Hebrews 1:6, is a quote from Psalm 97:7, and Deuteronomy 32:43, as found in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint, LXX), that was translated from the Hebrew text, about 100 years before the Birth of Jesus Christ, by Jewish scholars.
Psalm 97:7;
“Let all the Worshippers of graven images, who boast of their idols, be confounded. worship him all ye his angels” (LXX)
The Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT), produced between the 6th and 10th centuries AD, reads: “Made ashamed shall be all that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: unto him bow down all the gods” (Isaac Leeser translation).
Deuteronomy 32:43;
“Rejoice, heavens, with him, And let all the angels of God worship him: Rejoice, nations, with his people, And let all the children of God rely on him: For he avengeth the blood of his children, And will judge, and execute vengeance on his enemies, To them who hate him he will render retribution, And the Lord will purify the land of his people” (LXX)
“Speak aloud, O ye nations, the praises of his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and vengeance will he render to his adversaries, and forgive his land, and people” (MT, Leeser).
The Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), which is older than the MT, reads:
“Rejoice, O heavens, together with Him; and bow down to Him all you gods, for He will avenge the blood of His sons, and will render vengeance to His enemies, and will recompense those who hate Him, and will atone for the land of His people.” (DSS, 4QDeutq)
Regardless of the variant readings, the fact remains that in Hebrews 1:6, God the Father Commands that Jesus Christ is WORSHIPED. This is also clear from other passages in the New Testament
Matthew 8:1-4; “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Matthew 9:18-19; “While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples”.
Matthew 14:33; “Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God”
Matthew 28:16-17, “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted”
Mark 5:6, “When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him”
Luke 24:51-53; “Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen”
John 9:38, “Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him”
The best definition of what True Worship of God is, is in the Book of Revelation. In Chapter 4 we read:
“And when the living creatures give Glory and Honor and Thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive the Glory and the Honor and the Power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."” (verses 9-11)
This can either refer to God the Father, or the Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom, the Father says in Hebrews 1:10-12, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail”. Jesus is The Actual Creator of the entire universe.
In Revelation chapter 5, we have this said about Jesus Christ:
“saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive the Power and Riches and Wisdom and Might and Honor and Glory and Blessing” (verse 12)
This language is impossible for someone who is not Almighty God.
In the next two verses, we read of BOTH God the Father AND Jesus Christ:
“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the Blessing and the Honor and the Glory and the Might, forever and ever. And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped”
Note the important words here, “καὶ τῷ ἀρνίῳ”, “ALSO to The Lamb”, Who is The Lord Jesus Christ. Here we have the Greek conjunction, “καὶ”, used for “expressing emphatic assertion or assent”. ALL that is here ascribed to God the Father, “the Blessing and the Honor and the Glory and the Might”, is done so EQUALLY to Jesus Christ. Further, they are BOTH WORSHIPPED TOGETHER. No “subordination” of Jesus Christ to the Father. The Father is not “greater” than Jesus Christ. The Father is not “only God”, and Jesus Christ, simply “God”, in a lower sense. This Testimony in Revelation, is for ABSOLUTE EQUALITY.
In Revelation chapter 22, verse 1, 3: “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb...No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will Serve Him”.
Here we have, “του θρονου του θεου και του αρνιου (the throne of God and of the Lamb)”, clearly Two distinct Persons, “του θεου, του αρνιου”, but, “του θρονου” (the throne), is in the singular number. Again in verse 3 we have the same in the Greek, “του θρονου του θεου και του αρνιου”, and the singular “του θρονου”. “His (αυτου, masc, sing) servants, shall Worship Him (αυτω, masc, sing). Not only the Father and Jesus Christ are JOINT in their Rule, but they are Served, and Worshipped TOGETHER, as in 5:13-14
And, Revelation 11:15
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
Note the end, “He shall Reign”, which in the Greek is, “βασιλευσει”, which is in the singular number. It can refer either, to “His Christ (τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ)”, or, to “our Lord and of His Christ (τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ)”. It is clear from the Book of Revelation that the latter is the correct way to understand this verse. This is clear that BOTH The Father AND Jesus Christ will Reign Eternally Forever.
There can be no doubt, that the Infallible Word of Almighty God, Teaches that The Lord Jesus Christ, is, within the Eternal Godhead, Completely and Absolutely, COEQUAL with God the Father.
