The Better Revelation

GOLDEN TEXT: “Jesus saith unto him … he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”—John 14:9

THE Book of Hebrews is truly a revelation of “better” things. Thirteen times in the epistle the Greek word kreitton is used, and translated “better.” It tells of a better spokesman than the angels. (chap. 1:4) The epistle also speaks of better “things,” better “promises,” a better “hope,” a better “testament,” a better “mediator,” a better “priesthood,” a better “altar,” a better “tabernacle,” better “sacrifices,” a better “ministry,” and a better “country.”

HEBREWS 1:1-4—The pre-eminent cause of all these being “better,” is that they constitute the substance of God’s plan instead of merely the shadows, and because they are made realities through Jesus, the beloved Son of God. Jesus is that better spokesman introduced by the epistle. Prior to his first advent God had spoken to the “fathers” through the prophets. His messages thus delivered were filled with precious meaning pertaining to his plan to bless Israel and the whole world; but now he had spoken through his Son, whom he has made heir of all things.

The truth which was brought to God’s people through his Son was not contradictory to what had been spoken by the prophets. Rather it was a fulfillment of what they had said, and a revelation of the true meaning of the prophetic messages. Jesus “brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” (II Tim. 1:10) The “Gospel” is the good news that God intends to bless “all the families of the earth” through a “seed”—the seed of Abraham, which is The Christ, Head and body. (Gal. 3:27-29) This divine purpose had been stated in various ways throughout the Old Testament, and it was brought to light and made understandable by Jesus.

Hebrews 1:3 explains that Jesus, the Son of God, was the “express image” of the Father’s person. In our Golden Text Jesus is quoted as saying, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” We are not to understand from these two texts that Jesus and the Father are one in person, as the trinitarian theory holds. When Jesus was on earth he was a human likeness of the Creator in the same sense as it was said of Adam that he was created in the image of God. It was during this period of his earthly ministry that he said, “My Father is greater than I.”—John 14:28

It was necessary for Jesus to be made flesh and to die as a human being in order to redeem mankind from death. As a human being he was prefect—“holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” (Heb. 7:26) His humanity laid down in death as a sacrifice for sins, he was raised from the dead a glorious divine being. Now he is indeed the “express image” of his Father’s person, being highly exalted above angels, principalities, and every name that is named.

HEBREWS 2:1-3—Surely Jesus is a highly exalted spokesman to the church, and how essential that we “give more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” The “word spoken by angels” is a reference to the manner in which the Law Covenant was inaugurated. (Acts 7:53) Moses, of course, was the mediator of the Law Covenant, but evidently the angels had a ministry to render in connection with it. It was vitally important, the apostle shows, that the Israelites obey the Law which thus reached them, but much more important to be obedient to the truth that reaches us through the “better” spokesman, the One whom God hath highly exalted above the angels.

HEBREWS 8:6-11—The “better” covenant mentioned in the Book of Hebrews is the New Covenant. This New Covenant was promised to the “house of Israel and the house of Judah”—that is, the two divisions of the Jewish nation. In the divine plan, the New Covenant takes the place of the old Law Covenant. Under the Law Covenant the various servants of God, such as Moses, the mediator, and the house of Levi, some of whom served, as priests in connection with the tabernacle, were the potential blessers of Israel, and of all nations, to the extent that others were made proselytes into that nation.

In the Book of Hebrews the apostle presents the church as taking the place, not of the whole camp of Israel, but of the priesthood of Israel. They are the brethren of Christ, and are to be exalted with him, being, like him, prepared for glory through suffering. In connection with the inauguration of the old Law Covenant there was first of all the offering of sacrifice, and now the church is being offered in sacrifice to constitute the antitypical priesthood over which Jesus is the Head, or High Priest.

Moses, as well as the Jewish priesthood, were the servants of the old Law Covenant, so Jesus and the church are the servants, or ministers, of the New Covenant. (II Cor. 3:6) Thus, when Paul speaks of the “more excellent ministry” of the New Covenant we are to understand that the church, as well as Jesus himself, participates in that ministry.

The sacrificial service related to the New Covenant began with Jesus, and has continued throughout the present Gospel age. The “glory” ministry of that covenant is still future. If faithful in sacrifice now, we will share that glory.—II Cor. 3:6-12

QUESTIONS:

Name the various things mentioned in the Book of Hebrews which are described as “better” than had previously been enjoyed by God’s people?

What did Jesus mean when he said, “He who hath seen me hath seen the Father”?

What is the relationship of the church of Christ to the New Covenant?

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