Revelation is one of those amazing things that takes you from concepts to realities. Often you “know about” something but it takes revelation to make it part of your understanding. It is like reading a book about something and then doing it. After trying what you have just “learned” you may not be able to write your own book but you definitely have some new opinions about what you read. A good example is recipes and cooking. You may understand the directions on how to make a cake from a recipe but you don’t “know” how to make a cake until you try it, maybe more than once (ha ha). That is why I love it so much when God shows us something. No baking required.
Read this Psalm and think about what it means to you, what is it saying?
Psalm 8 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! (KJV)
I believe this Psalm is about you and me. God intended for mankind (enowsh) as the descendants of Adam to have dominion over all the Earth. It even says it plainly here:
Gen 1:26 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. (KJV)
Now if you take a look at Hebrews ch 2:6-8a you find the same Psalm referenced. Then the Holy Spirit through the author of Hebrews says this:
Heb 2:8 You ·put all things under their control[ subjected everything under his feet; Ps. 8:4–6].” [For] When God ·put everything under their control [ subjected everything to him], there was nothing left ·that they did not rule[uncontrolled; not subjected]. Still, [ now; at the present time] we do not yet see ·them[or him; referring to humanity] ruling over everything. (EXB)
So would you agree that the plan was to have dominion over the Earth and all the living things on the Earth? Now take a look at two other places where the Holy Spirit ties this Psalm in with finished work of Jesus, 1 Cor 15 and Eph 1. Check it out. Paul is talking about the power of Christ resurrected in both passages. Let’s take a close look at Ephesians.
Eph 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (ESV)
And now one more look at the rest of Heb ch 2:
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who for a short time was made lower than the angels. This was so that, by God’s grace, he could ·die [ taste death] for everyone. And now, because he suffered and died, he is ·wearing a crown of [crowned with] glory and honor.[Jesus fulfills humanity’s destiny: to be crowned with glory and honor; Ps. 8 (cited above).] (EXB)
And it gets even better:
Heb 2:11 [For indeed] ·Jesus,[ the one] who makes people holy, and those who are made holy ·are from the same family[or have the same Father; or have one origin; are all from one]. ·So [For this reason] he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. (EXB)
And one more:
Heb 2:14 [Therefore] Since these children ·are people with physical bodies [have in common their flesh and blood], Jesus himself ·became like them[shared their humanity; likewise shared the same things]. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil—(EXB)
OK, lots of scripture but I don’t want to be accused of making stuff up. Here is the revelation for me.
We were intended to have dominion over the planet. I have “known” that before. Then I see Jesus seated in Heavenly places and has the crown of glory, He is the king now. I also “knew” that. The part that blows me away is the reference to Psalms 8 that ties it all together. God makes a declaration about mankind, specifically us personally, the sons of man. Jesus often referred to Himself as the son of man. As a human he surrendered Himself completely. He was humbled to the point of death. This was His “suffering” to deny Himself, His selfish human side, in all cases to be completely filled with the Holy Spirit and completely in the will of God. That sacrifice is what set Him apart. His sinless life is a product of that surrender. All that He did as a man is an example of what is available to us as a human filled with the Holy Spirit, in the will of God. I have heard often teaching about our authority, Jesus’ commission for us to do the things that He did. I get it. But this relationship between a promise, declaration, praise of Psalm 8 and the finished work of Jesus really makes it real for me. Jesus is the example and the reason. He makes it possible and He showed us the way. He is the promise and the fulfillment. He is the hope and the realization. All of that and even more. And still WE ARE IN HIM! We are seated in Heavenly places IN HIM. He is in us and WE ARE IN HIM. Can you see it? The promises God made to us to have dominion over the planet are fulfilled and elevated to the spiritual realms in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t include just the planet but as His brothers and sisters, as His body the church, as His royal priesthood, as His Kings and Priests, we are positioned to have dominion over the Earth, the rulers and authorities of the air, the principalities, stuff under our feet…the enemy has no chance.
I think the key verses in all of this is Eph 1:19-20. Take one more look.
Eph 1:19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who BELIEVE, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, 20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], (AMP)
Do we believe? I don’t mean “do you get it while we sit on the sidelines and wait for Jesus to come back?” I mean do you understand? Have you seen the cake rise in the oven? Have you seen clearly the revelation of Christ in you the hope of glory? Have you seen the transformation from glory to glory? Have you been renewed in your mind to think and have the mind of Christ? Come on! This has to be the most exciting thing for any human to “learn.” We are more than conquerors. We are kingly priests. We are His children. Jesus is my brother.
I really do love my Papa in Heaven. He thought of everything. Why would I ever worry again? Why would I ever be afraid again? Why would I ever settle for anything less than His Kingdom come, His will be done, ever? The best part is He is with me and in me and has positioned me to take it all back from the enemy. I will gladly offer up the sole of my shoe to that bunch.
Yay God!
Lance
alancetotheheart 