Hebrews 1

In the past, God communicated to the Israelite ancestors through people who proclaimed his message. He did this throughout the time during which the ancestors lived, and he used many different means to do so.

{However,} when this final time period {began}, God communicated to us through his own Son. God made the world together with him, and God has chosen him to receive everything.

In God’s Son, we see how glorious God is. In fact, God’s Son perfectly shows what God is like. By speaking powerfully, he sustains everything {that God has made}. After he purified his people from the wrong things that they did, he ascended into heaven and began to rule with God {his Father}.

{These things about him mean that} he is much greater than the spiritual beings. In the same way, the name that God now calls him is greater than their {names}. \*

{You can tell that God’s Son is greater than the spiritual beings} because God did not at any time say these words to any spiritual being: “On this day, I have declared to everyone that I am your father, and you are my son!” {He did not say these words about any spiritual being} either: “I will be his father, and he will be my son.” {However, he did say these words to his own Son.} \*

More than that, when God raised his Son into the heavenly world, he commanded: “All the spiritual beings who serve God must honor and praise him.”

God says this about the spiritual beings: “I have caused the spiritual beings who serve me to be {like} the wind and {like} burning fire.” \*

On the other hand, {God says this} about his Son: “You who are God will rule forever, and you will reign justly over your kingdom. 9 You loved whatever is just, and you hated whatever breaks God’s law. Because of that, I, your God, have caused you to be more powerful and joyful than anyone else who is with you.” \*

And {God also says this about his Son:} “You are the Lord, who powerfully created everything that exists when it all began. 11 All those things will eventually fall apart, but you keep on living forever. They are like clothing that becomes old and wears out, 12 and you will {remove them and} roll them up as if they were old clothes. In the same way that a person changes clothes, you will change the things that you created. In contrast, you are the one who stays the same and lives at all times!” \*

God did not at any time say these words to any spiritual being: “Rule with me while I defeat all of your enemies!” {However, he did say these words to his own Son.}

The spiritual beings are all powerful beings who serve God, and God has sent them to help those whom he will soon save. \*