of which is that wherever God loves, he loves remedially – his love is active. He does not love a fallen angel. "For verily not to angels doth he give help." No part of salvation for any fallen angel. So when sinners finally reject him they go to a place prepared for the devil and his angels and share their doom. If we strip his love of remedial activity, we take away the love itself.

The last thought of his superiority over the angels is this (this book does not present it, but I bring it in to make the arguments complete): Not only does he judge these fallen angels at the last great day, but he causes his people to judge them: "Know ye not that the saints shall judge angels?" They are those who kept not their first estate, but are cast down in chains of darkness and are awaiting the last great day of judgment.

So over bad angels we have found these points: First, his successful resisting of Satan’s temptation. Second, his victory over Satan and his demons on the cross. Third, the deliverance of the prey that is in the hands of Satan, who has to turn loose all those that he had reigned over, for Christ plucks them out of his hand. Fourth, his exclusion of them from participation in salvation. Fifth, his final judgment of them and causing his people to judge them.

QUESTIONS

1. Why introduce the angels in this discussion?

2. What are two points of superiority of our Lord over the angels not especially discussed in Hebrews?

3. What are the particulars of our Lord’s superiority over the good angels as discussed in this book? (See analysis.)

4. What are the particulars of our Lord’s superiority over the bad angels? (See analysis.)

5. Prove that Jesus in his threefold sonship was worshiped by the angels.

6. Show his superiority in his expiation of sin.

7. Show his superiority in his inheritance.

8. Show his superiority in his enthronement.

9. Expound our Lord’s anointing with the oil of gladness, and illustrate by three parables in Luke 5.

10. Show his superiority in their subordination of service.

11. Show it in his confirmation of the angels.

12. Show it in his gospel compared with the law.

13. What two passages in this letter exhibit the higher order of the penal sanctions of the new covenant, and what the application of the second to the sin against the Holy Spirit?

14. Show this superiority in the fact that the gospel is better accredited than the law.

15. Show it in his sympathetic priesthood.

16. Show it in his becoming a brother to them whom the angels only serve.

17. Show his superiority over bad angels in his temptations.

18. Show it in his victory on the cross.

19. Show it in his delivering Satan’s victims.

20. Show it in his final judgment of them,

21. What is the Greek word for "congregation" in Hebrews 2:12, when was this prophecy first fulfilled, when the last and larger fulfilment, what hymn was sung at the first fulfilment, and what the bearing of the first fulfilment on the institution of the church in Christ’s lifetime on earth?

22. What is the difference in meaning between the common version rendering of Hebrews 2:16 and the revision, and what the bearing on the question, "Does God love a sinner in hell?"

23. What is the meaning of "world to come" in Hebrews 2:5?