8:19

creation: All earthly creation has suffered from the effects of mankind’s rebellion in Eden. However, in this context, “creation” apparently refers to the human family, since only humans can be waiting with eager expectation as they express hope of being set free from the effects of sin and death. (Ro 5:12; 8:19) According to some scholars, the Greek word rendered “eager expectation” alludes to the idea of a person stretching his neck in order to look for something or watching eagerly with his head raised.

the revealing of the sons of God: Here Paul refers to the “joint heirs with Christ” as “sons of God.” (Ro 8:17) They will be ‘revealed’ when it becomes evident that they have been glorified and are reigning with Christ Jesus in heaven. Since they are the secondary part of the promised “offspring” (Ge 3:15), they will share with Christ in destroying Satan’s wicked system of things (Ro 16:20; Re 2:26, 27). They will be further ‘revealed’ when, during Christ’s Thousand Year Reign, they serve as priests conveying the benefits of Jesus’ ransom sacrifice to mankind, here referred to as the creation. This “revealing of the sons of God” will result in mankind’s being “set free from enslavement to corruption” and will allow them to enjoy “the glorious freedom of the children of God.”​—Ro 8:21; Re 7:9, 10, 14; 20:5; 22:1, 2.