The greatest of mysteries are those
which are hidden in plain sight. The skill of the author of such
mysteries is manifested by the inability of men to solve the
puzzle until such time as he is pleased to reveal it. To be
a true mystery it must be kept hidden in this fashion. And when
it is revealed, its solution is so clear that one stands in
awe at its unveiling. There are several mysteries in
the scriptures which are in reality various aspects of the main mystery
which was hidden in plain sight from the very beginning of creation.
It is necessary to an understanding of the nature of the kingdom
of God to behold these mysteries. We read of the general mystery
of the unfolding of the kingdom of God, which can only be seen
by those to whom the Lord is pleased to give eyes to see it.
This is the exact truth which the Lord showed to Nicodemus
when he said, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. There is
also the mystery of the resurrection and glorification of that people
which he has loved from before the foundation of the world.
Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The
hope of most natural men is that they can continue to live on
in some idyllic environment where they will enjoy eternal bliss
and the fulfillment of their carnal desires. Most call this
heaven. Paul speaks, however, of a mystery
which is presently revealed concerning the nature of the kingdom of
God. He said that some who are alive at the return of Christ
shall not even taste of death. But whether those sons of God
are taken from this world without dying, or are raised from the
tomb, they must and shall all be changed. It is this change
which is the mystery, hidden from the wise and prudent, and
revealed to those whose longing is to be rid of these carnal
bodies, which are the very source of their corruption. Thus the
Lord taught that flesh and blood could not inherit the kingdom
of God. A change is required for men
to enter there. Then there is the mystery of
marriage. The Lord created Eve as the perfect companion for
Adam, and mankind has benefited from the institution of marriage.
But it was not an end in itself. It was rather given to mankind
in order to demonstrate the relationship of the Church to Christ. Just
as Eve was taken from the side of Adam, so too is the Bride
of Christ taken from His side. We read also of the mystery of
the faith, which is demonstrated in those whom the Lord is pleased
to call. The faith of the saints is not simply adherence to the
dogma of sound doctrine or a decision to adopt some religious practice,
but is that which results in a desire to walk in accordance
to the precepts of Christ. Then we find a mention of the
mystery of godliness, which is the very definition of the gospel
as it has been unfolded unto men. 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, received up into glory. This brings us to the summation
of the grandest of all mysteries, of which the individual mysteries
are given to unfold the purpose of God. This mystery is that
he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And
he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have
the preeminence. To this end, it is revealed that
he would gather his people from among all nations of the earth,
that every knee should bow and every tongue confess. Paul declares
this mystery to be that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of
the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the
gospel. This is quite a revelation in
light of the understanding which the Jews had that the natural
sons of Adam were the inheritors of God's promise. The kingdom
of God is inhabited by those of like precious faith, which
the Lord has called to himself from every tribe, kindred, and
tongue since the creation of the world. The Lord spoke of
them, saying, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Have you
heard his voice and come to him? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream dot net.