Prophecy & Mystery

All of God’s word is inspired and profitable for us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But in 2 Timothy 2:15 we are told to rightly divide the word of truth because there are natural divisions and distinctions in God’s Word. God himself and Jesus Christ never change. They are the same, yesterday, today, and forever, but one thing is obvious – God has changed his dealings with man through the history recorded in the Bible.

Consider these two verses demonstrating that Jesus Christ is presented according to two distinct revelations, prophecy and the mystery, in the Scriptures. This is the key to understanding the Bible.

In Acts 3:21; Peter speaks of Jesus’ return to earth, “WHICH GOD HATH SPOKEN BY THE MOUTH OF ALL HIS HOLY PROPHETS SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN.” See also Isaiah 59:20, Jeremiah 23:5,6, Zechariah 14:3,4.

In Romans 16:25, Paul many years later speaks of being established by “the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY, WHICH WAS KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN.”

Prophecy is “spoken by all the holy prophets since the world began.” God has made known a great purpose for the earth throughout the Old Testament that He would send a king that would fulfil the promises made unto the fathers, and when the fullness of time was come, God sent His Son into the world to redeem restore His favored nation Israel (Galatians 4:4). That is why we read of Jesus saying as he begins his public ministry in Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the issue was that Jesus had come as the seed of David to set up a kingdom and rule over the house of Israel (Luke 1:31-33). His throne and kingdom would be forever!

Romans 16:25, however, speaks of a great revelation concerning Jesus Christ, “which was kept secret since the world began.” In other ages not made known, and a mystery hid in God (Ephesians 3:5 & 9). God had a secret purpose, hidden not in the scriptures, but within himself concerning his Son. Had this mystery been made known Satan and his hosts would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). This purpose concerns not a physical kingdom of earth, but the formation of a new agency among the Gentiles called the church, the body of Christ. The body of Christ is looking not for his return to the earth, but a catching away to meet the Lord in the air, to forever be with the Lord in heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

The earthly kingdom awaits a future day after this hidden purpose is fulfilled. For sure there is only one Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, but he is clearly presented in two distinct ways in the New Testament! One according to prophecy, which God hath spoken since the world began, Acts 3:21,  and one called the mystery, and the dispensation of the grace of God, that is revealed to the apostle Paul, Romans 16:25, and Ephesians 3:1-12. This revelation is found the books of Romans through Philemon in the New Testament.