Monday, 6 August 2018
But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says:
“Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Hebrews 1:6
The words of this verse are incorrectly translated by some versions by saying something like, “And again, when he brings in the first-begotten into the world…” In the Greek, the word “brings” is tied to “again.” It is not a supplementary statement to the previous verse. Rather it is a new thought referring to a new point in time. In the previous verse, it spoke of Christ’s first advent (Today I have begotten You). That was when He “by Himself purged our sins” (verse 3). Now it is speaking of a second event.
“But when He again brings the firstborn into the world,” speaks of that event. The Firstborn is Christ. He is termed this several times in the New Testament, such as Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:15, 18, and Revelation 1:5. The words, “He again brings” Him “into the world,” is a grammatical tool where the “event is conceived as occurring at an indefinite time in the future, but is viewed as complete” (Vincent’s Word Studies). There is a time which is set, and which God spoke of as accomplished, though it is yet future. It is where the cited Scripture would apply directly to Christ’s second coming. It is stated by the author as, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Here he does not cite the Hebrew version of the Scriptures, but the Greek translation of it. It is cited in Deuteronomy 32:43 and again substantially in Psalm 97:7. The Greek translation of the Old Testament is what the author consistently uses for his Old Testament citations.
It is true that the angels of God had recognized Christ’s works after they were completed. 1 Timothy 3:16 says that He was “seen by angels.” However, the culmination of Christ’s great redemptive work lies yet ahead at His second coming. It is a time when the fulfillment of this Scripture will be then realized.
It should be noted that in citing Psalm 97:7, it is another of the countless references to the deity of Christ. There, it is applied to the Lord (Yehovah) of the Old Testament. In Hebrews, it is applied directly to Jesus. It is an implicit reference, then, to Christ being the Lord (Yehovah) of the Old. Such is the reason for the inclusion of this. It demonstrates, unequivocally, that Jesus is “greater than” the angels.
Life application: As the angels were created by God, and as the angels will worship Jesus, it is rather obvious that Jesus is God. The particular wording of this verse, and many others, further solidifies this point. If you have called out to Jesus, but not as Lord (meaning God), you have called out to a false Jesus. Jesus is God. This is the message which is seen time and again as we wind our way through Scripture.
Lord God Almighty! Great and glorious are You. You have set the earth in its place as the center of Your attention. And You have placed the earth here as a dwelling for man. Everything is set with this in mind. And then, after the focus of Your attention – we humans – rebelled, You were still willing to send Christ Jesus to redeem us. What is the value of man? If You sent Jesus to bring us back to You, we must have great value. Help us to recognize this, and live lives worthy of that state. To Your glory we pray. Amen.