Am – The Proof of Messiah’s Sovereignty 2: 5-9

The Proof of Messiah’s Sovereignty
2: 5-9

The proof of Messiah’s sovereignty DIG: To whom did God subject the world? Why isn’t that rule complete, or universal right now? Who rules instead? In comparing people and angels, how are we both lower and higher? What is the ultimate destiny of humanity? What does the phrase the world to come refer to? How can the Kingdom be both present and future? In what respect was Yeshua made lower than the angels? What elevated Him above them? What does Christ share in common with humanity? How is He unique?

REFLECT: In what ways is being a human better than being an angel? In what ways do you think being an angel would be better than being a human? In God’s infinite wisdom, He surely could have chosen a different way to redeem us. Why do you think He chose becoming a man and dying as a sacrifice?

After his urgent appeal 2:1-4 for mankind not to neglect salvation, the writer briefly returns to his discussion of angels – as an introduction to his teaching about our destiny. First, he presents another remarkable truth about the angels’ rank or position in relation to Messiah, “For it was not through angels that God subjected the world to come, which is what we are talking about.” ADONAI alone will be Sovereign in the world to come, another indication of His superiority to angels. If angels are next below YHVH, and Yeshua is superior to angels . . . then Jesus is obviously God.

In addition to continuing the argument about the superiority of Christ above angels, this passage deals with the destiny of mankind. We are totally lost. In losing our right relationship with God, we also lost the meaning of our existence. These verses teach us what our destiny is, how and why it was lost, and how it can be recovered in the exalted Savior.⁵²

Our destiny revealed by ADONAI: For it was not through angels that God subjected the world to come (Hebrew: the ‘olam haba), which is what we are talking about (2:5 CJB). The word subjected is the translation of the Greek word hupotasso, a military term used of arranging soldiers in order under the commanding general. The word speaks of an economy, a system of administration. By saying the ‘olam haba, the author uses the most common rabbinic term for the Messianic Kingdom. In other words, angels will not rule the Messianic Kingdom; YHVH did not give the authority of the earth to an angel, any angel, either in the present or in the future.⁵³

But there once was an angel who was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, the wisest, most beautiful creature of all created beings. With his associated angels he administered the affairs of heaven. He was the anointed cherub, the guardian of holiness of God. But he struck at God’s throne, and forfeited his lofty position and was thrown to the earth and banished. A third of the angels followed him (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Go – A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre). That angel was Lucifer. He is now the devil.⁵⁴

But there is a place where someone has testified. The writer’s saying a place somewhere does not mean that he is ignorant of Scripture, but assumed that the readers knew who the author was. Throughout Hebrews, however, no human author is named. The writer is so concerned that his Jewish audience understands who really wrote the TaNaKh, that he gives credit it to no one but to ADONAI. It is the voice of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh that concerns him; the human author is incidental.

David, the author of Psalm 8, was amazed that YHVH would share His power and glory with created humans. “What is mere mankind, that You concern Yourself with him? Or the son of man [mankind] that You watch over Him with such care (2:6 CJB)? Ezeki’el was called son on man, only indicating that he was a human being, part of mankind.

Although Ha’Shem made mankind a little lower than the angels (and therefore inferior to them), He gave the authority over the earth to Adam, a privilege not given to angels. The author says, “You crowned him with glory and honor, You put everything in subjection under his feet.” In subjecting everything to Adam, God left nothing that was not subject to him (Hebrews 2:7-8a CJB quoting Psalm 8:5-6). Such was the lordship that mankind was given over all the creation. No doubt David and writer of Hebrews were thinking of Genesis 1:26-31. The LORD’s original plan for mankind was that we would be crowned king of nature, and given authority over the physical world.

But Adam lost his right to rule when he sinned. He lost his kingdom, no long master of himself. He had become a fallen creature with a totally deprived nature. Now He was a slave to sin. Now the animal kingdom was subservient to him only by fear, not affection. Now, instead of a life of leisure in the Garden, the ground would only yield its bounty by the sweat of his brow (see the commentary on Genesis Bg – Cursed is the Ground Because of You, Through Painful Toil You Will Eat of It).⁵⁵ Satan usurped the authority over the earth, and presently fallen angels are ruling it: the Adversary, the ruler of this world (John 14:30), and his demons. They rule not because Ha’Shem gave it to them, but because they took the authority from mankind when Adam fell (Romans 5:12).⁵⁶

Our destiny restricted by sin: We have a serious problem here, for it’s obvious that mankind today is not exercising authority over the physical world. In fact, we have a hard time controlling ourselves!⁵⁷ If we begin making a list of those things in this world not under our control, it quickly becomes evident that we control very little. Mankind is at the mercy of weather; our food supply is greatly influenced by forces outside of our control. We see people starving, bleeding, crying and suffering all over the world. Hurricanes, droughts, tornadoes and floods beat against us with unmastered fury. No wonder creation groans (Romans 8:22). We may enjoy some degree of influence over nature and the animal kingdom, but we do not rule them.⁵⁸ Consequently, at present time, we don’t see everything subjected to mankind – at least not yet (2:8b CJB). While God gave the authority over this earth to us, we have never had the opportunity to practice it because of the Fall. Mankind lost it when we fell in the Garden of Eden, and because of our inherited sin, we do not have the power to regain it. But it will be fulfilled in the Kingdom through the Ideal Man, the Messiah.⁵⁹

Our destiny recovered by Messiah: But now, in the midst of this dark picture of mankind’s lost kingdom, the Ruach ha-Kodesh calls our attention to a bright beam of light that pierces the darkness. God’s original goal for the first Adam will be fulfilled by the Last Adam – Jesus Christ (First Corinthians 15:45-49). Up to this point, Jesus’ name has not been mentioned to His Jewish audience. He was well aware of the fact that they were suffering persecution and were struggling with their faith. The controversy centered on the claims of Jesus of Nazareth as being the long awaited Messiah. At one time most of them had acknowledged Him as such. But now many were having second thoughts. The writer, up to this point, has spoken of the Son as superior to the prophets and angels. Now he suddenly says that the Son is the Yehoshua of the TaNaKh and the Yeshua of the New Covenant.

The vision of Jesus that the writer wished to bring to his readers was that of the Son incarnate, glorified, crowned with glory and honor, and seated at the right hand of God. It is this position of honor that the saved human race will share with Him in His future messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom).⁶⁰ It was if the Spirit of God was saying to those persecuted believers, “Keep your eyes focused on Messiah and your ultimate destiny. Don’t turn your back on the light of Jesus Christ, persevere in your faith and be blessed.”

But we do see Yeshua – who indeed was made for a little while lower than the angels – now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by God’s grace He might taste death for all humanity (2:9 CJB). This would have been the encouragement those persecuted messianic Jews would need to persevere through the hardships they were facing. They needed to get their eyes off their circumstances, focus on their new position in Christ, and their new destiny.

God made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21), and therefore we are reconciled to our Maker. The Messiah, the Ideal Representative Man, has won back His sovereignty for mankind because He defeated the Adversary at the cross. He will eventually exercise this sovereignty in the Messianic Kingdom. This was never promised to angels. This proves that Jesus is superior to angels. He will rule, they will not.⁶¹

Christ tasted death for all humanity. He did it to recover our lost destiny. If you have been groping around, trying to figure out why you exist, I hope you know the reason now. There is no reason for us to be slaves. There is no reason for us to be spiritual paupers. There is only reason for us to be kings and queens in the Kingdom of God.

People still ask today, “What is mankind?” The idolater and the animist (those who believe that plants and other inanimate objects have a soul) says, “Mankind is inferior to birds and animals, even to creeping things, stones and sticks.” And they bow down and worship the snake. The atheist says, “Mankind is obviously higher than any of the animals, but we are still only a product of chance, the result of evolutionary natural selection.” Most people believe such ideas or ones equally as foolish. But ADONAI says, “Mankind was created to rule the earth. Only for a little while have we been made a little lower than the angels.” Someday He will sit on His throne in the Temple in Yerushalayim (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in Messiah’s Coming Temple), and we will rule with Him for a thousand years (see the commentary on Revelation Ff – Blessed and Holy are those Who Have Part in the First Resurrection).⁶²

Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see You in all Your splendor. You are the head of mankind, and yet You call me to participate in Your glory. Help me always to look to You ad to set my mind on the victory You have won for me.⁶³