THE MYSTERIES

Writing to the Corinthians Paul says - "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the - 'Mysteries of God'." I Cor. 4:1.

In Rom. 16:25, 26, Paul speaks of what he calls "My Gospel," which he calls the "Revelation of the Mystery," which was kept "Secret" since the world began, but now is made "Manifest." It was the "Revelation" that was promised to Paul at his conversion (Acts 26:16-18), and which comprised the "Mysteries of God."

The "Mysteries" are eleven in number, eight of which were revealed to Paul. Of the remaining three, one was revealed by Christ, and two were revealed to the Apostle John. A "Mystery" in the New Testament sense is not something that cannot be understood, but is some plan or purpose of God that has been known to Him from the beginning, but which He has withheld from the knowledge of men until the time came for Him to reveal it. Let us examine these "Mysteries" in the order in which they are fulfilled.

I. THE MYSTERY OF THE "INCARNATION."

"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." I Tim. 3:16.

It is no mystery that God should reveal Himself by speaking from the Heavens, as on Mt. Sinai, but that He should take on the "Human Form" and "Tabernacle" among us that was a great mystery. This He did in the person of Christ. John 1:1-14. So Jesus could say "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." John 14:9.

II. THE MYSTERY OF THE "DIVINE INDWELLING."

In Col. 1:26-28, Paul speaks of another "Mystery" which had been hid from "Ages" and from "Generations," but was then made manifest to the saints. He calls it the "Mystery of 'Christ in you'." This is a great mystery because it is the mystery of the "New Birth."

A mystery that brought from Nicodemus the exclamation - "How can a man be born when he is old?" John 3:4. The New Birth is wonderful. But it is a wonderful fact. It is the union of the Divine Nature and ours. So that just as Jesus became one with us by His taking our human nature, so this union is, that it is a union of "Identity." We are just as much a part of Christ as the members of the body are a part of the body. I Cor. 12:12. It is for Christ to live in us. Gal. 2:20.

III. THE MYSTERY OF THE "UNION OF THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES IN ONE BODY CALLED THE CHURCH."

In his letter to the saints at Ephesus (Eph. 3:1-11), Paul says, that God by revelation made known to him the "Mystery," which in other Ages had not been made known unto the sons of men, "That the Gentiles should be 'Fellow Heirs,' and of the 'Same Body,' and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel." It is almost impossible to overestimate the bitter "Race Hatred" which existed in Christ's day between them. The Jews looked upon the Gentiles as "dogs," and the Gentiles despised the Jews. It was worse than the caste spirit of India. It was therefore to them a revelation that God was going in this dispensation to take some Jews and some Gentiles and form of them a "New Body" called the Church. In Christ all races and class distinctions disappear, and it is only in the Church that such a "Holy Brotherhood" can be found as the world is seeking.

IV. THE MYSTERY OF THE "SEVEN STARS" AND THE "SEVEN CANDLESTICKS."

To the Apostle John was revealed the Mystery of the "Seven Stars," and the "Seven Candlesticks." Rev. 1:12-20. He was told that the "Seven Stars" stood for the "Seven Angels or Messengers" of the Seven Churches that are in Asia Minor, and the "Seven Candlesticks" stood for the "Seven Churches" themselves.

The Mystery of these Candlesticks lay in the fact that the Seven Churches mentioned were representative Churches for the past 1900 years, and the Mystery could not be understood until the present time, or until the correspondence between the character of those Churches and Church history should be revealed.

V. THE MYSTERY OF THE "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN."

When the Jews rejected Christ, and thus prevented the setting up of the Kingdom, the Kingdom took on another form, the "Mystery Form." To show the character of this "Mystery Form" of the kingdom, Jesus resorted to parables. These parables are 12 in number and are found in Matthew's Gospel only.

VI. THE MYSTERY OF THE "TRANSLATION OF THE LIVING SAINTS."

In I Cor. 15:15-55, Paul says -

"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, at the last trump."

This is the greatest of all mysteries, because it reveals something that reason never dreamed of. According to reason the common lot of man is to die, but to be taken off this earth and translated to heaven without dying was never thought of until revealed to Paul.

VII. THE MYSTERY OF "INIQUITY."

In II Thess. 2:1-12, Paul, speaking of the "Man of Sin" or "Antichrist," calls his teaching and claims the 

"MYSTERY OF INIQUITY,"

which was already at work in Paul's day. The "Mystery of Godliness" is God manifest in the flesh, and the "Mystery of Iniquity" is Satan manifest in the flesh.

VIII. THE MYSTERY OF "BABYLON THE GREAT."

This Mystery is revealed in the seventeenth chapter of the book of Revelation.

IX. THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH AS THE "BRIDE OF CHRIST."

This was revealed to Paul, and is disclosed in Eph. 5:22-33, under the figure of the relation of man and wife. "This is a 'Great Mystery'; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." The first Adam had a bride. Eve: and the second, or last Adam must have a bride, the CHURCH. This is a "Great Mystery" because it explains why there should be a "Parenthetical Dispensation" between the first and second Coming of Christ, in which, by grace, a chosen people should be "called out" to form the Church, the Bride of Christ.

X. THE MYSTERY OF THE "RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS."

This is spoken of by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 1:9-10), as the


"MYSTERY OF HIS WILL,"


and reveals how that in the "Dispensation of the fullness of Times," it is God's purpose to undo all that sin has done, and restore "ALL THINGS" as they were before the "Rebellion of Satan" and the "FALL OF MAN."

XI. "CHRIST" CONTRASTS TO "ANTICHRIST"

(1) Christ came from above.............................John 6:38
Antichrist ascend from the pit...........................Rev. 11:7
(2) Christ came in His Father's name................John 5:43
Antichrist comes in his own name.....................John 5:43
(3) Christ humbled Himself..............................Phil. 2:8
Antichrist Exalts himself...................................2 Thess. 2:4
(4) Christ Despised.........................................Isa. 53:3; Luke 23:18
Antichrist Admired..........................................Rev. 13:3,4
(5) Christ Exalted............................................Phil. 2:9
Antichrist Cast down to Hell............................Isa. 14:14; Rev. 19:20
(6) Christ to do His Father's will......................John 6:38
Antichrist to do his own will.............................Dan. 11:36
(7) Christ came to save....................................Luke 19:10
Antichrist comes to Destroy.............................Dan. 8:24
(8) Christ is the Good Shepherd......................John 10:4-15
Antichrist is the Idol (Evil) Shepherd................Zech. 11:16, 17
(9) Christ is the "True Vine".............................John 15:1
Antichrist is the "Vine of the Earth"...................Rev. 14:18
(10) Christ is the "Truth"..................................John 14:6
Antichrist is the "Lie"........................................2 Thess. 2:11
(11) Christ is the "Holy One"...........................Mark 1:24
Antichrist is the "Lawless One"........................2 Thess. 2:8, R.V.
(12) Christ is the "Man of Sorrows".................Isa. 53:3
Antichrist is the "Man of Sin"............................2 Thess. 2:3
(13) Christ is the "Son of God"........................Luke 1:35
Antichrist is the "Son of Perdition"....................2 Thess. 2:3
(14) Christ, "The Mystery of Godliness" is
God manifest in the flesh..................................1 Tim. 3:16
Antichrist, "The Mystery of Iniquity,'
will be Satan manifest in the flesh......................2 Thess. 2:7


Antichrist is not a "Rival" or "Counterfeit" Christ, he is an "Opposing" Christ.


As we study our scriptures we find that we must return to the study of "Types" and "Antitypes" because this is the way we find the hidden mysteries in every scripture as you will know, the "Types" are found in the Old Testament such as - Abraham a type of God, and Isaac a type of Christ, but there are some types in the New Testament as well as the Old Testament.

These types are the unfulfilled scriptures that we must go through before Christ return, now lets look at these scriptures as I see them - As I said, Antichrist is not a "Rival" or "Counterfeit" Christ, but as Isaac was a type of Christ then in the New Testament Christ is the Type and the "Son of Perdition" is the Antitype or Antichrist as we know him, he is an "Opposing" Christ.

TYPES AND ANTI-TYPES:

The "OLD" things are the "Types" of the Old Testament, and the "NEW" things what they stand for in the New Testament. The New Testament is "Enfolded" in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is "Unfolded" in the New, or as St. Augustine put it -

"The New is in the Old contained;
The Old is by the New explained."


You cannot understand Leviticus without Hebrews, or Daniel without Revelation, or the Passover, or Isaiah 53 without the Gospel account of the Crucifixion. The value of the study of the "Types" and "Antitypes" is the proof they furnish of the Inspiration of the Scriptures. Their study proves beyond question that the Scriptures had but one Author -


"THE HOLY GHOST."

TYPE:                                                                ANTITYPE:


ISAAC                                                                         CHRIST


(1) Both Isaac and Christ were children of PROMISE...............Gen. 15:4; Isa. 7:14
(2) The birth of both was PRE-ANNOUNCED........................Gen. 18:10; Luke 1:30-31.
(3) Both were named before their birth.......................................ISAAC, Gen. 17:19; CHRIST, Luke 1:31.
(4) The birth of both was

CONTRARY TO NATURE.

Sarah was barren......................................................................Gen. 11:30
Mary was a virgin......................................................................Matt. 1:18-20
(5) Both are called an ONLY SON...........................................Gen. 22:2 (Heb. 11:17) John 3:16
(6) Both mocked and persecuted by their OWN KINDRED......Gen. 21:9-10; Gal. 4:28-29; Matt. 27:2
(7) Neither Isaac nor Christ had broken the
law that they should be offered up...............................................Gen. 22:2; Matt. 27:24.
(8) As Isaac carried the wood on which he
was to die, so Christ carried His Own Cross (Made of wood).....Gen. 22:6; John 19:17.
(9) As Isaac went willingly to the "altar,"
so Christ went willingly to the "Cross"...........................................Gen. 22:9; John 10:17.
(10) Both apparently given up or forsaken by his father.................Gen. 22:12; Matt. 27:46.
(11) Both rose from the place of death in Resurrection..................Heb. 11:17; Matt. 28:6.

In both cases GOD interposed.