King David was a visionary.  He saw THE vision, lived it, fell from it, paid dearly for doing so, repented and lived the rest of his life with it fixed in his heart.  In the previous posting I repeated part of his Psalm 8 prayer to God in which he asked why He was so good to man, going so far as to remind Him of what He had promised those who would believe and obey Him.  Let us pick up where we left off last time in Hebrews chapter 2.

Verse 8:  Here the Apostle Paul is quoting King David as he speaks concerning his (David’s) vision of the future, a time when man will be in control of “the works of Your (Jesus’) hands,” meaning the entire universe (vs 7).  As you approach the following narrative recall that FAITH IS EVIDENCE (proof) OF THINGS NOT SEEN.  “You HAVE (by faith) put ALL THINGS (that exist) in subjection under his (man’s) feet”–under man’s control.  In the eyes of the Lord, what He promises to do is already done.  This is God-level faith.  Those having this level of faith view His promises in the same light–THEY ALREADY POSSESS THEM.  To His true saints, His promises are fact.  This is brought out in Mark 11:24 where Jesus is addressing the disciples after performing an incredible miracle: “… Whatever you desire, when you pray, believe that you have (already) received them (are fact), and you will have them.”  In verse 8 Paul stops quoting David.  “For in that He (God) put ALL THINGS in subjection under his (man’s) feet, He (God) left NOTHING that is not subjected unto him (man).”  There will come a time when EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE WILL BE UNDER THE DOMINION/CONTROL OF GOD’S PEOPLE.  Men and women who have lived holy lives following conversion will be caretakers of not only the earth, but the sun, moon, planets and stars.  Recall that at the creation of man God “crowned him (man–Adam and his descendants) with glory and honor” at that time.  This is the same Adam and his descendants whom both David and Paul proclaimed that God had “set over (all) the works of Your (God’s) hands.”  Now we can only envision this incredible promise concerning man’s rulership of the entirety of creation.  But did not God crown Adam with glory and honor and give him dominion over something at the time of his creation?

Question: Over what did Adam and his descendants then and now have dominion?  What I am about to tell you is written in red letters in your Bible, meaning that THEY ARE THE WORDS OF ALMIGHTY GOD.  To the church these Words, when applied to mankind then and now, are heretical, which would make me a heretic for believing and proclaiming them.  But if I am a heretic, then God is a heretic, BECAUSE THEY ARE HIS WORDS.

After creating the earth in the distant past, removing its water covering, creating light, day, night, heaven, land, seas, vegetation, heavenly bodies, water creatures, earthly creatures and birds, the two Gods (Heb.–Elohim) then created man in Their own (physical) image and in Their own (potential) spiritual likeness (Gen. 1).  Now notice what God said about man in verses 26 and 28: “… LET HIM HAVE DOMINION OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA, AND OVER THE FOWLS OF THE AIR, AND OVER THE CATTLE, AND OVER ALL THE EARTH, AND OVER EVERY CREEPING (MOVING) THING THAT CREEPS UPON THE EARTH.  Notice that God gave Adam total power over everything that moved on, under and above the earth, as well as everything that moved in the water–every moving creature AT THE TIME OF HIS CREATION.  Notice that He made that statement TWICE.  That God repeated Himself is very significant.  Recall in Genesis 41 that the Lord had given the Egyptian pharaoh two dreams (vss 1-7), and that he had called on Joseph to interpret them.  Joseph told him that the reason God had sent pharaoh two dreams was that when God says the same thing TWICE it means that what the thing was set, unchangeable and certain.  In Isaiah 28:9-13 God told us TWICE how we must diligently and continually study His Word in order to learn it.  He meant what He said.  Only His Very Elect follow that command.  Question: to whom did Elohim give DOMINION OVER EVERYTHING THAT FLIES, WALKS OR SWIMS?  Answer: MAN.  For what era of man’s existence did God give him total dominion over those earthly entities?  FROM CREATION TO THE END OF THIS AGE.  Now notice something else He placed under man’s dominion–ALL VEGETATION.  God told Adam (and his descendants) to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth (with people) … and to have DOMINION “OVER ALL THE EARTH” (vs 26), meaning the earth itself.  In verse 28 He told Adam and his descendants to “subdue” the earth.   “Subdue” means to bring under one’s control.  Note it: GOD GAVE MAN TOTAL DOMINION (CONTROL) OVER THE EARTH, EVERYTHING IT PRODUCES AND EVERY LIVING THING THAT IS IN ANY WAY CONNECTED TO IT.  Everything the earth produces is placed under man’s control.  All of nature’s natural resources were created to be controlled and used by man.  Question: Did Adam’s fall negate this Truth for his descendants?  God tells us.

Because of man’s sins the Lord destroyed almost everyone and everything on earth in the Great Flood of Genesis 7:1-9:29.  Following Noah’s flood he and his family became the parents of everyone who have lived on earth since then.  In Genesis 9:1,2 God told Noah, and thereby very human being that would live afterward–that: “The FEAR OF YOU (mankind), and the DREAD OF YOU will be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon ALL THAT MOVES UPON THE EARTH AND UPON ALL THE FISHES OF THE SEA.  UNTO YOUR (MANKIND’S) HAND THEY HAVE BEEN DELIVERED.   Note it: GOD HAS NOW SAID THREE TIMES THAT MAN HAS DOMINION OVER EVERY LIVING THING ON THE EARTH, UNDER THE EARTH, IN THE WATER AND IN THE AIR.   If His saying the same thing two times establishes it; what does His saying the same thing THREE TIMES mean?  I say it means exactly what He said: GOD GAVE MAN TOTAL CONTROL OF THE EARTH, TO SUBDUE IT AND EVERYTHING ON IT, UNDER IT AND ABOVE IT.  Is there any Biblical proof that this Law continued to be in effect following Noah’s generation?  God answers.  But does man believe God’s Words?

Because he ignored the Apostle Paul’s warning, the Roman soldier guarding him set sail for Rome.  A storm arose, causing all aboard the ship to be stranded on the Island of Melita.  While building a fire, a deadly snake bit Paul on the hand.  He simply shook it off into the fire.  While the natives waited for him to die, Paul went about building the fire.  HE KNEW HE HAD DOMINION OVER THE SNAKE.  When Jesus saw a tree that did not have fruit on it, He cursed the tree and it died immediately.  JESUS, A MAN LIKE ALL OTHER MEN, KNEW THAT HE HAD DOMINION OVER VEGETATION.  When Ahab confronted Elijah, the prophet told him that it would rain only when he (Elijah) allowed it to rain.  The entire earth had no rain for 3 1/2 years.  ELIJAH KNEW THAT HE HAD DOMINION OVER THE WEATHER.  When Jesus and the disciples needed money to pay their taxes, Jesus caused a fish to eat a coin.  HE KNEW HE HAD DOMINION OVER THE FISH IN THE SEA and the coin.  When a storm came up on the Sea of Galilee Jesus calmed it with His Words.  Paul, writing the the church in Corinth, stated that he had delivered a church sinner into the hand of Satan who would kill him.  Early one morning I was taking out my trash when three pit bulls came running at me in full attack mode.  I stood my ground and they suddenly stopped about 20 feet away from me.  I KNEW I HAD DOMINION OVER THEM BECAUSE OF GOD’S POWER IN ME.  One time in the past the place where my wife and I were visiting was in the midst of a prolonged drought.  A storm came up in the west and a strong wind was blowing it in our direction.  Suddenly, the wind changed and took the storm around us, then changed again and was blowing it away from us, going in the original direction.  I prayed that God would send another storm.  Then He spoke to me, saying: “Look at the trees.”  I looked up and the tops of the tall trees surrounding us were bent toward the west.  Within five minutes the storm was upon us, drenching the landscape.  My faithful Lord had reversed the storm.  Whether by prayer or command, even the weather is subject to God’s saints.  Recall that after stilling the storm on the Sea of Galilee HE CHASTISED THE DISCIPLES FOR NOT DOING IT THEMSELVES (Mat. 8:24-26).  In John 14:12 He promised His Very Elect: “Verily, verily (with certainty) I say unto you, he that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go to the Father.”  L.J.