"Made Lower - but Only for a While"

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"Made Lower - but Only for a While"

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As mortal, material creatures, it would seem that we are in fact far below the power and glory of spirit beings in the heavenly realm. So instead of "a little lower," perhaps a better rendering is the translation of the quoting of David in Hebrews 2:7 in the ESV: "You made him for a little while lower than the angels."

This makes even more sense when we realize that in Hebrews 2 Jesus Christ is being shown as the representative human being inheriting what God has promised. Man as a whole has not yet been exalted to such a high position, "but we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor" (Hebrews 2:9, ESV). Just as Jesus is no longer lower than the angels, being resurrected into divine glory, so will other human beings destined to follow Him no longer be lower than the angels when they are resurrected in the future.

In fact, in the Hebrew of Psalm 8, the word translated "angels" or "heavenly beings" is elohim—a word typically translated as "God." The book of Hebrews uses the Greek word for angels instead—likely in following the common Greek translation of the Old Testament in existence at the time and also in making the case for Christ's superiority to the angels. The wording in Hebrews is not wrong, but is essentially a paraphrase that likely does not encompass all that was implied by David in Psalm 8. What David seems to have been saying is that man was made for a little while lower than God. This means that man would not always be lower than God—just as Jesus is not now lower than God, having returned to divine glory with the Father.

This is truly staggering if we grasp what this entails!

[ Read the article: The Mystery of Human Existence: Why Are You Here? ]

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Comments

  • United Church of God
    ...another in Genesis (Genesis 1:26; 11:6-7 for instance). Jesus Christ was God and is God, and through Him all things are created (John 1:1-3, 14). This was done as the Father willed. The cooperation between the Father and Son members of the God Family is complete. Christ never took credit for the Works or the Words given through Him. He always pointed to the Father. Yet Jesus Christ was and is God as well as the Father is God. The Pharisees told Jesus Christ He ought to die, because He made Himself a Son of God (John 19:7). Christ commented on this when He referred to what they should have already known from scripture (John 10:34 quoting Psalms 82:6) that they too are “theos” (New Testament); “elohim” (Old Testament).
  • United Church of God
    True the word is “angelos” and it refers to angels. Psalm 8:5 also refers to angels. Both man and Jesus Himself were made lower than the angels. Jesus was made lower for a “little while” (see next paragraph). He gives no aid to angels, but does give aid to the seed of Abraham (Hebrews 2:9, 16). Jesus Christ is no longer made of flesh and blood, but He was when He walked on earth. His brethren will (future) be like Him and see Him as He is (1 John 3:2); and no mortal man may look at the glorified Spirit appearance of God, or he will die (Exodus 33:20). The point you make about being made lower than the angels is expanded in later verses to show that condition is temporary (verse eight). All things (what is excluded from “all things”) are placed under man, but “not yet.” Concerning the God has a family vs. God is a Family question; God is the name of the Father and the Son (John 1:1-5, 14). So there are two Who share the Name of “God.” In fact God the Father has a Family and the name “God” signifies a Family as well; both are accurate. This “plurality of majesty” is an interesting assumption, not borne out by use of Elohim. The Beings in the God head are speaking to one ...
  • Mdanis
    Asserting that we are going at the same level than God is not accurate. Tom Robinson is saying that in Hebrew the word is Elohim, which could also means Angels, He says that the Hebrew Word Elohim being translated as angels doesn't encompass all that David implied. Nevertheless, The word used in the Greek in Hebr. 2:7 uses NOT the word GOD or Theos in Greek but rather uses Angelos, the word for angel. I think the Greek translator knew pretty well the correct signification of the word Elohim in Ps. 8:5. So, man wwre made lower than Angels and not than God. Also, the point is that we will be Sons of (THE) God, the Father 1 Cor. 8:6. Actually, is not a family, God HAS a Family. He is The Father(Creator)of this family. The word Elohim in Genesis carries not a pluriallity of beings, but rather a pluriallity of majesty. There is ONLY one God Being, and He is called The Almighty God and the Father. Jesus Still worships His GOD and Father and He will always do. Hebr.2:12-13. Sincerely, Michel Danis
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