Letter to the Hebrews Volume 5

God the Father's Supreme and Final Revelation to Humanity Part 5

Hebrews 1:7-8 And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. KJV Note: MKJV = Modern King James Version

Angels were created by God before He created man and they were created with distinctiveness quite opposite or different from man, for man was created to be lower than the angels, yet none of the angels at any time had ever seen God, but when our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ manifested Himself in the flesh, then all the heavenly host got to see the very God they worshipped constantly and continually. Therefore, it is the purpose of the writer of Hebrews to make the distinction between the Lord Jesus Christ and the angels in these next two verses, first he declares with these words (quoting the writer of the Psalms in Psalms 104:4), "And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire." (Hebrews 1:7) (KJV). With the phrase 'Who maketh His angels spirits', clearly is a reference to their created status, for they are created beings who had a beginning and did not exist until God spoke them into existence. Angels were created to live outside of the natural world. They have no physical bodies and perhaps can take on any form in the spirit world, but they are not created to live in the natural world that belongs to man or humanity, unless they are commanded by God the Father to perform some specific task on the earth, then they can take on the form of man for the time alloted by God the Father, here is how the Prophet Ezekiel described the angels he saw in a vision from God, "And the likeness of the living creatures: they looked like burning coals of fire; like the appearance of torches. It was continually circling among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures kept running and returning, like the appearance of a flash of lightning." (Ezekiel 1:13-14) (MKJV).

This is why the writer of Hebrews here declares them to be 'ministers', meaning they are the servants of God the Father for whatever specific task He commands them to do, especially being ministers to us that are the redeemed of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is what Vincent's Word Studies had to say concerning the angels of God, "The thought is according to the rabbinical idea of the variableness of the angelic nature. Angels were supposed to live only as they ministered. Thus it was said: 'God does with His angels whatever He will. When He wishes He makes them sitting: sometimes He makes them standing: sometimes He makes them winds, sometimes fire.' 'The subjection of the angels is such that they must submit even to be changed into elements.' 'The angel said to Manoah, 'I know not to the image of what I am made; for God changes us each hour: wherefore then dost thou ask my name? Sometimes He makes us fire, sometimes wind.' The emphasis, therefore, is not on the fact that the angels are merely servants, but that their being is such that they are only what God makes them according to the needs of their service, and are, therefore, changeable, in contrast with the Son, who is ruler and unchangeable." The writer of Hebrews goes right into the point of the distinction between Jesus Christ and the angels writing these words next, "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8) (KJV). Here the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 45:6 speaking of the Son of God as God the Son also.

The Son of God's 'throne' is eternal because He is eternal, for He always was and always will be, yet, it was only when He was born into a human body and lived sinlessly in that human body for 331/2 years, then voluntarily died for the sins of the world that His form was changed forever, as He now lives in a resurrected glorified human body (still being God) from then on to now and on throughout all eternity. The English word 'sceptre' is translated by the Greek word rhabdos meaning a stick or wand (as a cudgel, a cane or a baton of royalty): - rod, sceptre, staff. Here are some verses that declare the Son of God Jesus Christ ruling with a rod of iron on the earth, "And He will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter they will be broken to pieces, even as I received from My Father." (Revelation 2:27) (MKJV) and "And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God." (Revelation 19:15) (MKJV).

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of this verse 8 of Hebrews, "First, His true and real divinity, and that with much pleasure and affection, not grudging Him that glory: Thy throne, O God. Here one person calls another person God, O God. And, if God the Father declares Him to be so, He must be really and truly so; for God calls persons and things as they are. And now let who will deny Him to be essentially God at their peril, but let us own and honour Him as God; for, if He had not been God, He had never been fit to have done the Mediator's work nor to have worn the Mediator's crown. Secondly, God declares His dignity and dominion, as having a throne, a kingdom, and a sceptre of that kingdom. He has all right, rule, authority, and power, both as the God of nature, grace, and glory, and as Mediator; and so He is fully adequate to all the intents and purposes of His mediatorial kingdom. Thirdly, God declares the eternal duration of the dominion and dignity of Christ, founded upon the divinity of His person: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, from everlasting to everlasting, through all the ages of time, maugre (that is, notwithstanding) all the attempts of earth and hell to undermine and overthrow it, and through all the endless ages of eternity, when time shall be no more. This distinguishes Christ's throne from all earthly thrones, which are tottering, and will at length tumble down; but the throne of Christ shall be as the days of heaven. Fourthly, God declares of Christ the perfect equity of His administration, and of the execution of His power, through all the parts of His government: A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. He came righteously to the sceptre, and He uses it in perfect righteousness; the righteousness of His government proceeds from the righteousness of His person, from an essential eternal love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity, not merely from considerations of prudence or interest, but from an inward and immovable principle."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…