Beyond This World: Christ the Heir of All Ages

When we open the book of Hebrews, we are immediately confronted with a vision of Christ that is larger than most of us imagine. The writer wastes no time: God has spoken in many ways before, but now He has spoken through His Son; the One who is both the heir of all things and the One through whom the worlds were made (Hebrews 1:1–2).

For many modern readers, those words get flattened into something simple: “Jesus made the world and rules over it.” True enough, but far smaller than what the text actually says. The Greek term used; aiōnas, meaning “ages” or “worlds”; pulls us beyond a one-dimensional view of reality.

This means we are not dealing with a local teacher, a religious reformer, or even merely the founder of Christianity. We are dealing with the One who authored every realm of existence and to whom it all belongs.

In today’s reflection, I want to take you through Hebrews 1:1–2 carefully; alongside other Scriptures and ancient Jewish insights; to uncover the vast, cosmic portrait of Christ the text is painting. Whether you are a believer who wants to deepen your awe, or a skeptic curious about Christianity’s claims, the message is the same: Jesus is not just Lord of this world; He is Lord of all worlds.

Understanding Aiōnas (Ages/Worlds)

When Hebrews 1:2 says that God “made the worlds” through the Son, the word used is aiōnas; a Greek term usually translated as “ages.” This little word carries a vast meaning. It doesn’t simply refer to “the world” as in the earth beneath our feet, nor even just the physical universe. Instead, it embraces the whole created order across both space and time.

In Greek, aiōn could mean an age, an epoch, or a long span of time. In the plural (aiōnas), it came to mean “the worlds”; the sum of everything contained within time. Time itself was seen as the great container, holding within it every created reality. Lexicons note that hoi aiōnes refers to “the worlds, the universe — the aggregate of things contained in time.” The Bible uses it in this way, for example, in Hebrews 11:3: “Through faith we understand that the worlds [aiōnas] were framed by the word of God.” Jewish literature makes the same move: the Wisdom of Solomon speaks of God’s creation as “the nature of the universe,” while Jewish prayers regularly refer to God as “God of the ages” or “King of the universe.”

The plural “worlds” hints at a multi-layered reality. It is not a call to imagine science-fiction parallel universes, but rather to see Christ’s creative act as extending across every dimension; past and future, visible and invisible. When the Old Testament was translated into Greek, olam was consistently rendered as aiōn. Thus, prayers such as Melech ha-olam (“King of the world/eternity”) were translated into Greek as “King of the aiōn.” Hebrews’ use of the term stands firmly in this Jewish background, not in Greek pagan cosmology.

NB: It is important not to confuse this biblical language with Hellenistic mythology. In Greek thought, Cronus (later Saturn) was imagined as a god of time, a devourer of his children. In Rome he was honored at Saturnalia; among Pythagoreans he was linked to the tetractys, a triangular figure symbolizing cosmic harmony. Philosophers often pictured this cycle of time within the ouroboros; the serpent eating its own tail, an endless loop of recurrence. In these systems, time itself was treated as a deity or eternal force to be venerated. Scripture, by contrast, never worships time. The ages are not divine; they are created. Christ is the Author of time, not subject to it. Where pagan myths saw time as a consuming cycle, Hebrews announces Christ as Lord of history, who interrupts the cycle and leads creation to its goal.

So why does Hebrews speak of “worlds/ages” in the plural instead of just “world”? To emphasize totality. Christ is the agent of creation not only for this earth, nor even just for the universe we observe, but for every era of time and every realm of existence. Franz Delitzsch captured it well when he said: “the immeasurable content of immeasurable time” was created through the Son. That includes the material cosmos, the unfolding epochs of history (patriarchs, prophets, the church, the ages to come), and the unseen spiritual domains (the heavens, angelic powers, hidden dimensions).

To say that God made the aiōnas through Christ is to say, very simply, that nothing exists outside His creative power. Time itself, along with space and spirit, was called into being by Him. The plural underlines the full sweep of His work: past, present, future, visible and invisible, earthly and heavenly.

Christ’s Supremacy in Hebrews: Greater Than Prophets, Angels, and All Creation

With these two descriptions – Creator of the ages and Heir of all things – Hebrews establishes from the outset that Christ is supreme over everyone and everything. This sets the stage for the rest of the book, which goes on to argue that Jesus is greater than the angels, greater than Moses, greater than the Levitical priests, and greater than all created powers. Yes, even greater than popes, councils, and the Roman Catholic magisterium; though some might wish otherwise.

In the past, God’s revelation came “at sundry times and in divers manners” (in many parts and ways) through the prophets. Those messages were true but fragmentary and preparatory. Now, God has spoken fully and finally in the Son. Unlike the prophets who were servants, the Son is the message and the Messenger in one – the very Word of God incarnate. He has the Father’s full authority because He is the Son. Thus, Jesus is superior to all previous messengers. He is not just one more in a line; He is the climax of revelation. Unlike the myths of the nations, He is not another sun god like Apollo, shining for a season before fading, nor a self-deified human grasping at power. Calling Jesus “heir of all things” implies that the destiny of creation is to be under Christ’s ownership and rule. Hence why mixing Christianity into a spiritual melting pot with other religions is erroneous: it reduces the cosmic Christ to the level of myths and idols He utterly surpasses.

History is heading toward His reign. This would encourage the Hebrew Christian readers that no matter how things look now, Jesus is the victorious Son who will inherit the nations and the entire universe. It also implies Jesus’ divine status – for who could inherit all things, both earthly and heavenly, but God Himself? The Son shares the Father’s ownership of creation. Hebrews 1:3 goes on to call Him “the brightness of God’s glory and express image of His person,” underscoring that He is of God’s very nature.

The absurdity, then, is to reduce Christ; the Creator of all things, including the sun itself; to a mere solar symbol, as if He were one more pagan sun god. The true radiance of Christ is not the light of a created star but the uncreated glory of God shining into all ages and realms. An ordinary human or even an angel could never be “heir of all things.” This is a role appropriate only for one who is one with God.

And it is equally illogical for a mere mortal to claim the title “Vicar of Christ” or “God on earth,” as if any man could stand as the representative of the Creator of all things. Unless animated by another fire; the very kind Revelation 13 describes, where the beast calls fire down from heaven to deceive the nations; no human could presume such authority. Christ never asked for a wealthy, man-made religious-political institution to represent Him; He rules and mediates completely on His own, without difficulty or dependence on human power.

This is why Daniel warned of a power that would “change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25). To tamper with the God-given order of sacred times and divine law is to usurp Christ’s authority as the Lord of the ages. Rome, in claiming power over holy days, decrees of worship, and moral law, attempted to do precisely this: to sit in the place of God. Revelation exposes the same reality, portraying a beastly power (nephilim/Titan/demi-god/self deified human)) that deceives the world with counterfeit wonders and false fire. The prophets agree: human empires and religious systems may posture as lords of time, law, and worship, but in the end their pretensions collapse before the true Alpha and Omega, who alone orders the ages and inherits all things.

The New Testament elsewhere affirms this: “All things were made by Him” (John 1:3), “By Him were all things created…visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions…all things were created by Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). This again is a strong testament to Christ’s divine identity. The early Jewish-Christian author is, in effect, saying: everything you learned about God’s creation of the world and ages? Jesus was the One through whom God did that. No mere prophet or angel can be the Creator.

As Creator, He has the power of God; as Heir and Son, He has the right of God. Thus, He can also be our perfect Redeemer and High Priest, which Hebrews later expounds on. Because He made the ages, He stands outside and above time; because He will inherit all, He entered into time and secured salvation within the creation to redeem us.

Modern Teachings vs. the Biblical Vision: What Gets “Flattened”

The way Hebrews 1:2 is often presented in churches tends to flatten its meaning. We hear, “Jesus made the world and will one day rule it.” True enough, but shallow. Most sermons frame “heir of all things” in terms of the Second Coming, and “made the world” as shorthand for Genesis creation. That’s not wrong, but it reduces a cosmic declaration into something abstract and one-dimensional.

Hebrews, however, is claiming far more. By saying Christ made the aiōnas; the “ages” or “worlds”; it unveils a reality that is layered and expansive. Scripture does not describe existence as a flat line of history on one physical stage. It speaks of this present age and the age to come, of visible things and invisible heavens, of the unfolding of time and the unseen realms that undergird it. “Through faith we understand that the worlds [aiōnas] were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). Paul echoes this in Colossians: “By Him were all things created… visible and invisible.” Add to that his reference to “ages to come” in Ephesians and his vision of the “third heaven” in Corinthians, and you get a staggering picture: Christ stands as Lord over every epoch of history and every dimension of creation. Hebrews 1:2 doesn’t just say He made the physical cosmos; it declares His dominion over the full sweep of time, space, and unseen reality.

And yet religious institutions often shrink this vision. Rome, for example, certainly proclaims Christ as King of creation, but in practice insists His grace must pass through the channels of its sacraments and hierarchy, as though His cosmic reign required a middleman. Many Protestant traditions, though rejecting Rome’s mediation, still limit the vision by emphasizing His rule primarily in the heart of the believer or within the boundaries of the church. Both approaches, in different ways, domesticate Christ. They place His reign within human structures. Hebrews refuses such confinement: Christ’s authority is not institutional but cosmic. He is not owned by the Church; rather, the Church, along with the entire universe, belongs to Him.

This is why man-made religion is ultimately too small. It builds boxes; rituals, denominations, doctrinal fences; that may serve a purpose, but when mistaken for the fullness of faith they diminish God rather than magnify Him. By confining Christ to manageable categories and turning worship into predictable cycles, religion becomes a tool not of liberation but of control, a system that pacifies consciences while propping up powers that prefer a tame Christ to the cosmic Lord of Hebrews. People begin to imagine that “God” equals the service they attend or that Christ’s work is limited to saving souls for their particular fellowship. Hebrews tears those boxes apart. Jesus is “upholding all things by the word of His power.” Not just Sunday services, not just believers’ hearts, not just the boundaries of religion; all things. And how ironic that institutions seek to confine His reign to their calendars and liturgies, when Scripture declares that Christ Himself is Lord of the Sabbath. The very One who authored time and set apart the seventh day (Saturday) as holy is the same One who reigns over every moment of history. To reduce His sovereignty to church schedules and human traditions is to forget that He governs the ages themselves. There is no neat secular–sacred divide in His kingdom.

This is why the vision of Hebrews is both exhilarating and uncomfortable. Institutions worry about rules and survival; Hebrews calls us to awe. Religion compartmentalizes; Hebrews universalizes. Tradition reduces Christ to a doctrine or a ritual; Hebrews exalts Him as the Author and Goal of reality itself.

So we face a choice: either cling to the narrow Christ of man-made religion, or lift our eyes to the cosmic Christ of Scripture. The letter to the Hebrews makes the invitation plain. Christ is not simply our personal Savior who created the universe and will come again someday. He is the living Owner of everything; the One in whom all things hold together and who reigns over all worlds and ages from the throne of God. That is a vision large enough to inspire worship, fuel courage, and humble every human pretension.

Why “Man-Made Religion” Fails to Capture This Greatness

It is worth pausing to consider how man-made religion; rooted in Babylon and mirrored in every pagan system that bows to the sun, moon, stars, and planets; becomes a limiting lens through which both believers and skeptics struggle to grasp these truths.

Man-made religion often directs focus to the organization (church hierarchy, leaders, traditions). Faith becomes about “joining the right church” or “following the rules.” This can obscure the direct relationship the believer is meant to have with Christ Himself. Hebrews emphasizes that God speaks to us by His Son now – implying a direct, personal revelation and relationship through Jesus. If Christ is the heir of all and present ruler of all, we do not need an institution to grant us access; we belong to Christ directly. Institutions should serve to support that relationship, not replace it. When they do obscure it, they limit believers’ spiritual growth. Non-believers often see the hypocrisy or narrowness of religious institutions and conclude the faith has nothing cosmic or transcendent to offer – a tragic mistake if they never see beyond that to the real Christ.

Religious systems might de-emphasize scriptures that don’t fit their traditional narrative or that are hard to explain. The concept of multiple “ages” or Christ’s role in creating unseen realms might not neatly fit into a Sunday School lesson, so it gets sidelined. Over time, believers may scarcely realize the Bible speaks of “the powers in heavenly places” or “ages to come.” Thus, a lot of Christians end up with an impoverished understanding – basically “God created the world in six days, and there are angels and demons somewhere, and at the end we go to heaven or hell,” but no sense of the layered universe the Bible hints at (such as Paul’s third heaven or the “present age” vs “age to come” dynamic). Man-made religion tends to stick to familiar, formulaic teaching, which limits curiosity and depth, or it invents doctrines for its own prideful purposes; constructs that serve the building of empires rather than the building of faith, doctrines that do not even appear in Scripture. By contrast, Scripture like Hebrews invites us to think bigger: if Christ made the aiōnas, what does that mean? It encourages holy curiosity and humility at the grandeur of God’s plan.

Religions also like clear definitions and controls – do this, don’t do that, here’s who’s in, who’s out. But the reality that Christ is Lord of all things introduces a lot of mystery and paradox. For example, He’s fully God yet fully man; not some George Washington type or other freemason trying to ascend through so-called “Luciferian knowledge.” He’s present in the church yet active in the world at large, His kingdom is here already yet still coming in fullness. Institutional religion sometimes downplays the mysterious and focuses on the manageable (rituals, liturgy, step-by-step salvation formula). As a result, both believers and skeptics might come to view God as a small deity confined to church life. Hebrews blows that up: Jesus is present in the furthest galaxy and the smallest atom, and every second of history is under His supervision. That level of transcendence and immanence together is hard to control – it means God can work outside our expectations and beyond our walls. But that is exactly what a living God would do.

Man-made religion also divides – different sects and denominations squabble, each claiming to represent Christ best. This fragmentation can make it seem like Christ is divided or just a tribal figure. The truth of Christ as heir of all things puts all human divisions to shame. If all things are His inheritance, that includes all peoples and nations, echoing Psalm 2. It reminds us that Christianity isn’t a parochial system for one group; it’s the truth of the universe’s rightful King. Non-believers who see only the divisions may miss the reality that Christ’s reign extends over them as well, acknowledged or not. And believers who imagine their denomination to be “the only way” risk forgetting that Christ’s flock is larger than their walls, that He has sheep beyond their fold, and that His plan spans far more than any single tradition could ever contain. But it is just as erroneous; and far more dangerous; to represent Him, as Rome so often claims, as merely one way among many, blending Christ into a spiritual melting pot of interfaith dialogue with Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, or any other system of man. Christ is not an ingredient in humanity’s religious stew, He is the Lord of heaven and earth, the Creator of the ages, the Alpha and the Omega. To reduce Him to a “partner in dialogue” with false gods is to betray Him.

Those who set themselves up as Christ’s representatives on earth should cease their schemes of indoctrinating children before they can even think for themselves, of bending fragile minds and consciences to their own agendas, and of manipulating souls as tools for control, wealth, or empire. Their duty, if they were honest, would be to point men back to God’s Word, not to build a competing magisterium over it. God’s Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword; it does not need papal decrees or religious councils to grant it authority. When man places himself above Scripture, he does not exalt Christ but dethrones Him in practice, offering instead a counterfeit kingdom dressed in religious garments

In essence, Hebrews calls us to lift our eyes higher. It presents a person – Jesus – whose significance explodes the categories of religion. It is telling both the devout and the skeptic: God has spoken in His Son, who owns everything and made everything. This concerns all reality, not just your religious life. If we truly grasp that, it breaks the limits off our faith. Worship becomes awestruck and all-encompassing, not a Sunday box. And for the honest seeker, it means the Christian claim isn’t just “join our club” but “meet the Lord of the cosmos.”

“In My Father’s House Are Many Mansions”: A Related Note on God’s Multitude of Dwelling Places

Before concluding, it is worth connecting Hebrews’ idea of multiple worlds/ages with Jesus’ own words about the many dwellings in God’s house. In John 14:2, Jesus comforted His disciples by saying: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” The word translated “mansions” in the King James Bible is μοναί (monai), which more literally means “dwelling places” or “rooms.” This doesn’t refer to literal mansions or religious palaces as we think (huge estates); when the King James Version was written, “mansion” simply meant an abode or place to stay. The Greek term comes from the verb μένω (to remain, abide). So Jesus is painting a picture of God’s house (household) having plenty of space.

Jesus’ primary point is to reassure the disciples (and us) that heaven – or God’s household – is not limited space. There is room for all who believe. As one commentary puts it, Christ’s meaning here is a reassurance that in the family of God there is room for all of them, more so than a promise of a fancy house. In other words, no one who comes to Christ will find a “No Vacancy” sign in heaven. This aligns with the idea of Christ being heir of all things – His inheritance isn’t a tiny select group, but a multitude from every nation. Many dwelling places suggest a vast hospitality in God’s heart. Man-made religion might impose limits (“only these people make it” or “only this kind of person is accepted”), but Jesus blows that up by emphasizing many places prepared.

Jesus says “I go to prepare a place for you.” This has often been heard devotionally as, “Jesus is customizing a spot in heaven for each of us.” While we shouldn’t get fanciful (like, He’s building your dream house in heaven), the personal nature is comforting. It implies an intentionality – you will have your own place in God’s eternal plan. It won’t be an anonymous existence; it’s a home with the Father and Son. Moreover, “many rooms” hints that the eternal state may have varied spheres or roles for people (just as in a large house, different rooms have different purposes). Everyone will be fulfilled and have a part to play in God’s ongoing story. This harmonizes with the idea of ages – God’s plan moves through ages and perhaps into the eternal ages, where our experiences may continue to unfold in His presence (though that goes beyond our full understanding). The main takeaway: Heaven (God’s new creation) is not a cramped, uniform experience; it’s a spacious, rich, multifaceted home.

The “Father’s house” can also be seen as a metaphor for the greater temple or household of God, which ultimately is God dwelling with His people. In Revelation 21–22, the culmination is the New Jerusalem coming down, and a loud voice says, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.” We see a city with gates never shut, where God and the Lamb are its light. That is the ultimate “Father’s house” with innumerable inhabitants. Jesus’ words in John 14 point toward that reality: He is preparing us a place in God’s very presence, so that “where I am, there you may be also.” The “many rooms” then could even be understood as resurrection bodies or roles in that city. At minimum it’s an image of abundance. It complements Hebrews 1:2’s cosmic scope: not only did Christ make the ages and worlds, He is also preparing the age to come and a place for each of His people in it. The same Lord of Creation is the Lord of our Salvation and destination.

Christ Beyond Religion: Free from Man’s Institutions

Hebrews 1:1–2 invites us to meet a Jesus Christ who is far greater than we often imagine. He is the Final Word of God, superior to all prophets. He is the Son of God, not a servant – and thus the heir who will receive everything that exists as His inheritance. In Him, the beginning and the end meet. He spans all of history like an Author spans the pages of a book.

For believers, this should greatly deepen our awe and confidence in Christ. No part of our lives lies outside His authority – He made the ages, so the twenty-first century with all its chaos is under His reign just as much as the first century was. And no corner of the universe is outside His ownership – whether it’s the furthest galaxy or the spiritual realm we cannot see, Jesus can rightfully say, “Mine.” Knowing this, how could we ever shrink Jesus down to a mere religion or a personal guru? Or worse, reduce Him to the spectacle of watching men in their pompous robes parade about, lording it over Christ’s church as though she belonged to them. He is Lord of all reality. Our faith, therefore, is not a private hobby or a cultural tradition; it’s allegiance to the King of the cosmos. That should embolden our witness and enrich our worship.

The tragedy is not that Christ failed us, but that humanity, given free will, severed its connection to Him. In chasing the ancient lie of Lucifer; that we could become gods by our own power; we placed ourselves under the curse of rebellion. And from that wound flows the corruption we see in history, not from Christ but from our estrangement from Him. Isn’t it time we sought to restore our individual relationship with the Creator Himself, rather than letting self-appointed “lords of religion” insert themselves between us and Him? Christ never asked for palaces, hierarchies, or middle-men to represent Him. He carries the authority of creation and redemption in His own hands; He does not need human proxies.