Hebrews 1:4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
In popular thinking, angels are holy creatures that fly around God’s throne. They are about as close to being a “god” as one can get. In the Bible, angels are God’s messengers. They are special creatures who can be in God’s presence. They are pure, holy, powerful, and obedient. Ancient Jews had elaborate ideas about angels. The author of Hebrews is building on some of these popular ideas and will show that Jesus is even higher than the angels. We cannot even compare Jesus to the angels because he is in a whole different category. The name he has inherited may be “Lord,” as suggested in Philippians 2:9-11. In this passage, Paul may be quoting an early church creed or hymn. The author of Hebrews may be familiar with this or at least knows of a similar idea. The term “Lord” is a possible reference to the divine name Yahweh in the Old Testament. The name cannot be defined. The closes we have is when God tells Moses in Exodus 3:14 that God is the “I am.” Jesus Christ the Lord is a powerful name, the highest name of all. It describes the Savior who came as God’s anointed answer to the human problem who died and rose from the grave victorious over sin and death.
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