The World To Come

September 29th, 2025
by Dr. Lance Waldie

Hebrews 2:5 For [God] did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.

On the sixth day of God’s creation, He created humanity in His image (Gen. 1:26-27). After blessing them and telling them to multiply, God put all things on earth under their care, giving man dominion over His creation (vv. 28-30). Not longer after, however, man rebelled against God and thus gave over all that God had put into his hands (Gen. 3:1-19). Now the earth and all it contains rules over man—from the weather to the animals to sickness to death. The question is, Who is now in charge of the earth God delegated to mankind?

Throughout Scripture, it is angels who are called rulers on the earth. In Daniel 10, it is the archangel Michael who is at war behind the scenes with various demons who empower the armies of Israel’s enemies. Jesus Himself refers to one who is the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30), namely Satan. Paul calls Satan “the god of this world” who has “blinded the minds of the unbelieving…” (2 Cor. 4:4). Calling Satan “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), Paul warns that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, italics mine). John likewise says, “…the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). So who rules God’s creation? Satan, demons, and angels.

It won’t always be so, however, for there is a “world to come” (Heb. 2:5), a future “world” (Gr. oikoumenē). Oikoumenē stands in contrast to another Greek term, kosmos, also translated “world” in English (cf. John 3:16). The former is used for the inhabited earth, the latter for an order, or system. So, the Hebrews author is speaking of a future inhabited earth, one that that will not be ruled over by angels. This world, known as the millennium, denotes the one thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth (Rev. 20:1-6) following His return (Rev. 19:11-19). Note:

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6).

“Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; the former things will not be remembered or come to mind… I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness… No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed…For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people… 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 (Isaiah 65:17-25; cf. 11:6-7).

The Lord will be king over all the earth… All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; …People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security (Zechariah 14:9-11).

Food For Thought
Angels are created beings sent to serve the heirs of salvation (1:14). They are servants, not rulers. So in the “world to come,” Christ will rule—with His saints:

But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come (Daniel 7:18; cf. 7:22).
Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him (Daniel 7:27).
Jesus said to [His disciples], “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world… that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life (1 Cor. 6:2-3).
They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him… (Revelation 20:6).