April 29, 2008

Christ, Superior to Angels Part 1
Hebrews 1:4-14

We have been seeing the excellence of Jesus Christ. In verses 1-3 we saw that he is superior to every one and every thing.

The writer having made general broad statements of the excellent glory of Jesus, now points to Christ specifically as superior to angels.  It’s as if he wants to convince his readers just how great Jesus is and that he truly is Messiah, the Son of God.

In these verses (4-14) there are seven OT quotes, one about angels, six about the Son. Even that shows the higher value placed on the Son.

Verse 4 says, “having become higher than the angels. Showing a finished action. At some point Christ became higher than angels. But wait a minute, Hasn’t Christ always been better than angels?

We see in 2:9 that to be able to suffer death for us and understand our feelings, fears and faults, he became, for a time, lower than angels. But at his resurrection God exalted the son to is rightful equality as Christ, Messiah, Son of God.

So we see that Jesus is better than angels. What of it?
What value is that comparison?

We know that man is a fantastic creation. David said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Just consider your own self, how complex your nervous system is, how amazing your skeletal and circulation system is. Or, that lymph system that deals with the removal of wastes and toxins from your body.

You are higher than any other natural creature.

Psalm 8 “You made him to have dominion over the beasts, fowl, fish and so on. Man is an amazing creation. But a higher creation than man exists: Angels.

We see from 2:9 that man is lower than the angels.

Angels, excepting fallen ones, are holy. Matt. 25:31 & 1 Tim. 5:21 speak of God and all his holy angels.  They are Holy, above sin. Also they are intelligent, according to  Matt. 24:36 where the angels of heaven are used as an example of how great the mystery of Christ coming is because even THEY don’t know when.

Angels also have abilities beyond human Power. Ps. 107:20.
 Matt 28:2-4 Angels in charge at the resurrection of Christ.

2 Peter 2:11 says angels are greater in power than sinful man.

Rev. 10:1 speaks of them as “mighty angels. They have power.

They have knowledge: Dan. 9:21-22 Gabriel told Daniel he was coming to give knowledge and understanding and in 10:14 angel sent to make Daniel understand the things to happen to the Jews in end times.

Angels are specially created  spirit beings who are higher than men. Spirit means not flesh and bone not like us although they have some sort of body. 1 Cor. 15 says there are bodies terrestrial and bodies celestial. They are capable of appearing in human form (Heb. 13:2 unaware) Matt 28:3-4 Says they appeared at Christ’s resurrection, so they have some form.

Angels all made at once. They don’t procreate don’t have little angels (people do). Matt. 22: 28-30. God made them and never added to them though some fell with Lucifer.

Angels do not die as far as we know, not able to be extinguished and, do not appear to increase or decrease.

Each angel is a direct creation of God standing in a distinct personal relationship with God who made him.

The OT assumes the existence of angels as ministers of God with 165 references. So from a biblical view, angels do exist.

Heb. 1:6 they worship and serve God Rev. 5:11-12, are intelligent and capable of emotion and according to Gal. 1:6 can speak.. (note: annunciation  and references in Daniel etc.)

They are high speed Dan. 9:21 and often pictured with wings, as many as 6.

Mark 13:32 and Jude 6 they have a special abode in the heavens dwelling in all the heavens.

Third heaven is  God’s region, second is infinite space, and first is around earth. So in a sense all the parts of the universe inhabited by angels.

They are eons older than men and there are countless numbers of them. Even after one third fell there were still numberless masses left.

Dan, 7:10 Many thousands were ministering to him; Many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.   Rev. 5:11 thousands times 10,000 and thousands on thousands. How many? Enough to do the job, no lazy ones.
They are surely more powerful than men and men must call on divine power to deal with them. especially  fallen ones. We see Eph. 6 (we wrestle not against flesh and blood etc)

They are organized and divided into ranks. Archangels are in charge. 1 Thess. 4: 16 and Jude 9.
Angels. 2 Peter 2:9, Thrones, dominions, principalities and powers eph. 6:2 There are Cherubim and Seraphim and some called “living creatures”.

Some names are given : Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel. Michael is they head of the armies of angels. Gabriel is Mighty one.

Angels are seen in scripture as spectators at all redemptive events, ministers to God, and to Christ and as minsters to the saints. They are watchers of the church.

They help answer prayer, protect children, encourage and deliver from danger.

To the unsaved hey administer judgment and affect it. Angels brought the law to moses According to Gal. 3:19, were used of God to execute judgment Ps. 78, Dan. 4 Neb. And in Acts 12;22-23, HEROD AGRIPPA.

Angels are much in view in the tribulation as God deals with Israel and Christ takes dominion over his earth. They will attend at the return of Christ (2 Thess. 1:7, Matt. 24).

 God used angels to deal with With Israel and other nations in Daniel’s day (Dan. 10 :13, & 20-21, 11:1.

They assisted at Christ’s temptation (Matt. 4:11) and in Gethsemane (Luke 22:43) His resurrection Matt 28 and ascension Matt. 28 and 2nd Coming Matt 24,

Helped OT believers, Abraham and Lot (Gen. 18-19) Jacob 28:12, 37:1; Daniel 6:22
Help NT believers too. Gave info concerning Christ
Birth-Matt. 1:20-21, Res. 28: 2-7 Ascension, Acts 1:10-11
Helped Lazarus Luke 16:22,  Philip Acts 8:26, Cornelius, 10:2-7
Peter Acts 5:19-20= 12: 8-11..Paul Acts 27: 23-24
Children...Matt 18
Assist tribulation. believers Rev. 5:8; and on and on.

They are very busy as you can see...thats a brief course of what the Bible says about angels.

But we need another look as well because by the time this was written some of the Jews had their own little angelology, and it is to this mindset The writer must explain Christ’s superiority as well.

The Jewish view had wandered from the Biblical view. They did esteem angels very highly and believed them to be mediators between God and men. They believe God lived surrounded by angels and that  they brought God’s word to men.

One rabbi described them as, “Ethereal creatures made of fiery substance like blazing light: (which might be so).

They believe that angels were created, that they didn’t eat drink or procreate.

They also believed that the Angels were God’s senate, that he never did anything without consulting them. Thats why, in their view, Genesis says, “Let, US make man in our image. “They reject any trinity as polytheism.

Some Jews believed that some angels objected to the creation of man and were annihilated for that objection.

Some believed Moses was attacked by angels on Sinai because they objected to God giving the law to men.

They also named the Angels. They said there were 7 presence angels with the “El” ending (God’s Name). Raphael, Fanuel, Gabriel, Michael, Uriel ,Sariel, .Paltiel  as near as I can find.

(Note: some divergence in those names from differing sources.)

There were 200 who supposedly controlled the stars and kept them on course.
Also a calendar angel,one who controlled the succession of days week months and years.

They attributed to the angels the power of frost, dew, hail, thunder, lightening, wind and sea. And there were wardens of hell. Their job is to torment the damned according to Talmud.

There are recording angels who write down every man’s words, an angel of death and a guardian angel for every child and every nation. One rabbi said, “There is an angel of God for every blade of grass.” They definitely believed in Angels.

So scripturally and in Jewish thought angels are magnificent, exalted creatures. In their minds they were the highest created beings next to God, and mediators between God and man.

Especially note in Hebrews that the Jews knew that the Old Covenant was brought to man by Angels from God. The angels kept things running between them and God. Angels were highly exalted (Acts 7:51; Gal. 3:19) show they believed the law, the Old covenant, was brought by angels.  Some of them even worshipped angels, Gnostic heretics likened Jesus to an angel.
 
Col. 2:18 says do not get trapped into worshipping angels.
They had a VERY high view of angels. So when the author exalts Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth high above angels, he is exalting him to the very throne of God almighty.

To prove that the new covenant is better than the old, he must show Christ as better than angels. Here in 4-14 the writer, borne along by God’s Spirit, shows Christ, the bearer of the new covenant New Testament in his blood, one sacrifice, one priest, as being VASTLY superior to Angels.

Jesus Christ is the better mediator of a better covenant, and the writer does this by using 7 OT quotes or passages which are not exact quotes because he uses the Septuagint, or Greek translation from the Hebrew. (a cultured individual while Paul used Hebrew, Greek varies slightly from the Hebrew not in meaning but word choice)

The writer used the OT so wisely to prove that Jesus is the mediator of as better covenant, being SO much better than angels.

But you know something? Even though Jesus is Better than angels,(and the writer will go  on to show 5 ways Christ is better) Even though he is exalted above angels some still reject him as Lord. Some still refuse him as savior. Some still do not commit their wills to him to serve the Lord God Almighty.

As we pick this study up in a few weeks, we will review this thought and in the meantime ask yourself,”What will I do with Jesus?”

He is the mediator of a better covenant....is it your covenant too?
You think about that, Amen!