Why are we here on earth? What is the purpose of life? What happens after we die? These are not only hard questions; these are questions which cannot be answered by human reason. The answers can only be known by a revelation from the Creator of all things. And that is where the Bible comes in – for the Scriptures are the Creator’s revelation to man, preserved in writing to contain essential knowledge which man cannot ascertain for himself.
The Bible records of a great king whom God calls “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22) who pondered those same questions. King David of Israel wondered about the stars and was inspired to write: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him?” (Psa. 8:3-4).
King David may not have been given the revelation of the real connection between man and the stars for he continues: “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet…” (v.5-9). David here limits man’s dominion to the present – the earth, its atmosphere, the waters and sea (as in Gen. 1:26-28). That is the dominion man has now. In the NT, however, far more is revealed.
In the book of Hebrews we read: “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak” (Heb. 2:5). Notice, the theme here is “the world to come” – not this present age. Continue verse 6: “But one in a certain place testified, saying…” then follows a quotation from the first six verses [only] of the 8th Psalm.
After quoting the 8th Psalm, the writer of Hebrews is inspired to follow with something that will happen in the world to come: “Thou hast put ALL THINGS in subjection under him [man], he [God] put all in subjection under his [man’s] feet. For in that he [God] put all in subjection under him [man], he [God] left NOTHING that is not put under him” (v.8).
Is it possible God could mean what He says – “all things” – nothing excluded? In other words, for those willing to believe what God says, He says that He has decreed the entire universe – with all its galaxies, its billions of suns and planets – EVERYTHING – will be put under man’s subjection.
That may be hard to believe but the book of Hebrews continues: “But now we see NOT YET all things [the endless universe] put under him [man].” Remember, this is talking about the “world to come” (v.5) – not today’s world. But what do we see now, today? “But we see Jesus, who was made [for] a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” Jesus is already crowned with glory and honor.
Continue: “For it became him, for whom are ALL THINGS [the entire universe] and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings… for which cause he [Christ] is not ashamed to call them brethren” (v.10-11). Christ has already been crowned with glory and honor, but He will also crown “many sons unto glory” to be just like Him – to be like a brother to Him.
In Hebrews 1:1-3, we read that God has appointed His Son “heir of all things [the whole universe]… upholding [sustaining] all things by the word of his power…” The living Christ already sustains the entire universe by His limitless divine power. The passage continues to show His superiority over the angels, who are now ministering to us – to us who are now in lower status than the angels – but who are HEIRS of salvation, when we, like Christ, shall become born Sons of God (v. 4-14).
Now, put this together with what is revealed in Romans 8. Here it speaks of God’s Son: “…that he might be the FIRSTBORN among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). Humans having God’s Spirit are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), who alone, among all born human, has already been born as God’s Son by a resurrection of the dead (Rom. 1:4). He is the FIRST of the human family to be born into the Family of God – “the firstborn among many brethren.” He is our pioneer who has gone before us. We shall follow at the resurrection of the just at Christ’s return and shall become God’s sons just like Christ.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us…” (Rom. 8:18). And what is this glory that shall be revealed? Continue: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation [the entire universe] was subject to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope…” (v. 19-20).
Why should the whole universe be waiting with eager longing for the birth and appearing of all these Sons of God? The following verses portray a universe filled with planets in decay and futility – yet as if subjected now to this dead state IN HOPE. “Because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [the very few now being called to salvation – the “firstfruits”] groan inwardly as we wait of the [birth] as sons” (v. 21-23).
Now, that reveals a lot about why we are here, what is the purpose of our life, and what happens after we die. It is an amazing, marvelous revelation. These Scriptures indicate we shall impart life to billions upon billions of dead planets, as life has been imparted to this earth. We shall create, as God directs and instructs. We shall rule with Christ through all eternity. It will be an eternal life of accomplishment, constantly looking forward in joyous anticipation to new creative projects.
