The Trinitarian
Claim
Trinitarians claim this passage means that Jesus was involved with the Genesis act of creation as either (1) the Creator or (2) the agent through which God created.
Examination of the Evidence
1. The Creator does not inherit his own belongings
The passage says that the Son was appointed heir of all things. In verse 4, we are also told he inherited a better name than the angels. To claim this verse indicates Jesus is the Creator when it says he was appointed heir of all created things is to claim that the Creator needed to inherit his own belongings. it is absurd.
2. God made the AIONS through him.
The Greek word sometimes translated as "world" does not mean this earth or this globe or the universe. It is the plural form of the Greek word aion which means "age." However, the Greek word is slightly more elastic than our English word "age" (which only denotes time) and can imply a time-space "reality."
3. The Passage is about "these Last Days."
The writer has just informed his audience that he is referring to these last days in which God has spoken to us in a Son in constrast to the past days when God spoke to the Hebrews through the prophets.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in a Son.
4. The Passage is about WHEN the Son inherited all things
The writer then tells us that God appointed the Son to be the heir of all things. We can also be sure that he has Jesus' resurrection in mind because in verse 4 we are told Jesus became superior to the angels having "inherited a better name than them." Hence, Jesus was appointed heir of all things when he rose from the dead and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High. And this is precisely what the writer is affirming in chapter 2 where he explains that although Jesus was once lower than the angels, God has now crowned Jesus with glory and honor and placed him over all the works of His hands subjecting everything, including the angels, to Jesus.
in these last days has spoken to us in a Son whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world..... having made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to the angels, as he has inherited a better name than them.
Analysis of the Evidence
Daniel prophesied that the Son of man would be given a Kingdom and he will reign to aions of the aions (Daniel 7:13-18). At Ephesians 1:21-23, we are told that God raised Jesus far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every named that is named, not only in this aion but in the aion to come (see Matt 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30). In this way, the purpose of the aions are made known to these powers in the heavenlies (Ephesians 3:10-11). And we are also informed that God raised us up to be seated in the heavenlies with Christ so that in the aions to come we might know the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 2:7). And so for that reason, Paul gives God glory in the church in Jesus Christ unto the aions of the aions (Eph 3:21; see 2 Tim 4:10; Heb 13:21; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Peter 5:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Rev 5:13; 11:15).
The Bible tells us that God will reign through Christ to the aions of the aions. So when we are told that God made the aions through the Son, this is what the Hebrew's writer has in mind. God placed all things under the Son's feet when he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High and Headed up all things in the risen Son (Eph 1:10). In this way, God established the aions of the aions through him because all things in the ages to come are Headed up in Christ.
Conclusion
When God seated Jesus at His right hand and placed all things under his feet, a new reality was established. And this is what the Greek word aion implies. With the ages of time, new realities come and go. So when the writer says God made the aions through the risen Son, he is referring to the new reality that will exist in the coming aions, the new creation in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For it is not to angels God has subjected the world to come of which we are speaking.
Hebrews 2:2.
Created: February 12, 2014
Last Updated: February 12, 2014
