promise, but the writings of Paul, in which were things hard to be understood, contained the explanation of this

apparent delay, while, so far as the dispensational position of the Hebrews is concerned, it was true that `now we see

not yet all things put under Him'. The dispensational viewpoint of the Mystery put things in a different light. At the

very same time that Paul could confess that prophecy had become temporarily held up (Heb. 2:8), he could

personally be rejoicing in a peculiar fulfilment of this same promise (Eph. 1:22,23):

`And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body'.

By this statement we do not intend to teach that Hebrews and Ephesians were written at the same time or about

the same subject! Universal headship has not yet been taken by the Lord, but headship over all things to the Church

is His position now. What He will be universally, He is now in mystery. What He will be in heaven and in earth is

anticipated now in the super-heavenlies. We however are dealing with Hebrews, not Ephesians, and the point of

view there is `we see not'. Not until the seventh angel sounds shall the mystery of God be consummated in the

universal sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The second feature of Psalm 8 is the reference to man being made a little lower than the angels. Romans 5:14

supplies the link:

`Adam ... who is the figure of Him that was to come'.

and 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 supplements:

`The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam a quickening (life-giving) Spirit ... The first man is of the

earth, earthy: the second Man is the Lord from heaven'.

Psalm 8 looks back to the first and forward to the second Man. Viewing Adam in his frailty and fall the Psalmist

says, `What is man that Thou art mindful of him?' Viewing man in the person of the Lord from heaven, he sees the

crown of glory and honour placed upon One Who will never fail or forfeit. The apostle's eye is not fixed upon

frailty and forfeiture, but upon honour and glory - `but we see Jesus', `consider the Apostle and High Priest of our

profession' he writes; rather than think of Moses and Aaron, `look off unto Jesus'; rather than to the cloud of

witnesses enumerated in chapter 11, consider the end of the conversation of those who have spoken unto you the

word of God - `Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and unto the age' (13:8).

(1) We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels.

(2) We see Jesus, crowned with glory and honour.

Both the A.V. and the R.V. read, `a little lower than the angels', and place in the margin, `a little while inferior

to', `for a little while lower'. The element of time does not enter into Hebrews 1:4 where is shown the superior

dignity of the Son in virtue of His inherited name. This influences the interpretation of Hebrews 2. He Who now is

infinitely above angels achieved that glory by humbling Himself, suffering and dying. It is as important to the right

understanding of the crown of glory and honour that we see the depth of the Lord's humiliation, as it is to the right

understanding of His excellent glory that we realize His position at the right hand of God. In both cases angels are

taken as the standard of comparison, for their position remains unchanged, whereas man fallen in Adam will be

exalted in Christ, and so cannot be so easily compared.

The Psalmist does not glory in the exalted position of man. He does not bid us look at his excellency, only just a

little lower than angels; he rather considers man's low estate, saying, as he looks abroad upon the creation, `What is

man, that Thou art mindful of him?' The humiliation of the Lord was for a purpose -

`Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that

through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ... for verily He took not on

Him the nature of angels' (Heb. 2:14-16).

The argument is parallel, and is Paul's own explanation. This we can readily follow by referring to the structure.

In both cases it leads to Christ, either as the archegorl: or the archiereus, and in both capacities He is set forth as

One Who has suffered. Philippians 2:6-13 is a passage to which all readers should prayerfully refer.

With what does the writer link the words `for the suffering of death'? Does he intend us to understand that the

Lord was made a little lower than the angels that He might suffer death? or does He mean that Christ was crowned