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Dominion – An Inevitable Concept
“For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Hebrews 2:5-10.
Who is Psalm 8 talking about? Depends on when you read it. Before Christ, it’s talking about man, humanity, the Adamic creation, but after Christ, it’s clearly talking about Christ. But it couldn’t do away with the general reference to man, could it? No, it also refers to man in Christ, the new creation, the second Adam. Those who believe in Christ rule and reign with Him, who is above all rule and authority and to whom has been given the entire creation. Of course, the Hebrews 2 passage was always speaking of Christ, for He was the One to come, the King to whom all kings should bow, the Messiah to whom the Patriarchs and Prophets looked forward.
When did Christ become King of the universe? Never. He always was King of the universe. So why did He come to earth? To become man and become King of the universe and adopt the rest of us into His family – to rule and reign with Him, the second Adam, the new man. To lead us by example. So suffering does not indicate you are not the reigning King. Jesus suffered, was humiliated, died a horrifying death that no King should have to suffer. It was not the evidence He was not King; it lead to the resurrection, the evidence He is the King.
We are blessed if we suffer for His name’s sake. So how can suffering be an indication of something bad to happen, of the end of all of God’s world He created?
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Genesis 1:26-8. So if suffering leads to rule, and if Christ the King of the universe suffered before being given the highest kingship of all, why do we plan on Christ’s earth being ruled by the evil one at some time in the future? Why assume the worst, simply because we suffer?
If God intended man to take dominion, how can that plan and intention fail? How can Satan get what he wants – the thwarting of God’s plan for man to rule the earth? That is what those demand when they say that Christ’s rule must await His second coming, that Christ must return for Christ and His followers to experience victory and rule.