And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
The Father brings His firstbegotten Son into the world and commands all the angels of God to worship Him, declaring the Son distinct from the Father and exalted far above every angel. That bringing in is His incarnation and lowly birth in a stable manger, where His divine glory was veiled in human weakness yet the angels recognized and adored Him as their divine Commander without betraying their allegiance to God. It also describes a gathering before creation when the Father assembled the holy angels to confer special honor on the Son, ordaining Him equal with Himself to command heaven with the Father's authority and to share counsel with Him in creating all things. It further describes His entry into heaven after the resurrection, when He refused angelic honor until He presented the marks of the cross and heard from the Father that His atonement was full and accepted, justice satisfied and Satan vanquished. By that acceptance His church is justified in Him as its representative and head, all power in heaven and earth is given to Him as Redeemer and King, and His worship calls all to serve Him only and follow His humble self-sacrifice.
Time of Bringing In
The bringing of the firstbegotten into the world is the incarnation of Christ, and in and through him the Father establishes the kingdom of heaven among men. His entrance into the world was his birth in humble surroundings without worldly grandeur, laid in a manger in a stable, yet honored by God with angels announcing his coming, glorifying God, and worshiping him as the Son of God come to redeem the fallen world. Through his death he would bring people peace, happiness, and everlasting life.
Though his divine glory was veiled in human weakness at the manger, the angels recognized and worshiped their divine Commander, and could do so without betraying their allegiance to Jehovah, showing his humiliation did not lessen his divine worthiness to be worshiped. The bringing in also describes a pre-creation assembly in heaven where the Father gathered all the holy angels around the throne to confer special honor on the Son who existed with God before the angels were created. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father with the heavenly host gathered around them.
At that heavenly command the Father ordained Christ to be equal with himself, to be present as the Father's own presence, to have his word obeyed as readily as the Father's, to command the heavenly host as sovereign of heaven with the same power and authority as God, and to share counsel and union with the Father in creating the earth and every living thing, doing nothing of himself alone but carrying out his will and purposes. His authority was loving and had been unchallenged, the angels having been glad to obey his commands, so the honor then given did not lessen the honor he already possessed. The bringing in describes also Christ's entry into heaven and the heavenly city after completing the atonement and ascending following his resurrection, coming leading captives with him and presenting himself before the throne.
He presented himself with the marks of the cross and presented those raised with him as first fruits of the dead and proof that he conquered death and the grave, refusing glory, royal robe, and angelic adoration until the Father signified his sacrifice for sin was full and ample and accepted. The Father's welcome and command answered his plea, declaring justice satisfied and Satan vanquished, renewing the pledge made before the foundation of the world, and affirming his humiliation ended, his sacrifice complete and without stain, and his being given a name above every name. By this proclamation the church was justified through Christ as its representative and head, the covenant ratified to reconcile repentant and obedient men into divine favor through his merits, and all power in heaven and on earth given to the Prince of life, who still remembers his disciples in a sinful world and prepares to return to impart his power and glory.
Christ Above Angels
The command that all the angels of God worship him when the firstborn Son is brought into the world places Christ above the angels and marks his exalted position and superiority to them. That worship, taken with the surrounding statements, presents him as Creator and rightful Ruler of the world. The angels' homage recognizes him as heaven's King, and heaven's acceptance of him as king comes as the Father's answer after the atonement is completed.
He is heaven's sovereign, with authority and high authority and rightful rule equal to God's, acknowledged when all the angels bowed to his supremacy. His relation to the Father embraces all who receive him by faith as personal Saviour, so that the Father's acceptance of the Son as covenant Redeemer includes them as God's children and joint heirs with Christ, renewing the pledge made before the foundation of the world. His authority above the angels had existed lovingly and unchallenged before, for he existed with God before the angels were created and the angels had been glad to obey his commands, so the honor the Father gave him before the angels did not lessen the honor he already possessed.
He is higher than every angel and worthy of their worship as the divine Son, and the angels are required to obey him as their exalted commander, so that refusal to submit to him is rebellion against God. He was Israel's invisible Leader in the wilderness, present in the cloud and fire as the Angel of the covenant, and though he took human nature and humbled himself as a servant he remains the divine Son exalted above the angels, and through his redeeming work those who receive him share in the divine nature. Though he took human nature and laid aside his glory to save the lost, he is equal with God and exalted above all, and all the holy angels worship him, and his divine greatness makes his humility and service an example for followers.
After he completed his sacrifice and ascended, his humiliation was over, his sacrifice was complete and he was without stain, and he was given a name above every name in exaltation following his self-humbling obedience unto death. He had refused angelic adoration until he had first asked that those given to him might be with him, and the Father's command honoring him affirmed his unstained character. At his ascension he was exalted and glorified before his Father with great joy, cherubim and seraphim joining in homage, his offering accepted because his death had fully paid the redemption price for the lost race so that through faith and obedience people may become members of God's family again.
Father and Son Revealed
The Father and the Son are two individual personalities distinct from each other, two personal beings, with the Father bringing the firstbegotten and firstborn Son into the world. That bringing in is accompanied by the command for all the angels to worship Him, which places Christ above the angels and marks His exalted position. Connection with those heavenly powers enables prayer, belief, receiving, sharing in the divine nature, and resistance to temptation. The chapter presents God's gift of His Son as a great and grand work that offers life, even eternal life, to everyone who receives it. He came to redeem the fallen world and humanity, and through His death brings peace, happiness, and everlasting life. The command for all the angels of God to worship Him is the Father's answer to Christ's appeal, joyfully met by adoring angels recognizing His worth and honor in heaven.
Redemption Finished and Accepted
The command to worship is given only after the risen Christ has ascended to present himself before the throne bearing the marks of the cross on brow and hands and feet, and he refuses coronet, royal robe, and angelic adoration, even holding the angels back and declining homage as he had declined Mary's touch, until the Father signifies that his sacrifice and atonement for sin is full and ample and accepted. Before accepting heavenly honor he pleads that his church be justified and accepted, that its relation to heaven and to the Father be clearly defined, that where he is his church should be, that those who suffer with him on earth should reign with him and share his glory, and that those given him, including those still struggling with temptation and not forgotten on earth, should be with him where he is. His humiliation then ends with his sacrifice complete, and he receives a name above every name.
The Father's welcome and command is the answer to that plea, declaring justice satisfied and Satan vanquished, renewing the pledge made before the foundation of the world, and affirming Christ's unstained character. Christ presents his wounds and those raised with him as firstfruits of the dead, tokens of his triumph and proof that he has conquered death and the grave. By this proclamation the request is granted and the church is justified through Christ as its representative and head, the Father ratifies the covenant to be reconciled to repentant and obedient men and take them into divine favor through Christ's merits, and Christ guarantees to restore human worth so that through his blood they may gain eternal life.
The Father's acceptance of his Son as covenant Redeemer and King of glory includes all who receive him by faith as personal Saviour, for his relation to the Father embraces them as God's children and joint heirs with Christ. Every angelic commander obeys, prostrating before the Redeemer and echoing in songs of triumph through the courts of heaven that the slain and risen Lamb as triumphant conqueror is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory. All power in heaven and on earth is then given to the Prince of life, his death having fully paid the redemption price for the lost race so that through faith and obedience people may become members of God's family again, and by his self-sacrifice earth is connected with heaven and finite man with the infinite God. Still remembering his disciples in a sinful world, he prepares to return to impart his power and glory.
Worship and Following Christ
The command that all the angels of God worship the Firstbegotten when He is brought into the world establishes His kingdom among men in and through His incarnation, and therefore men are not to trust in man nor make flesh their arm, but to worship the Lord Jesus Christ as Life-giver and serve Him only. That angelic worship calls people to worship Christ who first loved them and to make Him the center of attraction. Such worship purifies the mind from sin and the world and opens it heavenward to grasp eternal realities and receive the glory of God.
Connection with the heavenly powers enables believers to pray, believe, receive, and share in the divine nature while resisting temptation. Through His redeeming work those who receive Him as Israel's invisible Leader in the wilderness, present in the cloud and fire as the Angel of the covenant, though He took human nature as a servant, share in the divine nature, for He as the divine Son is higher than every angel and worthy of their worship. The angels fall prostrate before Christ in worship with thanksgiving and praise, cherubim and seraphim joining in homage with great joy. The One they worship is the risen Redeemer who endured the conflict of Gethsemane, bore the shame of the cross, and gained the victory over death and the tomb.
In person He seeks out lonely and discouraged disciples and spends hours in their presence teaching and comforting them even when their clouded eyes keep them from discerning Him, as on the walk to Emmaus. When the disciples recognize Him by His voice and the wounds in His hands in the blessing of the bread, they rightly rise to fall at His feet and worship Him as the angels do. Though honored by heaven's angelic host and possessing heaven's majesty, honor, splendor, and glory, He humbled Himself to live among fallen people in a world seared and marred by sin and laid that position aside.
He identified His interests with suffering humanity and made the infinite sacrifice, suffering and dying the just for the unjust, so fallen man might partake of His glory hereafter. His condescension and sacrifice drew the angels' highest adoration and deepest joy. His divine greatness, equal with God and exalted above all while all the holy angels worship Him even though He took human nature and laid aside His glory to save the lost, makes His humility and service an example for followers. His life is to be followed in His footsteps, so His sacrifice does not lessen man's own necessity of denying self and making sacrifices for God, and His humble work of serving the afflicted, poor, distressed, needy, and despised is the example His followers are to copy even when that service is unpleasant.
At the Father's assembly of all the holy angels to confer special honor upon the Son, all the angels bowed to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, and Satan bowed outwardly with them while his heart was filled with jealousy, envy, and hatred because Christ was thus honored above himself and because he himself was unacquainted with and not permitted to know the purposes of God. The angels are required to obey Christ their exalted commander, and Satan's refusal to submit to Him is rebellion against God.
The Father brings His firstbegotten Son into the world and commands all the angels of God to worship Him, declaring the Son distinct from the Father and exalted far above every angel. That bringing in is His incarnation and lowly birth in a stable manger, where His divine glory was veiled in human weakness yet the angels recognized and adored Him as their divine Commander without betraying their allegiance to God. It also describes a gathering before creation when the Father assembled the holy angels to confer special honor on the Son, ordaining Him equal with Himself to command heaven with the Father's authority and to share counsel with Him in creating all things. It further describes His entry into heaven after the resurrection, when He refused angelic honor until He presented the marks of the cross and heard from the Father that His atonement was full and accepted, justice satisfied and Satan vanquished. By that acceptance His church is justified in Him as its representative and head, all power in heaven and earth is given to Him as Redeemer and King, and His worship calls all to serve Him only and follow His humble self-sacrifice.
Time of Bringing In
The bringing of the firstbegotten into the world is the incarnation of Christ, and in and through him the Father establishes the kingdom of heaven among men. His entrance into the world was his birth in humble surroundings without worldly grandeur, laid in a manger in a stable, yet honored by God with angels announcing his coming, glorifying God, and worshiping him as the Son of God come to redeem the fallen world. Through his death he would bring people peace, happiness, and everlasting life.
Though his divine glory was veiled in human weakness at the manger, the angels recognized and worshiped their divine Commander, and could do so without betraying their allegiance to Jehovah, showing his humiliation did not lessen his divine worthiness to be worshiped. The bringing in also describes a pre-creation assembly in heaven where the Father gathered all the holy angels around the throne to confer special honor on the Son who existed with God before the angels were created. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father with the heavenly host gathered around them.
At that heavenly command the Father ordained Christ to be equal with himself, to be present as the Father's own presence, to have his word obeyed as readily as the Father's, to command the heavenly host as sovereign of heaven with the same power and authority as God, and to share counsel and union with the Father in creating the earth and every living thing, doing nothing of himself alone but carrying out his will and purposes. His authority was loving and had been unchallenged, the angels having been glad to obey his commands, so the honor then given did not lessen the honor he already possessed. The bringing in describes also Christ's entry into heaven and the heavenly city after completing the atonement and ascending following his resurrection, coming leading captives with him and presenting himself before the throne.
He presented himself with the marks of the cross and presented those raised with him as first fruits of the dead and proof that he conquered death and the grave, refusing glory, royal robe, and angelic adoration until the Father signified his sacrifice for sin was full and ample and accepted. The Father's welcome and command answered his plea, declaring justice satisfied and Satan vanquished, renewing the pledge made before the foundation of the world, and affirming his humiliation ended, his sacrifice complete and without stain, and his being given a name above every name. By this proclamation the church was justified through Christ as its representative and head, the covenant ratified to reconcile repentant and obedient men into divine favor through his merits, and all power in heaven and on earth given to the Prince of life, who still remembers his disciples in a sinful world and prepares to return to impart his power and glory.
Christ Above Angels
The command that all the angels of God worship him when the firstborn Son is brought into the world places Christ above the angels and marks his exalted position and superiority to them. That worship, taken with the surrounding statements, presents him as Creator and rightful Ruler of the world. The angels' homage recognizes him as heaven's King, and heaven's acceptance of him as king comes as the Father's answer after the atonement is completed.
He is heaven's sovereign, with authority and high authority and rightful rule equal to God's, acknowledged when all the angels bowed to his supremacy. His relation to the Father embraces all who receive him by faith as personal Saviour, so that the Father's acceptance of the Son as covenant Redeemer includes them as God's children and joint heirs with Christ, renewing the pledge made before the foundation of the world. His authority above the angels had existed lovingly and unchallenged before, for he existed with God before the angels were created and the angels had been glad to obey his commands, so the honor the Father gave him before the angels did not lessen the honor he already possessed.
He is higher than every angel and worthy of their worship as the divine Son, and the angels are required to obey him as their exalted commander, so that refusal to submit to him is rebellion against God. He was Israel's invisible Leader in the wilderness, present in the cloud and fire as the Angel of the covenant, and though he took human nature and humbled himself as a servant he remains the divine Son exalted above the angels, and through his redeeming work those who receive him share in the divine nature. Though he took human nature and laid aside his glory to save the lost, he is equal with God and exalted above all, and all the holy angels worship him, and his divine greatness makes his humility and service an example for followers.
After he completed his sacrifice and ascended, his humiliation was over, his sacrifice was complete and he was without stain, and he was given a name above every name in exaltation following his self-humbling obedience unto death. He had refused angelic adoration until he had first asked that those given to him might be with him, and the Father's command honoring him affirmed his unstained character. At his ascension he was exalted and glorified before his Father with great joy, cherubim and seraphim joining in homage, his offering accepted because his death had fully paid the redemption price for the lost race so that through faith and obedience people may become members of God's family again.
Father and Son Revealed
The Father and the Son are two individual personalities distinct from each other, two personal beings, with the Father bringing the firstbegotten and firstborn Son into the world. That bringing in is accompanied by the command for all the angels to worship Him, which places Christ above the angels and marks His exalted position. Connection with those heavenly powers enables prayer, belief, receiving, sharing in the divine nature, and resistance to temptation.
The chapter presents God's gift of His Son as a great and grand work that offers life, even eternal life, to everyone who receives it. He came to redeem the fallen world and humanity, and through His death brings peace, happiness, and everlasting life. The command for all the angels of God to worship Him is the Father's answer to Christ's appeal, joyfully met by adoring angels recognizing His worth and honor in heaven.
Redemption Finished and Accepted
The command to worship is given only after the risen Christ has ascended to present himself before the throne bearing the marks of the cross on brow and hands and feet, and he refuses coronet, royal robe, and angelic adoration, even holding the angels back and declining homage as he had declined Mary's touch, until the Father signifies that his sacrifice and atonement for sin is full and ample and accepted. Before accepting heavenly honor he pleads that his church be justified and accepted, that its relation to heaven and to the Father be clearly defined, that where he is his church should be, that those who suffer with him on earth should reign with him and share his glory, and that those given him, including those still struggling with temptation and not forgotten on earth, should be with him where he is. His humiliation then ends with his sacrifice complete, and he receives a name above every name.
The Father's welcome and command is the answer to that plea, declaring justice satisfied and Satan vanquished, renewing the pledge made before the foundation of the world, and affirming Christ's unstained character. Christ presents his wounds and those raised with him as firstfruits of the dead, tokens of his triumph and proof that he has conquered death and the grave. By this proclamation the request is granted and the church is justified through Christ as its representative and head, the Father ratifies the covenant to be reconciled to repentant and obedient men and take them into divine favor through Christ's merits, and Christ guarantees to restore human worth so that through his blood they may gain eternal life.
The Father's acceptance of his Son as covenant Redeemer and King of glory includes all who receive him by faith as personal Saviour, for his relation to the Father embraces them as God's children and joint heirs with Christ. Every angelic commander obeys, prostrating before the Redeemer and echoing in songs of triumph through the courts of heaven that the slain and risen Lamb as triumphant conqueror is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory. All power in heaven and on earth is then given to the Prince of life, his death having fully paid the redemption price for the lost race so that through faith and obedience people may become members of God's family again, and by his self-sacrifice earth is connected with heaven and finite man with the infinite God. Still remembering his disciples in a sinful world, he prepares to return to impart his power and glory.
Worship and Following Christ
The command that all the angels of God worship the Firstbegotten when He is brought into the world establishes His kingdom among men in and through His incarnation, and therefore men are not to trust in man nor make flesh their arm, but to worship the Lord Jesus Christ as Life-giver and serve Him only. That angelic worship calls people to worship Christ who first loved them and to make Him the center of attraction. Such worship purifies the mind from sin and the world and opens it heavenward to grasp eternal realities and receive the glory of God.
Connection with the heavenly powers enables believers to pray, believe, receive, and share in the divine nature while resisting temptation. Through His redeeming work those who receive Him as Israel's invisible Leader in the wilderness, present in the cloud and fire as the Angel of the covenant, though He took human nature as a servant, share in the divine nature, for He as the divine Son is higher than every angel and worthy of their worship. The angels fall prostrate before Christ in worship with thanksgiving and praise, cherubim and seraphim joining in homage with great joy. The One they worship is the risen Redeemer who endured the conflict of Gethsemane, bore the shame of the cross, and gained the victory over death and the tomb.
In person He seeks out lonely and discouraged disciples and spends hours in their presence teaching and comforting them even when their clouded eyes keep them from discerning Him, as on the walk to Emmaus. When the disciples recognize Him by His voice and the wounds in His hands in the blessing of the bread, they rightly rise to fall at His feet and worship Him as the angels do. Though honored by heaven's angelic host and possessing heaven's majesty, honor, splendor, and glory, He humbled Himself to live among fallen people in a world seared and marred by sin and laid that position aside.
He identified His interests with suffering humanity and made the infinite sacrifice, suffering and dying the just for the unjust, so fallen man might partake of His glory hereafter. His condescension and sacrifice drew the angels' highest adoration and deepest joy. His divine greatness, equal with God and exalted above all while all the holy angels worship Him even though He took human nature and laid aside His glory to save the lost, makes His humility and service an example for followers. His life is to be followed in His footsteps, so His sacrifice does not lessen man's own necessity of denying self and making sacrifices for God, and His humble work of serving the afflicted, poor, distressed, needy, and despised is the example His followers are to copy even when that service is unpleasant.
At the Father's assembly of all the holy angels to confer special honor upon the Son, all the angels bowed to acknowledge His supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, and Satan bowed outwardly with them while his heart was filled with jealousy, envy, and hatred because Christ was thus honored above himself and because he himself was unacquainted with and not permitted to know the purposes of God. The angels are required to obey Christ their exalted commander, and Satan's refusal to submit to Him is rebellion against God.