A Heb. 1:5-7.

Unto which of the angels ... My Son ...

Angels are `spirits' and `ministers'.

B Heb. 1:8,9.  Christ is addressed as God. `Throne'

B Heb. 1:10-12. Christ is addressed as Lord. `Earth'

A Heb. 1:13,14. To which of the angels ... Sit on My right hand.

`ministering spirits'.

Before proceeding we must make sure that every reader will be able to follow the references we must make to

the presence of `conjunctions of antithesis'. Conjunctions are particles which denote:

Annexation, like kai `and';

Comparison, like hos `as';

Disjunction, like etoi ... e `either' ... `or';

Antithesis, like alla `but';

Condition, like ei `if';

Cause, like gar `for';

Inference, like oun `therefore' and

Result, like hina `in order that'.

For the moment we are concerned with the conjunctions of antithesis - the Greek men ... de. These words often

occur in distribution, men occurring in one sentence, de in the sentence that follows, and may be rendered `on the

one hand' and `on the other hand'. In Hebrews 1:7 we read `And regarding (men) on the one hand, the angels He

saith' and in Hebrews 1:8 we read `Regarding (de) on the other hand the Son He saith'. A similar antithesis and

with the same object is found in Hebrews 3:5,6, where Moses on the one hand was faithful as a servant, but Christ

on the other hand was Son over His own house. There are about twenty instances of this antithetical conjunction in

Hebrews, which we may note as we reach them. An intended contrast therefore with the angels is found in verse 8.

`But unto (pros regarding) the Son (He saith), Thy throne, O God, is unto the age of the age (eis ton aiona tou

aionos)' (Heb. 1:8).

This text has been put on the rack, like Romans 9:5, by those who cannot tolerate the Deity of Christ. It has been

put as a parenthetical exclamation `O God'; it has been rendered `Thy God-like throne' and `Thy throne of God', but

all such are obviously forced and without justification. A `throne', Greek thronos, is described as `a free open seat

with a footstool', and the footstool is seen to be an integral part of this throne `Until I make Thine enemies Thy

footstool' (Heb. 1:13; 10:13). `Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool' (Isa. 66:1). It must be

remembered that of the nine occurrences of the word `footstool' in the New Testament six speak of enemies, and

that not one speaks of worship. It is also an interesting fact that Psalm 110:1 is quoted in the New Testament more

than any other Psalm.

`Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool'.

While the verse before us in Hebrews stresses a throne, a sceptre and a kingdom, we are aware that `the principal

thing' according to Paul's own summing up is that Christ is an High Priest. In Psalm 110:4 we read `Thou art a

priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec', and we learn from Hebrews that Melchisedec was also a king.

Several items need careful examination in order to enable us to perceive the Divine intention in these related

passages. For clearness sake let us tabulate them here.

(1) The `sceptre' of Psalm 45:6 is in the Hebrew shebet.

(2) The `rod' in Psalm 110:2 is in the Hebrew matteh.

(3) But both words are translated rhabdos in the Septuagint.