What are angels? What does God’s Word tell us? Angels are mentioned over 100 times in the Old Testament and more than 160 times in the New Testament. They exist in vast numbers. On one occasion they are described as assembling in great numbers (see Rev. 5:11). In most cases they are invisible, as was the experience of Balaam when the Lord had to open his eyes so he could see the angel blocking his way (Num. 22:31). Or consider Elisha’s servant who had his eyes opened so he could see that he was protected by encircling chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). Ordinarily when angels are visible, they have a human-like appearance and are often mistaken for men (see Gen. 18:2; 19:1-2; Mark 16:5). Sometimes they have shined with glorious light (Matt. 28:3; Luke 2:9). Other times they have appeared as fabulous winged creatures – seraphim and cherubim (Exodus 25:20; Isaiah 6:2). The Hebrew word for angel is malak and the Greek angelos. Both mean “messenger,” designating their essential functions as divine message-bearers. As God’s messengers they can wield immense power – for example, staying entire armies (2 Kings 19:35) or delivering captives (Acts 12:7-11).

Regarding angels’ specific function, there are at least four: First, angels continuously worship and praise the God they serve. Second, angels communicate God’s message to man. Third, angels minister to believers. Fourth angels will be God’s agents in the final earthly judgments and Second Coming. But despite all their cosmic excellencies, their significance dwindles in the presence of Christ. Thus, we come to the grand theme of Hebrews 1:4-14, Christ’s superiority to angels. Why does the writer expound it here? Because some of the Jewish believers to whom he was writing were in danger of compromising Jesus’ superiority and lapsing into Judaism. They were tempted to compromise. If they would simply agree that Jesus was an angel, perhaps even the greatest of angels, but not God, they would be accepted into the synagogue and escape the awful pressure. It takes only a little thought to identify with this temptation, because the supremacy of Christ brings tension in everyday life. But the writer of Hebrews is determined that his friends not fall to this.

Christ’s superiority is first adduced because He has a superior name (vv. 4-5). Jesus had the name “Son” from all eternity, and it is the name He will always keep, as the perfect tense of the phrase “the name He has inherited” indicates. No angel ever had the title “Son”.

The next point in the author’s argument for Christ’s superiority over angels is that He is worshiped by angels (v. 6). Here he turns to the final lines of the Song of Moses (Deut. 32:43). The Jews considered these final lines to be messianic. Its obvious application is to the angelic worship that had its first occurrence on earth at the incarnation when all God’s angels worshiped Christ in Luke 2:13-14a).

Next the writer demonstrates the superiority of Christ to angels by contrasting their status: the angels are servants, but the Son is sovereign. Psalm 104:4 is quoted regarding the angels’ being servants: “Of the angels he says, ‘He makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame if fire’” (v. 7).

For the fourth proof of Christ’s superiority, the writer quotes Psalm 102:25-27, which contains a broken man’s rising awareness and celebration of God’s transcending existence (which of course, describes Christ’s existence by virtue of His creatorship: “through whom also He created the world,” 1:2). Psalm 102 reads as it is recorded here in verses 10-12 of our text.

The clinching argument for Christ’s superiority over angels is vocation: Christ rules; angels serve. That Christ rules supreme is proven by a passage quoted more often in the New Testament than any other (14 times). Jesus even quoted it Himself and applied it to Himself at His trial (Mark 12:36). It is Psalm 110:1 which is quoted here in verse 13. Christ’s absolute rulership is dramatically seen here in that it was the custom for a defeated king to prostrate himself and kiss his conqueror’s feet and for the victor to put his feet on the captive’s neck so that the captive became his footstool. One day every knee will bow before Christ, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And all the angels will be in that number, both good and evil, for the Son is infinitely their superior. In contrast to Christ’s superior ruling vocation, the angels’ vocation is that of serving (v. 14). This does not mean their serving is a disgraceful vocation. Far from it! It is a sublime privilege. The point here is, however, that it is inferior to the Son’s vocation of ruling the universe.

But there is something more here for the harried church – a double encouragement. First, this supreme Son is their God. Christ’s cosmic superiority, prophetic superiority, priestly superiority, and angelic superiority were all at the believers’ service in a world that was falling apart. Second, in respect to Christ’s angelic superiority, all angels had been sent by Him as “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” The force of the original Greek is that the angels are perpetually being sent out to help God’s people – one after another!

The message to the harried, trembling church of the writer’s day, and to the Church universal, is this: Our superior Christ has assigned His angels to minister to us. And if He wills, He can deliver us anytime and anywhere He wishes. Christ is superior to everything. He is adequate in our hour of need. We must believe it and trust Him with all we are and have.

Hebrews 1:4-14 Reflection Questions:

Have you ever had a personal encounter with an angel?

Have you ever been tempted to compromise on your faith in Jesus?

What part of this study has encouraged you the most?