13 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?
Hebrews closes the first chapter with a quotation from Psalm 110:1. This psalm is also quoted in Hebrews 8:1; 10:12; 12:2.
The fifth superiority of the Son over angels is that they will be His servants and He will rule over them.
1:13
But to which of the angels has He ever said:
God never said that angels would have the same power and authority as the Messiah. The author now quotes Psalm 110:1 to answer the question earlier in Hebrews 1:5. The reappearance of this question at this point again shows the superiority of the Son over angels.
“Sit at My right hand,
This seventh quotation is Psalm 110:1 and shows that the Messiah will have final victory over His enemies. He will sit on an eternal throne (He 1:8). Psalm 110 is everywhere in the New Testament viewed as messianic. No angel ever received a promise like this. No one except the Son will sit at the right hand of the Father.
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
The destiny of angels is that they will serve at the foot of Jesus. Everything and everybody will be subject to Him (1 Co 15:24-25, 28; Php 2:10; Re 19:15-16). The enthronement of the Son has a corresponding implication—the defeat of all His enemies.
1:14
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister
The role of angels is different from that of the Messiah. Their role is to “minister.” They operate under delegated authority, but the Son functions on absolute dominion.
for those who will inherit salvation?
Those who will “inherit salvation” are believers in the Son. Angels will minister to believers. “Salvation” here is not the point at which one receives Christ or the initial salvation of the soul.
This “salvation” is still future—believers “will inherit” this deliverance in the future. In Psalms, “salvation” carries the idea of Israel’s deliverance from oppression. The idea here is that believers will inherit a deliverance that comes with the kingdom.
PRINCIPLE:
Believers will be served by angels forever.
APPLICATION:
The Son sits in superiority, while the angels are sent to serve. The mission of angels is not to rule but to serve. There is no comparison of angels to the Son. The Messiah will rule the universe and is someone of the highest dignity with the Father.
The resurrection and exaltation of Christ is the time when the Father officially enthroned Him at His right hand. This was the Father’s declaration of His acceptance of the Son’s work. He stands in the Father’s eyes as sovereign, with rights in contrast to angels who minister to Him.
The ultimate and final victory of the world belongs to the Messiah. He will subdue all enemies under His feet. Angels serve those destined to share that victory.
Full blessing for the child of God awaits his or her presence in the Millennium and finally in the eternal state. However, he or she is an heir of God and can experience a level of that inheritance presently. Angels will serve us in time and eternity.
Hi Grant, do you mean that angels serve us now already? And in what way do they do that?
Also, does the Word say anywhere that we can command angels to do things? Thanks!
C, the context here is speaking solely of Christ.
Hi Grant, I know this is off topic, but do you have any teachings on calvanism?
C, Calvinism is a big topic involving many issues. There are extremes of Calvinism, which some call hyper-Calvinism. It is too big a subject to deal with in a short blog. However, if you wish to see how I handle the subject go to my studies of Romans 8:28-30. There are a number of studies so you will need patience! 🙂
Hi Grant, do you support any of the 5 points of calvanism? (TULIP)
C, I used to say that I agreed with “total depravity,” which I do believe in the sense that man has nothing to offer God but his/her sin. But hyper-Calvinists give the added meaning that man cannot choose to believe in Christ. God must Himself give the person faith before they believe (this I do not believe). I believe in some of the doctrines of TULIP, but only with modification. I outright reject some of TULIP.