Are human beings more important than angels?
Before we attempt an answer, it is vital to see that everyone God has created is important. In Isaiah 43:7 we read, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have CREATED FOR MY GLORY” (NKJV). Though this refers primarily to Israel it is surely true of everyone God has created. God’s purpose for everyone He has created is to GLORIFY HIM, and thus all men and angels are important to Him.
We know that angels were created first, for we read in Job 38:4 & 7, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” The “sons of God” are angels who witnessed God’s power when He spoke the worlds into existence. We aren’t exactly sure WHEN He created them, but they were present when God created “the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). We might assume that since God created them FIRST, that they are more important than human beings but listen to what we learn when God created MAN. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping things that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26). We never read that God created angels “in Their image, according to Their likeness,” or that they were given dominion over the earth. So, in this respect “human beings are more important than angels.” We also learn what the Son of God thought of men during the creation process: “Then I (God the Son) was beside Him (God the Father) as master craftsman, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and MY DELIGHT WAS WITH THE SONS OF MEN.” (Proverbs 8:30). Though God had created angels, the Son’s affections were drawn especially to men; that is, to human beings!
Then men sinned! We have the awful account of man’s fall in Genesis 3:1-6 which led to their rebellion against God. Did this cause God to deem men less important? No way! In fact, He had foreseen Adam’s sin and had provided a Savior in His Son and sent Him to the cross to take man’s place in death and judgment, which made it possible for men to regain dominion over the earth. These wonderful truths are brought before us in Hebrews 2:5-11, which I will now quote:
“For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, IN SUBJECTION TO ANGELS. But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is MAN that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND SET HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS, YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in BRINGING MANY SONS TO GLORY, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to CALL THEM BRETHREN.”
We see at the very beginning of this passage that God did NOT purpose to “put the world to come…in subjection to angels.” As great as angels are, God has ordained MAN (human beings) to have dominion over “all things.” Yet this is made possible because Jesus, the Son of God, was “made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death” in order to redeem men from sin, resulting in “bringing many sons to glory.” He even “calls us brethren!” One day He will return to earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords to establish His kingdom and we (who have been saved by His grace) will be by His side and will reign with Him (see Revelation 19:11:16). In 1st Corinthians 6:2-3 we read, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Do you not know that WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS?” This is astounding, is it not? When the Lord Jesus judges the world of the ungodly (see Jude 14-15) and fallen angels who rebelled against God (see Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Jude 6; Revelation 20:10 and Matthew 25:41), we will share in that judgment. Thus we see that men, as sons of God and Christ’s brethren, are so important in God’s eyes that He has made us to be “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17) and our dominion with Christ even includes judging the world and angels.
In closing, redeemed sinners are not only “sons of God” and “Christ’s brethren,” but Scripture teaches us that all who have been saved from the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2) to the Rapture (see 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18) are the BRIDE OF CHRIST. God purposed that SAVED MEN AND WOMEN would be brought into union with Christ for all eternity in a relationship as close as that of a HUSBAND and his WIFE. I would encourage you to read and meditate upon the following scriptures…Ephesians 5:22-32; 2nd Corinthians 11:2 and Revelation 19:7-9. This is also pictured for us in the marriage of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:18, 21-23). And it is beautiful to see that after they were married they had dominion over the earth and all things (see Genesis 1:27-28). In this we realize that God always had in mind the union of Christ and men…not Christ and angels, but Christ and redeemed sinners! Amazing grace!! (430.1) (DO)