Some Aspects Of The Church From Its Beginning To Eternity – The Great Mystery Of The Church - And New Testament Mysteries – Part 2 Series

SOME ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH FROM ITS BEGINNING TO ETERNITY – THE GREAT MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH - AND NEW TESTAMENT MYSTERIES – PART 2

We continue this series of studies and today we are thinking about the mysteries of the New Testament of which the Church is one. THE CHURCH IS A GREAT MYSTERY. This Greek word is µ?st????? (mysterion) and it means something that was hidden in the past; not known, but at a certain point in time, the whole truth is revealed. They are glorious. These were truths unknown before they were revealed.

There are 21 of them in the NASB and I expect other translations would have the same number. Isn’t it interesting that God kept these hidden in the Old Testament only to reveal them with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I wish to go through these one by one, and let us enjoy them and not become bored with the list. The list of mysteries contains the Church described as a “great mystery”. Some versions call it a “profound mystery”.

Let us think about this verse – {{Ephesians 5:31-32 “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. THIS MYSTERY IS GREAT but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.”}} Paul uses the marriage union of man and woman to speak of one flesh; and in regard to the union of the Church with her Lord and Saviour, he calls it a great mystery.

This union is one of the mysteries in the New Testament. Of these 21 mysteries in the NASB two of them are called “great mysteries” in Ephesians 5:32 and 1 Timothy 3:16. We know this old true statement talking about the two Testaments - “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is by the New revealed”. Here are the 21 references of New Testament mysteries according to the NASB.

[1]. Mark 4:11. THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Jesus states that the mystery of the Kingdom of God is given to the disciples but those outside can’t see past the parables. Matthew in particular concentrates on the Kingdom of heaven which is why Matthew 24 and 25 are so complete. The Old Testament speaks of the coming Millennial Kingdom that all Jews knew, but that aspect of God’s Kingdom that includes the Church and Gentiles was unknown.

[2]. Romans 11:25. THE MYSTERY OF ISRAEL’S HARDENING. In this Church age, the gospel is received mainly by Gentiles, as Israel has hardened its heart against the gospel. This hardening Paul calls a mystery. When the fullness of the Gentiles is complete, that is, when the Church is removed at the Rapture, then Israel will be saved through the Tribulation.

[3]. Romans 16:25. THE MYSTERY OF THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST. This is a New Testament event and before that was unknown. This preaching was revealed when the Lord ministered on earth. In fact Paul goes on to say that these facts were in the Prophets but revealed in the appropriate time. Some of these mysteries can lie concealed and dormant in the Prophets but revelation came through the Apostles.

[4]. 1Corinthians 2:7. THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN WISDOM OF GOD. The wisdom of God is beyond our comprehension but there was a special revealing of it (of course it could only be in a small part) to the apostles and that is what Paul spoke. The whole issue was a mystery, this being the hidden wisdom of God; the wisdom is revealed to God’s saints and not to the world. The devil’s lie will not accommodate wisdom. What wonders of wisdom must await us in heaven.

[5]. 1Corinthians 15:51. THE MYSTERY OF THE RAPTURE OF BELIEVERS. This is a very special mystery. The removal of the Church before the wrath of God, that is the Tribulation, is a most precious thing. The Church, the Bride is called home and will be purified and rewarded and about seven years later will be present at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19. In our verse here Paul says, “Behold, I tell you a mystery,” and then reveals what the Church did not know up to that point because the mystery is a revelation not previously known. In fact, even before this letter to the Corinthians, the Rapture was not known. It was then the mystery was revealed.

[6]. Ephesians 1:9. THE MYSTERY OF HIS (CHRIST’S) WILL. According to His kind intention, God has made known the mystery of His will to us. That includes so many precious blessings unknown in Old Testament times. All these revelations are bound up in the Lord Jesus Christ. These glorious blessings are for the Church, and I reckon we don’t even know half of them!