14 -- Celebrating the Enthroned Christ (Hebrews 1)

I'm thinking of moving to a Thursday-Sunday night rhythm for my blog posting. I seem to get good traffic on a Sunday night/Monday morning. I haven't always had great traffic on my Bible posts Sunday morning. I wondered if, if I posted the Bible material Wed-Thursday, if I might catch some sermon preparation.

What do you think?

The Story of Hebrews continues...

1 -- The Setting of Hebrews
2 -- The Cast of Characters
3 -- The Context at Corinth/Ephesus (13:22-25)
4 -- Closing Clues (13:1-19)
5 -- The Main Takeaway (4:14-16; 10:25-31)
6 -- Remember the Good Times (5:11-6:2; 10:32-39)
7 -- The Impossibility of Repentance (6:3-8; 10:26-31)
8 -- The Rhetorical Strategy of Hebrews 
9 -- An Eternal Priest (Hebrews 5, 7)
10 -- The New Covenant (Hebrews 8) 
11 -- A Better Sacrifice and Sanctuary (Hebrews 9-10)
12 -- The Cheering Witnesses (Hebrews 11)
13 -- The Discipline of the Lord (Hebrews 12)

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1. "Now that we know how most of the sermon will go, how do you want to begin it?" Tertius asked.

"The main point of the sermon is that the Romans need to rely on Christ for their atonement," Apollos said. 

"He is the greatest and truest high priest of all!" Tertius agreed.

"Yes," Apollos continued. "We are showing that, just as Jesus sits at God's right hand as Lord of all, he is also the eternal high priest in the Most Holy Place of God's cosmic temple."

"And every believer knows that Jesus is there in heaven, sitting at the right hand of Majesty in the heavens!" (1:3; 8:1), Tertius added.

"So, let's begin with a celebration of Jesus as king," Apollos said.

"I love it," Tertius agreed. "The first few moments of the sermon can be like a grand celebration of Jesus' enthronment as king of all!"

2. "I want the beginning of the sermon to be a grand proemium, a periodic sentence the likes Paul never wrote," Apollos said.

"Is it a competition, now?" Tertius said with a smile.

"Of course not," Apollos grinned. "How does this sound?"

Apollos continued: "Although God spoke in many and various ways formerly to the fathers through the prophets..." (1:1)

"I love that!" Tertius said.

"In these last days, he has spoken to us through a Son" (1:2).

"Great contrast," Tertius interjected. "You have the old covenant and the new covenant right there in one sentence. Is the mention of the "last days" an allusion to Jeremiah as well?"

"Indeed," Apollos answered. "I want them to see that the promises Jeremiah made about the new covenant are in fact what has now taken place."

Apollos continued. "But a great periodic sentence wouldn't end there. I want to expand on who the Son is, who this king of the cosmos is."

"You mean tell them more about who Jesus is?" Tertius asked.

"Yes," Apollos agreed. "Let's describe Jesus with a few descriptive phrases."

Apollos continued. "whom God placed as heir of all things" (1:2).

"He is the Son of God," Tertius nodeed. "Son's do inherit from their father. Also, didn't Philo write a treatise something like that?"

"Yes," Apollos agreed, "and of course Jesus is the Logos, which is the heir Philo had in mind. Good catch, Tertius."

Apollos continued. "through whom also God made the ages" (1:2).

"Wow, there's a Logos theme here that most of them won't catch," Tertius said.

"Can't I enjoy it," Apollos asked with a smile, "even if they don't fully pick up on all the undertones?"

Apollos continued. "Since he is a reflection of God's glory, and the image of his substance" (1:3).

"Now I hear the book of Wisdom" (Wis. 7:26), Tertius exclaimed. "You're likening Jesus to the wisdom of God!"

"You're pretty sharp, Tertius."

Apollos continued. "And since he bears all things by the word of his power..."

"Magnificent," Tertius exclaimed.

"After he had made a cleansing for sins, he sat on the right hand of Majesty in the heavens," Apollos said (1:3).

"Ah, now you have anticipated the high priestly theme without naming it," Tertius said.

3. "Yes," Apollos agreed. "I want to end this periodic sentence of the exordium with a transition to a piece contrasting Jesus with the angels."

"Why is that?"

"Because the angels were the ministers of the old covenant," Apollos answered. "Angels delivered the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai."

"I've heard that tradition. Jubilees?" Tertius asked.

"It's in many Jewish traditions, including our beloved Philo."

Tertius smiled.

"How about this?" Apollos continued. "having become as much greater than the angels as the name he has inherited" (1:4).

"That's a great transition," Tertius agreed. "Jesus sat on the right hand as king and priest, and this established him far above the angels."

"And thus," Apollos concluded, "the new covenant with Christ as mediator is far greater than the old covenant in which they served as ministers."

"It reminds me a little of the letter Timothy sent to Asia right after Nero had put Paul to death. There was a peculiar Jewish movement there that thought they were worshiping with angels in their synagogue worship."

"I remember that," Apollos said. "It was not long after the earthquake."

4. "So that's the introduction. What will we say next?" Tertius asked.

"I'm thinking about a chain of contrasts between the enthroned Christ and the angels, again, all along implying that the new covenant is greater than the old covenant."

"A catena!" Tertius said. "You sure know your rhetoric."

"Let's use a good deal of Scripture," Apollos said. "Pop, pop, pop."

"Like what?" Tertius asked.

"To which of the angels has he said, 'You are my Son. Today I have given you birth'?" (1:5), Apollos said.

"The second psalm," Tertius said. "A classic verse on how Jesus sat at God's right hand after the resurrection when he was enthroned as Lord."

"Yes," Apollos agreed. "And in Samuel, God said he would be the Christ's father."

"What other passages do you have in mind?" Tertius asked.

5. "There's a passage in Deuteronomy where God commands the angels to worship God's agent in the judgment of the world" (Heb. 1:6).

"In the song of Moses, yes?" (Deut. 32:43), Tertius asked. "It's in the Greek but not in the Hebrew. And it is more or less in the Essene version I think."

"But the Romans only read the Greek of the Old Testament, right?" Apollos asked.

"Yes, so they will know the passage that way," Tertius agreed.

"There is a grand passage in the psalms about the Christ's throne being forever" (Ps. 45:6-7; Heb. 1:8-10).

"Doesn't that psalm call the king God on his wedding day?" Tertius asked.

"Yes, in an extended sense. But I am reading it in a fuller sense of the Messiah," Apollos answered.

"And there's a grand psalm about the Lord founding the earth" (Ps. 102:25-27; Heb. 1:10-12), Apollos continued. "Here I want them to see that this created realm and the old covenant will fade away, but the kingdom of Christ will last forever."

"Isn't that psalm about God the Father?" Tertius asked.

"It is," Apollos said, "but this is a hymn to Christ. It is somewhat poetic. We are reading Scripture with the eyes of the Spirit. And Jesus is Lord too, is he not?"

"Indeed," Tertius agreed.

"All of these Scriptures about the enthroned Christ," Apollos continued, "we'll contrast them with verses about the angels. There's the psalm that calls them winds and flames--passing messengers of God" (Psalm 104:4; Heb. 1:7).

Apollos continued. "In the end, the angels are ministering spirits sent to serve us under the old covenant" (Heb. 1:14). 

"But Christ is king for all eternity," Tertius said.

"Amen."

Hebrews 1:5-14 Explanatory Notes

Hebrews 1:1-4 (video/podcast)
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1:5 For to which of the angels at some time has he said, "You are my Son; I today have given you birth?"
    And again, "I myself will be to him as Father, and he himself will be to me as Son."
    6. And again, when he leads the firstborn into the ordered world he says, "And let all the angels of God worship him."
1. This will not be the only time that the author strings three Scripture quotations together in the pattern of
    1) quote
    2) and again quote
    3) and again quote.
We see it again in 2:12-13. This pattern suggests that these three quotes all go together.

The theme that links the three quotes is that of Sonship. Hebrews 1:4 ended by mentioning the name that Jesus has inherited, a name that is greater than the angels. While it is tempting to identify this name as "Yahweh" or "Lord," [1] the train of thought pushes us to see the name--or perhaps more precisely, the office--as that of Son. The office or title that Jesus inherits is that of "Son of God."

"Son of God" is a royal title. It is the title of a king. Psalm 2 itself was an enthronement psalm, likely read at the coronation of a king of Judah. The king was "begotten" on the day of his enthronement as the son of God (Ps. 2:7). The author of Hebrews seems to know this fact, and this understanding of the Messiah's birthing seems also attested in the Dead Sea Scrolls. [2]

Hebrews is not making a comment in relation to Jesus' eternal Sonship, although this statement in no way precludes it. That just simply is not what Hebrews is talking about. [3] Hebrews is making a statement about Jesus' exaltation and enthronement to God's right hand. In fact this entire chain of quotations (called a catena) is a celebration of Jesus' enthronement as cosmic king. This timing is clear from the previous two verses (1:3-4) which talk about the inheriting of the title Son after making a cleansing for sins and sitting at the hand of Majesty in the heights.

The second quote (2 Sam. 7:14) even more clearly refers to the human king Solomon. In conversation with David, God indicates that Solomon will be the son of God. This sense of the human king as God's "son," God's representative and family on earth, was common in the Ancient Near East, and the author of Hebrews seems to be aware of this understanding.

2. We better understand Hebrews 1:6 when we see it as the third quote in this series. In isolation, it is not entirely clear what entrance it has in mind. There are at least three possibilities.

Given our knowledge of the Gospel of Luke, it is natural for us to think of the angels singing in Luke 2 at Jesus' birth. Jesus comes into the world, and the angels worship him. It is thus quite possible that we are again introducing foreign elements into Hebrews from elsewhere. In many datings of Hebrews and Luke, it is not likely that the Gospel of Luke was yet written. The author of Hebrews may not even have known that story. 

If we take the word again with "he leads," you might take 1:6 in relation to the second coming. "When God leads his firstborn again into the world..." This is tempting because the verse in question from Deuteronomy 32:43 is in the context of God vindicating his people in judgment against those who hate him. 

In the end, the structure of the three quotes probably tips the scales in favor of the verse referring once again to the exaltation and enthronement of Jesus at God's right hand. We get a picture of the heavenly throne room where God is seated on the throne. Jesus is led into the highest heaven, the truly ordered world, and the servants of God, the angels, bow before their enthroned king.

This picture fits the imagery of Hebrews well. Hebrews has a pervasive dualism between the heaven where God dwells and the created realm of skies and earth. The heavenly Jerusalem is the true Jerusalem (e.g., 12:22). [4] We are destined to be with the angels in the true Mt. Zion in heaven along with other "spirits of the righteous having been perfected" (12:23). This is the coming, "ordered world," that the author is speaking about (2:5), not the earthly one.

3. The wording of the quotation in verse 6 is quite interesting. You will not find this exact wording in any English translation of Deuteronomy 32:43. Perhaps it existed as a variation in manuscripts the author of Hebrews had but that we no longer do. 

The typical Hebrew version we have says, "Praise his people, you nations." The oldest Greek translations we have say instead, "Let all the sons of God worship him." That is much closer to what Hebrews says. It is just the beginning of strong evidence that the author of Hebrews operated out of the Greek translation of the Old Testament and not the Hebrew.

We do find "Let all the angels of God worship him" in a later Christian version of this passage called the Odes. It is just not clear whether it is drawing from the tradition of Hebrews or represents another translation that was already in existence. The bottom line is that the author of Hebrews is either paraphrasing the Greek or quoting a version that no longer exists.

7. And, on the one hand, to the angels he says, "The one who makes his angels spirits and his ministers flames of fire,"

If the first three quotes go together (1:5-6), the second triad of quotes also go together (1:7-12). The structure this time is an "on the one hand" in verse 7 and an "on the other hand" in verse 8. Hebrews 1:8-12 then has two quotes, both of which contrast with what is said about the angels in 1:7.

Hebrews quotes Psalm 104:4, which in the Hebrew says, "making the winds his messengers and flaming fire his ministers." But the Hebrew word for "wind" can also be translated, "spirit." Hebrews flips the sense of the psalm, following the Greek translation. The psalm talks about making winds into messengers. Hebrews talks about making angels ("messengers") into spirits.

There are two main points of contact between what 1:7 says about angels and what 1:8-12 say about Jesus the Son of God. First, the angels are ministers or servants of God. By contrast, Jesus is the Son of God, the king. Second, winds and flames are transitory. They blow on or burn out. By contrast, Jesus' reign is forever and ever.

8. But on the other hand to the Son,

     Your throne, O God, [is] forever and ever 
          and the staff of straightness [is] the rod of your kingdom.
          9. You loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.
     For this reason, God, your God, anointed you,
          oil of rejoicing in the presence of your companions.

The first quote is from Psalm 45:6-7. When a New Testament author like the author of Hebrews quotes something, the meaning of that quote in Hebrews is a function of how Hebrews is using it. So the meaning of these verses in Hebrews may not draw upon every aspect of the quote. Presumably, there were key "points of contact" between the quote and the rhetorical goals of Hebrews. Similarly, the meaning of the quote in Hebrews does not have to equate exactly to its original meaning. [1]

In this case, there seems to be a significant amount of continuity between the two meanings. Psalm 45 is a royal psalm, a psalm for the wedding of a king. So Hebrews 1 focuses on Jesus as the Son of God, the king enthroned at his exaltation to God's right hand. Psalm 45:6 is really quite remarkable, for it calls a human king "God." That it refers to a human king is clear from the bridge and her virgin attendants who follow (45:13-14), as well as the mention of sons (45:16).

The psalm thus does not literally mean that the king is a god, of course. The king is godlike, even God's representative on the earth. The next verse (45:7) goes on to distinguish between the king as "God" and the king's God, who is the literal God. Calling the king "God" in the psalm is thus like calling the king "Son of God."

We see most clearly what the author of Hebrews had in mind when we compare this quote with Hebrews 1:7. The two key points of 1:7 are that the angels function as servants and that their role as ministers is temporary. Psalm 45:6-7 show that Jesus is king, not a servant, and his reign is forever, not temporary.

Jesus' throne is forever and ever. They function like winds and flames. Jesus was anointed as Christ, as king, as Son of God from among humanity. They serve humanity as ministers (cf. 1:14).

10. And "You from the beginning, Lord, founded the land,
                and the works of your hands are the skies.
     11. They themselves will perish, but you will remain.
     And all as a garment will become old,
          12. and as a wrap you will roll them.
          As a garment even they will be changed.
     But you [are] the same and your years will not be used up.

The second quote is from Psalm 102:25-27. Amazingly, the author of Hebrews draws on a passage about Yahweh as creator and applies it to Jesus. We remember that 1:2 already says of Jesus that he was the one "through whom God made the worlds." It is hard to know whether the author meant this imagery metaphorically or literally. After Hebrews 1, God the Father is consistently called the creator (2:10; 3:4; 11:3).

To know the author's primary point in using the quotation, we turn again to 1:7, which contrasts with both quotations. On the one hand, the angels are ministers. Jesus is not only the Son of God, but here is "Lord." The Hebrew behind the word Lord here is Yahweh. Although the author of Hebrews functioned out of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it is quite possible he is equating Jesus with Yahweh.

Richard Bauckham at this point has made a strange suggestion, namely, that Jesus inherits the name Yahweh at his resurrection. According to Bauckham, Jesus was always Son of God, but he inherits the name Yahweh at this point. We would probably dismiss this suggestion out of hand if it didn't provide a plausible reading of Philippians 2:9-11. There, God gives Jesus the "name above all names" at his exaltation after death. Yahweh is very plausibly the highest name.

Whatever Hebrews precisely had in mind, it is clear that this is an office and identity far higher than that of the angels, who are "ministering spirits" (1:14).

Similarly, whereas the role of the angels is temporary and transitory, like the creation, Jesus' role will continue forever. They are like winds and flames. They are like the skies and the land that will eventually grow old and be wrapped up like a garment.

The quote is parallel to what the author will say in 12:26-27, where God "shakes" and "removes" the skies and the earth. This shaking is part of the soon-coming judgment of the world. So the current configuration of the created realm is about to be "rolled up," just as the role of the angels as ministering spirits to humanity is about to end (see Hebrews 2). 

Meanwhile, Jesus remains forever. His years will not come to an end. 

The imagery of the changing of a garment may imply that Hebrews looks for a new creation with new skies and a new earth. 12:26-27 are quite stark in their removal language, but it would be unprecedented for Hebrews to see a complete and final removal.

13. But to which of the angels has he said at some time, "Sit on my right [hand] until I should put your enemies as a footstool for your feet"?

This verse forms what is called an "inclusio" with 1:5. The framing of the quote is very similar, "to which of the angels has he said at some time." An inclusio serves like bookends, indicating that the material between the two bookends goes together. 

Psalm 110:1 is actually quoted here. It was alluded to in 1:4, but here the author brings it fully into the open. The centrality of this verse for Hebrews is so great, that George Buchanan once suggested Hebrews might be a sermon on the verse. It is a verse about the exalted Jesus. Yahweh tells his Messiah that he is enthroning him.

The entire catena or chain of quotes thus reiterates over and over that Jesus is king, that God has put him in a position much higher than that of the angels. 

14. Are they not all ministering spirits sent for ministry because of those about to inherit salvation? 

The celebration of Hebrews 1 ends with a clear statement of the role of angels in salvation history. They are "ministering spirits." They are not kings. They will not rule. They are servants. By contrast, Jesus is king. Jesus is Son of God. Jesus is Lord. Jesus will reign forever and ever.

In chapter 2, we will learn that humanity was intended to rule the creation, but they have not fulfilled this role because of sin. The angels serve as ministers to them as they await salvation. And Jesus became one of them to solve their problem. But now Jesus is greater than the angels again (1:4). Soon, their role as ministering spirits to humanity will end because humanity will rule with Christ as brothers and coheirs. 

[1] So Richard Bauckham

[2] 4QFlorilegium

[3] J. B. Lightfoot and others are thus introducing foreign elements to the text's arguments when they read these verses in the light of later Christological debates.

[4] See also 11:10, 16; 13:14.

2. Concentrated Hebrews (Celebration of Son 1:5-14)

Doing notes on Hebrews as I teach a class this semester.

I. Sermon Introduction (1:1-2:18)

     A. Exordium (1:1-4)

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B. Celebration of the Enthroned Son (1:5-14)

• These verses are sometimes called a "catena" or "chain" of quotations from the Old Testament. 
• They are structured by way of an inclusio, where words at the beginning and end of a section are similar, saying, "the stuff in the middle goes together." The inclusio are the words, "For to which of the angels did he say at some time" in 1:5 and 13. It's not exactly the same in Greek but strikingly similar.
• 1:5 expands on 1:4, which speaks of Jesus being given a name greater than the angels. The most logical inference from the flow is that this name is "Son," which of course is more of a title than a name.
• 1:5-6. The structure of these two verses is 1) quote, 2) and again, quote, 3) and again, quote.
• 1:5a. This verse quotes Psalm 2, which was a royal psalm but, when read canonically in a fuller sense (sensus plenior), can be taken as a messianic psalm. The king became God's son at the point of his enthronement. So also here, Jesus assumes the throne as God's Son at the time of his exaltation. This timing is supported by the use of this psalm elsewhere (e.g., Acts 13:33) and by the context of 1:3-4.
• As Christians we believe that Jesus was "eternally begotten of the Father." Jesus has always been God's Son for eternity past. We can believe this fact and yet still hear how Hebrews is talking about Jesus' enthronement as another piece of the Christological puzzle.
• 1:5b. This is a quote from 2 Samuel 7:14. In its original context, this verse had Solomon in mind--another instance of a king of Israel being thought of as God's son. But in a fuller sense, these words certainly apply to God's greatest Son for all eternity.
• 1:6. The structure of the quote suggests that the "again" has to do with the fact that this is the third quote and is not talking about when God brings Jesus again into the world at the second coming.
• It is tempting to think of Jesus' birth as the meaning of 1:6. "Angels we have heard on high." However, the previous two verses have been about Jesus' exaltation, and if we look at 2:5, we can argue that Hebrews speaks of the "inhabited world" in relation to the heavenly, eschatological world. For this reason, we have concluded that 1:6 is thinking about when Jesus entered heaven after accomplishing atonement. The angels of heaven bow down when Jesus is enthroned in heaven as he sits at God's right hand.
• If you look at Deuteronomy 32:43, you will be puzzled. It reads, "Rejoice you nations... for he will avenge the blood of his servants." Here is one of several indications that the author is a Greek-speaker rather than someone who read the Bible in Hebrew or Aramaic (a minor argument against Paul as author). The Septuagint here reads, "Rejoice, heavens, and let all the sons of God worship him." "Sons of God" is a way of referring to the angels. So the author seems to be following some Greek version of Deuteronomy here. Of course, the Dead Sea Scrolls read, "let all the gods worship him," so there could have been an earlier Hebrew version in play as well.
• 1:7-12. In Greek, these verses are structured by way of a "men-de" construction. This is an "on the one hand-on the other" type of construction. Thus, 1:7 about the angels is meant to contrast with 1:8-12 about Jesus.
• 1:7. In light of the contrasts that follow, the main point of this quote (Psalm 104:4) would seem to be that angels are transitory and relate to the creation. The author of Hebrews has flipped the sense of the verse, which originally was, "He makes the winds his messengers..."
• 1:8-9. The main point of this quote from Psalm 45:6-7 is that, unlike the angels, who are servants whose role is transitory, Jesus is the divine king whose throne is forever.
• The original psalm was a wedding psalm. The earthly king of Judah is called "God" in a metaphorical sense in Psalm 45, in keeping with the connection between kings and God we have seen in the other quotes. His bride comes out to meet him, along with her virgin companions, and there is hope for children.
• Jesus is also anointed from among his companions, the brothers (and sisters) of Hebrews 2:11-13. Notice that the quote makes a distinction between Jesus as God and God the Father as Jesus' God: "God, your God."
• 1:10-12. This quote contrasts with the transitory ministry of the angels and their connection with the earthly. Meanwhile, Jesus grounds the creation. Remember 1:2 has already said that Christ is the one "through whom God made the worlds." The angels meanwhile are associated with winds and flames. 
• The creation will become old. God will one day wrap it up like a garment. But the years of Jesus as God's Son and as the Lord will never come to an end. His role is eternal. That of the angels is about to change.
• 1:13. The catena ends with a quote from Psalm 110:1, a key verse behind Hebrews. It is the exaltation to God's right hand verse, one that may have been highly generative in the early church as God helped them understand the resurrection.
• 1:14. We have here a clear sense of how Hebrews understands the role of angels in God's plan. They are ministering spirits to humans and the earth in the former age until salvation is fully here. After that, we humans will no longer need their ministry, and they can spend all their time worshiping God with us in the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22).

The Timing of Hebrews 1

The older I get, the more I find it incredible that the timing of Hebrews 1 isn't obvious to everyone.

1. The verbs of Hebrews 1:1-4 center on recent events involving Jesus, especially his exaltation:

• God "spoke" is the main verb of this introduction, and he spoke "in these last days" in contrast to the speaking of God through the OT prophets. The timing is thus squarely recent.
• Jesus is a Son who "sat on the right hand of Majesty in the heights," a clear reference to the exaltation. "Sat" is the main verb of the relative clause in 1:3-4, squarely placing the timing of that clause at the exaltation.
• Yes, 1:2 looks back ("through whom he made the worlds") and forward ("whom he placed heir of all things"), but the point of view from which we look forward and back is now, at the time of Jesus' exaltation/enthronement.
• Jesus sat, "after making a purification" - timing again is clear, exaltation
• "Having received a name/title better than the angels" - train of thought isn't ambiguous in the slightest. He sits, he receives the title. He was lower than the angels on earth (2:9). Now he's greater (1:4). He gets the title/name at the exaltation.
• So the most focal locus for the descriptors "being a reflection of glory and a stamp of substance" is the exaltation because this is what the relative clause is talking about.

Nothing here seems even slightly ambiguous or controversial. I'd like to see anyone go a different way without some special pleading going on.

2. This is the literary context for the chain of OT quotes that follows:

• "For to which of the angels has he said at some time, 'You are my Son.'" Train of thought, train of thought, basic IBS and exegesis. "For" means we are getting either an explanation or a substantiation. Thus, this is overwhelmingly the most likely title in view. (I'm open to Rissi's, it's all three: Son, God, Lord, but still not tipped in that direction)
• Bauckham is a brilliant eisegete at this point. There's not a hint anywhere in the context that the name he receives at his exaltation is YHWH. The author of Hebrews probably doesn't even know Hebrew. And even if he did know that "Lord" sometimes translates YHWH, NT authors often didn't pay attention to the original meaning. They were good Pentecostals.
• So "Son" is the most likely name/title in view, especially given the train of thought from 1:4 to 1:5.
• The timing of "You are my Son" is thus the exaltation. This fits with the history of NT tradition. Acts 13:33 clearly puts the timing of Ps. 2:7 also at the exaltation. Interestingly, this verse is used of the Messiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls and even in the original psalm was likely an enthronement psalm.

I pause again to wonder whether anything other than eisegesis will lead a person to a different conclusion. Where's the ambiguity?

3. At least the starting focus of the chain of quotes is thus also the exaltation, when Jesus is enthroned as royal Son of God. It's not that 2:5 denies pre-existence or "eternally begotten." It just isn't talking about those questions at all. Those questions come from a different time and place.

• 1:6 is thus most likely picturing the exaltation. It is tempting to place it at the judgment, the "second" coming (given the context in Deuteronomy). Those of us who've seen some Christmas plays immediately think of Luke and the angels at Jesus' birth, but we can't be sure that the author of Hebrews even knows that story!
• The context and the literary form (quote, and quote, and quote) suggest this is God leading Jesus into the heavenly world (2:5). The angels bow as their king enters the heavenly throne room. I feel the tug of other interpretations, but the force of context is squarely in this direction. 
• 1:7-12 is a grammatical package ("on the one hand," "on the other hand" in Greek). 1:7 thus gives us the key to know what the main point of 1:8-9 and 1:10-12 is. The point is that angels are transitory and servant while Jesus is eternal and king.
• Note again the enthronement focus of the quote in 1:8-9. God has anointed Jesus as king above his companions. An enthronement ceremony again fits perfectly with the clear exaltation context of the earlier verses. "Therefore God, your God, has anointed you." Jesus as God is distinguished from God the Father as God, with God the Father having the clear supremacy.
• Now we get to the "Lord" quote. See how far into the train of thought we are? We are almost done. Do we really only get to the hidden key point now? This look back to creation and forward to eternity is surely not the center of the timing. Surely it is just as in 1:2. From the standpoint of the exalted Jesus, we look back and forward. The main point, a la 1:7, is the eternality and unchangingness of Christ's role.
• The chain ends with a statement that again clarifies (1:13-14). Angels are, in one of their roles, servants for humanity. This is a role that is about to end. The timing, once again, is overwhelmingly clear. It is positioned at the end of the ages, with Jesus poised to rule and humanity on its way to glory.

I have obviously gone over this train of thought over and over again. I've worked through Bauckham multiple times. I just don't think it's even close. This is clear, straightforward IBS, an alarmingly missing skill among card carrying PhDs, IMO.