The Son has a more excellent name than the angels. Verse 1:4 says, “Having become, by so much, better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” This more excellent name is the Son, which is fully defined in the following verses of this chapter. “For to which of the angels has He ever said, You are My Son; this day I have begotten You? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?” (1:5). Romans 1:4 says that Christ “was designated the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness out of the resurrection of the dead.” His coming out of death was the designation that He is the Son of God. Christ has been designated as and declared to be the Son of God. He has received such an excellent name.
It is in resurrection that Christ is declared to be the Son of God who is superior to the angels. Resurrection means a new beginning; it denotes germination. Verse 3 refers to His death by saying, “having made purification of sins.” Verse 5 indicates His resurrection by which He was begotten to be the Firstborn Son of God (Acts 13:33) as a beginning of a new age, the age of the church which is composed of His many brothers born of God through His resurrection.
Hebrews 1 also speaks of Christ’s ascension, which follows His resurrection. Verse 13 says, “But to which of the angels has He said at any time, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet?” This clearly refers to the ascension. In His ascension Christ, as the ascended Son of God, is much superior to the angels. He is no longer in the tomb or on the earth; He is at “the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:3). This is His ascension in which He was inaugurated into His office to carry out God’s eternal purpose, that is, to build up the church and to bring His many brothers into glory.
Christ, after being seated on the throne in His ascension, is waiting for His enemies to be subdued as His footstool. Then He will come back. As the Son of God, He is also superior to the angels in His second coming. Verse 6 alludes to this. “And, when He brings again the Firstborn into the inhabited earth, He says, And let all the angels of God worship Him.” How do we know that this verse refers to the second coming? Because it speaks of Christ as the Firstborn. In His first coming, He was God’s only begotten Son (John 1:14). Through the process of resurrection, the only begotten Son became “the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29). By this mention of the Firstborn we know that this verse refers to His coming back. In His second coming He will be the Firstborn. When God brought Him to earth the first time, He was the only begotten Son, but when God brings Him to the inhabited earth the second time, He will be the Firstborn. At that time all the angels will worship Him.
Following the coming back of Christ is His kingdom. He, as the coming Firstborn Son of God, will be superior to the angels in His kingdom. Verse 8 says, “But as to the Son, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” Here the Son is addressed, “O God.” This is a strong proof that the Son is God. Surely God is superior to the angels. This verse also indicates that the throne of the Son is the everlasting throne of God. Thus, His kingdom must also be the kingdom of God. These are the wonderful things in which, in the kingdom, Christ is superior to all the angels.
After the kingdom is eternity. Verses 10 through 12 reveal that Christ will be superior to the angels in eternity. Verse 10 says, “You in the beginning, Lord, have founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands.” This refers to His creation. “They shall perish, but You remain; and they all shall become old as a garment” (v. 11). This means that the old creation will be terminated and that the new heaven and new earth will be ushered in. “But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail” (v. 12). This means that He will be the everlasting One in eternity. As the Creator and the everlasting One He is superior to the angels, His creatures.
What a portion of the Word is Hebrews chapter one! This chapter gives us an account of Christ from eternity past to eternity future. He was the very God in eternity past (v. 8); He was the Creator of the earth and the heavens (vv. 10, 2); He is the Upholder of all things (v. 3); He is the Heir of all things (v. 2); He was incarnated for redemption by crucifixion (v. 3); He was begotten as the Son of God in resurrection for imparting life to the many sons of God (v. 5); He is the Firstborn Son of God who will come again (v. 6); He will be the King on the throne with the scepter in the kingdom (vv. 8-9); and He will remain forever and ever in eternity future (v. 12). This short chapter covers such a wide span of what Christ is from eternity past to eternity future. This is our Christ. How much superior He is to the angels!