The relationship of angels to the Lord Jesus Christ clearly indicates that He is better than angels. They were angels who announced with joy the glad tidings of His birth. In His wilderness temptation they ministered to Him. They succored Him in the garden, they were ready in legions to defend Him, they are the first to proclaim His triumph upon His resurrection. "He is not here: for He is risen as He said,."(Matthew 28:6) They were angels who cried, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in" )Psalm 24:7) as they escorted Him to the mediatorial throne. In His glorified position He is far above all principalities, power and dominion. Angels render Him supreme homage as their Lord. When He returns for His saints it will be with the shout of the archangel. The Son of man shall commission His angels and they shall gather out of His kingdom al things that offend and them which do iniquity. (Matthew 13:41-42) "He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:31) When the Lord returns with His saints to set up His kingdom on earth, the angels will crowd out of heaven to worship Him. (Hebrews 1:6) "He shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels." Matthew 16:27

In the 273 references in the Scriptures to the angels, we have to a great extent the activities of the heavenly creatures revealed. The most important fact is not their relation to man, but rather their service to God. The Psalmist writes, "Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto His word." (Psalm 103:20) And again, "Raise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise Him in the heights. Praise ye Him all His angels: praise ye Him all His hosts." (Psalm 148:1-2) See also Isaiah 6:2,3

Angels played a great part in the history of Israel. Though angels were present at creation, nothing is written of their ministries on earth until the days of Abraham. They visit the father of the Hebrew race at Mamre ( Genesis 18:1-2) Then they went to Sodom to deliver Lot from the doomed city. Angels appeared to Jacob (Gal 3:19 and it was administered by the "disposition of angels." (Acts 7:53, Psalm 68:17) The Psalmist spoke of the angels' care over God's elect people.

The writer to the Hebrew Christians, knowing that angels were held in high regard by those addressed, proves the Son to be better than the angels. Not only because of the relation of angels to the patriarchs, but because of their place in giving the law, they were revered by the Jews. The old covenant was mediated by angels and prophets. The author of the Hebrew epistle, in order to prove the superiority of the new covenant over the old, must prove that the Son, the Mediator of the new covenant is not only better than prophets but is also better than angels. In verse four we read the phrase, "Better than angels." The author does not say, 'being created' but 'being made' literally 'having become' so much better than the angels. This statement is at once proved by means of a number of quotations from the Old Testament. In the passage before us, we have ten reasons why the Son is better than angels, founded on seven quotations from the Old Testament.

1. He has obtained a better name (1:4-14)
2. He receives worship from the angels
3. He created angels who do His will
4. He has an eternal throne
5. He rules with uprightness
6. He is anointed with the oil of gladness
7. He created the universe
8. He is eternal
9. He is unchangeable
10. He is sovereign.

Let us consider these points that prove the superiority of the Son over angels.

1. He has obtained a better name (1:4,5)

"He hath by inheritance obtained a better name" than the angels. The writer is here speaking of the Son's glorification. The Son of God had a glory with the Father before the worlds were called into existence. (John 17:5) This we may term His essential glory. By the stoop of the incarnation, He who was equal with the Father, (John 10:30) became the Servant of God. In his condescension He said: "My Father is greater than I." (John 14:28) Because of His obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, God "has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name." (Philippians 2:8,9) This we term His acquired glory. He had become a little lower than angels when He became incarnate, but now He is made higher than angels. He always was superior to angels. The thought here is that He who was the despised man of sorrows is now raised to a place of dignity and power over the angels. Peter says, "who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him." (1Peter 3:22)

He has obtained a better name than the angels through His inheritance. He is not a creature but the Eternal Son of God. He is God: angels are only creatures. He is begotten but the angels are created. The author quotes from Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14 and asks the question, "Unto which of the angels said He at any time Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to me a Son." (Hebrews 1:5) What a sweeping statement! He scans the heavens and then says, "To which of the angels hath he said?" God never made such a statement to Gabriel, to Michael nor to Lucifer. Neither to an angel, archangel, seraphim nor a cherubim had the Father addressed as a Son.

In the second Psalm, a Psalm of twelve verse,
we have the voice and attitude of the world, vv. 1-3;
the voice of God the Father,vv.4-6
the voice of the Son, vv.7-7;
the voice and entreaty of the Holy Spirit,vv 10-12.

In the seventh verse we hear the Son saying to the Father, "The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee." Thus we are permitted to be carried back into the hush of eternity to hear conversations between the Father and the Son. "This day have I begotten Thee." The Lord Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. The term "begotten" can be understood as to mean: 1. begotten before worlds, 2. begotten at the incarnation, and 3. begotten by the resurrection. He was the eternal and only begotten Son. However, the phrase 'this day" has a reference to point of time. Paul giving his address in the synagogue at Antioch, (Acts 13:14:-43) gives us a comment on this verse. He says, "God has fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus again; as it is written also in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." (Acts 13:33) Thus the Son is begotten by resurrection.. (Colossians 1:18) "First born from the dead" and Revelation 1:5 "The first begotten of the dead." The word 'begotten' here in Hebrews has reference to His official position as head of the new race. Wuest says: "The reference is not to entrance into life but to entrance into an office."

The statement "I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to me a Son" is directly applied here to the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2 Samuel 7:14 we read: "If He commit iniquity I will chasten Him." Adam Clarke translates this: "When iniquity is laid upon Him, I will chasten Him with the rod of men." Is this not a parallel to Isaiah 53 concerning the suffering Christ?

2. He Receives Worship from the Angels (1:6)

The sixth verse is better translated, "When He bringeth in again the second time the first begotten into the world." He came at the first advent and He is coming again. This refers to His second advent. When He comes the second time the angels will worship Him. The author quotes from one of the millennial Psalms in which God calls upon all the angels to worship the Son as He descends to earth. The quotation is from the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 32:43 and no doubt also from Psalm 97:7. What a sight, when the resurrected glorified Christ returns to earth upon His white steed. (Revelation 19:11-16, Psalm 45:3-5) and all the angels will fill the heavens as they crowd out to worship Him. Truly in that day the Jews will look upon Him 'whom they have pierced' and recognize that He is better than any angel could ever hope to be.

3. He Created the Angels who do His Will (1:7)

"But of the angels He saith, who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire." This quotation is taken from Psalm 104:4. What a contrast we have here. The Son is Master. The angels are only servants. Angels are created by Him. (Colossians 1:16) They excel in strength and delight to do His will. The angels are servants ...the Son is Sovereign. The angels are creatures .... the Son is Creator.

4. He has an Eternal Throne (1:8)

"But unto the Son He saith." Here we have a quotation from Psalm 45:6. "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." Here is another conversation between the Father and the Son which we are permitted by the Spirit to hear. The Father does not address the Son as a messenger or servant. He is not coming forth as an angel of fire. He is not an angel of God's service. He is called "God." He has a throne. It is a throne better than Israel's. It is an eternal throne.

5. He Rules with Uprightness (1:8)

The writer is still quoting from the 45th Psalm. " A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom." He, the righteous One, shall rule in righteous judgment. What a contrast to the rule of the previous one. Antichrist, the unrighteous one, will have ruled in unrighteousness. But now the Son reigns in righteousness.

6. He is Anointed with the Oil of Gladness (1:9)

Continuing the quotation from the same Psalm, we hear the Father still addressing the Son. "Thou has loved righteousness and hated iniquity." The antichrist who had lifted up his head over all nations had loved wickedness and hated righteousness. But now the Son of God, whose sceptre is one of righeousness, is anointed with the oil of gladness. What sublime words these are. The Father continues His address not to angels but to the Son who condescended to take on the likeness of sinful flesh; became a curse and died and rose triumphantly over hell, death and the grave. "Therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." Angels had never been anointed with this 'oil of gladness.' Aaron and his sons were so anointed, but angels never. The Son is seated upon the throne. He is sovereign. His throne is 'for ever and ever.' He holds a righteous sceptre. He loved righteousness and hated iniquity. He is above all His fellows, "anointed with the oil of gladness." He is superior to former kings and priests. No matter who may be compared with Him. Solomon in all his glory is surpassed by the Son of God. Which of the angels were ever addressed by God as was the Son? The Son is seated upon the sure throne. Angels are servants and subject to the throne. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up as an eastern monarch upon his throne, while angels as ministers of state awaited to do His bidding. (Isaiah 6)

7. He Created the Universe (1:10)

The conversation between the Father and the Son continues in the quotation from Psalm 102:25. "Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heaven are the works of Thy hands." Our Lord and Saviour laid the foundation of the universe. He is the Redeemer who bore our sins, died and arose. He is the coming one, the Lord of all the earth who shall rule over all.

8. He is the Eternal One (1:11)

Continuing the quotation from Psalm 102:26, we hear the Father say: "They shall perish; but Thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doeth a garment." These words take us down to the close of the millennium when at the close of Christ's reign on earth Satan is loosed from the bottomless pit and leads in a revolt and a revolution. "When the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, God and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." (Revelation 20:7-9)

Following this short season of revolt and satanic opposition to the will of God, the present earth and heavens shall pass away. (Revelation 21:1) "The heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (2 Peter 3;10) The quotation here in Hebrews from Psalm 102:26 refers to this period of time. The words of His hands shall perish but the Son remainest. He is eternal. Blessed are those who are found in Him.

9. He is Unchangeable (1:12)

Continuing further, in the quotation the Father says to the Son: "And as a vesture shalt thou fold them us and they shall be changed; but thou at the same and thy years shall not fail." No matter what method may be used to dissolve the earth, it is the Son who causes the elements to melt and to fold up. When all shall crumble to nothingness He shall continue for ever, His years shall not fail. What a contrast, here to the Son, who in humiliation suffered on the cross such an ignominious death. He, the mighty conqueror, who triumphed death and ascended to the Father's throne, shall return to reign upon the earth. He shall fold up the earth and the heavens but Himself continueth unchangeable forever. His position has changed often but never His person. He is the same. His years fail not.

10. He is Sovereign (1:1314)

The writer to the Hebrews now quotes from the 110th Psalm. It is still the Father's words to the Son: "Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." The writer of this epistle asks the question: "Unto which of the angels said He at any time." What a seeping statement is this. Never to any angel, nor to archangel, seraph or cherub said He: "Sit on my right hand." That was the prerogative of the son only. On the day of Pentecost Peter in exalting the risen Lord said: "For David is not ascended into the heavens but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, 'Sit thou on my right hand until I make thy foes Thy footstool.' Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2;34-36)

That is the Son's present position, seated at the right hand of the Father on His throne. He is waiting until that day when He shall rise and descend to earth and reign. Angels are not upon the throne; they are about the throne. They are only ministering spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation. The Son is upon the Throne; angels are servants waiting upon the saints who shall be the heirs of salvation. He is sovereign; they are servants.