I want to welcome you to "Part 2", concerning and continuing our theme of; 'The Mystery.' Numerous times, I've seen that when a person starts to learn their Bible, they discover that there is a bushel full of mysteries contained in it. The one I hear people talk about the most is "When is the end of the world coming? Really? Who knows?
Now I am talking about me, Pastor Paul, of Suburban Community Church here, when I say that I think the second mystery people try to decipher the most is 'Who is the Anti-Christ and when will he appear?' I get that one a lot.
Then last but not least (not to be out done by biblical mysteries) is the question that alot of America's mom's ask anybody who might be able to help them, 'How can I get my kids to eat broccoli? Now that is a great mystery.
All kidding aside, none of the above questions concern the great mystery that I am referring too. The mystery I am eluding to is a mystery that the prophets tried to see, tried to figure out and tried to understand, but could never enter into it.
In 1 Peter 1:10-12, Peter wrote, "This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and His great glory afterward.
There was still something God was planning....there was something else hidden in the heart of the counsels of the Almighty that the prophets looked ahead to, yet couldn't seize, they couldn't understand it, they couldn't grasp it; it escaped them. There was still something more and they couldn't reach it.
Let's continue on in the reading, They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you (those of us ahead of them), And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Now look at this, it is so awesome...It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen! The angels knew there was something yet in the counsels of God, and they couldn't understand it, this 'mystery.'
Look at Acts 1:11, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" Do you see it there? The angels says, "This Jesus ascending into glory shall descend back to earth in the same way that you saw Him go away." There in that tremendous verse you can see two very powerful works of God.
The one is: THIS SAME JESUS: the life of Christ here on earth, His incarnation, His miracles, death, resurrection and ascension. Then following that great statement is the second powerful work, "shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." The angel speaks in one breadth, side by side in almost the same clause about these two works. But that is all they knew. And what they saw was all they could know. God gave them only a glimpse. The prophets saw this as well. They understood these two works, but that was all they could see: the one, the life of Jesus on earth, His sufferings and death - - and the second His coming back, the consummation of the ages, His descending from the clouds. These were great revelations to them but they were just glimpses. And to some of the prophets it was so far away, so vague, so much in the distant future, they could see nothing else. To them they stood together, side by side, one taking place after the other or both taking place at the same time. It was a mystery to them.
But those events are not the mystery I am talking about. Go ahead you can ask. ?Well what is the mystery then? (let's do that in our concluding part 3)
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