The Son as Prophet: A Reflection on Hebrews 1:1

By Phil Newton

There are times we lose sight of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. With all the attractions of the world we manage to turn our gaze away from the brilliance of His being and wonder of His work to the paltry images of a fallen world. This speaks volumes of our constant need for divine mercy and grace. It is imperative that we turn away from the attractions of the world and see the Creator of the world; that we look away from the temporal and see Him who is the Eternal King!

The audience receiving this Epistle struggled with the persecutions and oppositions to their faith in Christ. They were intimidated by Jews on one hand, to go back into a dependence upon ritual and form for their salvation. On the other hand, they were likely walking through the period of the Neronian persecution of Christians. Most scholars believe the recipients were living in Italy, quite likely in Rome. If the intensity of persecution was upon them, they needed encouragement to keep pressing on in the Lord. The writer of this Epistle does not give Christians neat formulas for coping with the pressures of life. He simply exhorts us to see Jesus Christ in all of His offices, for as we are enveloped in a consciousness of Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King, we are able to bear up under the heaviest of loads. Our focus in this study will be upon Christ as Prophet.

Few passages in God's Word confront us so powerfully with the majesty of Jesus Christ as the opening words of Hebrews. We find ourselves lost in the wonder that the eternal God has spoken to us finally and ultimately in His Son; and that this same Son was clothed in humanity in order to redeem us from our sins.

The writer of Hebrews lost no time in introducing his theme of the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all things. The identification of our Lord as "His Son," demonstrates an emphasis upon the deity of Christ and the function of His divine offices. The Jews understood clearly that to call someone "the Son of God," meant "complete participation in the Father's deity" [O. Cullmann, in P. Lewis, The Glory of Christ, 124]. He does not hesitate to affirm the deity of Jesus Christ, so that in light of this believers might press on with great confidence in the Lord Christ while facing trouble.

Throughout Old Testament history, we find God speaking to His people through various agencies and means. "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways," points to the continuing revelation of God in the Old Testament. It was not a complete revelation, for that was reserved for "His Son." But it was a substantial revelation of the nature of God, His will for man, and the unfolding of His redemptive work through the Son. P. E. Hughes has pointed out that the use of the aorist tense in the Greek word "spoke," "indicates that God has finished speaking in both cases" of prophets and ultimately in Christ [Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 37].

In the Old Testament we find God speaking through His servants through law, history, poetic language, and through prophetic oracles. Each biblical writer had his own style. Each portion of Old Testament literature had its unique emphasis. In law God establishes His moral demands for creation. In history he shows his active work in redemption and judgment. In the poetic books or wisdom literature, the writers make use of vivid literary devices which plumb the depths of human despair, while rising to the heights of divine lovingkindness. The prophetic oracles contain both judgments and promises. Each section of Old Testament literature points to the Messiah who was to come. The Old Testament revelation was not intended to be final, rather the finality would come through "His Son." So whether it was through theophanies or dreams or visions or angelic pronouncements or an audible voice or writing in stone, God spoke in many ways and various manners, not completing His revelation but preparing for the day He would speak with finality in His Son.

He moves from the Old Testament revelation to the final revelation in Christ. "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son." The idea of lasts days indicated the time of the revealing of Messiah, rather than to some future day yet to be revealed. What happened in Bethlehem introduced the last days to the world. Their culmination will be the event of Christ's return.

God is not adding revelation to what His Son has spoken. There is no need for an ongoing revelation of divine word. God has spoken with finality in His Son. That is the emphasis of this statement, "in these last days has spoken to us in His Son." The aorist "has spoken" points to something final. You cannot add to it. Even though there are groups who continue to declare new revelations from God, they merely prove themselves to be false prophets! For what more can you add to what the Eternal Son of God has declared?  Jesus taught, "for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). This establishes Jesus Christ's supremacy over all of the Old Testament fathers, all of the prophets, all of the wisdom writers. It also means that we are to interpret what the Old Testament teaches in light of the revelation of Jesus Christ. God has spoken in His Son; are you hearing Him?

The Transfiguration of our Lord demonstrates this same truth. The disciples saw the resplendent glory of Christ before them. Alongside Christ was the manifestation of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, i.e., the Old Testament. When Peter wanted to make tabernacles for all three, Christ, Moses, and Elijah, the divine shekinah glory overshadowed them and the Father spoke, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" In other words, you have heard Moses and the prophets, but they pall in comparison to the Son of God. Listen to Him! He has spoken with finality and ultimate authority (Luke 9:35). Let us listen to the voice of Christ through His Word. May we know him as our Prophet who has spoken with finality to our hearts.

 

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