8 But of the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
2007-12-11 13:50:27 · 13 answers · asked by Gruntled Employee 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
does that not also mean Jesus is not just an angel?
2007-12-11 14:00:51 · update #1
Would the questioner assert that Jesus is above mere angels? Jehovah's Witnesses would agree!
Quite plainly, the bible teaches that there is single solitary archangel, the lone "Chief of the Angels". By definition, every mere angel would be lesser than that archangel.
It would be incorrect to believe that Jesus was a mere angel on a par with other angels. Even before he came to earth and was impaled, Jesus the Son enjoyed a position higher than any other creature in existence because of two different reasons.
Firstly, as the firstborn of creation, Jesus likely spent thousands or millions or billions of years in exclusive association with Jehovah; this unique opportunity allowed Jesus to learn so much that Jesus is spoken of as the "image" and "reflection" and "exact representation" of Almighty Jehovah God.
(Colossians 1:15) [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation
(Hebrews 1:3) [Jesus] is the reflection of [Jehovah's] glory and the exact representation of his very being
Secondly, the bible teaches that Jesus worked alongside Jehovah to CREATE the other angels (and the rest of the heavenly and physical universe).
(Colossians 1:15-18) By means of him all other things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him. 17 Also, he is before all other things and by means of him all other things were made to exist, 18 and he is the head of the body, the congregation. He is the beginning
(Revelation 3:14) These are the things that [Jesus] says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God [see 2 Cor 1:20]
(Proverbs 8:22) Jehovah himself produced me as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago.
(John 1:1,14) In the beginning [Jesus] was... So [Jesus] became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; and he was full of undeserved kindness and truth.
While Jesus enjoyed an elevated position since his creation by Jehovah, the bible teaches that Christ Jesus the Son has been given even GREATER glory and authority than he previously had. Since Jesus' resurrection to heaven, the bible indicates that: no salvation occurs without Christ, accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, every prayer must acknowledge Christ, Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, and Christ is now immortal.
But the bible explicitly notes that it is only since his resurrection that Jesus (the Son) was now in every way "better than the angels" and that Jehovah (the Father) elevated him thusly (emphasis has been added to most of these citations)...
(Hebrews 1:3-4) [Jesus] sat down on the right hand of the Majesty [Jehovah] in lofty places. So he HAS BECOME better than the angels
(Matthew 28:18) And Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: "All authority has been GIVEN ME in heaven and on the earth.
(Acts 2:36) God MADE HIM both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you impaled.
(John 3:35) The Father loves the Son and HAS GIVEN all things into his hand.
(Acts 5:31) GOD EXALTED this one as Chief Agent and Savior to his right hand
(Psalm 2:2-6) The kings of earth take their stand And high officials themselves have massed together as one against Jehovah AND against his anointed one... Jehovah himself will hold them in derision..., Saying: "I, even I, HAVE INSTALLED my king [Jesus]
As the agent of creation for the other angels, who better than Jesus to be their "Chief"? Interestingly, the Scriptures refer to *ALL* angelic spirit creatures as "morning stars". Jesus is not excluded from that terminology, but he is elevated by the unique description "the BRIGHT morning star".
(Job 38:4,7) When [Jehovah] founded the earth... When the morning stars [or "angels"] joyfully cried out together, And all the sons of God began shouting in applause
(Revelation 22:16) I, Jesus... I am the root and the offspring of David, and the BRIGHT morning star. [caps added]
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20050422/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19951101/article_02.htm
2007-12-12 07:48:54 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The context of the 1st chapter of Hebrews is revealing that God exalted the man, Jesus Christ, to a position far above the angels, so that Christ and his 144,000 are given immortality and never wear out, as do the physical heavens and earth.
But, the question Trinitarians ought to be held to answer is whether God exalted himself?
The reason Jesus came to the earth in the first place was to offer an answer to the slanders of Satan. Satan had slandered Jehovah, saying that God was holding back something from Adam and Eve; implying that God was somehow insecure with his positon and could not trust his own creation.
By way of illustration: Let's say that a large corporation is run autocratically by its founder and some disgrunteled employees make a public issue by saying that the boss has not given anyone a raise or promotion because he is paranoid that someone might usurp his position. So, in response, in order to try and refute the charges, the boss gives himself a million dollar raise and promotion.
Do you think that would really settle the issue? Well, if Jesus were God, as the Trinitarians assume, what purpose would be served if God appointed himself to the supreme position? Do you see the absurdity of the Trinitarians doctrine? Do you see why it serves the Devil's interests to promote the Trinity?
The point is that Jehovah exalted a creature, a son, to a position of authority, whereby the Father entrusts him with his very throne.
2007-12-12 10:51:41 · answer #2 · answered by keiichi 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Your understanding of Heb 1:8 is, has to agree with vs 9.
"Therefore God, your God, has anointed you"
This proves that Jesus is not God, because "his God" anointed him above all the other sons of God (Job 1:6)
This is a quote concerning the Kingship in the line of David. (PS 45)
(1 Chronicles 29:23) And Sol′o·mon began to sit upon Jehovah’s throne as king in place of David his father and to make a success of it, and all the Israelites were obedient to him.
(2 Chronicles 13:5) Is it not for YOU to know that Jehovah the God of Israel himself gave a kingdom to David over Israel to time indefinite, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?
You will notice that these Kings sat on the throne of Jehovah as Kings, This did not make them equal to Jehovah, only that they represented Jehovah.
Solomon was greater than his companions, or the other kings of Israel.
Since Jesus sits on the throne as a descendant of David, He to sits on Jehovah's throne as the greatest in the line of David, even surpassing Solomon, becoming greater than all the other kings of Israel.
.
2007-12-12 08:32:59 · answer #3 · answered by TeeM 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
"But with reference to the Son: “God is your throne forever and ever, and [the] scepter of your kingdom is the scepter of uprightness. 9 You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness. That is why God, your God, anointed you with [the] oil of exultation more than your partners.” "
Jesus was firstborn of all creation. He was the instrument Jehovah used to create all other things.
Remember David and Solomon? David came up with the blueprints for constructing a great temple, but it was his son who actually built it.
Jehovah had the power, wisdom, knowledge and love to create the universe and all in it, and used his Son to bring it about.
**Edit to add in addition to ummkhadijah's thoughts**
Matthew 3:16, 17 says: "After being baptized Jesus immediately came up from the water; and, look! the heavens were opened up, and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit coming upon him. 17 Look! Also, there was a voice from the heavens that said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.”"
If Jesus was on earth being baptized, how could he be talking about himself from heaven also?
2007-12-11 22:06:36 · answer #4 · answered by Xyleisha 5 · 6⤊ 1⤋
There are NO Commas and no word oh or o in that lingo. Also God is NOT capitalized excetpt at the start of a sentence. W e do language research. I took Koine Greek at a Baptist seminary. Dad is a former preacher in Protestantism.
2007-12-12 21:56:27 · answer #5 · answered by debbiepittman 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does not the statement "anointed you" imply exaltation to a higher place?
So, if you are referring to the use of theos here as proof positive that Jesus is God, than how is it that part of the trinity godhead was exalted?
Would not that have made Jesus greater than God?
Or was it a fake anointing?
Either figuratively or literally, you have just created a contradiction with the trinitarian doctrine.
Logic, the only reasonable choice!
Also, remember, the word theos (which is clearly a descriptive word) is also used to identify Satan, at 2 Corinthians 4:4.
"among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through. "
If you look up the word theos in the Strong's, you will begin to understand that it has more than the limited definition that you seem to prefer that it is always used exclusively to describe God-Almighty!
As the word theos at 2 Cor. 4:4 is clearly Satan, and is clearly a descriptive word, not a pronoun, one can hopefully begin to understand the verse you cited.
2007-12-11 21:54:09 · answer #6 · answered by Tim 47 7 · 6⤊ 2⤋
Why he was among the angels?
Why if his is God almighty Gods almighty called him his son?
according to trinity Jesus was son of God in earth but in heaven he came back as God almighty.
Why people reject to understand that god is a title that angels receive according to Psalm 82:6.
2007-12-12 07:45:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Hebrews 1:8:
RS reads: “Of the Son he says, ‘Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.’” (KJ, NE, TEV, Dy, JB, NAB have similar renderings.) However, NW reads: “But with reference to the Son: ‘God is your throne forever and ever.’” (AT, Mo, TC, By convey the same idea.)
Which rendering is harmonious with the context? The preceding verses say that God is speaking, not that he is being addressed; and the following verse uses the expression “God, thy God,” showing that the one addressed is not the Most High God but is a worshiper of that God. Hebrews 1:8 quotes from Psalm 45:6, which originally was addressed to a human king of Israel. Obviously, the Bible writer of this psalm did not think that this human king was Almighty God. Rather, Psalm 45:6, in RS, reads “Your divine throne.” (NE says, “Your throne is like God’s throne.” JP [verse 7]: “Thy throne given of God.”) Solomon, who was possibly the king originally addressed in Psalm 45, was said to sit “upon Jehovah’s throne.” (1 Chron. 29:23, NW) In harmony with the fact that God is the “throne,” or Source and Upholder of Christ’s kingship, Daniel 7:13, 14 and Luke 1:32 show that God confers such authority on him.
Hebrews 1:8, 9 quotes from Psalm 45:6, 7, concerning which the Bible scholar B. F. Westcott states: “The LXX. admits of two renderings: [ho the·os′] can be taken as a vocative in both cases (Thy throne, O God, . . . therefore, O God, Thy God . . . ) or it can be taken as the subject (or the predicate) in the first case (God is Thy throne, or Thy throne is God . . . ), and in apposition to [ho the·os′ sou] in the second case (Therefore God, even Thy God . . . ). . . . It is scarcely possible that [’Elo·him′] in the original can be addressed to the king. The presumption therefore is against the belief that [ho the·os′] is a vocative in the LXX. Thus on the whole it seems best to adopt in the first clause the rendering: God is Thy throne (or, Thy throne is God), that is ‘Thy kingdom is founded upon God, the immovable Rock.’”—The Epistle to the Hebrews (London, 1889), pp. 25, 26.
2007-12-11 22:00:55 · answer #8 · answered by Just So 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
no where in the bible u can find the word Trinity oh and Trinity thing is stupid why would Jesus cry to him self ON the cross and say why have you forsaken me i don't believe gods a schizophrenic with bipolar disorder
2007-12-11 22:27:39 · answer #9 · answered by ummkhadijah 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Nice verse! Thanks for sharing!
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
-- the Jesus of the Bible cannot be
another "god" because God says
there is only ONE - Isa. 43:10-11
-- the Jesus of the Bible cannot be
an angel, he is contrasted against
the angels - Heb. 1:3-8
-- Jesus is not a creation, but the
Creator... the word "other" has been
inserted four times in this passage
of the JW "bible" - Col. 1:16-17
2007-12-11 22:15:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋