The word “mystery” (Greek musterion) in the Bible does not mean that which is mysterious as its meaning is different to that of current English. In Scripture it means that which is outside the realm of unassisted natural understanding, can be made known only by Divine revelation, is made known in a way and at a time appointed by God, and only to those who are illuminated by His Spirit (see Ephesians 3:5). In the general English sense a mystery is knowledge withheld or not known but in the Biblical sense it is knowledge made known. Consequently the words/phrases that are particularly associated with this subject are: “made known” (Ephesians 1:9; 3:3, 5), “made manifest” (Romans 16:25-26; Col 1:26), “preached” (1Timothy 3:16), “revealed” (Ephesians 3:5), “understand” (Ephesians 3:4), “dispensation” (Ephesians 1:9-10).
The mysteries of the New Testament concern God’s character, truth and plans. The Divine timetable for a mystery was:
1. Ephesians 3:5: A period of Divine restraint when the faith was not made fully known.
2. 1Timothy 3:16: An appointed time for the revelation, through Christ.
3. John 16:13 and Matthew 28:19-20: Christ’s preparation and commissioning of His apostles to proclaim the faith.
4. John 16:13 and Ephesians 3:5: The Holy Spirit revealing these mystery truths to the apostles.
5. Colossians 1:27 and Ephesians 3:9: {“all men see” are believers as unbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit and so cannot appreciate spiritual truths}. The apostles communicating the mysteries to special recipients i.e. all those who through the operation of the Holy Spirit trusted in Christ as their Saviour.
The mysteries are as follows and concern:
THE WORD OF GOD
- Called “the Mystery of the Faith” 1Timothy 3:9 “Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” {It is called “the faith” because it is all of God’s truth that is to be received by faith.}
THE GODHEAD
- Colossians 2:2 “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.”
THE SON OF GOD
- 1Timothy 3:16 (One of the two “great mysteries”.) “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
THE GOSPEL
- 1Corinthians 2:6-7 “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: v7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” {The context is: 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching” and so the mystery refers to the Gospel}.
- Ephesians 6:19 “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.”
THE KINGDOM OF GOD\HEAVEN
- Matthew 13:11, 14-15 “He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. v14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: v15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (See also Mark 4:11-12 and Luke 8:10)
THE CHURCH OF GOD
- Christ and the Church being One (One of the two “great mysteries”.) Ephesians 5:31-32 “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. v32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” {So when God made the woman from the rib in the man (Genesis 2:21-22) He had in mind that His own Son, would have a bride, that would be a wife which would be His body.}
- The Gentiles brought Into the Body of Christ Ephesians 3:3-6 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, v4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) v5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; v6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” {We may conjecture as to when God revealed this mystery but no one can be certain.}
- Ephesians 3:8-9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; v9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
- Colossians 4:3 “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds.”
- The Seven Stars and Lampstands Revelation 1:20 “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”
- Christ in His People Colossians 1:26-27 “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: v27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
- The Transformation of the Believers’ Bodies 1Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, v52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
TURNING AWAY FROM GOD
- The Iniquity/Lawlessness in the Unbeliever 2Thessalonians 2:7 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (meaning restrains) will let (restrain), until he be taken out of the way.”
- Israel being Blinded Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”
- Babylon Revelation 17:5 “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
GOD’S FUTURE PURPOSES
- God’s Purposes In Judgment Revelation 10:6-7 “And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time {meaning delay} no longer: v7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”
- God Gathering All Together All Things in Christ in the Millennium Ephesians 1:9-10 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: v10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”