Christ Better Than Angels, Pt. 5

September 19th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Hebrews 1:10-14 “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; 11 they will perish, but You remain; and they all will become old like a garment, 12 and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.” 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

In vv. 10-12 we see that Jesus Christ is high above both men and angels. In fact, Jesus is not even in the same category. Whereas both man and angels are created beings made for God’s purposes, Jesus Christ is the One who creates. The writer thus quotes Psalm 102:25-27 in v. 10 as proof. The wonderful truth of Christ being the Creator is stated not only at the beginning of Hebrews (1:2) but also near the conclusion of the epistle (13:8). So if Christ is the Creator, and if the angels are created beings, then that which is created is inferior to Him who created them!

Note also in vv. 11-12 that the essence of Jesus Christ is superior to that which He created. In contrast to the angels, and the rest of God’s creation which is forever changing, Jesus never changes. Verse 11 says, “but You remain,” and v. 12 says, “But you are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.” The heavens and earth had a beginning, and they are passing away, for “the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25). Jesus Christ, however, is the Word (John 1:1-4) who has existed for all eternity, before the created universe. Thus, the essence of Christ is that of immutability, absolutely and eternally unchanging. This cannot be said of angels or any other created being.

Another superiority of Christ over the angels is His purpose over theirs. It is Christ’s destiny to have all His enemies placed under His feet as a footstool. This quote from Psalm 110:1 was penned by David in reference to his son Solomon as its near fulfillment. Its ultimate fulfillment, however, was to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Of course no angel has ever been promised in Scripture to have his enemies placed under his feet as a footstool by God, for there are no angels that are deserving of such. On the contrary, angels offer worship to the Son of God. Even the Apostle John, while Jesus revealed to him the future when he was a prisoner for his faith, heard the cry of heaven’s multitude which included “the voice of many angels” (Rev. 5:11). What were they doing? Singing Worthy is the Lamb! Why? Because it is Christ’s purpose to conquer and to be worshiped above all others. This cannot be said of any angel. Even the angels knew this, for the one that spoke to John refused to allow John to worship him when John bowed to him, saying, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.” So while it is Christ’s destiny to be worshipped, it the destiny of angels to worship Christ and refuse worship from humans. After all, v. 14 clearly states that angels are ministering spirits “sent to serve” God’s true children. While they serve, Christ reigns.

Psalm 110:1, quoted in Hebrews 1:13, is the most quoted OT passage in the NT, quoted 14 times. The Psalm, written by David one thousand years before Jesus’ birth and fulfilled in Jesus Himself, pictures the future Christ reigning supreme over His creation. Jesus Himself quoted the passage at His trial (Mark 12:36). The answer to the question of Psalm 110:1 and to the point the Hebrews author is making, is that at no time did God the Father ever tell an angel to sit at His right hand. But to Jesus the Son, He did! Notably, it was the custom for a defeated king to bow before his conqueror and kiss his feet (cf. Ps. 2:12) and for the conqueror to put his feet on the captive’s neck so that the captive became his footstool (cf. Josh. 10:24). One day every knee will indeed bow before Jesus Christ, and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Phil. 2:10)—both atheist and Christian, demon and angel. All will confess such!

Food For Thought
Hebrews was written primarily those converted Jews who were being persecuted and were in danger of abandoning their faith to escape persecution. This problem exists today with some professed Christians who profess Christ but do not realize that being a Christian entails suffering for Christ (cf. Phil. 1:29). The bottom line is that Christ is superior to all, and as long as Christians know they serve the Creator, they can and will be encouraged in the midst of their trials. Clearly Christianity is an exclusive faith that is superior to all others. God Himself said it!