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Hebrews 1:7
Hebrews 1:7
Hi Folks. We’re finally up to verse 7 of Hebrews, chapter one. I’m going to read it in the NIV:
Hebrews 1:7 (NIV) In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire."
I’d like to ask you a question. How can we explain this verse to someone? How can we expound it or dig the meaning out of it? I don’t think that is necessarily an easy thing to do. But, based on our last session together, I think there is a way to do it. And it’s a way that we can also apply to some other verses and passages that may not be clear.
In Hebrews 1:6, we saw that the phrase “Let all God’s angels worship Him” came from Psalm 97:7 in the Septuagint and we were able to understand what Hebrews 1:6 was talking about by looking at the message of Psalm 97 as a whole. And doing that opened our understanding to let us see that Hebrews 1:6 was actually telling us about the second coming of Christ. I think that the author of Hebrews expected us to see this and to get this additional understanding from Psalm 97:7 in the Septuagint.
This method, if we can call it that, was used by Jesus in responding to the Jewish leaders when they said certain things to Him. Let’s look at an example of that:
Matthew 21:16 (NIV) "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"
Now let’s look at that verse in context:
Matthew 21:13-16 (NIV) "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'" [14] The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. [15] But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. [16] "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"
The chief priests and the teachers of the law were indignant when they saw the wonderful things that Yeshua did and when the children cried out Hosanna to the Son of David. These children were praising Jesus and calling Him the Messiah! They recognized who He was, and they exclaimed it, unlike these Jewish leaders. I’m going to quote Jesus’ response from the King James Version: Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Jesus was saying this to these leaders: You’ve seen what I’ve done but you deny that I’m the Messiah. Even these children know who I am. And haven’t you read what the Tehillim (the Psalms) say about me? Yeshua was quoting Psalm 8:2. Let’s look at that in context:
Psalms 8:1-9 (NKJV) O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! [2] Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. [3] When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, [4] What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? [5] For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. [6] You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, [7] All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field, [8] The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. [9] O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
This method of quoting a verse which “hinted” at a passage of Scripture that would provide additional understanding was sometimes used by Rabbis with their students and it was given a name: remez, meaning hint. Can you imagine how those Jewish leaders who knew about remez might have reacted? They would know that Jesus is telling them very clearly and loudly through Psalm 8 that He is LORD.
Now the author of Hebrews is doing something similar but without the rebuke to his readers that Jesus intended for the Jewish leaders.
Look at the Psalm that is referenced. Is this an example of remez? Does Hebrews 1:6, which we studied last time, contain an example of remez (Psalm 97:7) regarding the second coming? I believe that it does. AND does Hebrews 1:7, our verse for today, contain an example of remez? I hope to show you shortly that the answer is yes.
Now Jesus “used” remez to convict the pharisees of the truth about Him. Jesus invented remez. But if the author of Hebrews used it, why did he use it in particular instances? What was the purpose? It may have been a way for the ancient Jewish readers and for us today to learn that the Bible is a commentary on itself. In fact, it’s the best commentary on itself. Why is that? Because the Bible never contradicts itself and because the Bible is complete; it contains everything that God wants us to know about Him, and His Son and His Holy Spirit. This knowledge is most useful! And the NKJV makes it easy to do this. Let’s read Hebrews 1:7 again, this time in the NKJV:
Hebrews 1:7 (NKJV) And of the angels He says: "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE."
Because the phrase WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE is in all caps, we know that it’s a quote from the Old Testament. It comes from Psalm 104. Let’s read the first six verses of that Psalm:
Psalms 104:1-6 (NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, [2] Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. [3] He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, [4] Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. [5] You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, [6] You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. (Italics added).
How do we interpret this? Now remember that beginning with Hebrews 1:4 all the way through Hebrews 1:8 (which we haven’t gotten to yet) we are seeing a comparison between Jesus and angels. Jesus is different than the angels and He is far superior. He is the One and only Son of God, the only begotten Son. What is Psalm 104 adding here? It is telling us how great the LORD is and the writer is using the word Yahweh, or if you like, Adonai. This is without question God, Yod Hay Vav Hay, the Tetragrammaton or I AM. Could it be that the author of Hebrews, by drawing us to this Psalm, is leading us to grasp, that Jesus is equal to Yahweh? It seems to me that the answer is yes, definitely. Now you might say that the author has already done that. True. But He is perhaps doing it even more powerfully by referring us to God’s proper name and by doing that He is equating Jesus, the Son, very strongly with God the Father.
Jesus did this very thing Himself. Let’s read an example of that:
John 8:58 (NKJV) 58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
And Hebrews 1:7 is also telling us that Angels, as powerful and majestic as they are, are created beings, unlike Yeshua, Who is LORD, and Who has always existed. But what about the LORD making His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire? Are angels and ministers the same here, in Hebrews 1:7? I think that verses 13 and 14 from this very chapter that we are reading from now give us the answer. Let’s read them together right now:
Hebrews 1:13-14 NKJV
But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? [14] Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
So, yes, the ministers here, in verse 1:7 are angels! And they are great! But Yeshua, who is equal to Yahweh, is greater!
Folks, thank you for listening. I hope Hebrews 1:7 has inspired you and caused you to rejoice! But, I have a question for each and every one of you. Do you know Jesus personally? Are you going to spend eternity in heaven with Him? If you know Him, you will! If you don’t know Him or if you’re not sure please cry out to Him, today, now. You can shout the words or you can say them softly – He will hear. Ask Him to forgive your sins, to make you a new creation, to be your Lord and Savior, and to give you peace with God, now and forever.
God bless you folks.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com
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By Arthur P WolinskyHebrews 1:7
Hi Folks. We’re finally up to verse 7 of Hebrews, chapter one. I’m going to read it in the NIV:
Hebrews 1:7 (NIV) In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire."
I’d like to ask you a question. How can we explain this verse to someone? How can we expound it or dig the meaning out of it? I don’t think that is necessarily an easy thing to do. But, based on our last session together, I think there is a way to do it. And it’s a way that we can also apply to some other verses and passages that may not be clear.
In Hebrews 1:6, we saw that the phrase “Let all God’s angels worship Him” came from Psalm 97:7 in the Septuagint and we were able to understand what Hebrews 1:6 was talking about by looking at the message of Psalm 97 as a whole. And doing that opened our understanding to let us see that Hebrews 1:6 was actually telling us about the second coming of Christ. I think that the author of Hebrews expected us to see this and to get this additional understanding from Psalm 97:7 in the Septuagint.
This method, if we can call it that, was used by Jesus in responding to the Jewish leaders when they said certain things to Him. Let’s look at an example of that:
Matthew 21:16 (NIV) "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"
Now let’s look at that verse in context:
Matthew 21:13-16 (NIV) "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'" [14] The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. [15] But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. [16] "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise'?"
The chief priests and the teachers of the law were indignant when they saw the wonderful things that Yeshua did and when the children cried out Hosanna to the Son of David. These children were praising Jesus and calling Him the Messiah! They recognized who He was, and they exclaimed it, unlike these Jewish leaders. I’m going to quote Jesus’ response from the King James Version: Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Jesus was saying this to these leaders: You’ve seen what I’ve done but you deny that I’m the Messiah. Even these children know who I am. And haven’t you read what the Tehillim (the Psalms) say about me? Yeshua was quoting Psalm 8:2. Let’s look at that in context:
Psalms 8:1-9 (NKJV) O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! [2] Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. [3] When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, [4] What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? [5] For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. [6] You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, [7] All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field, [8] The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. [9] O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
This method of quoting a verse which “hinted” at a passage of Scripture that would provide additional understanding was sometimes used by Rabbis with their students and it was given a name: remez, meaning hint. Can you imagine how those Jewish leaders who knew about remez might have reacted? They would know that Jesus is telling them very clearly and loudly through Psalm 8 that He is LORD.
Now the author of Hebrews is doing something similar but without the rebuke to his readers that Jesus intended for the Jewish leaders.
Look at the Psalm that is referenced. Is this an example of remez? Does Hebrews 1:6, which we studied last time, contain an example of remez (Psalm 97:7) regarding the second coming? I believe that it does. AND does Hebrews 1:7, our verse for today, contain an example of remez? I hope to show you shortly that the answer is yes.
Now Jesus “used” remez to convict the pharisees of the truth about Him. Jesus invented remez. But if the author of Hebrews used it, why did he use it in particular instances? What was the purpose? It may have been a way for the ancient Jewish readers and for us today to learn that the Bible is a commentary on itself. In fact, it’s the best commentary on itself. Why is that? Because the Bible never contradicts itself and because the Bible is complete; it contains everything that God wants us to know about Him, and His Son and His Holy Spirit. This knowledge is most useful! And the NKJV makes it easy to do this. Let’s read Hebrews 1:7 again, this time in the NKJV:
Hebrews 1:7 (NKJV) And of the angels He says: "WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE."
Because the phrase WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE is in all caps, we know that it’s a quote from the Old Testament. It comes from Psalm 104. Let’s read the first six verses of that Psalm:
Psalms 104:1-6 (NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, [2] Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. [3] He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, [4] Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. [5] You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever, [6] You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. (Italics added).
How do we interpret this? Now remember that beginning with Hebrews 1:4 all the way through Hebrews 1:8 (which we haven’t gotten to yet) we are seeing a comparison between Jesus and angels. Jesus is different than the angels and He is far superior. He is the One and only Son of God, the only begotten Son. What is Psalm 104 adding here? It is telling us how great the LORD is and the writer is using the word Yahweh, or if you like, Adonai. This is without question God, Yod Hay Vav Hay, the Tetragrammaton or I AM. Could it be that the author of Hebrews, by drawing us to this Psalm, is leading us to grasp, that Jesus is equal to Yahweh? It seems to me that the answer is yes, definitely. Now you might say that the author has already done that. True. But He is perhaps doing it even more powerfully by referring us to God’s proper name and by doing that He is equating Jesus, the Son, very strongly with God the Father.
Jesus did this very thing Himself. Let’s read an example of that:
John 8:58 (NKJV) 58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
And Hebrews 1:7 is also telling us that Angels, as powerful and majestic as they are, are created beings, unlike Yeshua, Who is LORD, and Who has always existed. But what about the LORD making His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire? Are angels and ministers the same here, in Hebrews 1:7? I think that verses 13 and 14 from this very chapter that we are reading from now give us the answer. Let’s read them together right now:
Hebrews 1:13-14 NKJV
But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? [14] Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
So, yes, the ministers here, in verse 1:7 are angels! And they are great! But Yeshua, who is equal to Yahweh, is greater!
Folks, thank you for listening. I hope Hebrews 1:7 has inspired you and caused you to rejoice! But, I have a question for each and every one of you. Do you know Jesus personally? Are you going to spend eternity in heaven with Him? If you know Him, you will! If you don’t know Him or if you’re not sure please cry out to Him, today, now. You can shout the words or you can say them softly – He will hear. Ask Him to forgive your sins, to make you a new creation, to be your Lord and Savior, and to give you peace with God, now and forever.
God bless you folks.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit awolinsky.substack.com