These scriptures, to me, seem to indicate the very opposite of showing that (the) natural man is only (made) "a little lower than the angels". It is indeed flattering to man's flesh, that he is "made in the image of God". It is obvious in the last above Scriptures that being "made a little lower than the angels", is speaking of Christ, and not of man as they were created in Adam. Notice Paul's comparison and proof of this, in stating

"... But now we see not yet all things put under him..." "..But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower.." etc. Heb 2-8-9.

It is in Christ Jesus that man is made in the likeness of God. This is clearly stated in Heb 1:3:

"...Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high..."

"...For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.."Rom 8:29.

"...of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them..."...to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ..." 2 Cor 4:4.

"...Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature..." Col 1:15.

"...And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him (Christ) that created him..." Col 3:10.

It is in the Man, Christ Jesus that the image of God manifests itself, and not in the earthly Adam.

"...1 Cor 15 - So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly..." 1 Cor 15:44-49.

Jesus, even while He was incarnate in the likeness of sinful flesh, was a "quickening spirit". It was not by the power of any "attending angels" or other heavenly powers, that He was (is) able to raise the (literally and spiritually) dead, but by His Own intrinsic and inherent Power as God, the second Person in the Trinity. He partook of flesh and blood, and thus became the "second or last Adam" in True Holiness. That which "is natural" is always first in the saints' experience, and "afterward that which is spiritual" (ver 46).

"...Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same..." Heb 2:14.

It was in Christ's "partaking of flesh and blood" that He identified with the Sons of Adam, and tasted death for all of those for whom He was the Captain of their salvation, and through the death of His flesh, "destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."
The natural man is not likened unto the Eternal God in any respect. Natural man is not endowed with any of the attributes of Christ, including immortality. Christ, Himself, as The Eternal God, only possesses immortality, and gives it to as "many as The Father hath given Him".

"...As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent..." John 17:-2-3.

"...Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16...Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen..." 1 Tim 6:15-16.

Christ, in His True Glory, only has Immortality; by virtue of being God, He has all the attributes of God; No man can approach unto His Glory, but only to the extent that He draws them according to The Father's Will. No man has ever seen this glory except by the gift of faith, which He gives to His spiritual children that are born of His Spirit.(1) No man has seen God in Christ at any time, except as He is revealed by the Father;(2) No man knows Who the Father is; (That is, in a way of knowing them) except by a Mutual Revelation between The Father and The Son:(3)

(1) "...Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, (2) yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new..." 2 Cor 5:16-17.

"...No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 (1)(2) Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father..." John 6:44-46.

No man can come to Christ, except he be powerfully taught and drawn by the Spirit and Power of God; and thus by this effectual teaching and drawing power of the Spirit of God, he is brought to a saving knowledge of Christ in his soul, or in his very being as he stood (stands) in Christ before the world began.

"...Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth..." Psa 110:3.

"... And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for (1)(2) flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven...Matt 16:16-17."
"...Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that (4) no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost..."1 Cor 12:3.

(4) No one can believe in Jesus as the Savior, that is as Christ Jesus, his savior, unless they are (already) born of the Spirit, and then they are helpless and dead within the weakness of their sinful flesh, and must "drawn" from a dead state in nature (experimentally) to a lively hope in Him.

"...Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is (already, the evidence) born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat (God) loveth him also that is begotten of him...(one born of the Spirit)" John 4:5-1.
"...Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth..." Psa 110:3.

"...Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory..." Col 3:2-4.
"... Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee..." Song 1:4.

"...(1)(2) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him..." John 1:18.

"...(1) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another,(the evidence of God dwelling in us) (3) God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us..." 1 John 4:12.

"...All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and (1) no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; (2) neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him..." Matt 11:27.

"...All things are delivered to me of my Father: and(1) no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him..."Luke 10:22.

"...Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: (1) for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
15 (3) All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you..." John 16:13-15.

"...And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for (1) there shall no man see me, and live..." Exo 33:18-20.

"...For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?
33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, (1) as thou hast heard, and live?..."Deu 4:32-34.

We are only able to hear the thunderings of God's voice against sin as it is revealed in His law, but we are not able to rise above it's curse, to look upon His glorious Face, except as Christ intercedes in our behalf. The Law is a killing letter, until He delivers His people from it's sentence of death. Paul was "alive without the Law once" that is, when he felt to be alive to his own native, or fleshly goodness; In his previous career as a self-righteous scribe, going about to "establish his own righteousness", which was by the keeping of the Law, that he felt was sufficient for salvation in the sight of God; But "When the commandment came, sin revived in him, and he fell powerless, as a dead man before it's sentence, which was "The soul that sinneth, shall die." And thus, he found a "sentence of death" in his members, that he must never again trust in his own goodness, merit or efforts, but solely in Christ.

He found that when he "would do good, then evil was present with him, so that he could not do the things that he would". Conversely, "The evil that he would not do, that he did", which made him cry: "O wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from this body of death? " - And immediately answers, "I thank God through Jesus Christ." Rom 7.

"...And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.Rev 20:11-12.

Since death had reigned supreme "from Adam to Moses (the formal giving of the Law, attended with outward terrors) and as the fallen earthly Adam was still driven out (of the Garden) with mighty Cherubims and a flaming sword of threatning guilt and condemnation placed at the east of the garden of Eden to keep the way of the tree of life according to God's eternal purpose in Christ, there was (is) no way to again approach the entrance to that place, or to come before the Face of God.
And as "The Law entered, that the offence might abound", and "made nothing better", for "by the Law was (not the remedy), but only the knowledge of sin; for the "Law entered, that the offence might abound", or "that sin, that it might appear sin, would "become exceeding sinful". Thus Paul, in common with all of those who are called by Grace, "must appear before the judgment seat of Christ (not under the Law, for the children of God as believers are not under the Law, but under Grace) - to give account of the deeds (works) done in the body." When their works are presented as works of righteousness, and they find themselves trusting in them as such, they are again weighed in the balances, and are still found wanting in the sight of God. Thus, being poor in spirit, and heavy laden, with a will to love and serve God, but how to perform this work, they cannot find within themselves; they are driven to seek a justifying righteousness in Christ alone: And as the dead they stand (not lie) before God:

"...And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works..." Rev 20:12.

How fearful and even terrible it is when the saints are judged according to their works (of the righteous law) as they seek to be justified by its deeds! All their works and righteousnesses are as filthy rags in their own estimation. They feel that they have never done, and still cannot do a single work that would justify them or be meritorious in the sight of God. With Job of old, they too can say,

"...I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
"...7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. 8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. 9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. 10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. 11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. 12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou? 13 If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him. 14 How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? 15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge. 16 If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice..." Job 9:2-16.

And with the poor publican, "God be merciful to me, a sinner."

The saints cannot command the rising of the Sun of Righteousness upon their souls by their duty-faith, duty-works and duty-efforts; They must abide Christ's Own time; They must await His bright and sweet appearing in His Own Time, and in His Own Way, when He "appears without sin unto salvation".They have found that they cannot "earn" their blessings no more than a natural child can earn favors and blessings from a faithful parent. Though they are sons, they with their Elder Brother, must learn obedience through the things that they suffer, for they are not greater than their Lord in His sufferings, and His sufferings must abound in them also. As sons, they must also receive chastisement of a faithful Father when necessary, for He deals with them not as servants, but as sons. Their Loving and Wise Father deals with them in a marvelous way past their finding out. Though they shine as stars of brightness in Christ's kingdom, the church, in those whom are enlightened by The Spirit, and before a benighted world, yet they find themselves many times sealed up, so that their light cannot shine forth, so they must examine themselves from time to time, that the light that is in them be not still darkness; They find themselves also sealed up so they cannot find an accord and resting place with the proud and zealous religious institutions of men founded upon human merit and human goodness, or at the best, contaminated with the dead flies of additions to the merit and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus alone in the work of salvation, such as "offers" of Christ to sinners, duty-faith, earning blessings by works that are left to their option and discretion, etc.

Jesus alone, by His Mighty Spirit must spread out His New Heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, working in them "that which is well-pleasing in His sight;" For the old legal heavens of salvation by the works of the law have long since passed away both literally, historically and in their own experience. The stormy sea of their sins and the rebukes, reproaches and calumny of an unbelieving world is calmed by the voice of Him who speaks within and says; "Peace, be still", for I have "done all things well." He whose Eternal Power controls all realms of these earthly wonders and heavenly constellations without number, whether it be the beautiful Orion, and brightly shining Pleiades, or the chambers of the fiery furnace of the Southern Milky Way, He will yet show them His Glory, and be with them, world without end. Though He pass by on the left in His Providence, and they perceive Him not, Or sometimes He may pass by among His favored few, and they not behold Him even there; Yet His eye is upon them, and as their faithful Creator, will bring them to glory, because they were created in Him " to the praise of the glory of His Grace." He will guide them with His eye and counsel, which is single to His Own glory and their salvation, and afterwards receive them to that Eternal Glory. Psa 73:24.

Since there is a time and season to every Purpose of His under this heaven, there is a "time to get, and a time to lose". And thus, the saints find it so. They sometimes get peace and joy, and then in turn they lose it, "to get "sorrow, pain, suffering and dejection, and so find with David, that "All of their times (not just some of them), are in the hands of God. He "knows their downsitting and uprisings, and is aquainted with all their ways". Psa 139. Since He is a Sovereign and Jealous God, He will not chide forever with the sons of men, but will cause the proud helpers (in their estimation) to stoop under Him, So they may have no other gods before Him, For none is to be compared with Christ, whom is: