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STUDY V
"THE MYSTERY HID FROM AGES AND FROM
GENERATIONS, BUT NOW MADE MANIFEST
TO HIS SAINTS"--Col. 1:26
The Glimmering Light of the First Promise--The Promise to Abraham--
Hope Deferred--The Mystery Begins to Unravel at Pentecost--What
the Mystery Is--Why So Long Kept a Mystery--Still a Mystery to the
World--In Due Time to be Made Manifest to All--When the Mystery
Will be Finished.
WHILE mankind was under the discipline of evil, and
unable to understand its necessity, God repeatedly expressed
his purpose to restore and bless them through a
coming deliverer. But who that deliverer should be was a
mystery for four thousand years, and it only began to be
clearly revealed after the resurrection of Christ, in the beginning
of the Christian or Gospel age.
Looking back to the time when life and Edenic happiness
were forfeited by our first parents, we see them under the
just penalty of sin filled with sorrow, and without a ray of
hope, except that drawn from the obscure statement that
the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head.
Though in the light of subsequent developments this is full
of significance to us, to them it was but a faint and glimmering
light. Nearly two thousand years rolled by with no
evidence of a fulfilment.
About two thousand years after, God called Abraham,
and promised that his seed should bless all the families of
the earth. This looked as though God still held to his previously
expressed purpose, and was now about to fulfil it.
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Time sped on: the promised land of Canaan was not yet in
his possession; they had yet no offspring, and Abraham and
Sarah were growing old. Abraham reasoned that he must
help God to fulfil his promise; so Ishmael was born. But his
assistance was not needed, for in due time Isaac, the child of
hope and promise, was born. Then it seemed that the promised
ruler and blesser of nations had come. But no: years
rolled by, and seemingly God's promise had failed; for
Isaac died, and his heir, Jacob, also. But the faith of a
few still held firmly to the promise, and was sustained
by God; for "the covenant which he made with Abraham"
was assured by God's "oath unto Isaac, and confirmed
to Jacob...and to Israel for an everlasting covenant."
1 Chron. 16:16,17
When at the time of Jacob's death his descendants were
first called the TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, and recognized of
God as a "chosen nation" (Gen. 49:28; Deut. 26:5), the expectation
that this nation as a whole, as the promised seed
of Abraham, should possess Canaan, and rule and bless the
world, seemed to be on the eve of realization; for already,
under the favor of Egypt, they were becoming a strong nation.
But hope was almost blasted and the promise almost
forgotten when the Egyptians, having gained control of
them, held them as slaves for a long period.
Truly God's promises were shrouded in mystery, and his
ways seemed past finding out. However, in due time came
Moses, a great deliverer, by whose hand God led them out
of bondage, working mighty miracles on their behalf. Before
entering Canaan this great deliverer died; but as the
Lord's mouthpiece he declared, "A prophet shall the Lord
your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me."
(Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22) This gave a further
insight into
God's plan, showing that not only would their nation, as a
whole, be associated in some way with the future work of
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ruling and blessing, but that one to be selected from among
them would lead to victory and to the fulfilment of the
promise. Then Joshua, whose name signifies deliverer, or
savior, became their leader, and under him they won great
victories, and actually entered the land promised in the
covenant. Surely then it seemed that the true leader had
come, and that the promise was about to have complete
fulfilment.
But Joshua died, and they made no headway as a nation
until David, and then Solomon, were given them as kings.
There they reached the very zenith of their glory; but soon,
instead of seeing the promise accomplished, they were
shorn of their power, and became tributary to other nations.
Some held fast the promise of God, however, and still
looked for the great deliverer of whom Moses, Joshua,
David and Solomon were only types.
About the time when Jesus was born, all men were in expectation
of the Messiah, the coming king of Israel and,
through Israel, of the world. But Israel's hope of the glory
and honor of their coming king, inspired as it was by the
types and prophecies of his greatness and power, caused
them to overlook another set of types and prophecies,
which pointed to a work of suffering and death, as a ransom
for sinners, necessary before the blessing could come. This
was prefigured in the Passover before they were delivered
from Egypt, in the slaying of the animals at the giving of
the law covenant (Heb. 9:11-20; 10:8-18), and in the Atonement
sacrifices performed year by year continually by the
priesthood. They overlooked, too, the statement of the
prophets, "who testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ,
and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter 1:11)
Hence, when
Jesus came as a sacrifice, they did not recognize him; they
knew not the time of their visitation. (Luke 19:44) Even his
immediate followers were sorely perplexed when Jesus
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died; and sadly they said, "We trusted it had been he which
should have redeemed Israel." (Luke 24:21) Apparently,
their confidence in him had been misplaced. They failed to
see that the death of their leader was a surety for the New
Covenant under which the blessings were to come, a partial
fulfilment of the covenant of promise. However, when they
found that he had risen from the tomb, their withered
hopes again began to revive (1 Peter 1:3), and when he was
about to leave them, they asked concerning their long-cherished
and oft-deferred hope, saying, "Lord, wilt thou at this
time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" That their hopes
were in the main correct, though they might not know the
time when they would be fulfilled, is evident from our
Lord's reply: "It is not for you to know the times
and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power."
Acts 1:6,7
What turn has God's plan now taken? must have been
the query of his disciples when Jesus had ascended; for we
must remember that our Lord's teachings concerning the
Kingdom were principally in parables and dark sayings.
He had said to them, "I have yet many things to say unto
you, but ye cannot bear them now; howbeit, when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth."
"He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 16:12,13; 14:26)
So they could not understand before the
Pentecostal blessing came.
Even then, it was some time before they got a clear, full
understanding of the work being done, and its relation to
the original covenant. (Acts 11:9; Gal. 2:2,12,14)
However,
it would seem that even before they fully and clearly
understood, they were used as the mouthpieces of God, and
their inspired words were probably clearer and deeper expressions
of truth than they themselves fully comprehended.
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For instance, read James' discourse in which he
says: "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit
the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name [a
bride]. And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is
written, 'After this [after this people from the Gentiles has
been taken out] I will return, and will build again the tabernacle
of David [the earthly dominion] which is fallen down,
and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it
up.'" Acts 15:14-16
James began to read in God's providence, in the sending
of the Gospel through Peter to the first Gentile convert and
through Paul to Gentiles in general, that during this age believing
Jews and Gentiles were to be alike favored. He then
looked up the prophecies and found it so written; and that
after the work of this Gospel age is completed, then the
promises to fleshly Israel will be fulfilled. Gradually the
great mystery, so long hidden, began to be understood by a
few--the saints, the special "friends" of God.
Paul declares (Col. 1:27) that this mystery which hath
been hid from ages and from generations, now made manifest
to his saints, is
"Christ in You, the Hope of Glory."
This is the great mystery of God which has been hidden
from all previous ages, and is still hidden from all except a
special class--the saints, or consecrated believers. But what
is meant by "Christ in you?" We have learned that Jesus
was anointed with the holy Spirit (Acts 10:38), and thus we
recognize him to be the Christ--the anointed--for the word
Christ signifies anointed. And the Apostle John says that
the
anointing which we (consecrated believers) have received
abideth in us. (1 John 2:27) Thus the saints of this
Gospel age
are an anointed company--anointed to be kings and priests
unto God (2 Cor. 1:21; 1 Peter 2:9); and together
with
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Jesus, their chief and Lord, they constitute Jehovah's
Anointed--the Christ.
In harmony with this teaching of John, that we also are
anointed, Paul assures us that this mystery which has been
kept secret in ages past, but which is now made known to
the saints, is that the Christ (the Anointed) is "not one member,
but many," just as the human body is one, and has
many members; but as all the members of the body, being
many, are one body, so also is the Anointed--the Christ.
(1 Cor. 12:12-28) Jesus is anointed to be the Head or Lord
over the Church, which is his body (or his bride, as expressed
in another figure--Eph. 5:25-30), and unitedly they
constitute the promised "Seed"--the Great Deliverer: "If
ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to
the promise." Gal. 3:29
The Apostle carefully guards the Church against any
presumptive claims, saying of Jesus that "God hath put all
things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all
things to the Church, which is his body," "that in all things
he might have the pre-eminence." (Eph. 1:22;
Col. 1:18) Yet,
under the figure of the human body, he beautifully and forcibly
shows our intimate relationship. This same oneness
Jesus also taught, saying, "I am the vine, ye are the
branches." John 15:5
Our oneness with the Lord Jesus, as members of the
Christ, the anointed company, is well illustrated by the figure
of the pyramid.
The top-stone is a perfect pyramid of itself. Other stones
may be built up under it, and, if in harmony with all the
characteristic lines of the top-stone, the whole mass will be a
perfect pyramid. How beautifully this illustrates our position
as members of "the Seed"--"the Christ." Joined to and
perfectly in harmony with our Head, we, as living stones,
are perfect; separated from him, we are nothing.
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Jesus, the perfect one, has been highly exalted, and now
we present ourselves to him that we may be formed and
shaped according to his example, and that we may be built
up as a building of God. In an ordinary building there is no
chief corner-stone; but in our building there is one chief corner-stone,
the "top-stone," as it is written: "Behold, I lay in
Zion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious"--"to whom coming
as unto a living stone...ye also as lively [living] stones
are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
*sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Pet. 2:4-6)
And very soon, we trust, the union between Jesus, the
"Head," and "the Church, which is his body," will be
complete.
*Sinaitic MS. omits spiritual before sacrifices.
And, dearly beloved, many blows and much polishing
must we endure--much transforming must we undergo,
and much conforming to his example, under the direction
of the great Master-builder; and in order to have the ability
and ideality of the builder displayed in us, we will need to
see that we have no cross-grained will of our own to oppose
or thwart the accomplishment of His will in us; we must be
very childlike and humble--"clothed with humility; for
God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."
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Let us humble ourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand
of God, that he may exalt us in due time (1 Peter 5:5,6), as
he has exalted our Head and Forerunner. Phil. 2:8,9
This is indeed a wonderful message, and, as we come to
the Word of God to inquire concerning our great high calling,
we find the prophets all eloquent in proclaiming the
grace [favor or blessing] that is come unto us (1 Peter 1:10);
while types, and parables, and hitherto dark sayings, now
become luminous, shedding their light on the "narrow
way" in which the anointed [Christ] company is called to
run for the prize now disclosed to view. This was truly a
mystery never before thought of--that God intends to raise
up not only a deliverer, but a deliverer composed of many
members. This is the "high calling" to which the consecrated
believers of the Gospel age are privileged to attain. Jesus
did not attempt to unfold it to the disciples while natural
men, but waited until at Pentecost they were anointed--begotten
to the new nature. From Paul's explanation we
know that none but "new creatures" can now appreciate or
understand this high calling. He says: "We speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom [plan]
which God ordained before the world unto our glory;
which none of the princes [chief ones] of this world knew;
...as it is written, 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him'; but God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit." 1 Cor. 2:6-14
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul opens up the entire
mystery, and shows how the Abrahamic covenant is to be
fulfilled. He shows that the Law given to Israel did not interfere
with the original covenant (Gal. 3:15-18), and that
the seed of Abraham which is to bless all nations is Christ.
(Verse 16) Then, carrying out the idea already alluded to,
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that the Christ includes all anointed of the Spirit, he says:
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have
put on Christ;...and if ye be Christ's then are YE [together
with Jesus] Abraham's seed, and heirs, according to the promise"
made to Abraham. (Verses 27,29) Following up the
same line of reasoning, he shows (Gal. 4) that Abraham was
a type of Jehovah, Sarah a type of the covenant or promise,
and Isaac a type of Christ (head and body); and then adds,
"We, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."
(Verse 28) Thus the plan of God was hidden in types until
the Gospel age began the development of the Christ.
There has existed a necessity for keeping this mystery
hidden, else it would not have been so kept. It was necessary,
because to have revealed the plan in full to mankind
would have been to frustrate it. Had men known, they
would not have crucified either the Lord of glory or the
Church which is his body. (1 Cor. 2:8) Not only would the
death of Christ, as the price of man's redemption, have
been interfered with, had not the plan been kept a mystery
from the world, but the trial of the faith of the Church, as
sharers in the sufferings of Christ, would thereby have been
prevented also; for "The world knoweth us not [as his joint-heirs]
because [for the same reason that] it knew him not."
1 John 3:1
Not only is the plan of God, and the Christ which is the
very embodiment of that plan, a great mystery to the
world, but the peculiar course in which this little flock is
called to walk marks its members as "peculiar people." It
was a mystery to the world that a person of so much ability
as Jesus of Nazareth should spend his time and talent as he
did, whereas, if he had turned his attention to politics, law,
merchandise or popular religion, he might have become
great and respected. In the opinion of men he foolishly
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wasted his life, and they said, "He hath a devil and is mad."
His life and teachings were mysteries to them. They could
not understand him.
The apostles and their companions were likewise mysteries
in the world, in leaving their business prospects, etc.,
to preach forgiveness of sins through the death of the despised
and crucified Jesus. Paul forsook a high station and
social influence to labor with his hands, and to preach
Christ, and the invisible crown for all believers who should
walk in his footsteps. This was so mysterious that some said,
"Paul, thou art beside thyself: much learning doth make
thee mad." And all who so follow in the Master's footsteps
are, like Paul, counted fools for Christ's sake.
But God's plan will not always be shrouded in mystery:
the dawn of the Millennial Day brings the fuller light of
God to men, and "the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the
whole earth." The Sun of Righteousness, which shall arise
with healing in his wings, dispelling the darkness of ignorance,
is the Christ in Millennial glory--not the Head
alone, but also the members of his body; for it is written: If
we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified together.
"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we
also appear with him in glory"; and "Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Rom. 8:17;
2 Tim. 2:11,12; Col. 3:4; Matt. 13:43
Now, to all except those begotten to a new mind, by receiving
"the mind of Christ," the promises which we believe,
and the hopes which we cherish, seem visionary, and
too improbable to be received or acted upon. In the age to
come, when God shall "pour out his spirit upon all flesh," as
during the present age he pours it upon his "servants and
handmaids," then indeed all will understand and appreciate
the promises now being grasped by the "little flock";
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and they will rejoice in the obedience and exaltation of the
Church, saying, "Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give
honor to God, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and
his wife hath made herself ready." (Rev. 19:7) They will
rejoice
in the glorification of the Church, through which
blessings will then be flowing to them; and while they will
realize that the "exceeding great and precious promises" inherited
by the Anointed (head and body) are not for them,
but are fulfilled upon us, they will be blessed by the lesson
illustrated in the Church; and while they run for the blessings
then held out to them, they will profit by the example of
the Church, and glorify God on her behalf. But this knowledge
will not bring covetousness; for under the new order of
things their calling to perfect human nature will fully satisfy
them, and will seem more desirable to them than a
change of nature.
Then the "mystery" will have ended; for the world will
have come to see that it was the spirit of God in Christ, and
the spirit of Christ in us--God manifested in the flesh--
which they had hitherto misunderstood. Then they will see
that we were not mad, nor fools; but that we chose the better
part when we ran for the riches, honors and crown, unseen
by them, but eternal.
In point of time, the mystery of God will be finished during
the period of the sounding of the seventh [symbolic]
trumpet. (Rev. 10:7) This applies to the mystery in both
senses in which it is used: the mystery or secret features of
God's plan will then be made known and will be clearly
seen; and also the "mystery of God," the Church, the embodiment
of that plan. Both will then be finished. The secret,
hidden plan will have sought out the full, complete
number of the members of the body of Christ, and hence it,
the BODY OF CHRIST, will be finished. The plan will cease to
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be a mystery, because there will be no further object in perpetuating
its secrecy. The greatness of the mystery, so long
kept secret, and hidden in promises, types and figures, and
the wonderful grace bestowed on those called to fellowship
in this mystery (Eph. 3:9), suggest to us that the work to follow
its completion, for which for six thousand years Jehovah
has kept mankind in expectation and hope, must be an
immense work, a grand work, worthy of such great preparations.
What may we not expect in blessings upon the
world, when the veil of mystery is withdrawn and the showers
of blessing descend! It is this for which the whole creation
groans and travails in pain together until now, waiting
for the completion of this mystery--for the manifestation of
the Sons of God, the promised "Seed," in whom they shall
all be blessed. Rom. 8:19,21,22
A Lord's Day Offering
"I offer Thee:
Every heart's throb, they are Thine;
Every human tie of mine;
Every joy and every pain;
Every act of mind or brain--
My blessed God!
Every hope and every fear;
Every smile and every tear;
Every song and hymn,
'Laudamus Te.'
"Take them all, my blessed Lord,
Bind them with thy secret cord;
Glorify thyself in me,
Adored One!
Multiply them by thy Word;
Strengthen, bless, increase, my Lord
Of perfect love!
Thou First and Last!"
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