PAGE 2 — WHY IS JESUS GREATER THAN THE PROPHETS?

Hebrews 1:1–3 — God Has Spoken Through His Son

TEXT B4 TRADITION — READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.

For centuries, God spoke to His people through prophets.

Moses spoke God's words to Israel. Isaiah announced God's judgment and promises. Jeremiah warned Judah and spoke of a coming new covenant. Ezekiel proclaimed God's message among the exiles.

These men were not simply religious philosophers offering their personal opinions. They were messengers entrusted with God's word.

But Hebrews begins by announcing something extraordinary.

God has now spoken through His Son.

Why is that different?

Is Jesus simply another prophet, perhaps greater than the others? Or does Hebrews present Him as someone fundamentally different?

The answer is found in the opening three verses.

And the writer does not merely state his conclusion. He gives us reasons for believing it.

1. Begin With What the Passage Actually Says

Hebrews 1:1–3 (KJV):

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Notice the movement of the passage.

The writer begins with God's earlier revelation.

He then introduces God's revelation through His Son.

Finally, he explains who this Son is and what He has accomplished.

That order matters.

The writer's argument is not simply that Jesus delivered a better message. It is that the identity and work of Jesus make His revelation uniquely significant.

Let us follow that argument carefully.

2. God Really Did Speak Through the Prophets

Hebrews begins with an important statement:

“God ... spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.”

The subject of the sentence is God.

God spoke.

The prophets were the means through which He communicated.

This immediately establishes something important about the Old Testament.

Hebrews does not treat the earlier Scriptures as a collection of mistaken religious opinions that Jesus came to correct.

The writer begins by affirming that God truly spoke through the prophets.

This agrees with other biblical passages.

Deuteronomy 18:18 describes God placing His words in the mouth of a prophet.

Jeremiah 1:9 records God's declaration that He had put His words in Jeremiah's mouth.

Second Peter 1:21 describes prophets speaking from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The prophets had genuine authority because their message came from God.

But they were still messengers.

That distinction prepares us for what Hebrews says about the Son.

3. What Does “At Sundry Times and in Divers Manners” Mean?

The King James Version uses two expressions that are less familiar today:

“At sundry times” and “in divers manners.”

The Greek words are polymerōs and polytropōs.

The first conveys the idea of speaking in many portions or at various times.

The second refers to speaking in various ways.

God did not deliver all His revelation through one prophet on one occasion.

He spoke across generations and through different forms of communication.

Consider the variety.

God spoke to Moses and gave Israel His Law.

He gave dreams and visions to prophets.

He communicated through historical events, promises, warnings, songs, and prophetic messages.

The books of the Old Testament also contain different literary forms, including law, narrative, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy.

The writer of Hebrews does not list all these methods. But they illustrate the variety he describes.

God's earlier revelation was genuine, but it came through many messengers over a long period.

Then Hebrews introduces a contrast.

4. “But in These Last Days He Has Spoken to Us by His Son”

The contrast appears in Hebrews 1:2.

God spoke in the past through the prophets.

In these last days, He has spoken through His Son.

We should notice two things.

The same God is speaking.

Hebrews does not contrast the God of the Old Testament with a different God revealed by Jesus.

The God who spoke through Moses and the prophets is the God who has spoken through His Son.

There is continuity in the source of revelation.

The means of revelation has changed.

Previously, God spoke through the prophets.

Now He has spoken through His Son.

The writer does not say that Jesus is simply the newest prophet in a long succession.

He introduces the Son and immediately describes Him in terms never applied to the prophets as a group.

The contrast is therefore not merely chronological.

It concerns the unique identity of the One through whom God has now spoken.

The prophets spoke God's message. The Son reveals God in a way no ordinary prophet could.

The following statements explain why.

5. What Are “These Last Days”?

Some readers assume that “the last days” must refer exclusively to a short period immediately before Christ returns.

But Hebrews 1:2 says that God has already spoken through His Son in these last days.

The writer places his own readers within that period.

That is important.

The New Testament elsewhere connects the last days with the coming of Christ and the events that followed.

In Acts 2:16–17, Peter identifies the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost with Joel's prophecy concerning the last days.

First Peter 1:20 says Christ was revealed in the last times.

Hebrews 9:26 says Christ appeared at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by His sacrifice.

These passages indicate that the last days are not merely a future period that has not yet begun.

The coming of Christ marks a decisive stage in God's redemptive purpose.

This does not mean every promised event has already occurred.

Hebrews itself looks forward to Christ's appearing again (9:28), the completion of God's promises (11:39–40), and the lasting city believers seek (13:14).

The writer therefore speaks from a position in which God's decisive work in Christ has begun, while its final consummation remains ahead.

That distinction will become increasingly important as we continue through Hebrews.

6. Is Jesus God's Final Revelation?

We often hear the statement that Jesus is God's final revelation.

What does Hebrews actually establish?

Hebrews 1:1–2 presents the Son as the climactic means through whom God has spoken.

The following verses show why His revelation surpasses the earlier prophetic messages.

But the passage does not explicitly say that God would never again give an inspired message after Jesus' earthly ministry.

The apostles continued proclaiming and explaining Christ's message.

Jesus Himself promised that the Holy Spirit would guide His apostles into truth and remind them of His teaching (John 14:26; 16:13–15).

Hebrews 2:3–4 also describes the salvation message as confirmed by those who heard the Lord, with God bearing witness.

Therefore, we should distinguish two statements.

Statement one: God has revealed Himself decisively through His Son.

Hebrews 1:1–3 strongly supports this.

Statement two: No inspired communication of any kind could follow Jesus' earthly ministry.

Hebrews 1:1–3 does not, by itself, establish that broader conclusion.

The New Testament's apostolic message is not presented as a rival revelation replacing Jesus.

It proclaims and explains Him.

The strength of Hebrews' argument is that the Son Himself is the center and climax of God's revelation.

We do not need to claim more than the passage establishes.

7. Jesus Is the Heir of All Things

Hebrews 1:2 says God appointed His Son “heir of all things.”

What does that mean?

An heir is someone who receives an inheritance.

But Hebrews is not suggesting that God will die and leave His possessions to Jesus.

The language concerns the Son's appointed position and authority.

The phrase “all things” is comprehensive.

The writer presents Jesus as the One to whom everything ultimately belongs.

Psalm 2 provides an important Old Testament background.

In Psalm 2:7–8, God speaks to His anointed king as His Son and promises the nations as His inheritance.

Hebrews will quote Psalm 2:7 in the very next section (Hebrews 1:5).

That connection helps us understand the royal significance of the Son's inheritance.

Jesus is not simply another messenger delivering information about God's kingdom.

He is the Son who possesses the royal authority associated with God's promised reign.

We should also notice that Hebrews 1:2 speaks of the Son being appointed heir.

This concerns His appointed role in God's purpose. It does not require us to conclude that the Son began to exist when He received that appointment.

In fact, the next statement makes that interpretation impossible to sustain from this passage.

8. Through the Son, God Made the Worlds

Hebrews 1:2 continues:

“By whom also he made the worlds.”

The Greek expression refers to God making the aiōnes, often translated “ages.”

The word can refer to ages or periods of time, but in this context the statement has a broader significance.

Hebrews 11:3 uses the same word when speaking of the worlds being prepared by God's word.

Hebrews 1:10–12 will also apply language about the creation of heaven and earth to the Son.

Other New Testament passages provide further support.

John 1:3 says that all things came into being through the Word and that nothing created came into being apart from Him.

Colossians 1:16–17 describes all things as created through Christ and for Him, and says that all things hold together in Him.

Taken together, these passages support the conclusion that the Son participated in the creation of all things.

But we should preserve the wording of Hebrews.

The verse says God made the worlds through the Son.

The Father is the acting subject, and the Son is the One through whom creation was accomplished.

This distinction does not lessen the Son's greatness.

It makes the writer's argument remarkable.

The One through whom God has now spoken is also the One through whom God made the worlds.

An ordinary prophet belongs to the created order.

The Son is presented as participating in the work by which that order came into existence.

That is a fundamental difference.

9. Jesus Is the Radiance of God's Glory

Hebrews 1:3 describes the Son as:

“The brightness of his glory.”

The Greek word translated “brightness” is apaugasma.

It conveys the idea of radiance or shining forth.

The writer is describing the Son's unique relationship to God's glory.

The Old Testament repeatedly speaks of God's glory as the manifestation of His divine presence and majesty.

Exodus 24:16–17 describes God's glory resting on Mount Sinai.

Exodus 40:34–35 describes the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle.

But Hebrews says something extraordinary about Jesus.

He is not merely someone who has seen God's glory.

He is the radiance of that glory.

The language expresses an intimate relationship between the Son and God's own divine majesty.

We should not push the image beyond what the writer says.

The verse does not explain every question concerning the relationship between the Father and the Son.

But it certainly places Jesus in a category far beyond that of an ordinary prophet.

The prophets witnessed and proclaimed God's glory.

The Son is described as the radiance of God's glory.

10. Jesus Is the Exact Representation of God's Being

The next expression is equally important.

Hebrews 1:3 calls the Son:

“The express image of his person.”

The Greek word translated “express image” is charaktēr.

It was used for an impression or exact representation, such as the mark produced by a seal.

The word translated “person” in the KJV is hypostasis.

Here it refers to God's underlying reality or being.

The meaning is not that Jesus merely resembles God in a general way.

The writer describes Him as the exact representation of God's own being.

This agrees with Jesus' statement in John 14:9:

“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”

But that statement must also be understood in context.

Jesus was not saying that He and the Father are the same person.

In John 14, He distinguishes Himself from the Father while explaining that His words and works reveal the Father.

Hebrews likewise distinguishes God, who speaks, from the Son, through whom He speaks.

Yet it describes the Son in language of extraordinary divine significance.

Here is the logical argument:

The prophets could reveal truths about God because God gave them His message.

The Son reveals God uniquely because He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being.

Therefore, the Son is not merely another prophet. His identity makes His revelation fundamentally different.

That conclusion follows from the actual descriptions in Hebrews 1:3.

11. Jesus Upholds All Things by His Powerful Word

The writer continues:

“Upholding all things by the word of his power.”

The Greek verb translated “upholding” is pherō.

It can mean to carry or bear.

In this context, the Son is presented as sustaining or carrying all things forward by His powerful word.

This is more than saying that Jesus once participated in creation.

The writer describes His continuing relationship to the created order.

He is not merely a historical teacher who appeared for a few years and then disappeared.

The One who revealed God in human history is also the One whose power sustains creation.

Colossians 1:17 expresses a related truth when it says that in Christ all things hold together.

Again, consider the contrast with the prophets.

The prophets depended upon God for their lives and their messages.

Hebrews describes the Son as upholding all things by His powerful word.

The difference is not simply that Jesus knows more than the prophets. Hebrews attributes to Him a role no ordinary prophet could possess.

12. Jesus Made Purification for Sins

Now the writer moves from the Son's identity and cosmic work to His saving work.

Hebrews 1:3 says:

“When he had by himself purged our sins...”

The Greek text speaks of the Son making purification for sins.

Some later Greek manuscripts include wording reflected in the KJV's “by himself” and “our.” Many modern translations follow a shorter reading.

The central point is the same: the Son accomplished purification for sins.

This is the first indication of a subject that will dominate much of Hebrews.

How can sinful people approach a holy God?

What can truly remove the guilt and defilement associated with sin?

What could the repeated sacrifices under the Law accomplish?

And what has Jesus accomplished through His own sacrifice?

The writer does not answer all these questions in Hebrews 1:3.

He introduces the subject and develops it later.

Hebrews 9:11–14 explains Christ's work in relation to the earlier sacrificial arrangements.

Hebrews 10:10–14 explains the significance of His once-for-all offering.

For now, we should observe the extraordinary combination of statements.

The Son through whom God made the worlds is the same Son who made purification for sins.

The Creator entered human history to accomplish the saving work that Hebrews will explain.

That is central to the writer's presentation of Jesus.

13. Jesus Sat Down at God's Right Hand

Hebrews 1:3 concludes:

“Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

This statement introduces another major theme.

Psalm 110:1 says:

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

Hebrews quotes that passage in 1:13.

The right hand is a position of honor and authority.

The writer is presenting Jesus as exalted to the place of royal authority beside God.

But why mention that He sat down?

Later in Hebrews, the contrast becomes clear.

Hebrews 10:11 describes priests standing daily to perform their service and repeatedly offering sacrifices.

Hebrews 10:12 describes Christ, after offering one sacrifice for sins, sitting down at God's right hand.

The contrast concerns the completed, decisive character of His sacrificial offering.

We must be careful here.

Sitting down does not mean Jesus has ceased all activity.

Hebrews 7:25 says He continues to intercede for those who approach God through Him.

Hebrews 8:1–2 describes Him as our heavenly High Priest.

His sacrificial offering is complete, but His priestly ministry continues.

He sat down because His sacrifice did not need to be repeated—not because His concern for His people had ended.

That distinction will be important when we reach the later chapters.

14. Now Put the Writer's Argument Together

We have examined the individual statements.

Now consider their combined force.

Hebrews 1:1–3 tells us:

1. God genuinely spoke through the prophets.

2. God has now spoken through His Son.

3. The Son is appointed heir of all things.

4. God made the worlds through the Son.

5. The Son is the radiance of God's glory.

6. He is the exact representation of God's being.

7. He upholds all things by His powerful word.

8. He made purification for sins.

9. He sat down at God's right hand.

These are not random descriptions.

They explain why the revelation through the Son is greater than the revelation through the prophets.

The argument can be expressed logically.

First premise: The prophets were servants through whom God communicated His message.

Second premise: The Son through whom God has spoken possesses the unique identity, authority, and work described in Hebrews 1:2–3.

Conclusion: God's revelation through His Son has a significance that surpasses His earlier revelation through the prophets.

The conclusion follows from the evidence the writer supplies.

Notice what we have not done.

We have not assumed the prophets were wrong.

We have not treated the Old Testament as unimportant.

We have not built the argument on a disputed historical reconstruction.

And we have not needed to claim that Hebrews says things it does not say.

The writer's own descriptions establish the greatness of the Son.

15. Does This Passage Teach That Jesus Is Divine?

We should not avoid this question.

Hebrews 1:1–3 distinguishes the Son from the Father, yet describes the Son in language that goes far beyond ordinary human or angelic status.

He is associated with creation.

He upholds all things.

He is the radiance of God's glory.

He exactly represents God's being.

These statements provide powerful evidence for Christ's divine identity.

However, the passage does not give us a complete explanation of every later theological formulation concerning the relationship between Father and Son.

Nor should we pretend that every reader will interpret each Greek expression in precisely the same way.

Some interpreters understand the language as expressing the Son's unique divine nature.

Others attempt to explain it primarily in terms of God's appointed agent or representative.

The question is whether the second explanation adequately accounts for all the descriptions in the passage, especially when Hebrews 1:10–12 is considered.

That is a question worth examining carefully.

For this main study, the essential conclusion is already established:

Hebrews does not present Jesus as merely another prophet. It presents Him as God's uniquely exalted Son, through whom God created and sustains all things, and through whom purification for sins has been accomplished.

The fuller question of Christ's divine identity deserves a separate Going Deeper examination.

16. Why Does This Matter to Us?

It is possible to admire Jesus while failing to understand who He is.

People may regard Him as a remarkable teacher, a wise philosopher, a courageous reformer, or a great prophet.

Hebrews asks us to consider something far greater.

If the Son is the One through whom God made the worlds, then His teaching cannot be reduced to merely one religious opinion among many.

If He is the exact representation of God's being, then knowing Him is essential to understanding God's revelation.

If He has made purification for sins, then His work addresses humanity's deepest spiritual need.

And if He is seated at God's right hand, then His authority is not merely a memory from the past.

The writer wants his readers to recognize the greatness of the One in whom they have placed their confidence.

That is why he begins Hebrews this way.

Before giving his readers strong warnings, he reminds them who Jesus is.

Before urging them to persevere, he explains why Christ is worthy of their faithfulness.

The more clearly we understand who Jesus is, the more clearly we understand why Hebrews calls us to hold firmly to Him.

Conclusion: God Has Spoken Through His Son

The opening three verses of Hebrews establish the foundation for the entire book.

God spoke through the prophets.

That revelation was genuine and authoritative.

But now God has spoken through His Son.

And the Son is not simply another messenger.

He is heir of all things.

Through Him God made the worlds.

He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being.

He upholds all things by His powerful word.

He made purification for sins.

And He sat down at God's right hand.

The greatness of the Son explains the greatness of the message delivered through Him.

That is where Hebrews begins.

And everything that follows builds upon that foundation.

Questions for Further Study

1. Why does Hebrews begin by affirming that God spoke through the prophets?

2. What makes God's revelation through His Son different?

3. Does Hebrews 1:2 teach that the last days had already begun?

4. How do Hebrews 1:2 and 1:10–12 help explain the Son's relationship to creation?

5. What does it mean that Jesus is the exact representation of God's being?

6. Why does the writer mention purification for sins before explaining the sacrificial system?

7. What is the significance of Jesus sitting at God's right hand?

Continue Exploring Scripture

Previous Study — Page 1: WHY WAS HEBREWS WRITTEN?

https://www.text-b4-tradition.com/why-hebrews-was-written

Going Deeper — Page 2a: DOES HEBREWS 1:3 REALLY TEACH THAT JESUS IS GOD?

A closer examination of the Greek language, the Old Testament background, and the competing explanations of Christ's identity.

Next Main Study — Page 3: WHY IS JESUS GREATER THAN THE ANGELS? (Hebrews 1:4–14)

The writer now turns to the angels and uses a series of Old Testament quotations to demonstrate the Son's superiority.

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