Many "MYSTERIES" are to be found in the Scriptures, but one stands out preeminently as "THE MYSTERY" - that great body of truth committed by revelation to the Apostle Paul.

When Messiah first appeared on earth, God did not immediately establish His Kingdom by force. The Kingdom was first proclaimed as being "AT HAND" and it was offered for acceptance. This proclamation and offer was made to Israel because the Gentiles had long ago been given up, "EVEN AS THEY DID NOT LIKE TO RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE" (Romans 1:28). But Israel proved herself no better than the Gentiles as she took the heaven-sent King and nailed Him to the Cross. Then when God raised Him from the dead, Israel stood by her awful deed, defying the resurrected and glorified Christ and waging relentless war against those who dared to acknowledge Him as Messiah (John 1:10-11).

And so, before the actual bringing in of the glorious reign of Christ, man was allowed to demonstrate his own moral failure and see for himself that the establishment of the long-promised kingdom would not be the result of his own efforts, or character, but of the grace and power of God, for man had done everything in his power to HINDER the bringing in of the Kingdom.

But, "WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND"(Romans 5:20). When Israel rejected her Messiah, God cast her aside (temporarily) along with the other nations, that He might offer to all His enemies everywhere reconciliation by grace alone, through faith in the rejected Christ. Thus, "THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD" was ushered in (Ephesians 3:2) so that those willing to accept God's grace might be reconciled to Him in one Body by the Cross (Ephesians 2:16). Notice what Paul says about this in Romans 11:32 and Ephesians 2:16-17.

Nothing of this is to be found anywhere in prophecy. It was a surprise of grace, so to speak, HID FROM AGES AND FROM GENERATIONS (Ephesians 3:5) and "KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN" (Romans 16:25).

The main features of this hitherto un-revealed program are as follows:

1. Israel was set aside, temporarily, along with the Gentiles (Romans 11:7, 12, 15, 20, &32).

2. Mercy shown to all alike (Romans 11:32; Romans 10:12-13; First Timothy 2:5).

3. The gospel of the Grace of God, through Christ's finished work on the Cross of Calvary, proclaimed: Hence Paul's claim concerning the ministry which I have received to testify "THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD" (Acts 20:24) and "THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD" (Eph. 3:2).

4. Believers reconciled to God by the Cross (Second Corinthians 5:19; Ephesians 2:16; Romans 5:10; and Colossians 1:21-22).

5. Jewish and Gentile believers thus baptized (Identified) into one Body (Ephesians 2: 16; 3:6; 4:4; First Corinthians 12:13, 27; Romans 12:5; & Galatians 3:13).

6. This body of believers given a position in Christ in the Heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 1:3; Philippines 3:20; and Colossians 3:1-3).

How vastly different this is from the reigning of Christ on earth at Jerusalem over Israel and the nations! How different from peace on earth with all Israel saved, war and disease abolished, the animal creation tamed and the curse removed from the vegetable creation.

What a pity that these great distinctions between prophecy and the Mystery have not been more generally observed!

Because of a failure to recognize the mystery, some have supposed it necessary to alter prophecy to account for the present condition of Israel and the presence of the predominantly Gentile church of this age.

Seeing that the fulfillment of prophecy apparently ceased shortly after the crucifixion of Christ, and realizing that there was still much prophecy left to be fulfilled, these have supposed that God could not have meant exactly what He said when He prophesied that Christ would sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem as King of Israel. They have supposed that these things must have been intended in a SPIRITUAL sense and so have concluded that Christ is NOW seated on David's Throne at God's right hand, thus confusing earthly Jerusalem with "THE JERUSALEM WHICH IS ABOVE." They have further concluded that the Church of today is SPIRITUAL Israel, that heaven is Canaan, etc.

But there is in fact nothing SPIRITUAL about this interpretation of the Scriptures. It is CARNAL, not Spiritual, to fail to take God at His Word and to seek to explain away difficulties by arbitrarily altering what has been plainly written.

1. It leaves us at the mercy of theologians. If the Scriptures do not mean what they obviously, naturally seem to mean, who has the authority to decide just what they do mean? If the theologians have that authority, then we must agree with Rome that the Church, not the Bible, is the final and supreme authority. Nor will it any longer avail us to turn to the Scriptures for light, for the Word of God does not mean what it says and only trained theologians can tell us what it does mean.

2. It affects the veracity of God. It is a thrust at His very honor. If the obvious, natural meaning of the Old Testament promises are not to be depended upon, how can we depend upon ANY promises of God? A child is supposed to have said, "If God didn't mean what He said, why didn't He say what He meant?"

3. It endorses apostasy. Indeed, it is the mother of apostasy. When Luke 1:32-33 is SPIRITUALIZED the Modernist agrees wholeheartedly. He agrees that the throne of David and the house of Israel in this passage must be viewed in a SPIRITUAL sense AND SO MUST THE NEXT FEW VERSES! Thus, Christ was not REALLY born of a virgin. This picture is merely drawn to impress us with the purity of His person, etc.

And the Modernists deny the resurrection in the same way. Concerning Acts 2:30-32, it is argued that since Christ will not really occupy the throne of David, NEITHER WAS HE REALLY RAISED FROM THE DEAD! The Scriptures which say so must be "Spiritually" interpreted!

And here comes one of the JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES claiming to belong to the 144,000. Asked what tribe he is from, he will explain that not physical, but spiritual Israelites are referred to in the prophecy of the 144,000! Yet we are distinctly told that there are to be 12,000 from each tribe, and the tribes are named!

Rome employs these same reasoning. She is seeking to establish the kingdom of Christ on earth. Because the Church of Rome is really a political system, with a state and a ruler on earth, it may seem at first that she leans rather to a literal interpretation of prophecy, but this is not so, for the Church of Rome is not literal Israel, Rome is not Jerusalem and Christ Himself is not reigning.

Those who have resorted to the "Spiritualization" of the prophetic Scriptures because they can not account for the seeming cessation in their fulfillment will find the solution to their problem in the recognition of the mystery. Recognize the mystery and there will be no need to alter prophecy.

Before further considering this great body of truth let us note the surpassing importance of it TO US who are living today. We say TO US because Paul was sent particularly to the GENTILES with this revelation (Ephesians 3: 1-3).

1. God has made the Mystery known through Paul-Ephesians 1:9.

2. It is God's Will that all see it - Ephesians 3:9.

3. Paul asked prayers for open doors to make the Mystery known - Colossians 4:3.

4. Paul asked prayers for an open mouth and boldness to proclaim the Mystery -Ephesians 6:9.

5. A knowledge of the Mystery imparts spiritual encouragement and enlightenment - Colossians 2:2.

6. Believers are established by the Mystery - Romans 16:25.

Because of the lack of understanding between God's Prophetic program and His Mystery (or Secret) program, there are many today who are going to the Four Gospel to try and find their marching orders for today. Because the Gospels are Old Testament ground and directed to Israel, the Saints today can not keep those things commanded in these books. To live a victorious life today (and one that is pleasing to God), we must go to the Epistles of the Apostle Paul for he is our Apostle (Romans 11:13). [Note to whom the Twelve Apostles were to go and to whom they were not to go - Matthew 10:5-6].

No one can be fully versed in a knowledge of the Bible if he does not see the distinction between God’s Prophetic program and His Mystery program. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he admonished Timothy to “RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH” (First Timothy 2:15).