Jesus – before and after earth

The book of Hebrews makes some cryptic comments about changes in the role Jesus had before, and after, his ministry time on earth. While God never changes, Jesus had a more dynamic experience in growth.

Hbr 1:1 God [the Father], who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hbr 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

*** God the Father has not only spoken to mankind himself, but he also uses his Son to speak through. This is why Jesus is sometimes referred to as the Word of God. The Father is the source of the word, but Jesus is the channel through which it comes.

Hbr 1:3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

*** Jesus is the image of the Father. This is how Jesus could tell others that when they look at Him, they were looking at the Father. He was not saying he WAS his Father, but that he was the image of His Father. So, as the image of the Father, he looks like his Father. But an image is not the same as the real thing. When we look into a mirror, we see an image, which is only a 2 dimensional representation of a 3 dimensional person. In the same way, Jesus represents just certain dimensions of a multidimensional Father God.

*** It indicates WHEN he had purged our sins, he then sat down at the right hand of the Father King. This means he may not have been in this position before this. The position of authority came ONCE Jesus had made his final sacrifice for sins.

Hbr 1:4 Became [being made] so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

***Jesus became something he was not before- better than the angels. He then obtained something he did not have before- a more excellent name. So what name did he have before, if his new name is Jesus?

Hbr 7:26 For such an high priest became [was fitting for] us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and became higher than the heavens;

*** if he “became” something, it means it wasn’t this before. He became higher than the heavens, which is a new status. If Jesus was already God, as goes traditional doctrine, then there is no way to improve, or get any better, than that.

So, these verses are indicating that Jesus was “less” of something before he came to earth, and more of something, or something else, when he left earth. Jesus went through a change of status and authority.

The bible says that God [ie. the Father God] never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. But Jesus has gone through changes. This means that Jesus does not have this quality that the Father God has. This does not mean Jesus is not divine. He is divine, because His Father is divine, just as we are human, as our own fathers are human. It just means Jesus is dynamic.

Jesus changed in status:

1. from Angel of the Lord to High Priest,

2. from lower authority to higher authority,

3. from dwelling in the heavenly abode, to sitting at the right hand of God,

4. from less power, to all power, being given to Him (by the Father God) in heaven and earth.

I now refer to another study I have done on the “Trinity,” and who Jesus really is. I propose that the role of Jesus BEFORE he came to earth was as the “Angel of the Lord.” In this position, he commanded the armies of heaven, and was above the other heavenly beings – angels – in authority. He also made Himself known as the Son of Man in visions of the prophets, and as Debar Jehovah, the Word of the Lord, or the Word of God. Since the Father is the source of all divine Word, Jesus, on occasions, became a conduit for the words of the Father to mankind. This will be reviewed in the study I give.

This does not take away from the divine nature that Jesus had, but it does show that, as Jesus Himself said, He was NOT equal to the Father, and had always submitted to Him, as less than Him. The Trinity concept makes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit equal, and has always made them equal since before the beginnings of the world, when the scriptures do not point to this. There is a trinity of persons, but an inequality is present. The Holy Spirit, another heavenly person who possesses the divine nature of the Father, also is submissive to the Father. This inequality confirms the Oneness of God, because there is only one Father God, and others are beneath Him. However, this does not mean that the divine nature and authority of Jesus and the Holy Spirit should be minimized. They act on behalf of the Father God, and when they do act, they carry the full authority of the Father. Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and other angelic beings, are all part of the heavenly hosts, but the Father is the “Lord of hosts.” When this title is used in scripture, it is referring to the Father only. When the title “Lord” is used, it could mean any of the persons of the trinity.

Note: the angels are NOT divine. Only the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have divine natures.

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More about the angel of the Lord:

Click here

Here is the link to the “Trinity” study. Chapter 3 gives the most details for what I propose, with justifications.

Click here

See also:

Jesus and His relationship with Father God Click here for more

Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish Scriptures for Messiah? Click here for more

Jesus as the Son of God Click here for more

Is the Jewish Messiah just a man? Click here for more