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!
[7]. Ephesians 3:3-4. THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST. In context, the mystery in this case is revealing that the Gentiles have become fellow heirs in Christ, fellow members of the body (of Christ, the Church). For the time, that was revolutionary, and before Gentiles could be recognised, Peter was given a special vision to teach him not to call any man unclean. God’s grace extended to all the human race for salvation. This inclusion of Gentiles into the Body of Christ is a mystery.
[8]. Ephesians 3:9. THE MYSTERY OF THE RICHES OF CHRIST. This mystery had been hidden in God but at the correct time it was revealed that the Church was part of God’s plan, comprised of Jew and Gentile.
[9]. Ephesians 5:32. THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.
This mystery is one of the two great ones. {{Ephesians 5:29-32 “for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. 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.”}} The closeness and union between man and woman on earth is a type of that greater union between Christ and His Church.
[10]. Ephesians 6:19. THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL. The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ delivered into the hands of the members of the Church. It is the Church’s mission. Paul requested that others pray for Him that he might be able to preach the mystery of the gospel, and this is the gospel of grace that had been hidden but was now declared since the cross in the person of the Lord Jesus that salvation is available for all through faith.
[11]. Colossians 1:26. THE MYSTERY OF PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD. Paul introduces this mystery to the Colossians – {{Colossians 1:26 “that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations but has now been manifested to His saints”}} Paul says the gospel is now revealed to God’s saints. This verse is the introduction for what follows. That is not all, and look now at the next entry -
[12]. Colossians 1:27. THE MYSTERY WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, HOPE OF GLORY. This here is the purpose of this mystery – {{Colossians 1:27 “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.”}} The mystery is that Gentiles might know the indwelling Christ and have the hope of glory. Remember all this has sprung from the riches of God’s glory.
[13]. Colossians 2:2-3. THE MYSTERY WHICH IS CHRIST HIMSELF, THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. {{Colossians 2:2-3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in A TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S MYSTERY, THAT IS, CHRIST HIMSELF, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”}} Yes, the text actually says Christ is the mystery, for He has been revealed in His time on earth and God gives the understanding of Him, much enhanced when the Holy Spirit was given. Paul explains that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in our Lord. How beautiful!
[14]. Colossians 4:3. THE MYSTERY OF Christ. As in [10] Paul asks for prayer for Him so he might be able to preach the mystery of Christ through an open door. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is also a mystery to the unsaved and sadly they reject it for that reason. Hearts are bound up in sin’s chains and delusion reigns everywhere.
[15]. 2Thessalonians 2:7. THE Mystery of lawlessness. Paul is explaining that the revealing of Antichrist can not happen until the RESTRAINER is taken from the earth. That Restrainer is the Holy Spirit who will leave when the Church is raptured. Some claim the Restrainer is the Church, but that is impossible for the Church is unable to do that. {{2Thessalonians 2:7-8 “for THE MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS is already at work. Only HE WHO NOW RESTRAINS will do so until he is taken out of the way, and then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.”}} Meanwhile, he then says the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, and like leaven, lawlessness and iniquity seep through and overtake society. Our world is increasing in every form of wickedness very rapidly now and will continue to do so until the Rapture. After that, with Satan in control through Antichrist, wickedness will be so great it will be hard even to imagine. Look around you at the world and see its increase!
[16]. 1Timothy 3:9. THE MYSTERY OF THE FAITH. In context, Paul explains that deacons must hold to the mystery of faith. The whole revelation of salvation through faith for sinners in the face of a holy God who penalises sin, is indeed a mystery. Even faith itself as the means of approaching God is a mystery.
[17]. 1Timothy 3:16. THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS. This is the second “great mystery”, for great is the mystery of godliness. Then we have in the verse a summary of some of the pertinent aspects of our Christian faith – “He who was revealed in the flesh was vindicated in the Spirit, beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” Even the contemplation of those aspects is very great and involved, and we can only appreciate them in the smallest part.
[18]. Revelation 1:20. THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN STARS AND THE SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS. Revelation begins with the most wonderful revelation of Jesus Christ and Chapter 1 is filled with glorious images and revelations, one after another. I have written on these and they in my series in Eschatology and Prophecy. Earlier in Chapter 1 John saw these stars and lampstands, and here in verse 20 the mystery is revealed - the seven stars are the angels (the messengers – something like a secretary on the corresponding brother) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
[19]. Revelation 10:7. THE MYSTERY OF GOD. This is a difficult one and it happen around the time when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet and that gives way to the seven bowls of judgement. I can not say confidently what this mystery of God is.
[20]. Revelation 17:5. THE MYSTERY – MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT. Revelation 17 and 18 deal with Mystery Babylon the Great, the horrible system that will dominate all religion and commerce in the Tribulation. The Babylonian system of wickedness has infiltrated all aspects of this world (and some of the church) with corruption and evil since the time of Nimrod. For those wanting to study this further, I refer you to a book by Alexander Hislop called “The Two Babylons”. How evil has permeated like leaven through the whole world system, is certainly a mystery.
[21]. Revelation 17:7. The Mystery of the woman and beast. This mystery is connected with the previous one, Mystery Babylon the Great. This system has a name written on its forehead which is the mystery, and it is called “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Again it would take ages to cover this properly. It took us about 4 or 5 ninety-minute sessions to deal with it in our bible study.
This brings us to the end. I hope you have appreciated some of these mysteries revealed in the New Testament.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
