The Bible is full of the promises of God toward His human creation. From Genesis to Revelation, these promises explain where man comes from, where he is going and what provisions God has made for him.

Man’s beginning is described in Genesis 1:26 (New American Standard Bible): “Then God said, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Here, God is speaking to his only begotten Son, prior to man’s creation. Called the “Word” (Greek: Logos) in John chapter 1, God’s only begotten son was the Heavenly Father’s first and only direct creation. Then, he was used by God as his associate in making the rest of the creation. “In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God; the Word also was a god. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him [Logos]; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.”—John 1:1-3 Revised Version Improved Corrected

The Apostle Paul confirms the Son’s role in the creation in Colossians 1:15-17 NASB: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Paul describes how God and his Son worked together in the creation: “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through him.” —1 Cor. 8:6 NASB

Genesis explains more about man’s creation in Genesis 1:27. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (NASB) Man was created in God’s mental and moral likeness with the ability to reason and know right from wrong. However, man was created terrestrial, “of the earth, earthy” and not a spirit being like God and his Son.—1 Cor. 15:47

At man’s creation he was given rulership over the earth and all of its creation. “God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”­—­Gen. 1:28 NASB

David wrote about this exalted position God and his son gave to man in Psalm 8:4-8 (NASB): “What is man that you take thought of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than God, and you crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.” Installed as the benevolent ruler of earth’s domain, man ruled over the animal kingdom in peace.

Genesis adds that, “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man [Adam] to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field.” (Gen. 2:19,20 NASB) Thus, one of the first acts God allowed Adam to exercise as ruler was to name the animals he would have dominion over.

However, due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, man lost this dominion. Quoting from the prophecy in Psalm 8, Paul adds in Hebrews 2:8 (NASB): “… For in subjecting all things to him [man], he [God] left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.” Due to sin, man is no longer ruler over the earth or its animal kingdom. While man does exert control over the animals and nature due to his superior intellect and power, he is not the benevolent ruler installed at his creation.

Following the flood, God put the fear of man into the animals. “The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you.” (Gen. 9:2,3 NASB) To the animal kingdom, man changed from benevolent ruler to feared predator.

However, this situation will not continue forever. Man’s dominion over the earth and the animal kingdom will be restored through the work of Christ’s earthly kingdom. Isaiah 11:1-5 describes Jesus’ earthly kingdom, and his restoration of man’s dominion is revealed beginning in verse 6. “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.”—Isa. 11:6-9 NASB

Isaiah chapter 65 describes Christ’s kingdom of peace. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness.” (Isa. 65:17,18) The new heavens and earth represent the new religious and civil arrangement of Christ’s kingdom, centered in Israel with Jerusalem as its capital. In this kingdom, “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all my holy mountain, says the LORD.”—Isa. 65:25 NASB

In this kingdom, man will be raised back to his dominion over the earth and the animal kingdom. Additionally, Christ will bring peace to the animal kingdom. Similar to before the flood, the prey and predator animals will live together in peace and harmony because God wills it.

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