Part 2 of the nature of Christ –Hebrews 1

Now let’s deal with the phrase “the express image of his person”. This phrase has led many to think that Jesus is part of a triune God or at the very least a literal offspring of God in the semi arian sense. I will show here that this phrase has nothing to do with either of the above preexistent views. Again we must remember the context of Hebrews chapter 1, which is about the exaltation of the risen Christ. This is a post resurrection statement about Jesus and is not about some divine nature that He had with the Father from eternity. It’s actually very easy to understand this verse, let’s go back to the book of Genesis chapter 1:

²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

 

We as men and women are made in the image of God yet we ourselves are not God nor literal offspring’s of God. God directly created Adam without the normal human birth process but he made Adam from the ground not from His own divine substance. God is Spirit and we as human beings are physical so us being made in His image obviously has to do with moral characteristics. We are also said to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. Let’s look at scripture:

 

Romans 8:29

 

^“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

 

To be conformed to the image of the Son of God obviously has to with character not physical likeness. Earlier in Romans 8 we see this truth of what it means to be a son of God

 

Romans 8:12-14

¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

¹³ For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

 

It is being led by the Spirit and not after the flesh that makes one a son of God, a few verses later is the verse quoted above where Paul says we were predestinated to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. When we live after the Spirit we are called sons of God and conformed to the image of the firstborn Son Jehoshua. By being led by the Spirit we will be the many brethren of Jehoshua. If this is the manner in which we become conformed to the image of Messiah then it also stands that this is how the Messiah is the express image of God in that He lived after the Spirit and not the flesh. Just as we are being conformed to the image of the Son of God daily the Messiah was being conformed daily to the image of God the Father. We see in the book of Hebrews the daily fight that Messiah warred against the flesh.

 

Hebrews 2:10

 

“ For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

 

Jehoshua is the captain of our salvation, what made Him perfect (God’s express image)? Sufferings conformed Him to perfection. This is the same process that purifies us.

 

Hebrews 2:18

 

“For in that He Himself hath suffered, being tempted, He is able to succor those who are tempted.”

 

Jehoshua was tempted, which caused suffering in that that He had to deny Himself and submit His will to the Father. This is the same thing we must do i.e. pick up our cross.

 

Hebrews 4:15

 

 ^“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

 

Jehoshua was tempted in all points just like us, proving He was not God who cannot be tempted. These temptations caused suffering in that He had to deny Himself. However, Jehoshua resisted all temptations during His ministry and was without sin. This is how He became the express image of God, because He lived according to the Spirit and not the flesh. The end result of Him resisting temptation was sinless perfection and God is without sin, hence Jehoshua is the express image of God.

 

Did you know that Jehoshua also tells us to be perfect like the Father in heaven?

 

Matthew 5:48

 

“Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

In context this is about loving our enemies and overall about Jehoshua’s commandments in the Sermon on the Mount. Jehoshua says that if we do these commandments of His we will be perfect like our heavenly Father which comes us to His image. If doing the commandments of the Son of God makes us perfect like the Father i.e. in His image, then it stands to reason that Jehoshua keeping the commandments of the Father made Him perfect like the Father and hence in the Father’s express image.

 

So being in the image of God has nothing to do with physical characteristics nor visible appearance but rather moral characteristics. Now visibly the Son of God does appear with the glory of God clothing Him but this is because He is now resurrected and on the Father’s right hand as noted previously in part 1 of this study. But guess what, we also will be as the Son of God currently is once we resurrect to glory:

 

1 John 3:2

 

“Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is.”

John is saying that one day we will see the resurrected Messiah in His glory (“even as He is”) and we shall even be as He is because we will then be resurrected to immortality just as He had been. At that time we will truly be conformed to the express image of the Son of God, not only in character but in some sense appearance (resurrected glory). The same is true with Messiah as the express image statement is primarily one of character but He also has visible glory that the Father has, yet the Father is that very glory whereas the Son is filled with the Father’s glory. The Son gets His glory from the Father and we will get our resurrection glory from the Son but the Father is the source of both.

 

Let’s touch on a passage that says the Father’s majesty (Godhead) dwells fully in the Son because that passage is used to support the trinity understanding of Hebrews 1:3.

 

Strong's G2320 – theotēs

 

Colossians 2:9

 

“Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the ^[f]rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: ⁹ for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily”

 

The strongs definition of “Godhead” Theotes in the Greek means “divinity”. Paul says that the fulnes of divinity dwells in the body of Messiah. What’s does this mean? Notice that it doesn’t say that Jehoshua is God but that the divinity dwells in Him. We must remember that this is a post resurrection statement. Our Messiah was glorified at His resurrection into an immortal human being. He currently sits at the Father’s right hand on the throne of David dwelling in the unapproachable light of the Father. Also, even during His earthly life, Jehoshua said that the Father dwelt in Him. If the Father dwelt in Him during His earthly life, how much more so in His post resurrected state? The “Godhead” (divinity) is the Father’s divine nature and it dwells fully in the resurrected and glorified Messiah. To say that the verse above supports the trinity doctrine is a wild leap.

 

John 14:10

 

^“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.”

 

Jehoshua said that the Father dwelt in Him. Divinity dwelled in the Son of God during His earthly ministry.  The great thing is that we are not excluded from this as Peter says that we are partakers of the divine nature:

 

2 Peter 1:4

 

^“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

 

We as begotten sons and daughters of God are partakers whereas Jehoshua is fully indwelled by the divine (Godhead) nature. Jehoshua obtained this fullness of the divine nature by way of resurrection not by being the second member of the trinity.

 

Colossians 1:18-19

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstbegotten from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

 

Notice the connection Paul makes with Jehoshua being the firstbegotten from the dead with the Father being pleased that all fullness should dwell in Him. This fullness is the same fullness talked about just a few verses later in chapter 2 which is the fullness of divinity (Godhead). The resurrection is the precise reason that Jehoshua now has the fullness of divinity in Him and not because of some preexistent divine nature whether in the Trinitarian or Semi-Arian sense.

 

Back to John 14, just before Jehoshua said that the Father dwelt in Him in verse 10, He told Thomas in verse that if you have seen me you have seen the Father:

 

“Jehoshua saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?”

 

If Jehoshua was not the Father how could He have told Thomas this? Because He was doing the works of the Father which were possible due to the Father dwelling in Him and hence He was the express image of God.  Being the express image of God was not really due to outwardly looking like God for God is Spirit and Jehoshua is a human being but rather it is because Jehoshua perfectly displayed the Father’s character. Jehoshua was keeping the Father’s commandments and doing the good works of the Father and loving like the Father, so in Jehoshua people saw the express image of Jehovah God.

 

Hebrews 1:4

 

“having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.”

 

Verse 4 in context is talking about the resurrection of the Messiah as verse 3 states. Verse 3 is what this study is about. The son of God becoming so much better than the angels is in context referring to His resurrection.  Becoming better than the angels is not about the Messiah’s birth because chapter 2 says that Jehoshua was made lower than the angels when He was born.

 

Hebrews 1:9

 ^“But we behold him who hath been made ^[f]a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man.”

If Jehoshua was made lower than the angles at His birth then Him being made better than the angels was at His resurrection as the context of Hebrews 1 dictates.

 

Verse 4 that states Jehoshua was made better than the angels by way of resurrection per the context comes right after Him being described as being the express image of the Father. Again, it is crystal clear that these are both said to be in regards to the resurrection and exaltation of the Messiah to the right hand of God thereby these phrases have nothing to do with preexistence or the trinity.

Hebrews 1:3 – The nature of Christ part 1

 

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

³ Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

 

What does it mean that Jesus is the brightness and glory of God and also the express image of the God’s person? Does this mean that Jesus is also God, either in the Trinitarian sense or semi arian sense? First, we have to understand this verse in its context. Hebrews 1 is all about the exaltation of the risen and ascended Messiah. Too many Christians read verse 3 and grab it of its context. Again, the context in chapter is all about the ascension of Christ into heaven. We can see this all throughout the chapter as verse 1 and 2 begins by referencing the earthly ministry of Jesus which the author refers to as the last days.

 

In verse 3, which is the subject we are discussing, the description of Jesus as the express image of God’s person and brightness of His glory is in the context of Him being sat down on the right hand of God after purging our sins by way of the cross. So the question remains, does the description of Jesus in verse make Him God, whether in the Trinitarian sense or the semi arian one?

 

First let’s address the phrase “brightness of His glory”. The “His” being referred to is obviously the Father. Throughout scripture the Father is referred to as light, light unapproachable, a consuming fire etc. Jesus Himself said that God is a Spirit. Scripture also without controversy teaches us that Jesus is a man. Most Christians agree that Jesus is a man but disagree on what kind of divine nature he has. The phrase brightness of His glory is actually easy to grasp, let’s look at 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 7

 

^“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away”

 

When Moses communed with God his face shone with glory insomuch that the Israelites could no behold his face. It’s important to note that is was Moses being in the presence of God that gave him this glory. The result of this glory was that his face shined brightly.

 

Verse 13 of 2 Corinthians 3:

 

^“And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished”

Moses even had to put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel would not be exposed to the glory that shone on his face. Of course, the glory that shone on the face of Moses faded because that was something that was bestowed upon him due to being in the presence of God. It was not something he had on his own.

 

Now let’s go to the transfiguration of Jesus

 

Matthew 17:1-5

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

² And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

³ And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

⁴ Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

⁵ While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 

Here Jesus face was transfigured resulting in it shining like the sun. This took place on a mountain, similar to Moses experience, and it took place in the presence of Jehovah God who affirmed the Sonship of Jesus (verse 5). Jesus wasn’t walking around with His face shining but this was an experience due to His being in the presence of the Father.

 

The glory that shone from the face of Moses and Jesus was the brightness of God. What’s the difference between Moses and Jesus in this respect? Moses experience was temporal whereas the Son of God is the present tense brightness of God’s glory to His resurrection and ascension.  Moses is now dead and in the grave whereas Jesus is currently on God’s right hand experiencing the Shekinah glory that is the Father i.e. His unapproachable light. Paul describes the Son of God dwelling in the unapproachable light:

 

1 Timothy 6:14-16

¹⁴ That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

¹⁵ Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

¹⁶ Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

 

Here Jesus Christ is the one that Paul identifies as only having immortality in the context of men as Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. Paul says He dwells in the light which no man can approach. This light is the Father as only the Father can be described as the one who no man has seen nor can see. Many have seen Jesus so this is clearly about the Father. Since Jesus dwells in the light of the Father who is Gid then it makes sense that He is described as the brightness of God’s glory. Stephen saw this picture as he was getting stoned by the Christ rejecting Jews:

 

Acts 7:55-56

 ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

⁵⁶ And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 

Stephen saw the glory of God the Father and Jesus standing on His right hand. This is a picture of the risen and ascended Jesus. If Jesus is on God’s right hand then it is no surprise that He Himself is enveloped with that glory. This is why He is described as the brightness of God’s glory, because He sits on the throne of God on God’s right hand. The throne of God is the lid of the ark of the covenant which is the mercyseat, on which two cherubim stand/sit on the edges. The ark of the covenant in the holy of holies is where the glorious presence of Jehovah would dwell. Let’s see an example of this from scripture:

 

Exodus 25:21-22

²¹ And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

²² And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

 

The holy of holies is where Jehovah would commune with Moses between the cherubim which sat on the mercyseat which is the lid of the ark of the covenant. When we read the book of Hebrews, it is clear that the Son of God went right into the holy of holies to be enthroned on God’s very throne. This is where he sits now as the anointed King of Israel. Jesus Kingship and priesthood is operated in the very presence of God’s glory which dwells in the holy of holies and also throughout His heavenly temple. Let’s look at another passage from Exodus to see this:

 

Exodus 40:34-35

 

³⁴ Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle.

³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

 

So not only would Jehovah’s glory rest in the holy of holies but at times fill the whole sanctuary which also included the holy place. Jesus being the brightness of God’s glory has nothing to do with some type of substance in terms of His DNA but rather it is situational in terms of His position as the risen Christ and in terms of the location of His throne.

 

John 1:18

 

“No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

 

John says that the ONLY BEGOTTEN Son is in the bosom of the Father. This is a present tense statement about the risen Christ. Many people miss pout on what this actually means. While it is true that this denotes the close relationship between the Father and His Son it also can be taken literally in that Jesus is at the right hand of God in the holy of holies. Since Jehovah God’s glory, which is His presence, fills the holy of holies it can be said that Jesus is literally residing the in the Father’s bosom. Jehovah’s Shekinah glory envelops the Son of God hence the Son is the brightness of His glory.  Let’s look at the book of Revelation chapter 21 for a beautiful picture of this:

 

²³ And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

 

The Lamb Jesus is the light of the glory of God. Again, it’s important to remember that this is describing the risen Christ and it is because of all that was mentioned previously that Jesus is the light of the glory of God.

 

Revelation 21:22

 

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

 

This is the verse before 23 and it says that the Jehovah and Jesus are the temple of New Jerusalem showing that the Son dwells in the Father’s presence which gives the answer of how He is the light of God.

The birth of the Messiah (anointed one)

Every year during the month of December, the world celebrates the birth of the Messiah. However, do you know what real significance of His birth meant? The version of the Son of God’s birth that you hear in the churches and in popular culture is not the accurate story. Let’s look at the announcement made to Mary regarding the future birth of her Son.

 

Luke 1:26-27

²⁶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

 

What’s important to see from the above passage is that Mary’s betrothed husband is of the house of David. This is significant because what you won’t hear from the churches and popular culture is that Jehoshua prophetically has to be of the seed (lienage) of David in order to be the true Messiah and Son of God. Let’s continue to look at the announcement of the Messiah’s birth:

³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JEHOSHUA.

 

Notice that Mary is not pregnant yet but this is something that will happen in the future. His name would be called Jehoshua which means “the salvation of Jehovah”. This is also important to remember as Jehoshua didn’t come in His own name and authority but in Jehovah God’s. You won’t hear this in the churches due to their false belief that Jesus is God rather than God’s Son and Messianic King.

³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and Jehovah God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

³³ And he shall reign over the house of Israel for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

 

Here the angel tells Mary that her Son will be called the Son of God, showing us that Mary was not pregnant yet and that Jesus was not the Son of God yet. Why will Jehoshua be called the Son of God? This is where the churches and popular culture have told lies. The angel said that Jehoshua will be called the Son of God because He will be given the throne of His father David. The churches tell you that Jesus is the Son of God because He is God Himself, as one third of a trinity, yet scripture tells us differently. The Messiah’s birth is actually a fulfillment of an oath that God made with David, in that he would have a descendant that would establish his kingdom and throne forever (2 Samuel 7:8-16). This is why Jehoshua is the Son of God, because He is the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant not because of some fairytale.