Are Angels higher than man, or is it the other way around?

Are Angels higher than man, or is it the other way around? (Nov. '01)

In the Old Testament, Psalm 8:4-5, we read: "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels; with glory and honour hast Thou crowned him, and Thou hast set him over the works of Thy hands." From this it is clear that in the beginning God created man in a state "a little lower than the angels" -- after all, man was created after God had created the angels. However, at the Incarnation, when the pre-eternal Word and Son of God became man, the dignity of humanity was elevated and man is now in a state above that of the angels! How do we know that? In the New Testament, I Corinthians 6:2-3, we read: "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels?"