As a living Person, Christ is spiritual and mysterious. Apart from God’s revelation of His Son in us, no human being would be able to see this living Person. Due to the shortage of revelation, millions of people have not realized anything of this Person, even though He is living, real, active, and aggressive. Hence, the problem today is the lack of revelation.
Christians may read the Bible and study it carefully, but see very little of Christ. This also may be our situation even in the Lord’s recovery. From the beginning of the Bible to the end, especially in the New Testament, Christ occupies the central place. God’s revelation throughout the Scriptures is altogether focused on Christ. Nevertheless, as we review our past experience, we shall have to admit that in our reading of the Bible we did not see much of Christ.
For seven and a half years, I sat under some teachers among the Brethren. Although I heard many messages and took note of the important points, I saw virtually nothing as far as Christ is concerned. I saw a vivid picture of the great image in Daniel 2, a picture I can easily recall today. However, during my years with the Brethren, I did not see Christ.
Concerning the revelation of God’s Son in us, Paul covers two cases in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, the case of the Jews in particular and the case of the unbelievers in general. When the Jews read the Old Testament, they read it with their understanding veiled. In 2 Corinthians 3:15 Paul says, “But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.” Do you know what this veil is? It is the religion of Judaism. If you contact orthodox Jews today and speak to them about Christ, you will realize that they are covered with a thick, strong veil. The same is true of Moslems and even of many Christians. For example, many of those in the Catholic Church who truly believe in Christ are covered with a veil of many layers, perhaps dozens of layers. One of these veils concerns the superstition that Mary is the mother of God. These believers persist in saying that they must continue to pray to Mary, the so-called mother of God, because they think their experience proves that prayers to the so-called holy mother are heard and answered. What a veil this is!
Seventh-Day Adventists are veiled by their observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. As you speak to them concerning Christ, you will find what a thick veil this ordinance is to them.
As you contact Christians today, you will find that virtually all Christians are veiled in some way. These veils keep them from seeing Christ.
Although Christ is spiritual and mysterious, God has created within us an organ by which we can know Christ. This organ is the human spirit. In his subtlety, Satan has blinded people to the fact that they have a spirit, or has otherwise kept them from using their spirit. Instead, he entices them to use their fallen mentality, which is blinded, darkened, and hardened. In 2 Corinthians 3:14 Paul says that the Jewish religionists are hardened in their thoughts (Gk.). To be hardened in this way is also to be blind and in darkness. Many Christians also are blinded, hardened, and darkened because they are covered with so many veils. These veils not only frustrate them from knowing Christ, but often keep them from recognizing the church people as genuine Christians. Some persist in considering us as a cult.
Furthermore, the veils that cover today’s Christians make them very touchy. If they are touched even slightly, they are offended. The reason for this touchiness is that Satan, the subtle one, the touchy one, is crouching in their minds. Satan is lurking in the mentality of today’s veiled Christians. What a pitiful situation that so many genuine believers in Christ are still veiled!
We need to apply this word about veils to ourselves. It is crucial that we be on the alert, for it is possible for anything that is not Christ Himself to be used as a veil by the subtle one. Satan may use even the Scriptures or the law given by God as veils. In Romans 7 Paul says that the law is good, holy, and spiritual. But even such a good, holy, and spiritual thing in the hands of Satan can become a veil. This indicates that Satan can use even the highest spiritual gift to veil our understanding. Thus, it is possible for anything that is not Christ Himself to be a veil.