The Mission of Man

In the simple historical sense the mission of man calls for dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth (see Gen. 1:26). The term man, however (see Jud. xiii, 6:14; Ezek. i, 26; Dan, ix, 21; Rev. xix, 10) includes the angels of Heaven as well as man of Adam’s race.

To the angels, therefore, governmental duty pertains – but the angels were created prior to man of Adam’s race. Hence their mission was in relation to the creature world as it existed before the advent of Adam (see Ps. viii, 4:8; Ezek. xlviii, 1; Jud. xviii; Heb. ii, 5:8; also Battle Ranks of the Children of Israel, Column 7, Form I.)

The mission of the angels, however, does not end with the advent of Adam, but is continuous throughout the Four Ages of Man; they being ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation (see Heb. i, 13:14), yet, perhaps, more particularly from the advent of Messiah as the Living Bread in the Pisonic Age (see Gen. xii, 14; xiv, 18:20; xv, 1:4; xviii, 1-19) in that, to their governmental and subjugatory missions, ministrations in relation to the Living Bread have been added, even as ministrations in relation to the Living Bread are identified with the missions of man of Adam’s race.

From the positions thus set forth it becomes clear that without the creation of the angelic, or some corresponding host, the plan for the general salvation of creature life and existences would scarcely be entered upon since man of Adam’s race, confined to the planet earth as he is, is not fitted to encompass and strike through the general mass of matter that he should affect it either for good or ill; for either salvation or condemnation. But the Christ is exceptional, he being the head of the creature world through the fullness of the Godhead dwelling within him.

Wherefore, limited to a habitation of such meagre dimensions as the planet earth, man of Adam’s race would be insignificant were it not for mission other than that of mere existence accompanied by enjoyment of pleasing environments, or aims and ends simply to that effect. As a component part of the one God, however, man was created – called to inhabit the plane earth as an entity – that the inherences vested in him should develop sensation, thereby bringing to light, and establishing, the qualities of these inherences.

As an entity or individual man of Adam’s race, as with the angels, partakes of the higher attributes of the one God in contradistinction to those of the plant, the crystal, and the conglomerate rock; and, although created a little lower than the angels, is chosen (1) for the sublime purpose that in him – that is, through his flesh – the Word of the one God should take upon Himself the actual sin-tinctured flesh that constitutes the flesh of the creature world; (2) that as a special kingdom of priests the general priesthood of the creature world be made manifest; and (3) that the final test for proving the possibility of the creature to so govern all things that nothing put in his charge by the Lord God become lost or go astray.

Man as the angelic host failed in his subjugatory and governmental missions. This failure, as with the angels, was due to the greater strength of the Adverse Power.

But with Christ in his personalities as man of Adam’s race and as a holy angel of the one God in His sublime manifestation as the Word of God, there was no failure, in that every measure of the Adverse Power was counteracted by Him and brought to naught; yet not as visible to the human eye, but as comprehensible by the human intellect in the lines of sequential revelation.