NOT YET. Hebrews 2:8. Something terrible happened – mankind was cursed and crushed by the sin of one man. When God created man, he was powerful in his body, strong in his mind, honorable in his faculties, great in his capabilities, honored in his stewardship, and immortal in his soul. When Adam chose to do what he knew was forbidden, everything about him was changed.
Sin took his place of dominion and rule on earth from him. Animals resisted him; the fruit of the ground was mixed with thorns and thistles, and some plant life was able to poison him. Instead of being ruler over a perfect creation, he became a slave to sin, with death and hell awaiting him. Fellowship with God was lost, his power was gone, and peace of mind, soul, and body became elusive – he was a rebel doomed to death.
The consequence of that sinful choice has had a negative impact on people from then until now. Idolaters believe humans are inferior to birds, animals, and crawling creatures; they bow before them. Materialists believe humans are a chance result of natural forces that have evolved them, so they might eventually evolve into strange creatures. Originally, man, as God created him, was given a position of authority. Today, mankind seems so small compared to the greatness around us —life is like a fleeting breath, and we are like tiny bugs in a forest. Our character is stained with sin, and we appear to defile every scene with discord [Ps. 144:3; Job 7:17-20; Ps. 8:4; Heb. 2:6].
Yet, God is still mindful of us. Our God constantly thinks about us because of His love and interest. There is no place so lonely that He does not come near to visit. God created man in His image [Gen.1:27], with divine likeness, mentally and morally made to share with God. God intended for us to share with Him and “have dominion,” like a king crowned with glory and honor.
Because of sin, man’s crown is in the dust; his honor is stained; the provision of creation is only obtained through hard labor. Man has become degraded and has lowered himself to considering himself no more than a beast, a tree, or an insect. The slavery of sin has bowed man’s head and lowered his neck to the yoke of slaves and fearful creatures.
Man, as Christ made him, has a glorious destiny. This is an earned glory because of the Lord Jesus’ humanity, not His innate glory as deity [1:3]. Jesus is higher than angels because by becoming a human, dying, rising from the dead, and ascending to heaven, He has provided this great salvation and made it available to everyone. This interpretation of Psalm 8 shows our Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler over all created beings. By coming into the world, He brought a new message and a new revelation that surpasses what the angels had previously delivered. In “the world to come” (The Coming Kingdom), those who know Him will inherit the full blessings of His great salvation.
The destiny of mankind was glorious when we were created in the image of God, but because of that bad and fatal choice, we lost it. However, God was not done with humanity. The Son of God entered into humanity and accepted human limitations. Then He chose to enter into the suffering of death. For a little while, He was made lower than angels by the will of His Father and His own will. He subjected Himself to all that sin had brought upon mankind, without ever sinning, being tempted to sin, or being able to sin because of His sinless perfection. There was nothing in His character to which sin had any appeal.
Yet, “He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled man’s destiny in Himself as the Son of Man, and as the Son of God, He fulfilled it for us also. He has restored the certainty that God's plan for humanity will be achieved. His humanity shows what we can become, and His deity assures us that we will be what God intended when He created man in His own image.