(Section 3) The Eternal Plan Series

C. The Eternal Spirit Heb 9:14

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal (166) Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

166 aionios {ahee-o'-nee-os} from 165; TDNT - 1:208,31; adj

AV - eternal 42, everlasting 25, the world began + 5550 2,

since the world began + 5550 1, for ever 1; 71

1) without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be

2) without beginning

3) without end, never to cease, everlasting

D. Other Scriptures: Ps 90:2; Ps 93:2; Rev. 1:8

Psalms 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.”

everlasting = for ever, always (Strong’s 5769)

Psalms 93:2 “Thy throne [is] established of old: thou [art] from everlasting.”

Revelations 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

1 a {al'-fah} of Hebrew origin; TDNT - 1:1,*; letter

AV - Alpha 4; 4

1) first letter of Greek alphabet

2) Christ is the Alpha to indicate that he is the beginning and the end

5598 omega {o'-meg-ah} a primitive word; TDNT - 1:1,*; n

AV - Omega 4; 4

1) the last letter in the Greek alphabet

2) the last

II. THE ETERNAL PLAN

A. Belongs to the Lord -- Deut 29:29

“The secret (5641) [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.”

05641 cathar {saw-thar'} a primitive root; TWOT - 1551; v

AV - hide 72, secret 4, close 2, absent 1, conceal 1, surely 1,

variant 1; 82

1) to hide, conceal

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to hide oneself

1a2) to be hidden, be concealed

1b) (Piel) to hide carefully

1c) (Pual) to be hidden carefully, be concealed

1d) (Hiphil) to conceal, hide

1e) (Hithpael) to hide oneself carefully

01540 galah {gaw-law'} a primitive root; TWOT - 350; v

AV - uncover 34, discover 29, captive 28, carry away 22, reveal 16,

open 12, captivity 11, shew 9, remove 6, appear 3, misc 18; 188

1) to uncover, remove

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to uncover

1a2) to remove, depart

1a3) to go into exile

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) (reflexive)

1b1a) to uncover oneself

1b1b) to discover or show oneself

1b1c) to reveal himself (of God)

1b2) (passive)

1b2a) to be uncovered

1b2b) to be disclosed, be discovered

1b2c) to be revealed

B. Known from the beginning to the end -- Isa 46:10; Acts 15:18

Isa 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”

Acts 15:18 “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”

The proof of prophecy defines the accuracy and divine influence of the Bible.

C. Purposed in Christ Eph 3:1-12 (READ)

1. The Revelation to Paul

a. Revelation Defined

602 apokalupsis {ap-ok-al'-oop-sis} from 601; TDNT - 3:563,405; n f

AV - revelation 12, be revealed 2, to lighten + 1519 1, manifestation 1, coming 1, appearing 1; 18

1) laying bear, making naked

2) a disclosure of truth, instruction

2a) concerning things before unknown

2b) used of events by which things or states or persons hitherto withdrawn from

view are made visible to all

3) manifestation, appearance

b. Mystery Defined

3466 musterion {moos-tay'-ree-on} from a derivative of muo (to shut the mouth); TDNT - 4:802,615; n n

AV - mystery 27; 27

1) hidden thing, secret, mystery

1a) generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals

1b) a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding

1c) a hidden purpose or counsel

1c1) secret will

1c1a) of men

1c1b) of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden

from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly

2) in rabbinic writings, it denotes the mystic or hidden sense

2a) of an OT saying

2b) of an image or form seen in a vision

2c) of a dream

Paul speaks of a mystery, but "In English a 'mystery' is something dark, obscure, secret, puzzling. What is 'mysterious' is inexplicable, even incomprehensible. The Greek word mysterion is different, however. Although still a 'secret', it is no longer closely guarded but open. . . More simply, mysterion is a truth hitherto hidden from human knowledge or understanding but now disclosed by the revelation of God." (Stott) David Guzik

c. What is the Mystery? The mystery described by David Guzik

This mystery is not one to be solved, but to be revealed by God.