God created man, for the purpose of developing a body of beings who should be fit as members of his family, to rule his universe. So he made man in his own image, and began at once to train him in ruling. He gave him dominion over the earth, over the birds and fishes, the beasts and creeping things. He commanded him to subdue the earth. The Father, the Word (who afterwards became God in the flesh) and the Holy Spirit said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he them. And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Gen. i. 26-28).

      So was man made and called the "image and glory of God" (1 Cor. xi. 7). As the American standard edition of the revised version has it, "Thou has made him but little lower than God,and crownest him with glory and honor. Thou makes him to have dominion over the works of thy hands" (Psa. viii. 5, 6).

      But mankind became servants of Satan, and thus turned over the dominion of the earth to him. But God allows no purpose of his to be thwarted; so the time came when he destroyed all the wicked, and freed the earth of them, leaving it in the hands of eight righteous souls.

      Again the wickedness of man delivered it to Satan; and then, in the fullness of time, Christ came to redeem it, to purify it and to restore man to his position as ruler. We are in training now, that is, all Christians made rulers with Christ and with God. Jesus says: "He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne" (Rev. iii. 21). Again he says, "He that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father: and I will give him the morning star" (Rev. ii. 26-28). Thus spoke Jesus to John on the island of Patmos, when, many years after his coronation, he returned to earth to show his beloved disciple the things that were to come to pass. This shows that God exalted Christ, when he overcame, and gave him a place at his right hand on his throne, so will Christ give to his followers, who are faithful unto the end, to sit down with him on his throne. The author of Hebrews says: "We behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons into glory, to make the author of their salvation, perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren,i n the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praise'" (Heb. ii. 9-12). So Paul says of Christians that we are "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him."

      These passages show that we are made to rule, that were trained to rule from the beginning and that we were made in the image and likeness of God, that we are the glory of God; moreover, they show that when we have been tried, and have overcome, we shall sit down with Christ in his throne, just as he, when he had overcome sat down with the Father in his throne; we are taught that we shall have authority over the nations, and shall rule them with a rod of iron: that as God gave Christ authority to rule when he overcame, so will Christ give us when we have overcome, and sit with him in his throne; that Christ, the Sanctifier, and Christians, the sanctified, are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call us brethren, we are children of God, heirs of God even joint-heirs with Christ.

      In harmony with all of this teaching, we read that when Christ comes again, at which time all of the righteous dead will be raised (1 Cor. xv. 22, 23; 1 Thess. iv. 13-18), and all the righteous living will be changed, immortalized in a moment of time (1 Cor. xv. 51-54), it is said of all these redeemed ones: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Rev. xx. 6). Then will God's purpose be fulfilled in regard to man's reigning over the earth. During the last thousand years of time, Christ and his saints shall reign unimpeded in the earth. Then the meek shall inherit the earth, the knowledge of God shall fill the earth as the waters fill the seas, and the will of God shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.

      But this is not all of the story by any means; this is but the end of one great epoch in the history of God's dealing with man. Another, more glorious by far, at once begins. John, in his prophetic vision, then saw a new heaven and new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away. He saw the new Jerusalem descend from heaven to the new earth. [p. 9] God then dwells with men; they are his peoples, and God himself shall be with them and be their God: all tears are wiped away, death is no more, nor is there crying, nor pain any more. The city is described with its river of life and tree of life. Then we get the last glimpse of redeemed man, as his future is unfolded to us in this prophetic vision, in these words: "And there shall be no curse any more: and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein: and his servants shall serve him; and they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither light of sun; for the Lord God shall give them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. xxii. 3-5). So when we take the last glimpse of man that is given in the unfolded future, he is reigning; and it is affirmed that he shall "reign for ever and ever," "unto the ages of ages."

      In the parable of the pounds, when the nobleman (Christ) had gone into a far country (heaven), to restore for himself a kingdom (which he has received), and to return (and this he will do),he is represented as settling with his servants upon his return. One man's pound had gained ten pounds. His lord said to him: "Well done, thou good servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." Here also it is taught that the faithful shall reign. (See Luke xix. 11-27.)

      In the parable of the talents also (Matt. xxv. 14-30) it is taught that the faithful shall be made rulers when Christ comes again. To each one who has been faithful he says: "Well done, good and faithful servant: though has been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of the Lord.

      How much of glory and honor all this means, no man knows, nor can know; but that it means much no one who is acquainted with God and Christ can doubt. God is the Master of the innumerable worlds that wheel in space. His domains are vast. He can use many sons as rulers. His heirs will surely possess vast estates. But none except those to whom he can say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servants," may hope to enter into his royal estate. It behooves each one of us, with all diligence, to work, watch and pray that we may be counted worthy to live and to reign with God for ever and ever.