In the Bible there is a mystery. Without the heavenly vision in the spirit we may read through, study, and even research the Bible, yet still not see it. The word mystery is used many times in the New Testament. Ephesians 3:4 speaks of the mystery of Christ. Colossians 2:2 mentions the mystery of God. In Romans 16:25, Paul refers to the revelation of the mystery. In addition, the Apostle Paul even writes concerning the economy of the mystery (Eph. 3:9). How great are all these expressions! This economy is related to grace. God’s grace has an economy called the economy of the grace of God which is to dispense God Himself in Christ into us. This is the mystery in the Bible.
The book of Genesis reveals that God created the heavens and the earth. It also reveals that God created man and records the history of the man created by God. Man’s history began with Adam then continued through Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc. The record of creation and human history is the structure of the book of Genesis, but hidden there is something that the Bible calls the mystery. The entire Bible, the Old and New Testaments, contains many stories, doctrines, and even a number of visions, yet we may still not see the mystery buried there.
All thoughtful people realize that the whole universe is a mystery. By looking at all the planets, you have to admit that there must be something. There must be some significance to all the birds, animals, flowers, and pleasant plants. Even a human being is wonderful. Throughout all the generations, many scholars and philosophers have spent their entire lives trying to find the meaning of this whole universe and the meaning of human life. We all realize that there is a human race on this earth, and there is human society. Although we are so small, we are so meaningful. In the libraries you can read things written during the past four thousand years, but you cannot find one page that tells you the meaning of human life. Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Confucius did not know. Even if you were to go to Moses or Abraham, they could not tell you. They were speaking for God and speaking forth God, yet the meaning of this universe, the human race, and even the nation of Israel was hidden to them. Do not think that Moses, Elijah, or David knew. They did not know because Paul in Ephesians 3 said that this mystery was not made known to the sons of men in other generations. The word generation is a much better translation than ages. Ages means times, periods, or centuries, but generations not only means the times, but the people. In the past generations, the generations of Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, etc., this mystery was never made known.
Ephesians 3 tells us that this mystery was concealed, hidden in God from the beginning of the ages. The ages here means eternity. This is the same word for eternity. From the beginning of eternity, this mystery was hidden in God. God did not tell Adam or the Patriarchs. Moses and David were not told. God never told anyone. This was never made known to the sons of men. It was altogether hidden within God. Ephesians 3:9 in the King James Version says that, it “hath been hid in God, who created all things.” But before the word God you need the article, the, the God who created all things. Yes, God created all things, but He never told anyone of the human race what was His purpose in creation. Furthermore, in verse 9 the King James Version says, “To make all men see.” However, this is not the right meaning. The proper meaning in Greek means “to bring it to light.” Although I may be here with you day and night for three hundred sixty-five days, not one of you may know what I have until the first day of the next year when I bring it to light. Until the apostles, especially until the Apostle Paul was raised up, this hidden mystery was not made known. Here, Paul tells us clearly that it was not until his generation, the generation of the apostles.
Paul calls the apostles the holy apostles (Eph. 3:5). This means that they were separated ones, not common people. Confucius, Socrates, and Plato were common, but here are some apostles who are holy, not ordinary, regular, or common. They are special. They are not angels, but neither are they human beings in a common way. They are the separated ones, because they have seen something which human beings and the saints of God have never seen. They have seen the mystery! Paul could boast to all the angels that even though they knew how to serve and to do things by fulfilling God’s commandment and God’s orders, they never realized the purpose of the universe.
If you have the universe without God, the universe will be empty. Without God the universe is only worthy of weeping. If there were no God in this universe, we would all have to weep for its emptiness. There would be a big container, but no content. The planets are here because of God. The flowers are so beautiful because of God. The animals are so wonderful because of God. Human beings are here because of God. God is the answer. The atheists may say that this is altogether superstitious and nonsensical. However, we know why there are the heavens and the earth. All of the flowers, grains, animals, and birds exist because of God. There is a universe because of God. This is not superstition.
Not only did the apostles know, but today we also know the mystery. We know that the mystery of the universe is God. We know the mystery of God’s creation. We know the mystery of human life, and we know the mystery of the Bible. However, this mystery is still a mystery today even to so many Christians. They only realize the need of God’s salvation so that they will not perish in hell but be rescued and brought to heaven. They feel that while on earth they are here just to display good Christian behavior to glorify God and to help people. However, God’s intention is not just to bring a group of sinners into heaven.
The book of Romans begins in chapter one with fallen sinners, even a fallen people and goes on to chapter twelve where they have become the Body of Christ. The book of Ephesians is different. It begins with God in eternity. Your condition makes no difference. God began this mystery long before you were born, even before the world was created. God began this mystery from the beginning of eternity. Nearly all Christians would consider themselves according to Romans 1 as sinful and fallen, but if you come to Ephesians, you have to forget about yourself. This book has such a term-the eternal purpose (Eph. 3:11). In Greek this term means the purpose of the ages. The purpose of the ages was a mystery until the apostles were raised up. God opened His own bosom to show the mystery hidden within Him to His apostles.
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