THE MYSTERIES OF GOD?
by
Keith Hunt
The words mystery and mysteries appear in the New
Testament 27 times. The word is number 3466 in Strong s
Concordance of the Bible, and is the same Greek word in all 27
places.
Here in part is what Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon of the
New Testament has to say on this word:
"In class. Grk. A hidden thing, secret, mystery .... In the
Scriptures 1. A hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the
understanding ... 2. A hidden purpose or counsel; secret will ...
the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the
righteous, which are hidden from the ungodly and wicked men but
plain to the godly ... In the N.T. God's plan of providing
salvation for men through Christ, which was once hidden but now
is revealed ... which is contained and announced in the gospel
... the secret purposes relative to the Kingdom of God ... used
of certain single events decreed by God having reference to His
Kingdom or salvation of men ... of God's purpose to bless the
Gentiles also with salvation through Christ ... the stewards of
God's mysteries , i.e. those intrusted with the announcement of
God's secret purposes to men, 1 Cor.4:1; used generally, of
Christian truth as hidden from ungodly men: with the addition of
(Thayer gives the Greek) which faith and godliness embrace and
keep ... 3. ..in rabbinic writers, it denotes the mystic or
hidden sense ... of an image or form seen in a vision, ..."
Deuteronomy gives us a very important truth that the Lord
wants us to remember, "The secret things belong unto the Lord our
God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to
our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law"
(Deut.29:29).
Then we have just as an important truth given to us of the
New Testament age, found in 1 Corinthians 1:9,10, "But as it is
written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered
in the heart of man, the things which Hod has prepared for them
that love Him. BUT God HAS REVEALED THEM to us by His Spirit; for
the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God."
There are things revealed and given to us under the New
Testament age that were not given to past ages. The Spirit of God
has come now in a way it never came to God's children in past
ages. Today, since the Gospel of Christ, we can understand and
know deeper things of God than what was given to people before
the New Testament dispensation. We have passages in the New
Testament that reveal certain things about God, the Godhead, and
things of the resurrection and the age beyond the 1,000 years (as
mentioned and given in Revelation 21 and 22) that were not
revealed to those in the ages before the New Testament Gospel
age.
God has in certain ways, taken away the vail of darkness
over people s eyes, brought more light and knowledge to view, and
especially so in regards to those blinded to the truths of the
Gospel of Christ. For them the secret things of God s salvation
through Christ Jesus is no longer a secret hidden from their
understanding. Paul explains it this way:
"Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of
speech. And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that
the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of
that which is abolished. But their minds were blinded; for until
this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of
the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even
unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their hearts.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be
taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:12-18).
Today we see the GLORY of the Lord in His plan to GLORIFY
His children in a new and more fully defined light of glorious
truth. The GLORY of the resurrection of the saints is made known
to us in passages of the New Testament, as was never made known
to others before the New Testament age. The Spirit of the Lord
has indeed come to us and has given to us REVELATIONS of the Lord
as never before given to anyone in such detail of light. The
details of the resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 cannot be
found in any book of the Old Testament. The passage of 1 John
3:1-3 cannot be found in any of the Old Testament writings.
Verses in the book of Revelation concerning the saints of God in
chapters 2 and 3 are not found in the Old Testament. The details
of the glorious coming of Christ back to this earth as given in
the Gospels, some of the writings of Paul, and as contained in
the book of Revelation, cannot be found in any writings of the
books of the Old Testament. The revelation of the detailed
information for the New heaven and the New earth and the coming
of God the Father and the heavenly city of Jerusalem to this
earth, after the 1,000 years, as given to us in chapters 21 and
22 of the book of Revelation, cannot be found in the Old
Testament. As far as what we can gather from the Old Testament,
such revelations of truths from God, were NOT given or revealed
to anyone who lived before the New Testament age.
Truly in many ways the New Testament is NEW in many ways.
The Spirit of God has come and has revealed DEEPER things of the
mysteries of God. We are able with the Spirit of the Lord, to
understand deeper things concerning God and His plan and purpose
for mankind and for this physical planet called earth, and even
for the whole universe.
Then even with all this we must bear in mind what Paul said
in 1 Corinthians 13, "For now we see through a glass DARKLY, but
then face to face: now I KNOW in PART, but then I shall know even
as I am known."
There is much yet that God has kept SECRET from us, that are
for Him only at this time to hold back from us. Those secret
things belong to Him, but He has made known to us today much more
than was made known to others of past ages, so as we saw in
Deuteronomy 29:29 we search out the things that are revealed to
us, and for us to know at this time.
There is progressive knowledge as well. God reveals His
secrets to His children in the scheme of time, as He wills, when
He wills, for the reason He wills, to accomplish His will.
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He
will show them His covenant" Psalm 25:14.
"His secret is with the righteous" Proverbs 3:32.
"Surely the Lord will do nothing but that He reveals His
secret unto His servants the prophets" Amos 3:7.
Only the righteous can be given the progressive revelations
of the Lord. Only those who respectfully fear Him can He work
with. The Spirit of the Lord is only given to those who OBEY Him
(Acts 5:32).
".....To this man will I look, even to him that is of a poor
and contrite spirit, and TREMBLES at My Word" (Isaiah 66:2).
THINGS HIDDEN AND ONLY GIVEN TO THE SAINTS
It was Jesus Himself you made this very plain, that only to
His true servants, those He called His friends, those whom Paul
said in Hebrews 2, that He was not ashamed to call them His
BROTHERS! To only them would be given the understanding of the
mysteries of the Kingdom of God.
"It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom
of Heaven, but to them (non-disciples of Christ) it is NOT given.
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets,
saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things
which have been kept SECRET from the foundation of the world"
(Matthew 13:11).
Yes, some of the things Christ revealed in the Gospels and
inspired some of the apostles about, were never known before
since the foundations of the earth.
"And He said unto them, Unto you (the disciples of Jesus) it
is given to know the MYSTERY of the Kingdom of God: but unto them
that are without (the ones not called and chosen) all these
things are done in parables" (Mark 4:11).
"And He said unto them, Unto you (His followers) it is given
to know the MYSTERIES of the Kingdom of God: but to others in
parables: that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might
NOT understand" (Luke 8:10).
We clearly see here that it is quite possible to have the
words of God spoken to you, read to you, preached to you in many
different forms, and STILL for SOME, nay the MANY, IT IS NOT
UNDERSTANDABLE!
This is why you will find on this Website important studies
like "Called and Chosen - When?" and studies on the "The Last
Great Feast" which prove to you that the Father has a plan of salvation
for all mankind, and MOST will not even know about or understand
SALVATION through Christ, until the Great White Throne Judgement
Seat resurrection, spoken about in the 20th chapter of the book
of Revelation.
"The wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound of it,
but can not tell where it comes from, or where it goes: so is
every one born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto
Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him,
Art thou a master in Israel, and you do not know these things.
Truly, Truly, I say to you, We speak that which we do know, and
testify what we have seen, and you will not receive our witness.
If I had told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall
you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John 3:8-12).
The New Testament reveals new heavenly things that were not
taught or preached in past ages. Jesus revealed things about the
Father that were not known in past ages (see John 1:18). It was
Philip that asked Jesus to show them the Father, and Jesus
replied to him that seeing Himself, Jesus, they had also seen the
Father (John 14:6-10).
We have so much in the Gospels, that expounds and AMPLIFIES
the laws of God, and also the Father as well, as was prophesied
in Isaiah 42::21, that was NOT told in any age past. The famous
so-called sermon on the mount is just part of the mysteries of
the Kingdom of God NOT preached under Moses, nor do we have any
evidence that such teachings as Jesus gave in the Gospels on many
topic, was preached in any age before Moses. Take one example.
The Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the
dead, came with a trick question to Jesus one day. They said this
woman out lived 7 husbands, and asked Jesus which husband would
she have in the resurrection. Jesus replied, "You do greatly err,
not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the
resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but
are as the angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:29-30 - also see
how Luke explained what Jesus said in Luke 20:27-38).
We are told nowhere in the Old Testament about this truth of
the resurrection. We are given no evidence that anyone knew this
part of the truth of the resurrection, it is not recorded that
any human person knew this truth, so I will say that this could
well have been one of the MYSTERIES of God NOT revealed since the
world began.
Jesus spoke about many things pertaining to the Kingdom of
God that were more than likely never heard before, never preached
before, never understood before by anyone since the foundation of
the world., certainly not in the details that Jesus spoke about
them.
And so it is also with some of the things written by some of
the apostles in their books of the New Testament, secret things
not given since the world began.
Paul was inspired to say, "But we speak the WISDOM of God in
a MYSTERY, even the HIDDEN wisdom, which God ordained before the
world unto our glory. Which none of the princes of this world
knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:27).
Some things of the MYSTERY of God were simply not understood
by the majority when preached and taught, yet other things of the
mysteries of God were BRAND KNEW, never before heard by anyone,
including the saints of God through the ages.
AMPLIFICATION IS A MYSTERY
The expounding and amplifying of a truth of God from past
ages is also called a MYSTERY.
"How that by REVELATION He made known unto me the MYSTERY
(as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when you read, you may
understand my knowledge in the MYSTERY of Christ). Which in other
ages was NOT made known unto the sons of men, AS IT IS NOW
REVEALED unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. And
to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which
from the beginning of the world has been HID in God, who created
all things by Jesus Christ. May be able to comprehend with all
saints what is the BREADTH, THE LENGTH, THE DEPTH, AND HEIGHT;
and to know the LOVE of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you
might be filled with ALL the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3: 3-5,
9,18-19).
I'm sure the saints before the New Testament age KNEW that a
God Savior had to come to die for the sins of themselves and the
sins of all people who have ever lived or will live. The coming
of the Messiah to suffer and die for sins is well proclaimed in
the Old Testament. Any Bible help book or Bible Encyclopedia will
give you all the old prophecies that were recorded and fulfilled
by Christ s first coming. But the DEEP things of those
prophecies, the nitty-gritty we may say, the deep fellowship of
it all, the breadth of it, the length of it, the depth of it, the
height of it, was NOT understood UNTIL the reality of it all took
place. The apostle Paul made it very plain that the DEPTH of this
MYSTERY of the good news of Christ for the salvation of any who
believe, was only understood in a surface manner before the age
of the apostles. NOW this MYSTERY hid in God, was revealed in
DEPTH, so we in the New Testament age could understand God in
MORE FULLNESS than ever before.
And so it is like Christ said, "Unto whom MORE is given,
MORE is expected!" Some of the mysteries of God were known only
in a surface manner before the Messiah actually came, AFTER He
had arrived and ascended back to the Father, MORE DEPTH was
revealed to the apostles about those mysteries, and they in turn
passed those revelations on to us in not only their preaching but
to future generations in writing it down for us, and so the
written New Testament as we have it today, and all the expounding
of the MYSTERIES of God, some just barely known in the past ages,
but AMPLIFIED in the Gospel age, and some mysteries of God, BRAND
NEW, revealed for the first time since the world began.
THE GENERAL MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL
UNDERSTOOD BY THE SAINTS ONLY; AND
NEEDING TO BE PREACHED TO THE WORLD
Although the Gospel of Christ is not understood by the
masses of people who are blinded to its truth, it nevertheless
must be proclaimed to the world at large, for God uses that media
to open the calling up through His Spirit to the people of all
nations.
Paul wrote: "That their hearts might be comforted, being
knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance
of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the MYSTERY of God,
and of the Father, and of Christ" (Colossians 2:2).
Though Paul was talking about saints here who were there and
at Laodicea, and for many who had not seen his face in the flesh,
the basic truth presented applies also to the unconverted of the
world.
Paul wanted saints to pray for him and others, "Withal
praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of
UTTERANCE, to speak the MYSTERY of Christ, which I am in bonds
(in chains in prison). That I may make it manifest as I ought to
speak" (Colossians 4:3).
The MYSTERY of Christ is not a mystery to the disciples of
Christ, but those still in blindness to the Gospel of Christ, it
is certainly a mystery, something they believe they do not have
to understand or be bothered with even thinking about. All are
held in spiritual BLINDNESS until God removes that blindness and
begins to call them to the light of truth, often by the means of
preaching and teaching from the mouth and hands of His servants
(see Romans 10:14 - - 11:32).
HOLD THE MYSTERY OF FAITH
The world may hold the things of God as mysterious and
strange, not concerned with any of it, just plain indifferent to
the Bible and all that it teaches and reports. The world may look
upon the things of the Lord as odd and even as bothersome, but
for Christians the apostle Paul said, "Holding the MYSTERY of the
FAITH in a pure conscience. And without controversy great is the
MYSTERY of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in
the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed
on in the world (by some), received up into glory" (1 Timothy
3:9,16).
The so-called mysteries of God as the world would say they
are, should be fervently held on to by the children of God. The
things listed by Paul were true and should then make it easier
for Christians to HOLD the faith once delivered to the saints (as
Jude phrased it) in a pure conscience and in godliness, which is
all still just a mystery to the unbelievers. They just cannot
understand why true Christians live the way they do.
THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY
Paul said that "... the MYSTERY of INIQUITY does already
work ..." (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
The ways of sin and iniquity are not always as plain as the
nose on your face. Some sins and lawlessness can come looking
like they are far from being sin, that in fact they are
righteousness, sounding very godly and spiritual. They are
presented to you as holy and the way of the Lord. And to most
going under the name of Christian they are the commandments of
God, and cannot be seen as the errors and traditions and
commandments of men. One great church (woman) that has drunk
the blood of the true saints of God down through the centuries is
even called MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:5).
False Christianity can come as an angel of light (2
Corinthians 11:13-15) and is very difficult to see it for what it
really is - a deceptive mystery of sin and darkness. A mystery
novel is just that - a mystery until the plot is finally
uncovered, and the truth is made crystal clear. That is why Jesus
said only those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be
filled, and the truth would and can be known, and the truth will
then set you free.
If you LOVE the MYSTERIES of God, the truths of the things
that are revealed in the Word of God, then you can come to know
them, deeper and fuller today than ever before. If you are not
willing to learn the mysteries of the Lord, then you will
continue to be encased in the false mysteries of a deceived
world.
THE MYSTERIES OF GOD COMPLETED
"But in the days of the voice of the SEVENTH angel, when he
shall begin to sound, the MYSTERY of God should be FINISHED, as
He has declared to His servants the prophets" (Revelation 10:7).
The working that the Eternal One is doing here below on this
earth is unseen by the large majority of the peoples of this
world. It is all just a mystery to most of them. It does not
make much sense to them. They only see hardship, pain, suffering,
fighting, wars, starvation, poverty, sickness, death, people
hating and killing each other, crazy weather, earthquakes,
drought, violent storms obliterating all before them. They see
greed, corruptions in high places, violence on the city streets,
in private homes, even at times in schools of education. They see
civil-wars and the innocent ones, many times the children, caught
in-between all the fighting. They see pollution of the land, sea,
air. They see climate change and all the negative results it is
bringing.
The world does not see what God is doing here below, it is a
mystery to them. But one day, when the SEVENTH and FINAL trumpet
is blown, the MYSTERY of God will be REVEALED to all peoples and
all nations.
The day is coming when, as it is written, the earth shall be
covered with the KNOWLEDGE of God as the waters cover the sea
beds.
Some of the water over the sea beds is 3 and 4 miles deep.
It is hard, like looking through a glass darkly as Paul said, to
imagine a world so FULL of the KNOWLEDGE of God and all His
MYSTERIES that the earth could be figuratively, COVERED so DEEP
with all that knowledge of Him. It is hard to imagine the reality
of that promise in a world that is ever more ignoring and
destroying what knowledge we do have today of God, what He has
granted us to search out about Himself and His plan for mankind
and this blue planet.
A truth that may well have been hidden and kept secret from
all ages until given to the apostle John to reveal to us in the
last chapter of the book of Revelation, is that, one day God the
Father will come to this earth, "Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and He will DWELL with THEM, and they shall be His
people, and God Himself shall be WITH THEM, and be their God. And
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And He that
sat upon the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He
said unto me, 'Write: for these words are true and faithful'
(Revelation 21:3-5).
.................................
Written June 2008
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