---
title: Hebrews 1:1
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/hebrews-1-1/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/hebrews-1-1.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Hebrews 1:1
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Hebrews 1:1

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.

## JW Usage

The Watchtower reads Hebrews 1:1 as a straightforward introduction — God spoke "long ago to our forefathers" through prophets — without pressing the "end of these days" time marker that follows in verse 2. The chapter is acknowledged as speaking about the Son, but Watchtower commentary tends to stop short of the eternity-attribution texts later in the chapter (Hebrews 1:10-12 quoting Psalm 102, Hebrews 1:8 addressing the Son as "God"). JWs also sometimes cite Hebrews 1:1-2 in a limited way to support the "faithful slave" channel concept — the idea that God has always used chosen human channels to speak to his people, which the modern Governing Body now continues.

## Protestant Usage

The NWT at Hebrews 1:1-2 reads: "Long ago God spoke to our forefathers by means of the prophets on many occasions and in many ways. Now at the end of these days he has spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things." Two decisive points flow from this opening. First, the phrase "at the end of these days" (ep' eschatou tōn hēmerōn toutōn) places the incarnation in the last days — matching Acts 2:17, 1 Peter 1:20, Hebrews 9:26, and 1 John 2:18, and undermining the 1914 starting date. Second, the chain of revelation runs: prophets → Son → apostolic witness → Scripture. There is no fifth stage for a post-apostolic successor body. The "faithful slave" reading of the verse cannot bear the weight the Watchtower places on it, because Hebrews immediately moves in verse 2 to the Son's role as heir of all things and agent of creation, then in verses 3-14 attributes to the Son eternity (10-12), divine worship (6), and the divine name (8) — language that works for the Son as God's final and sufficient revelation, not for any successor channel. Hebrews 1:1 is also the rhetorical setup for the Psalm 102 → Hebrews 1:10-12 deity argument: the eternity attributes quoted from Psalm 102 belong to the Son in the context the author establishes in verse 1. See psalm102-hebrews1, apostles-foundation-eph220, last-days-pentecost, inaugurated-eschatology-already-not-yet.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Jesus' Eternality](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/psalm102-hebrews1.md) — Psalm 102 → Hebrews 1 [Deity of Christ]
- [The Exact Representation Problem](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/heb1-3-psalm89-contradiction.md) — Hebrews 1:3 vs Psalm 89:6 [Deity of Christ]
- [The Last Days Began at Pentecost, Not 1914](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/last-days-pentecost.md) — Acts 2:16-17 — 'This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel' [Eschatology]
- [The 'Last Days' Started at Pentecost — Not 1914](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/2timothy3-last-days.md) — 2 Timothy 3:1-5 / Hebrews 1:2 / Acts 2:17 [Eschatology]
- [Foundation Laid Once — Apostles Are Not a Perpetual Office](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/apostles-foundation-eph220.md) — Ephesians 2:20 — A foundation is poured once, and the building stands on it forever [Authority]
- [Already, But Not Yet — The New Covenant's Direction of Travel](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/inaugurated-eschatology-already-not-yet.md) — Jeremiah 31:34 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 read together [Authority]
- [The Kingdom Was Already Here in Jesus's Ministry](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/kingdom-already-present.md) — Matthew 12:28 / Luke 17:21 — the King among us, the kingdom upon us [Eschatology]
- [Deuteronomy 18 — A Prophet Like Moses, Singular and Eschatological](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/deuteronomy-18-prophet-like-moses.md) — Acts 3:22 — Moses said, the Lord God will raise up for you a prophet [Eschatology]
- [The Angel That Bore Jehovah's Name](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/acts-7-38-angel-name.md) — Acts 7:38, Exodus 23:20-23 — an angel who forgives sin and demands absolute obedience [Deity of Christ]
- [Two Matches, One Candle — How Three Persons Create as One](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/trinity-causal-overdetermination.md) — Causal overdetermination and opera ad extra sunt indivisa [Deity of Christ]