the radiance of his glory

[NewCreation435]

Hebrews 1:3-4 says "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they."

Based on what it says in verse 2, we know the "He" in verse 3 is Jesus. What does it mean to you that he is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of HIs nature?
The fact that he is at the right hand of the Majesty on high speak to me that Jesus is in a place of great power and authority and then also that he upholds all things speaks about the his role in sustaining the creation that he has made.

 

[Lamb]

Odd tidbit that I have to add...when I was in speech class in high school the teacher told us that people pay more attention to the people who are standing or sitting on their right side (there have been tests to prove it). So if we have someone we want to impress then we should sit on their right.

Sitting on the right side has always held some prominence as we see that Jesus is at God's right hand. In ancient times it showed that the person held authority.

 

[Pedrito]

Post #2:

Sitting on the right side has always held some prominence as we see that Jesus is at God's right hand.

Very true.

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Mark 14:62: “And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 16:19: “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Luke 22:69: “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.”

Acts 2:33: “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
Acts 7:55" “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,
Acts 7:56: “And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”

Romans 8:34: “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Colossians 3:1: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Hebrews 1:3: “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;”

Hebrews 8:1: “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;”
Hebrews 10:12: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

1 Peter 3:22: “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”
Acts 5:30,31: “30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Philippians 2:9: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”

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It looks like Jesus and Peter and Paul (and the writer of Hebrews if not Paul) and Stephen, all shared the same understanding.

Beside whom did they all state that Jesus either would be (according to Jesus, while He was on Earth), or already was (according to the others, after His resurrection)?

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(Is Pedrito going to be subject to accusations again simply because he brought Holy Scripture to people’s attention?)

 

[Tigger]

Hebrews 1:3-4 >snip<Based on what it says in verse 2, we know the "He" in verse 3 is Jesus. What does it mean to you that he is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of HIs nature?>snip<

This is where I think the Orthodox take this subject to a much higher level with their teaching on God's essence and His energies.

 

[NewCreation435]

This is where I think the Orthodox take this subject to a much higher level with their teaching on God's essence and His energies.

In what way?

 

[Tigger]

In what way?

We as creatures, particularly fallen creatures can not participate in the fullness of God's 'essence', only a controlled aspect of God's 'energies'. That's not the case concerning Jesus being as stated in the Nicec creed, He is of one substance with the Father=the essence of God. But we as believers can participate in God's energies through Theosis and be transformed into His likeness.

 

[atpollard]

David Guzik Commentary on Hebrews

2. (Hbr 1:2b-3) A sevenfold description of the glorious Son.

Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

a. Heir of all things: This begins a glorious section describing Jesus, first as the heir of all things. This is the idea that Jesus is preeminent. It is connected to Jesus’ standing as firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15).

b. He made the worlds: The ancient Greek word here translated worlds is aion, from which we get our English word “eons.” It means that Jesus made more than the material world, He also made the very ages – history itself is the creation of the Son of God.

c. The brightness of His glory: Jesus is the brightness of the Father’s glory. The ancient Greek word for brightness is apaugasma, which speaks of the radiance that shines from a source of light.

i. In this sense, Jesus is the “beam” of God’s glory. We have never seen the sun, only the rays of its light as they come to us. Even so, we have never seen God the Father, but we see Him through the “rays” of the Son of God.

ii. The ancient Greek philosopher Philo used the word apaugasma to describe the Logos: the being or intelligent mind who ordered the universe. The writer of Hebrews explained Jesus in terms that made sense to both first-century Jews and those familiar with Greek philosophy.

d. The express image of His person: The idea is of an exact likeness as made by a stamp. Jesus exactly represents God to us.

e. Upholding all things by the word of His power: The idea behind the word translated upholding is better thought of as “maintaining.” The word does not have the idea of passively holding something up (as the mythical Atlas held up the earth), but of actively sustaining.

i. In His earthly ministry Jesus constantly demonstrated the power of His word. He could heal, forgive, cast out demons, calm nature’s fury all at the expression of one word. Here we see that His word is so powerful that it can uphold all things.

f. Himself purged our sins: From the previous description, we know that the Son of God is a being of great power and wisdom. Now we know He is also a being of great love, who purged the guilt and shame of our sins. He did this Himself, showing that no one else could do it for us, and we could not do it for ourselves.

g. Sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high: This is a position of majesty, of honor, of glory, and of finished work. This position of Jesus sets Him far above all creation.

 

[atpollard]

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 1

2. It is a revelation which God has made by his Son, the most excellent messenger that was ever sent into the world, far superior to all the ancient patriarchs and prophets, by whom God communicated his will to his people in former times. And here we have an excellent account of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1.) The glory of his office, and that in three respects:-
[1.] God hath appointed him to be heir of all things. As God, he was equal to the Father; but, as God-man and Mediator, he was appointed by the Father to be the heir of all things, the sovereign Lord of all, the absolute disposer, director, and governor of all persons and of all things, Ps. 2:6, 7. All power in heaven and earth is given to him; all judgment is committed to him, Mt. 28:18; Jn. 5:22.
[2.] By him God made the worlds, both visible and invisible, the heavens and the earth; not as an instrumental cause, but as his essential word and wisdom. By him he made the old creation, by him he makes the new creature, and by him he rules and governs both.
[3.] He upholds all things by the word of his power: he keeps the world from dissolving. By him all things consist. The weight of the whole creation is laid upon Christ: he supports the whole and all the parts. When, upon the apostasy, the world was breaking to pieces under the wrath and curse of God, the Son of God, undertaking the work of redemption, bound it up again, and established it by his almighty power and goodness. None of the ancient prophets sustained such an office as this, none was sufficient for it.
(2.) Hence the apostle passes to the glory of the person of Christ, who was able to execute such an office: He was the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, v. 3. This is a high and lofty description of the glorious Redeemer, this is an account of his personal excellency.
[1.] He is, in person, the Son of God, the only-begotten Son of God, and as such he must have the same nature. This personal distinction always supposes one and the same nature. Every son of man is man; were not the nature the same, the generation would be monstrous.
[2.] The person of the Son is the glory of the Father, shining forth with a truly divine splendour. As the beams are effulgent emanations of the sun, the father and fountain of light, Jesus Christ in his person is God manifest in the flesh, he is light of light, the true Shechinah.
[3.] The person of the Son is the true image and character of the person of the Father; being of the same nature, he must bear the same image and likeness. In beholding the power, wisdom, and goodness, of the Lord Jesus Christ, we behold the power, wisdom, and goodness, of the Father; for he hath the nature and perfections of God in him. He that hath seen the Son hath seen the Father; that is, he hath seen the same Being. He that hath known the Son hath known the Father, Jn. 14:7-9. For the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son; the personal distinction is no other than will consist with essential union. This is the glory of the person of Christ; the fulness of the Godhead dwells, not typically, but really, in him.
(3.) From the glory of the person of Christ he proceeds to mention the glory of his grace; his condescension itself was truly glorious. The sufferings of Christ had this great honour in them, to be a full satisfaction for the sins of his people: By himself he purged away our sins, that is, by the proper innate merit of his death and bloodshed, by their infinite intrinsic value; as they were the sufferings of himself, he has made atonement for sin. Himself, the glory of his person and nature, gave to his sufferings such merit as was a sufficient reparation of honour to God, who had suffered an infinite injury and affront by the sins of men.
(4.) From the glory of his sufferings we are at length led to consider the glory of his exaltation: When by himself he had purged away our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, at his Father's right hand. As Mediator and Redeemer, he is invested with the highest honour, authority, and activity, for the good of his people; the Father now does all things by him, and receives all the services of his people from him. Having assumed our nature, and suffered in it on earth, he has taken it up with him to heaven, and there it has the high honour to be next to God, and this was the reward of his humiliation.