THE PERFECT IMPRINT OF HIS FATHER'S ESSENCE

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority]

~Amplified Bible (AMP)

The superiority of God’s revelation through his Son is demonstrated by seven great descriptive statements about him: (1) appointed heir of all things. The incarnate Son, having performed the work of redemption, was gloriously exalted to the position of the firstborn heir of God, i.e., he received the inheritance of God’s estate (“all things”). See Ro 8:17. (2) through whom he made the universe. See Jn 1:3; 1Co 8:6; Col 1:16 and note. (3) radiance of God’s glory. As the brilliance of the sun is inseparable from the sun itself, so the Son’s radiance is inseparable from deity, for he himself is God, the second person of the Trinity (see Jn 1:14, 18 and notes). (4) exact representation of his being. Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. Because the Son himself is God (see note on Ro 9:5), he is the absolutely authentic representation of God’s being (see Jn 14:9; Col 1:15 and note). (5) sustaining all things. Christ is not like Atlas, the mythical Greek god who held the world on his shoulders. The Son dynamically holds together all that has been created through him (Col 1:17). (6) provided purification for sins. Through his redeeming death on the cross (see 7:27; 9:12; Tit 2:14 and notes). (7) sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Being seated at God’s right hand indicates that Christ is actively ruling with God as Lord over all (see v. 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Mt 26:64; Ac 2:23; 5:34; Ro 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; 1Pe 3:22).

Footnotes:

Hebrews 1:3 The word “Shekinah” does not appear in Scripture, but has been used by both Christians and Jews to describe the visible divine Presence of God, in such things as the burning bush, the cloud and the pillar of fire that led the Hebrews in the wilderness, and the Presence of God that rested between the cherubim over the mercy seat of the ark.