“And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands.” (Hebrews 1:10)
The difficulty here lies in the fact that from verse 8 it is the Son that is being addressed and this continues through the 9th verse. (In verse 8 Jesus is referred to as “God,” but we must appreciate that this word is applied to him in a secondary sense. We remember that the elders of Israel were called “gods,” (Psalms 82:6). In Exodus God said to Moses, “. . . I have made thee a god to Pharaoh,” (Exodus 7:1).
The question now before us is whether or not these words in Hebrews 1:10 are addressed to God or to Jesus. This is perhaps, one of the most controversial passages in the whole of the Bible. Of one thing we may be sure, however, and that is that it does not mean that Jesus laid the literal foundations of the earth, nor that the literal heavens are the work of his hands. If this were the meaning, then other clearly understood passages of Scripture would contradict it, and there cannot be contradictions in the inspired word of Holy Writ. The words of Isaiah which we have previously quoted come into mind, “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it,” (Isaiah 45:18). Also in Psalm 8:3 we read, “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained . . .” Again we remember the words of verse 2 in this first chapter of Hebrews, when we are told that the Son has been appointed “heir of all things.”
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Author: Ruth McHaffie
Keywords: Eternally begotten, Jesus eternally begotten, Christ eternally begotten, Pre-existence, Pre-existence of Jesus, Pre-existence of Christ, Before he was born, Logos, Logos of John's Gospel, Jesus was the Logos, Christ was the Logos, Trinity, Second person of the Trinity, God the Son
Bible reference(s): Hebrews 1:8-10, Psalm 102:24-25
Source: “Did Jesus Christ Pre-Exist?,” The Testimony, Vol. 22, No. 260, August 1952, pp. 240-1.
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