What Does Hebrews 1:1-2 Mean?
Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that in the past, God spoke through prophets in many ways, but now in these last days, He has spoken through His Son. This marks a turning point - God’s final and clearest word has come, not through visions or laws, but through a person: Jesus. He is not merely another messenger. He is the heir of all things and the one through whom God created the world (Hebrews 1:2).
Hebrews 1:1-2
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Key Facts
Book
Author
The author is traditionally anonymous, though often attributed to Paul; modern scholarship suggests possible authors like Barnabas or Apollos.
Genre
Epistle
Date
Estimated between 60-80 AD, likely before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD.
Key Themes
Key Takeaways
- God's final word is His Son, not prophets.
- Jesus created all things and holds them together.
- Christ is superior to angels and inherits all things.
Context and Contrast in Hebrews 1:1-2
The opening verses of Hebrews set the stage for the entire letter by showing how God’s communication has reached its climax in Jesus.
The author shows that Jesus is not merely another prophet or angelic figure; He is the fulfillment of everything God promised. In the past, God spoke through prophets in fragments and visions, but now, in ‘these last days,’ He has spoken fully through His Son. This is not a minor upgrade. It is the difference between scattered whispers and a clear, final declaration.
This shift from prophets to the Son marks the arrival of God’s ultimate revelation, preparing the reader to see Jesus as superior in every way.
The Son as Final Revelation, Heir, and Creator: A Deep Look at Hebrews 1:2
Hebrews 1:2 presents Jesus not merely as another voice in God’s long conversation; it reveals Him as the climax of revelation, the appointed heir of all things, and the agent of creation itself.
The phrase 'in many ways and at many times' reflects how God’s past communication was partial and progressive - through dreams, visions, laws, and prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah - but now, in 'these last days,' God speaks fully through His Son. The Greek word *huios* (Son) is not merely about family relation. It carries authority and inheritance, showing Jesus holds supreme rank. The author emphasizes that this Son was 'appointed heir of all things,' meaning everything in heaven and earth now belongs to and is under His rule - a promise no angel or prophet ever received. Crucially, it says 'through whom also he created the world,' where the Greek *di' hou* (through whom) ties Jesus directly to God’s creative work, echoing John 1:3: 'Without him nothing was made that has been made.'
This claim would have been radical in a Jewish context where only God created (Isaiah 44:24: 'I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself'). By saying the Son was the agent of creation, the author of Hebrews is elevating Jesus to divine status, not as a created being but as the one through whom God brought everything into being. The idea that the Son 'upholds the universe by the word of his power' (Hebrews 1:3) adds that He does not merely start things but actively sustains them - like holding up a building from collapsing. This counters early Jewish or proto-Gnostic ideas that saw creation as mediated through lesser beings or angels, which the rest of Hebrews 1 will directly challenge.
Jesus isn’t just God’s messenger - He’s God’s final word, His rightful ruler, and the very one through whom everything came to be.
The Son’s role as heir and creator sets the foundation for His superiority over angels, a theme the next verses will expand on. This is not merely theology for the mind - it invites us to trust Jesus not as one voice among many, but as the one true Word of God who holds all things together.
Listening to God’s Supreme Word in Christ Today
The big idea of Hebrews 1:1-2 is clear: God has spoken His final, fullest word not through rules or visions, but through His Son, Jesus, so our faith should be centered on listening to Him above all else.
To the first readers - Jewish believers tempted to revert to old religious routines - this was radical. Jesus was not merely another prophet or angelic messenger; He was the one through whom God made the world and now rules it. Trusting Him is not just one option among many; it is the heart of true faith. This fits perfectly with the good news: salvation and wisdom aren’t found in complex systems or ancient rituals, but in knowing and following Jesus, God’s own Son.
Jesus isn’t just one voice among many - He’s the one we’re meant to listen to above all others.
The next section will explore how this truth shapes our confidence in Christ’s superiority over even the most revered parts of the old covenant.
The Son Who Created All Things: A Unifying Truth Across Scripture
Building on Hebrews’ claim that the Son created the world, we find the same truth echoed clearly in two other key passages: John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-17.
John 1:1-3 says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.' Similarly, Colossians 1:15-17 declares, 'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.' These verses confirm that Jesus isn’t a secondary figure but the active Creator and Sustainer of everything.
Jesus isn’t just central to Hebrews - He’s the one through whom all things were made, just as John and Paul plainly say.
This shared witness across Hebrews, John, and Colossians calls us to live with deeper reverence for Christ - not merely as Savior but as Lord of all - and challenges churches to teach the fullness of who Jesus is, so our worship, service, and community reflect the reality that He holds all things together.
Application
How This Changes Everything: Real Life Impact
I remember a time when I felt distant from God, trying to figure out His will through a patchwork of advice, feelings, and Bible verses taken out of context. I was living like God still spoke in fragments - like He did in the old days through prophets - when in fact, He’s already given us His full and final word: His Son, Jesus. When I truly grasped that Jesus is not merely one voice among many, but the very Creator and sustainer of all things, it changed how I pray, how I make decisions, and how I face guilt. Instead of looking inward or searching for signs, I look to Christ - God’s clearest message. My failures don’t define me. His finished work does. The same Word who spoke the universe into existence is the one who speaks grace over my life today.
Personal Reflection
- Where am I still treating Jesus as merely another voice, instead of the final Word of God?
- How does knowing Jesus created and holds together everything change the way I handle stress or uncertainty?
- What area of my life am I not fully submitting to Jesus as Lord, even though He is the heir of all things?
A Challenge For You
This week, pause before making a decision - big or small - and ask, 'What does Jesus, as God’s final Word, seem to be saying here?' Then, base your choice on who He is and what He’s done, not merely on what feels right. Also, read Hebrews 1:1-2 every morning and let it remind you that you’re not left guessing about God - He’s revealed Himself fully in His Son.
A Prayer of Response
Jesus, thank you for being more than a teacher or prophet - you are God’s own Son, the one through whom everything was made and is held together. Forgive me for the times I’ve treated you as merely one voice among many. Help me to listen to you above all others, to trust your word, and to live like you truly are the ruler of all things. Speak to my heart today, because I want to follow you above all else.
Related Scriptures & Concepts
Immediate Context
Hebrews 1:3
Continues the portrait of the Son by describing His radiance of God's glory and His work of purification and exaltation.
Hebrews 1:4
Establishes Christ's superiority over angels, a theme introduced in verse 2 through His divine sonship and inheritance.
Connections Across Scripture
John 1:1-3
Echoes Hebrews 1:2 by identifying the Word (Jesus) as the agent of all creation, affirming His eternal divinity.
Colossians 1:16
Parallels Hebrews 1:2 by stating all things were created through Christ, emphasizing His cosmic authority and divine role.
Acts 3:21
Speaks of Christ as the appointed heir and fulfiller of God's promises, aligning with the 'last days' revelation in Hebrews.