The Seven Mysteries of the Church

 

The Seven Mysteries of the Church. One of the important distinctions that need to be made is this: i. Israel's future is foretold by hundreds of prophecies leading up to the second coming of Jesus and the establishment of His kingdom. This is Old Testament, the Olivet Discourse and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. ii. The seven mysteries of the Church revealed to Paul by the ascended and glorified Jesus in Arabia (Galatians 1:17 & 18). The only prophecy for the Church is the mystery of the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). This is all New Testament after Acts to the Epistles of Jude. Why is this distinction between Israel and the Church so important when it comes to the timing of the Rapture? The reason why is that Tribulational rapturist applies prophecies for Israel to the Church and they cannot identify the seven mysteries of the Church, of particular is the rapture being before Daniel 9:27. So what is the definition of "mystery?" Ephesians 3:8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Colossians 1:25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. The seven mysteries were unknown to Israel, because God kept the mystery of the Church hidden through the ages until His program for Israel rans its course. This is why the revelation of these mysteries did not start until after the cross, after the birth of the Church on Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit and after Jesus came from heaven to call Paul as His twelfth apostle to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. If any prophecy before the cross for Israel and applied to the Church is mishandling the scriptures. The Church was never revealed in Old Testament prophecy and was never meant for the Church. So what are the seven mysteries?

1. The mystery of the blindness of Israel and God's purpose with Israel's blindness (Rom. 11:1-25).

2. The mystery of the departure of the church at the end of this age (1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:13f).

3. The mystery of the church as the body of Christ where Jew and Gentile become one new man in Christ (Eph. 3:1-11; 2:11f).

4. The mystery of the church as the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:25-32).

5. The mystery of the indwelling of Christ as the hope of glory or spiritual deliverance by the power of the indwelling Christ (Col. 1:26-27; 2:2).

6. The mystery of lawlessness--the continuation and gradual build up of the state of lawlessness which will culminate in the man of lawlessness (I Thess. 2:7).

7. The mystery of godliness, or the process by which man becomes God-like in character through the person, work and life of Jesus Christ as He is faithfully proclaimed and defended by the church of Jesus Christ (I Tim. 3:16).

There are identified at least thirteen mysteries revealed in scripture, but these seven apply specifical for this dispensation of the Church age. Mystery Truths of Scripture https://bible.org/article/mystery-truths-scripture In most cases in the New Testament it refers to church truth which was not known in Old Testament times, but has become revealed in the New Testament (cf. Eph. 3:1-9). The Old Testament revealed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the salvation of the Gentiles, etc., but there was no mention of the church and certain aspects of the church age. These things were mysteries (Rom. 16: 25-26).

It is also used of spiritual-truth revealed in Scripture, Old or New Testament truth, but which remains a secret, veiled truth to the unbeliever because he cannot fathom or spiritually understand it. It refers to truth which man cannot comprehend by experience, trial and error, testing, or by his own reason or human philosophy (1 Cor. 2:6 -14; Mark 4:11). Through the Word of God, the new nature and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the believer becomes the initiate of God's mysteries (cf. Phil. 4:12 where Paul uses the Greek word mueo). For this more general use, compare also 1 Cor. 4:1 and perhaps Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; and 1 Tim. 3:9. ____________ So you can identify a Tribulational rapturist by their applying Israel's prophecy to the Church, which leads to their inability to identify the seven mysteries of the Church, of which the rapture is a mystery that is revealed in these last days that is distinct and separate from the prophecies of Jesus' second coming. Another resource to study is: Clarence Larkin :: Chapter 27. The Mysteries https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/larkin/dt/27.cfm 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'." 1 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 comprises 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.