BETTER THAN ANGELS
HEBREWS 1:12-14 NKJV
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not fail.”
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
Hebrews is written to Jewish believers who have left Judaism and embraced Christianity. But their countrymen were not happy with their departure, and these believers were facing persecution. So the writer of Hebrews, the debate still rages as to if it was Paul, is contrasting Jesus versus the Judaic system.
Hebrews is a contrast showing the superiority of Jesus over angels, Moses, the Aaronic priesthood, the law, and the Old Covenant. One of the main themes is that staying with Jesus despite the pressure is worth the price. Hebrews is not light reading, and it helps to have a basic understanding of the Old Testament.
In this first chapter, Jesus is shown to be better than angels. The writer says a couple of times, "...which of the angels has He ever said..." Once again, the writer is showing that Jesus is better. The angels worship Jesus, not the other way around. Jesus is the One on the throne, not the angels.
And God names Jesus as the One who laid the foundation of the earth. Jesus is the One who will eventually create new heavens and earth and fold the current heavens and earth up like you would fold a cloak. It would be good to take a moment and go back and read how majestic Jesus is. We read that He laid the foundations of the earth and think, oh, that's nice. But the significance of that work too often escapes us. The earth will get old and perish, but Jesus will remain. He is a more solid foundation than the very earth we live on. But the angels are never spoken of in that light.
God has ordained for Jesus to sit at His right hand. And He is still there waiting for God to make all His enemies a footstool. We have to consider that one day all the enemies of the Lord become His ottoman. He will put His feet up on them, once again establishing that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. But that was never spoken of in reference to angels.
Angels are ministering spirits. They can be huge and mighty in power. Or they can look so much like regular folks that people have actually hosted them, unaware of their angelic status. I have never seen an angel, but I am fully convinced they are with me and have protected me from some serious stuff.
And that's how angels roll. They are present to help us. I am not sure of all the hows and whys, but I am for sure glad that they are present. Jesus once said He could have prayed, and God would have sent 30,000 plus angels to deliver Him. They have delivered and protected God's people for thousands of years and have not become obsolete simply because people stopped believing in them.
Of course, some people have carried their fascination with angels too far and have tried to worship them, commune with them, and seek their presence. But this is neither scriptural nor advisable. We already have the One we are to serve and worship. Jesus is the One we seek and serve, not angels. Because, after all, Jesus is better.