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Finally, the Watchtower Society understands Hebrews 1:10-12 according to the following sense. “Paul”, they say, “[was] inspired to express the truth…that Jesus had a pre-human existence, at which time he was Jehovah's honored agent by whom he ‘laid the foundations of the earth’” (Did Paul Misquote?, R448: pp.7-8, Zion’s Watch Tower, Vol. IV, Pittsburgh, PA, 1883, No. 7). The Society continues: “We quote Psalm 102:19-27, giv[ing the] proper sense” (Ibid.). Starting from Psalm 102:19, they quote as follows: (Ps 102:19) “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did Jehovah behold the earth.” (102:20): “To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death:” (102:21) “To declare the name of Jehovah in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem,” (102:22) “when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah” (Ibid.). Having quoted the words of the psalmist from verses 19-22, the Society continues to exegete the psalm as follows: “Now Jesus is represented as speaking at the time of crucifixion” (Ibid.). And thus they understand him to say: (102:23) “He weakened my strength in the way, He shortened my days. (102:24) “I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days” (Ibid.). That is to say, Jesus feared death, and he wanted to go on living in the world. But the Witnesses explain that Jehovah comforted Jesus during his trial of suffering by reminding him that he was present with Jehovah at the creation of the world, and by reassuring him that he would live on forever after he was raised from the dead. Thus they explain: “Hear Jehovah's answer to that heart prayer.” (102:24) “Thy years are throughout all generations.” (102:25) “Of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands;” (102:26) “they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment: As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed;” (102:27) “but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Ibid.). The Watchtower Society teaches, therefore, that the psalm presents us with a dialogue between Jehovah and his Son at the hour of the Son’s suffering departure from the world, and that Paul records Jehovah’s comforting and reassuring words to his suffering Son as he accomplishes his ransom sacrifice on behalf of sinful humanity. It would appear, then, that the Witnesses view Psalm 102:25-27 as a Messianic psalm relating to Christ as suffering servant, and that Paul himself understands it in this sense in Hebrews 1:10-12.

Finally, the Watchtower Society understands Hebrews 1:10-12 according to the following sense. “Paul”, they say, “[was] inspired to express the truth…that Jesus had a pre-human existence, at which time he was Jehovah's honored agent by whom he ‘laid the foundations of the earth’” (Did Paul Misquote?, R448: pp.7-8, Zion’s Watch Tower, Vol. IV, Pittsburgh, PA, 1883, No. 7). The Society forthrightly assumes that the text of Psalm 102:19-27 transitions from the standpoint of the psalmist in verses 19-22 to that of the Son in verses 23-24a, and from that of the Son to that of Jehovah in verses 24b-27, as they give their readers to understand: “We quote Psalm 102:19-27, giv[ing the] proper sense” (Ibid.). Starting from Psalm 102:19, they quote as follows:   (Ps 102:19) “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did Jehovah behold the earth.” (102:20): “To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death:”   (102:21) “To declare the name of Jehovah in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem,” (102:22) “when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah” (Ibid.). Having quoted the words of the psalmist from verses 19-22, the Society continues to exegete the psalm as follows: “Now Jesus is represented as speaking at the time of crucifixion” (Ibid.). And thus they understand him to say:   (102:23) “He weakened my strength in the way, He shortened my days. (102:24a) “I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days” (Ibid.). That is to say, Jesus feared death, and he wanted to go on living in the world. But the Witnesses explain that Jehovah comforted Jesus during his trial of suffering by reminding him that he was present with Jehovah at the creation of the world, and by reassuring him that he would live on forever after he was raised from the dead. Thus they explain: “Hear Jehovah's answer to that heart prayer.”   (102:24b) “Thy years are throughout all generations.” (102:25) “Of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands;” (102:26) “they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment: As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed;” (102:27) “but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Ibid.). The Society teaches, therefore, that the psalm presents us with a dialogue between Jehovah and his Son at the hour of the Son’s suffering departure from the world, and that Paul records Jehovah’s comforting and reassuring words to his suffering Son as he accomplishes his ransom sacrifice on behalf of sinful humanity. It would seem, then, that the Witnesses view Psalm 102:25-27 as a Messianic psalm relating to Christ as suffering servant, and that Paul himself understands it in this sense in Hebrews 1:10-12. It appears that this interpretation of Psalm 102:19-27 – Hebrews 1:10-12 has not been revised or updated by the Watchtower Society, so it seems to stand as the official teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses with regard to these scriptures.

The Watchtower Society understands Hebrews 1:4-13 as distinguishing Jehovah’s only begotten Son Michael the arch-angel (i.e. the pre-existent Jesus) from the rest of the angelic creation, for they say that “Jesus is Jehovah’s most precious Son…for he was God’s first creation. (Colossians 1:15)…He is the ‘only-begotten Son’ (John 3:16)…the only one directly created by God” (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, Ch. 4, 11). They say, furthermore, that “Michael [is] ‘the archangel’”, and that the word arch-angel “means ‘chief angel’” (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, Appendix XI), and they affirm, moreover, that “there is only one such angel” (Ibid.). The Witnesses believe, based upon these considerations, that when Paul says “to which one of the angels did God ever say: ‘you are my son; today I have become your father’?” (Heb 1:5, NWT), he does not think that Michael the ‘chief angel’ is ‘one of the angels’, that is to say, is one of the members of that celestial grouping, concerning which Jehovah has never said: ‘you are my son’. The same principle holds true with respect to all of the Messianic passages to which Paul makes reference in Hebrews 1:5-13.

The Watchtower Society understands Hebrews 1:4-13 as distinguishing Jehovah’s only begotten Son Michael the arch-angel (i.e. the pre-existent Jesus) from the rest of the angelic creation, for they say that “Jesus is Jehovah’s most precious Son…for he was God’s first creation. (Colossians 1:15)…He is the ‘only-begotten Son’ (John 3:16)…the only one directly created by God” (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, Ch. 4, 11). They say, furthermore, that “Michael [is] ‘the archangel’”, and that the word arch-angel “means ‘chief angel’” (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, Appendix XI), and they affirm, moreover, that “there is only one such angel” (Ibid.). The Witnesses believe, based upon these considerations, that when Paul says “to which one of the angels did God ever say: ‘you are my son; today I have become your father’?” (Heb 1:5, NWT), he does not believe that Michael the ‘chief angel’ is ‘one of the angels’, that is to say, is one of the members of that celestial grouping, concerning which Jehovah has never said: ‘you are my son’. The same principle holds true with respect to all of the Messianic passages to which Paul makes reference in Hebrews 1:5-13.

Finally, the Watchtower Society understands Hebrews 1:10-12 according to the following sense. “Paul”, they say, “[was] inspired to express the truth…that Jesus had a pre-human existence, at which time he was Jehovah's honored agent by whom he ‘laid the foundations of the earth’” (Did Paul Misquote?, R448: pp.7-8, Zion’s Watch Tower, Vol. IV, Pittsburgh, PA, 1883, No. 7). The Society continues: “We quote Psalm 102:19-27, giv[ing the] proper sense” (Ibid.). Starting from Psalm 102:19, they quote as follows: (Ps 102:19) “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did Jehovah behold the earth.” (102:20): “To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death:” (102:21) “To declare the name of Jehovah in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem,” (102:22) “when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah” (Ibid.). Having quoted the words of the psalmist from verses 19-22, the Society continues to exegete the psalm as follows: “Now Jesus is represented as speaking at the time of crucifixion” (Ibid.). And thus they understand him to say: (102:23) “He weakened my strength in the way, He shortened my days. (102:24) “I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days” (Ibid.). That is to say, Jesus feared death, and he wanted to go on living in the world. But the Witnesses explain that Jehovah comforted Jesus during his trial of suffering by reminding him that he was present with Jehovah at the creation of the world, and by reassuring him that he would live on forever after he was raised from the dead. Thus they explain: “Hear Jehovah's answer to that heart prayer.” (102:24) “Thy years are throughout all generations.” (102:25) “Of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands;” (102:26) “they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment: As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed;” (102:27) “but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Ibid.). The Watchtower Society teaches, therefore, that the psalm presents us with a dialogue between Jehovah and his Son at the hour of the Son’s suffering departure from the world, and that Paul records Jehovah’s comforting and reassuring words to his suffering Son as he accomplishes his ransom sacrifice on behalf of sinful humanity. It would appear, then, that the Witnesses view Psalm 102:25-27 as a Messianic psalm relating to Christ as suffering servant.

Finally, the Watchtower Society understands Hebrews 1:10-12 according to the following sense. “Paul”, they say, “[was] inspired to express the truth…that Jesus had a pre-human existence, at which time he was Jehovah's honored agent by whom he ‘laid the foundations of the earth’” (Did Paul Misquote?, R448: pp.7-8, Zion’s Watch Tower, Vol. IV, Pittsburgh, PA, 1883, No. 7). The Society continues: “We quote Psalm 102:19-27, giv[ing the] proper sense” (Ibid.). Starting from Psalm 102:19, they quote as follows: (Ps 102:19) “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did Jehovah behold the earth.” (102:20): “To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death:” (102:21) “To declare the name of Jehovah in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem,” (102:22) “when the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah” (Ibid.). Having quoted the words of the psalmist from verses 19-22, the Society continues to exegete the psalm as follows: “Now Jesus is represented as speaking at the time of crucifixion” (Ibid.). And thus they understand him to say: (102:23) “He weakened my strength in the way, He shortened my days. (102:24) “I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days” (Ibid.). That is to say, Jesus feared death, and he wanted to go on living in the world. But the Witnesses explain that Jehovah comforted Jesus during his trial of suffering by reminding him that he was present with Jehovah at the creation of the world, and by reassuring him that he would live on forever after he was raised from the dead. Thus they explain: “Hear Jehovah's answer to that heart prayer.” (102:24) “Thy years are throughout all generations.” (102:25) “Of old thou hast laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands;” (102:26) “they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment: As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed;” (102:27) “but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Ibid.). The Watchtower Society teaches, therefore, that the psalm presents us with a dialogue between Jehovah and his Son at the hour of the Son’s suffering departure from the world, and that Paul records Jehovah’s comforting and reassuring words to his suffering Son as he accomplishes his ransom sacrifice on behalf of sinful humanity. It would appear, then, that the Witnesses view Psalm 102:25-27 as a Messianic psalm relating to Christ as suffering servant, and that Paul himself understands it in this sense in Hebrews 1:10-12.