Hebrews 1:1-2 Bible Teaching

Hebrews 1:1 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;

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

As we said last week, because the beginning of this epistle varies from all the others which Paul wrote there is question as to whether it was Paul who wrote it.

In every other instance of Paul he first announces his name, and the name of the church or of the individual to whom he wrote.

I want you to take note of this because it is going to be important in some things we’ll be teaching in the future about how the Church operates.

What I mean by this is the early church communicated with each other no matter when believers gathered.

We note that in some of his epistles or letters Paul will recommend certain believers for service or duty and in other places he, in writing warns the recipients of his letters of certain people in and around the flock.

So while Christ’s universal church is absolutely moved and monitored and run by the Holy Spirit, there was, at least initially, order.

In the year to come we will see the purpose of such order in the household of God.

Okay, anyway whomever wrote this epistle wanted to start right off acknowledging to his audience (who we know were Jewish converts to Christ) a full belief that God made important revelations in past times to the Children of Israel, again saying:

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

God, in different times and in different ways spoke in time past unto the Hebrew Fathers by the Prophets.

What different ways did God speak to prophets? Let’s see . . .

He spoke to Moses through the burning bush.
He spoke to Job from a whirlwind.
He spoke to Joseph in dreams.
He spoke to Joshua through an angel.
He spoke to Samuel as a voice in the night.
He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice.
He spoke to Daniel in vision.

There are a few things we can state about the revelations God gave these men.

First His messages to them were fragmentary. They received His inspired word through these means but they message was never complete.

There are churches that maintain God from the beginning revealed a plan of salvation in total to the prophets of Old (and the reason we don’t have them reporting the full gospel is because the “Bible can’t be trusted”).

But the truth of the matter is God revealed His will and revelations line upon line over periods of time to men He inspired.

The second thing we know about His “revelations to prophets in times past” was these revelations worked out progressively over time into a grand narrative pointing to Christ and/or to future events (as in the case of Daniel).

Collectively they built upon, intersected, and dovetailed together into a perfect picture of inspired revealed words.

This is one of the most amazing facts about the Bible – the fact that over a course of some 1500 years or so God revealed His word in pieces (or fragments) to a number of prophets (who in many cases did not know each other) and yet what He revealed all congeal into a perfect picture – meshing perfectly, by the way, with New Testament narrative as well.

Also, we can note that as He revealed His will, those who received it did not always know what the revelations meant.

They merely heard, wrote, and followed along in obedience.

Often the revelations had no bearing on their present time, so it was truly an act of faith for them to write this stuff out not really knowing what it all meant or how it would play out.

We have a similar thing happening to John, I believe, when the Lord had him write Revelation.

Now, does God still speak to us as He spoke to prophets in times past?

(beat)

There are believers who say yes, and believers who say no.

I say, “yes and no.” I’ll explain why in a minute.

Now, the writer, without introduction or any other formality, just jumps right in and admits that God (in times past) spoke through prophets in various times and means) and then adds

(verse 2)

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;

In the past God spoke through prophets but

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,

How? How has God “spoken” to us by His Son? And what are the benefits of the revelation of His Son over the revelation He gave to prophets in times past?

First, How did God speak to us through His Son?

At the risk of being smarmy, He spoke to us in every way by and through His Son.

Where the revelations to prophets was fragmentary and progressive in nature, the revelation (or presentation) of Jesus to the world was complete, full, and revealed the invisible person of God materially and perfectly.

What was there to wonder about – God was with us – speak, talking, teaching, being.

Where the prophet’s proffered fragmentary glimpses of God and His person over 1500 years, Paul describes Christ well, saying in Colossians 2:8-12

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men (which is who the writer of Hebrews is addressing here), after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

(listen now – listen up)

10 And you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (meaning of the heart)
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

John the Beloved wrote this in John 1:15-16

“John (the Baptist) bare witness of him, and cried, saying, “This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.”

Speaking of Jesus, Ephesians 1:21-22 says He is

“Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and (God) gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”

Of course we can’t ignore Colossians 1:19-20, which says of our King:

“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Having spoken to us through His Son in these last days (which means the last dispensation of times before everything get’s wrapped up) it is not by accident John calls Jesus the Word, with Him revealing in flesh the invisible God.

But scripture gives Jesus a number of names proving He was by no means a fragmentary revelation of God.

Take a minute and just relax (especially if you wonder if God is speaking in these days through “prophets,”) and hear how the Word of God describes the One whom in these last days God has spoken.

As the Fullness, Jesus is called:

ADAM: (1st Corinthians 15:45)
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

The ADVOCATE: (1 John 2:1)
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

The ALMIGHTY: (Revelation 1:8)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The AMEN: (Revelation 3:14)
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness . . .”

The APOSTLE OF OUR PROFESSION and THE HIGH PRIEST: (Hebrews 3:1)
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

The ARM OF THE LORD: (Isaiah 53:1)
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

The AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH: (Hebrews 12:2)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION: (Hebrews 5:9)
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

BELOVED SON: (Matthew 12:18)
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles.

BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE:
(1 Timothy 6:15)
Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

The BRANCH: (Isaiah 4:2) In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

The BREAD OF LIFE: (John 6:32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

The CAPTAIN OF SALVATION: (Hebrews 2:10) For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

The CHIEF SHEPHERD: (1 Peter 5:4)
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

The CHRIST OF GOD: (Luke 9:20)
He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

The CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL: (Luke 2:25)
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

The CORNERSTONE: (Psalm 118:22)
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

(Isaiah 9:6)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The CREATOR: (John 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The DAYSPRING: (Luke 1:78) Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

The DELIVERER: (Romans 11:26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

The DESIRE OF THE NATIONS: (Haggai 2:7) And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

The DOOR: (John 10:7) Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

The ELECT OF GOD: (Isaiah 42:1) Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

FAITHFUL WITNESS: (Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

FIRST AND LAST: (Revelation 1:17)
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

FIRST BEGOTTEN: (Revelation 1:5)
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

FORERUNNER: (Hebrews 6:20)
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

GLORY OF THE LORD: (Isaiah 40:5)
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

GOD: (Isaiah 40:3)
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

GOD BLESSED: (Romans 9:5)
Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

GOOD SHEPHERD: (John 10:11)
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

GOVERNOR: (Matthew 2:6)
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

GREAT HIGH PRIEST: (Hebrews 4:14) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

HEAD OF THE CHURCH: (Ephesians 1:22)
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

HEIR OF ALL THINGS: (Hebrews 1:2) 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;

HOLY CHILD: (Acts 4:27)
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

HOLY ONE: (Acts 3:14)
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

HOLY ONE OF GOD: (Mark 1:24)
Saying, I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.

HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL: (Isaiah 41:14) Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

HORN OF SALVATION: (Luke 1:69)
And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

I AM: (John 8:58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

IMAGE OF GOD: (2 Corinthians 4:4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

IMMANUEL: (Isaiah 7:14) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

JEHOVAH: (Isaiah 26:4) Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

JESUS: (Matthew 1:21)
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

JESUS OF NAZARETH: (Matthew 21:11) And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

JUDGE OF ISRAEL: (Micah 5:1)
Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

THE JUST ONE: (Acts 7:52)
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

KING: (Zechariah 9:9)
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

KING OF THE AGES: (1 Timothy 1:17) Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

KING OF THE JEWS: (Matthew 2:2) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

KING OF KINGS: (1 Timothy 6:15)
Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

KING OF SAINTS: (Revelation 15:3)
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

JUDGE, LAWGIVER: (Isaiah 33:22)
For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

LAMB: (Revelation 13:8)
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

LAMB OF GOD: (John 1:29)
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

LEADER AND COMMANDER: (Isaiah 55:4)
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

THE LIFE: (John 14:6)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

LIGHT OF THE WORLD: (John 8:12) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH: (Revelation 5:5)
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

LORD OF ALL: (Acts 10:36)
The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

LORD OF GLORY: (1 Corinthians 2:8) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

LORD OF LORDS: (1 Timothy 6:15) Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

LORD OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: (Jeremiah 23:6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

MAN OF SORROWS: (Isaiah 53:3)
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

MEDIATOR: (1 Timothy 2:5)
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT: (Malachi 3:1) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

MESSIAH: (John 1:41)
He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

MIGHTY ONE: (Isaiah 60:16)
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

MORNING STAR: (Revelation 22:16)
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

NAZARENE: (Matthew 2:23)
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

ONLY BEGOTTEN SON: (John 1:18)
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

OUR PASSOVER: (1 Corinthians 5:7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

PRINCE OF LIFE: (Acts 3:15)
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

PRINCE OF KINGS: (Revelation 1:5)
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

PROPHET: (Acts 3:22)
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

REDEEMER: (Job 19:25)
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

RESURRECTION AND LIFE: (John 11:25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

ROCK: (1 Corinthians 10:4)
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

ROOT OF DAVID: (Revelation 22:16)
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

ROSE OF SHARON: (Song of Songs 2:1)
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

SAVIOR: (Luke 2:11)
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

SEED OF WOMAN: (Genesis 3:15)
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF SOULS: (1 Peter 2:25)
For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

SHILOH: (Genesis 49:10)
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

SON OF THE BLESSED: (Mark 14:61)
Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

SON OF DAVID: (Matthew 1:1)
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

SON OF GOD: (Matthew 2:15)
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

SON OF THE HIGHEST: (Luke 1:32)
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: (Malachi 4:2)
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

TRUE LIGHT: (John 1:9)
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

TRUE VINE: (John 15:1)
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

TRUTH: (John 1:14)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

WITNESS: (Isaiah 55:4)
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

WORD: (John 1:1)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

WORD OF GOD: (Revelation 19:13)
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

What need for prophets receiving revelation when we have Him, the complete and full revelation of God!

If ONLY people looked straight to Him!

(beat)

Now, wrapping this up, people often wonder two things about prophets and prophecy.

The first is, Does God continue to speak to us, like He did in times past, through dreams and visions and whirlwinds?

I am convinced He can, does, and in some cases will.

However, in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall all things be established.

So our first witness was provided to us when God, who at sundry times and diverse manners spake unto the prophets – and we have one witness of Him in the Old Testaments.

Our second witness, who came and fulfilled the Law and the prophets, came in these last days and is His Son.

This second witness has been provided by us by apostles who saw and testified of Him.

When someone has a dream, or vision, or whirlwind conversation or directive of the Holy Spirit, it must concur with the contextual presentation of the first two witnesses God has given.

If they don’t, you just had a dream, or too many beers.

Finally, does God speak through prophets today. Certainly.

Simply put, there are the historical prophets like unto Moses. Upon them, Christ build the foundation of His church of believers who . . .

Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.

But what about prophecy today? Are there people with the gift of prophecy?

Yes, again! Speaking of spiritual gifts, Paul says in 1st Corinthian 12:10:

“To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”

This being said, two things must be noted regarding prophets in the church today:

First, contextually speaking, the gift of prophecy, however, is typified in the New Testament as those who teach and speak and teach of Him.

Ephesians 4:11-12 says it well, saying:

“And he gave some, apostles (notice apostles are listed first here); and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

So as long as the teaching or prophecy is in harmony with the first two witnesses (and we test to see that they are) prophecy is perfectly acceptable.