t first glance the primary message of the first two chapters of Hebrews appears to be unique among the New Testament epistles: The Son of God has been exalted above the angels. This message is clearly spelled out as we read, for example, that He, 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 than they (Heb. 1:3-4). But if you read more carefully, you will encounter this same message throughout the New Testament. For instance, Peter wrote that Jesus Christ has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him (1 Pet. 3:22, see also Eph. 1:20-22, Php. 2:9-10 and Col. 2:10,15).
How does this message of Christ's supremacy over the angels concern us? The significance is revealed when we discover that the author of Hebrews demonstrates the Son's supremacy by showing that He, not the angels, has inherited the nations. For it says that God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds (Heb. 1:2). Though the world was created through Him, He obtained it from the Father as an inheritance by His death, resurrection, and ascension to the Father's right hand, as the verses referenced above declare.
Some might object, "But the Son of God owns all things by virtue of creation; how could God inherit that which already belongs to Him?" The author of Hebrews responds that Jesus inherits the world as a man, the Messiah, who reigns over the nations. This is the context of most of the Old Testament prophecies quoted in the first chapter of Hebrews. Let us examine each of these in turn.
The first citation is from Psalm 2:7, where God declares, You are My Son, today I have begotten You. The entire Psalm is a clear prophecy of the Messiah's universal rule given to Him by God, for it continues, Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. That Christ has received the inheritance that God promised here will be made clear as we go on.
The second quote is from God's promise to David about his son in 2 Samuel 7:14, where God says in the previous verse: He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. God established David's throne forever by granting it to Jesus, the Son of David.
The next two verses were discussed in the last issue, so we will not go into them other than to point out that if we take verse 6 to be a quote out of Psalm 97:7, the context fits our theme nicely, especially Psalm 97:9, which reads: For You, Lord, are most high above the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
The fifth citation is a proclamation of the righteousness of God the King from Psalm 45:6-7. Immediately preceding this verse we read, Let the nations fall beneath your feet (Psalm 45:5, NIV).
The next quote from Psalm 102:25-27 declares that the Son remains though the earth perishes, and again the context prophesies about God's plan for the nations: So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory, for the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory (Psalm 102:15-16).
The last quote is from Psalm 110, where the Messiah is clearly seen as ruling the nations from His throne in heaven; God said, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Christ rules over the nations and is thus greater than the angels. For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels (Heb. 2:5). But He has subjected it to the Man, Christ Jesus.
The question remains, why did the author of Hebrews use this approach to show the supremacy of Christ over the angels? Why even mention that the world to come had been subjected to Christ, rather than to angels?
The answer is this: The world before had been subjected to angels. Daniel 10:13-21 states in passing that the nations of Persia and Greece had angelic authorities who were opposing Michael, the archangel over God's people (12:1).
This teaching is seen more clearly in the New Testament, where the devil was shown to have authority over the nations. For Jesus said, Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out (John 12:31). The devil himself declared his rule over nations, when he tempted Christ by showing Him the kingdoms of the world and saying, All this authority I will give You, and their glory, for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish (Luke 4:6). Jesus did not give in to the temptation, but by His death and resurrection He succeeded in casting out the ruler of the world and announced His dominion: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).
The authority over the earth that had belonged to evil spiritual forces now belongs to the Christ, who became a Man that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14). And so the prophecy of Isaiah 24:21-23 has been fulfilled, It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will punish on high the host of the exalted ones, and on earth the kings of the earth, and the Lord of hosts will reign of Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His elders, gloriously. And Asaph's prayer from Psalm 82:8 is being answered, Arise, O god, judge the earth; For You shall inherit the nations.
