Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 2): Heaven, Earth, and the Heir of All Things

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 2):
Heaven, Earth, and the Heir of All Things

To grasp the depth of the Book of Hebrews, one must begin with the foundational blueprint of divine history established from the very beginning of Holy Scripture. The Word of God is not a disconnected collection of isolated books, nor can any single treatise be understood by human intellect alone. Truth is revealed when Scripture is compared with Scripture, allowing the full scope of God’s unfolding plan to illuminate each individual part.

As the fifty-eighth book of the Bible, Hebrews rests upon fifty-seven preceding books of divine revelation. Without a clear comprehension of the historical and covenantal backdrop leading up to this epistle, its contents remain obscure. The opening chapters of Hebrews rely heavily on the Old Testament, drawing extensively from the Psalms and the Prophets. Proper biblical interpretation requires examining not merely isolated verses or quotations, but reading several Psalms before and after to establish the complete context surrounding every statement.

Across the centuries, God operates as an eternal God dealing with mortal men who appear for a short time and vanish away. To execute His eternal work, He reveals His plan progressively across successive generations:

• Abraham: God delivers a specific portion of the divine promise to Abraham, who lives out his calling and dies in faith.
• Isaac and Jacob: The covenantal line continues as God deals directly with Isaac, and upon Isaac’s death, moves onward to Jacob.
• The Twelve Patriarchs and Israel: Following Jacob, God carries His purpose through the twelve patriarchs, growing them from seventy souls into a distinct nation brought out of Egypt.
• Moses and Joshua: God raises up Moses to lead the nation, and upon Moses’ death, hands the leadership mantle to Joshua.

Through these key historical highlights, God weaves together His overarching plan across time. This divine blueprint does not depend on human capability or spiritual performance, but on the absolute faithfulness of God. The unconditional promises made to Abraham regarding his seed stand unalterable, guaranteed entirely by the character of God regardless of Israel's historical failures.

The Fundamental Architecture of Creation

The Bible opens in Genesis 1:1 by stating a fundamental fact: God created the heaven and the earth. Mankind is entirely absent from this opening statement, illustrating a vital principle: the Bible is fundamentally about God, His sovereign authority, and the inheritance of His creation.

God established two entirely distinct, literal realms, each possessing its own unique order, purpose, and design:

• The Heavenly Realm: Established as God’s seat of absolute authority—His throne (Isa.66:1). It is the exalted seat of divine governance, set high above the terrestrial order.
• The Earthly Realm: Created as God’s footstool (Isa.66:1). It is the lower domain, designed specifically to exist in complete subjection to the authority of the heavenly throne.

The kingdom of God, in its true definition, is the execution of God’s will within the earthly domain precisely as it is executed in heaven. Present reality demonstrates that the earth exists in open rebellion against heaven's throne. Worldly rulers and heathens operate under the illusion of self-determination, yet God rules in the kingdom of men, setting up rulers or allowing evil kings to execute His anger and judgment upon nations. The earthly domain will not remain in rebellion indefinitely; the scriptures point toward the appointed time when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev.11:15).

The Structure of Heaven and Earth in Psalm 148

The distinct nature of these two realms is mapped out in Psalm 148, which divides creation into two symmetrical six-verse sections before concluding with a final call to praise:

• The Heights of the Heavens (Ps.148:1-6): This passage details the celestial domain located in the heights. It is inhabited by the angelic realm, celestial host arrays, armies, and extraterrestrial spiritual beings created by God. Positioned within these heavens are the sun, moon, stars, and the "heavens of heavens". Furthermore, scripture reveals that a literal body of water remains suspended over the earth, above which God's throne rests upon a sea of glass—a frozen deep (Job 38:30).
• The Depths of the Earth (Ps.148:7-12): This passage details the terrestrial domain located in the depths. It contains dragons, deeps, physical elements (fire, hail, snow, vapor, stormy wind), geographical features (mountains, hills), vegetation, beasts, creeping things, flying fowl, along with human society—kings, judges, young men, maidens, old men, and children.

The one who descended into the lower parts of the earth is the same who ascended far above all heavens. The earthly realm lies beneath the heavens, and both distinct spheres were formed to bring glory and pleasure to the Creator.

Divine Government: Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Powers

God established a structured government spanning both the heavenly and earthly spheres. By Him were all things created, in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible (Col.1:16):

• Thrones: Primary seats of authority established beneath God's ultimate throne.
• Dominions: Specific jurisdictional territories assigned across the creation.
• Principalities: Rulers and princes appointed over specific dominions.
• Powers: Operational authorities empowered to execute the mandates of governance.

This divine government was designed to function as an integrated system. Because no single created entity can carry out the entirety of God's purpose, authority trickles down through these positions. Higher seats receive the measure of God's will and pass it to principalities, who pass it down to powers to execute. Every functional part of creation was engineered to dispense the righteousness and goodness of God.

Visible governance on earth is directly linked to invisible governance in heavenly places. Scripture reveals specific heavenly princes—such as Michael, the chief prince standing for Israel, alongside opposing spiritual entities like the prince of Persia and the prince of Grecia. Earthly events are the direct result of spiritual activity taking place in the heavenly places.

The Creation and Commission of Man

Within this structured framework, God brought forth mankind to fulfill a specific role within the terrestrial domain. The divine intent behind human existence is stated directly in Genesis 1:26: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness".

Man was formed for two distinct purposes:

• To Reflect God's Image: God is an invisible Spirit; man was created to know God in truth and display His image and likeness within the physical earth.
• To Exercise Terrestrial Dominion: God granted man complete authority over the fish, fowl, cattle, and over all the earth.

Adam was created as a son of God (Lk.3:38), commissioned as a king in the earth to inherit and rule the lower domain. God blessed the man and woman, commanding them to be fruitful, multiply, replenish (fill) the earth, and subdue it (Gen.1:28). Man was tasked with filling the earth with righteous citizens who reflected the Creator's image, establishing an earthly kingdom governed under the supreme authority of God's heavenly throne.

The Origin and Nature of the Celestial Rebellion

Despite the pristine creation and the clear commission given to man, the earthly domain quickly experienced profound disruption. Genesis 3 introduces a subtle being—wise, skillful, crafty, and cunning—who entered the physical creation. Scripture reveals in Ezekiel 28 that this creature was originally an anointed cherub, created perfect in beauty and filled with God-given wisdom. However, this wisdom became corrupted through pride, transforming a glorious minister of God into an instrument of celestial rebellion.

Through subtle deceit directed toward the woman, this adversary led the man into willful transgression against the express commandment of God. By prompting man's disobedience, the adversary usurped the terrestrial dominion that God had legally entrusted to human stewardship.

Across six millennia of human history, this creature has expanded his influence, growing from the subtle serpent of Eden into the great dragon of prophetic revelation (Rev.12:9). This ongoing development reveals critical aspects of the adversary's nature and counter-kingdom:

• Spiritual Corruption in the Heavens: The adversary did not restrict his rebellion to earth; he successfully drew a host of heavenly angels into his counter-kingdom. Scripture reveals that this dragon possesses his own angels, establishing spiritual principalities and powers in opposition to God's heavenly authority.
• The Operation of the Devil: As the Devil, his primary identity is that of a deceiver who deceives the whole world (Rev.12:9). Deception functions as the absolute opposite of reception. Just as a defender in an athletic contest acts to prevent a receiver from capturing a pass, the Devil operates to block, intercept, and hinder human beings from receiving the light and truth of God. He utilizes diverse world systems—whether false religions, human philosophy, or worldly distractions—to keep mankind blind to divine reality.
• The Operation of Satan: As Satan, he functions as an active adversary. An enemy may harbor passive hatred from afar, but an adversary engages in constant, direct opposition. Satan actively opposes God's eternal purpose for man. Knowing that man was created to reflect God's image, Satan constructs world systems that cater specifically to the fallen sinful nature, keeping human beings at enmity with God and leading them into spiritual blindness.

The ultimate ambitions of this adversary are laid bare in his fivefold plot revealed in Isaiah 14:13-14:

1. “I will ascend into heaven” — Seeking to exalt his presence beyond his assigned realm.
2. “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” — Planning to usurp supreme authority over the heavenly host arrays.
3. “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north” — Fixing his sights on Mount Zion (Jerusalem) as the physical, earthly seat of royal dominion (Ps.48:2).
4. “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds” — Seeking total operational mastery over the terrestrial atmosphere and earthly kingdom.
5. “I will be like the most High” — Aiming to usurp total possession of both heaven and earth, usurping the title of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth.

The Promise of Repossession and the Seed of the Woman

When man fell and Satan usurped terrestrial power, God did not surrender His eternal plan or relinquish His creation to the adversary. In Genesis 3:15, God spoke directly to the serpent, declaring an absolute divine decree: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel".

God announced that He would not hand over the earth to the adversary, nor would He abandon mankind. Instead, God determined to use the very instrument Satan targeted—the woman—to bring forth a Seed that would crush the adversary's head and dismantle his usurped authority.

From Eden onward, the Bible documents a continuous repossession plan. Because Satan illegally seized control through man's sin, God initiated a progressive strategy across history to reclaim both heaven and earth. Every time God unveiled a new step of His repossession blueprint—whether calling Abraham, forming the nation of Israel, or establishing the Davidic throne—the adversary mobilized active spiritual opposition to destroy it. This ongoing conflict between two spiritual kingdoms advanced steadily through the ages until reaching its ultimate, decisive point at the cross of Calvary, where the adversary was brought to nothing and legally disarmed.

Jesus Christ: The Heir of All Things

The entire narrative of Holy Scripture, along with the foundational historical background of Hebrews, centers on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. While the first Adam failed his commission, forfeiting his kingly rule over the footstool, Jesus Christ came as the perfect Man to fulfill God's eternal purpose in the earth.

Hebrews 1:2 declares that God hath appointed His Son heir of all things. This divine appointment means that Jesus Christ is the legal possessor of the two distinct realms established in the beginning:

• Creator and Rightful Owner: All things were created by Him and for Him, spanning visible and invisible government, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers (Col.1:16).
• Reconciler of Both Realms: By hanging suspended between heaven and earth upon the cross and shedding His sacrificial blood, Christ established the sole foundation for reconciling all government back to God.
• Supreme Potentate: God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, power, might, and dominion. God put all things under His feet, making the glorified Man, Jesus Christ, Lord of the dead and the living.

Jesus Christ holds absolute authority to judge the quick and the dead. In His appointed time, He will show who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The scriptures demonstrate that the Bible is not fundamentally an anthropocentric book about human self-improvement; it is a christocentric revelation of a King, His kingdom, and His absolute legal right to rule heaven and earth.

Redemption and the Heavenly Calling of the New Creation

Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, divine grace accomplishes a work of redemption that far exceeds the original earthly mandate given to Adam. When an individual believes the gospel, they are spiritually baptized into Jesus Christ and transformed into a completely new creation (2Cor.5:17).

This new creation possesses a unique identity and destiny within God's broad administration:

• Elevation to Heavenly Places: God takes believers who were spiritually dead, strangers, and aliens, and raises them up, seating them together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph.2:6).
• A Distinct Heavenly Calling: While God maintains unconditional, earthly covenant promises for the national seed of Abraham, He has endowed the new creation in Christ with a holy calling centered in the heavenly places.
• Purposeful Existence: Rather than wandering in vanity, mental emptiness, or worldly addictions born of purposelessness, the redeemed understand that they have been chosen in Christ to fulfill an eternal purpose within the heavenly realm across the ages to come.

The Final Consolidation of the Heavenly Kingdom

The present spiritual warfare operating across the world will culminate in a final, decisive resolution. Scripture reveals that the long-standing conflict between Satan's counter-kingdom and God's sovereign authority will be resolved by actual war in heaven (Rev.12:7-9).

The dragon and his rebellious angels will be forcibly removed from the heavenly places and cast down into the earth. Following this heavenly cleansing, Christ will execute total judgment upon the rebellious earthly nations that allied themselves with the adversary's plot. Worldly political structures, global alliances, and international powers that attempt to divide the land of Israel and oppose God's decree will be gathered to the battlefield of Armageddon, meeting direct divine wrath.

Ultimately, every functional part of creation will acknowledge the absolute rights of God and His Christ. As declared in Revelation 11:15, the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. The adversary and his host will be cast into the lake of fire, while Jesus Christ assumes total, visible headship over all things in heaven and on earth (Eph.1:10). Every throne, principality, and power will dispense pure righteousness, fulfilling the eternal pleasure of God as heaven and earth unite under one supreme King.

An adapted lesson from Paul Lucas here.