THE MYSTERY:
A MYSTERY (3566 STRONGS, SEE GLOSSARY) MEANS, "TO SHUT THE MOUTH, A
SECRET (THROUGH THE IDEA OF SILENCE IMPOSED BY AN INITIATION INTO
RELIGIOUS RITES). TO ADMIT INTO MEMBERSHIP AS WITH CEREMONIES OR
RITUALS. TO INTRODUCE INTO A NEW FIELD, INTEREST, SKILL OR ACTIVITY. TO
CAUSE TO BEGIN (NEW) AGAIN." THE STRONG MEAT (THE REVELATION OF THE
MYSTERY) IS FOR THEM THAT ARE FULL OF AGE.
"THE REVELATION (602 STRONGS, SEE GLOSSARY, "DISCLOSURE, APPEARING,
COMING, MANIFESTATION, TO BE REVEALED." FROM 601, TO TAKE OFF THE
COVER) OF JESUS CHRIST (THE MANY-MEMBERED MAN) TO SHOW UNTO HIS
SERVANTS THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS (LIT. TRANSLATED,
ARE NECESSARY); AND HE SENT AND SIGNIFIED IT (IN SIGNS AND SYMBOLS) BY
HIS ANGEL (MESSENGER) UNTO HIS SERVANT JOHN," (REV. 1:1). PAUL
ACKNOWLEDGED THE SPIRIT WHO HAD REVEALED THE MYSTERY TO HIM. "BUT
I CERTIFY YOU, BRETHREN, THAT THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED OF ME IS
NOT AFTER MAN, FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT OF MAN, NEITHER WAS I TAUGHT
IT, BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST" (GAL.1:11-12).
A MYSTERY (3566 STRONGS, SEE GLOSSARY) MEANS, "TO SHUT THE MOUTH, A
SECRET (THROUGH THE IDEA OF SILENCE IMPOSED BY AN INITIATION INTO
RELIGIOUS RITES). TO ADMIT INTO MEMBERSHIP AS WITH CEREMONIES OR
RITUALS. TO INTRODUCE INTO A NEW FIELD, INTEREST, SKILL OR ACTIVITY. TO
CAUSE TO BEGIN (NEW) AGAIN." THE STRONG MEAT (THE REVELATION OF THE
MYSTERY) IS FOR THEM THAT ARE FULL OF AGE.
"THE REVELATION (602 STRONGS, SEE GLOSSARY, "DISCLOSURE, APPEARING,
COMING, MANIFESTATION, TO BE REVEALED." FROM 601, TO TAKE OFF THE
COVER) OF JESUS CHRIST (THE MANY-MEMBERED MAN) TO SHOW UNTO HIS
SERVANTS THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS (LIT. TRANSLATED,
ARE NECESSARY); AND HE SENT AND SIGNIFIED IT (IN SIGNS AND SYMBOLS) BY
HIS ANGEL (MESSENGER) UNTO HIS SERVANT JOHN," (REV. 1:1). PAUL
ACKNOWLEDGED THE SPIRIT WHO HAD REVEALED THE MYSTERY TO HIM. "BUT
I CERTIFY YOU, BRETHREN, THAT THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED OF ME IS
NOT AFTER MAN, FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT OF MAN, NEITHER WAS I TAUGHT
IT, BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST" (GAL.1:11-12).
THE TIME:
"NOW WE, BRETHREN, AS ISAAC WAS, ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE"
(GAL. 4:28). "FOR THIS CAUSE, I, PAUL, THE PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST FOR
YOU GENTILES, IF YE HAVE HEARD OF THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF
GOD WHICH IS GIVEN ME TO YOU -
WARD: HOW THAT BY REVELATION HE MADE KNOWN UNTO ME THE
MYSTERY; AS I WROTE AFORE IN FEW WORDS, WHEREBY, WHEN YE READ, YE
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;" (EPH.
3:1-5). NOW, THIS IS THE AGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
"NOW WE, BRETHREN, AS ISAAC WAS, ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE"
(GAL. 4:28). "FOR THIS CAUSE, I, PAUL, THE PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST FOR
YOU GENTILES, IF YE HAVE HEARD OF THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF
GOD WHICH IS GIVEN ME TO YOU -
WARD: HOW THAT BY REVELATION HE MADE KNOWN UNTO ME THE
MYSTERY; AS I WROTE AFORE IN FEW WORDS, WHEREBY, WHEN YE READ, YE
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;" (EPH.
3:1-5). NOW, THIS IS THE AGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THE MANIFESTATION:
THE SECRET WHICH WAS HIDDEN "SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN" IS NOW MADE
KNOWN AND REVEALED "BY THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS" (ROM.
16:25-26). THE JEWS HAD STUDIED THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS FOR
HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND KNEW EVERY JOT AND TITTLE OF THE LAW, YET
THEY NEVER KNEW THE MYSTERY THEY CONTAINED. "BUT NOW WE ARE
DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, THAT BEING DEAD WHEREIN WE WERE HELD; THAT
WE SHOULD SERVE IN NEWNESS OF THE SPIRIT, AND NOT IN THE OLDNESS OF
THE LETTER" (ROM. 7:6). THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE REVELATION HAD BEEN
SEALED UP FOR AN APPOINTED TIME. THE REVELATION WHICH IS BEING
DISCLOSED AT THIS TIME CAN ONLY BE INTERPRETED SPIRITUALLY, NOT
NATURALLY. "HOWBEIT THAT WAS NOT FIRST WHICH IS SPIRITUAL, BUT THAT
WHICH IS NATURAL; AND AFTERWARD THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUAL" (I COR.
15:46). PAUL DECLARED, "NOW IS MADE MANIFEST: TODAY IT IS REVEALED."
WE ARE OF THE DAY WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH IS COME TO LEAD US INTO
"ALL TRUTH," EVEN THE HIDDEN WISDOM WHICH GOD ORDAINED BEFORE THE
WORLD UNTO OUR GLORY. THE MYSTERY WHICH IS "CHRIST IN YOU, THE
HOPE OF GLORY" (COL. 1:27). WE ARE THE MANIFESTED SONS OF GOD. WE ARE
"ALWAYS BEARING ABOUT IN THE BODY THE DYING OF THE LORD JESUS, THAT
THE LIFE ALSO OF JESUS MIGHT BE MADE MANIFEST IN OUR BODY. FOR WE
WHICH LIVE ARE ALWAYS DELIVERED UNTO DEATH FOR JESUS' SAKE, THAT
THE LIFE ALSO OF JESUS MIGHT BE MADE MANIFEST IN OUR MORTAL FLESH" (II
COR. 4:10-11).
(3)
THE SECRET WHICH WAS HIDDEN "SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN" IS NOW MADE
KNOWN AND REVEALED "BY THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS" (ROM.
16:25-26). THE JEWS HAD STUDIED THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS FOR
HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND KNEW EVERY JOT AND TITTLE OF THE LAW, YET
THEY NEVER KNEW THE MYSTERY THEY CONTAINED. "BUT NOW WE ARE
DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, THAT BEING DEAD WHEREIN WE WERE HELD; THAT
WE SHOULD SERVE IN NEWNESS OF THE SPIRIT, AND NOT IN THE OLDNESS OF
THE LETTER" (ROM. 7:6). THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE REVELATION HAD BEEN
SEALED UP FOR AN APPOINTED TIME. THE REVELATION WHICH IS BEING
DISCLOSED AT THIS TIME CAN ONLY BE INTERPRETED SPIRITUALLY, NOT
NATURALLY. "HOWBEIT THAT WAS NOT FIRST WHICH IS SPIRITUAL, BUT THAT
WHICH IS NATURAL; AND AFTERWARD THAT WHICH IS SPIRITUAL" (I COR.
15:46). PAUL DECLARED, "NOW IS MADE MANIFEST: TODAY IT IS REVEALED."
WE ARE OF THE DAY WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH IS COME TO LEAD US INTO
"ALL TRUTH," EVEN THE HIDDEN WISDOM WHICH GOD ORDAINED BEFORE THE
WORLD UNTO OUR GLORY. THE MYSTERY WHICH IS "CHRIST IN YOU, THE
HOPE OF GLORY" (COL. 1:27). WE ARE THE MANIFESTED SONS OF GOD. WE ARE
"ALWAYS BEARING ABOUT IN THE BODY THE DYING OF THE LORD JESUS, THAT
THE LIFE ALSO OF JESUS MIGHT BE MADE MANIFEST IN OUR BODY. FOR WE
WHICH LIVE ARE ALWAYS DELIVERED UNTO DEATH FOR JESUS' SAKE, THAT
THE LIFE ALSO OF JESUS MIGHT BE MADE MANIFEST IN OUR MORTAL FLESH" (II
COR. 4:10-11).
(3)
Copyright 2002