Friday, February 15, 2008

THE END OF ANGELIC RULE

Read Psalm 8:1-9

ANGELIC RULE IS ABOUT TO BE ENDED

The originally established angelic rule over the earth has continued uninterrupted since the beginning, preceding man’s existence on the earth. However, with the creation of Adam, God announced that a change was in the offing. Man, an entirely new creation, made after the image and likeness of God, was brought into existence to take the governmental reins of the earth (Gen. 1:26-28). But the first man (the first Adam), through sin, was disqualified, necessitating the appearance of the Second Man (the Last Adam) to effect redemption and the ultimate realization for man’s creation.

The price has been paid, but redemption includes far more than that which presently exists. Redemption includes the complete man (body, soul, and spirit), it includes the earth (presently under curse), and the goal of redemption will be realized only when man has been brought into position for which he was created (ruling over a restored earth).

Scripture clearly attests to the fact that the “world [‘inhabited world’] to come” will not be placed “in subjection” to angels (Heb. 2:5). Man is the one to whom power and authority will be delegated.

This is clearly seen through the actions of the twenty-four elders in Rev. 4:10, removing themselves from their thrones (v.4) and casting their crowns before God’s throne. Their activity can only be with a view to the fact that the government of the earth, at this point in the sequence of events depicted in the book, is about to change hands.

The twenty-four elders can only be a representative group of heavenly beings (angels) who, up to this time, had held positions within sphere of governmental power and authority relative to the earth. Note the entomology of the word “elder”.

NT:4245 presbuteros (pres-boo'-ter-os); comparative of presbus (elderly); older; as noun, a senior; specifically, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter":
KJV - elder (-est), old.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

At this point in the book, through the action of these elders, the way will be opened for God to transfer the government of the earth from the hands of angels to the hands of faithful man.

For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak
Heb. 2:5.

We shall wear the crown

No comments: