Chapters
GOD has repeatedly expressed His purpose to restore mankind through a coming deliverer, but the identity of that deliverer remained a mystery for thousands of years.
When our first parents sinned in Eden they were filled with sorrow, and without hope, except for an obscure statement from their Creator that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head. Nearly two thousand years passed with no evidence of a fulfillment.
God then called Abraham and promised that his seed should bless all the families of the earth, raising hopes that God was about to fulfill His purpose. But time continued on, and Abraham and Sarah grew old. Abraham thought he could help God, so Ishmael was born, but he was not the deliverer. In due time, Isaac, the child of hope and promise was born, but again years rolled by, and Isaac, and his heir Jacob, also died.
At Jacob’s death his descendants were first called the TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, and were recognized by God as a “chosen nation” (Genesis 49: 28) (Deuteronomy 26: 5). It seemed as if this nation as a whole was the promised seed of Abraham, which was about to possess Caanan, and rule and bless the world. But hopes again became almost dashed when the Egyptians gained control of them and held them as slaves for a long period of time.
In due time God raised up Moses, a great deliverer, whom He used to lead Israel out of bondage, working mighty miracles on their behalf. Moses died before entering Caanan, but as the Lord’s mouthpiece he declared, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me” (Deuteronomy 18: 15) (Acts 3: 22). This showed that their nation would be an instrument in the future work of ruling and blessing the world, and that one of their own would be selected to lead to victory and to the fulfillment of the promise.
After Moses’ death, Joshua, whose name signifies deliverer, or savior, became their leader. Under Joshua they won great victories and entered the land of promise. He seemed to be the promised leader, but he also died. Eventually David and Solomon were given to the nation as kings, and under them they reached the zenith of their glory. But the nation eventually lost their power and became tributary to other nations.
The Ransom Sacrifice of Jesus
When Jesus was born, all men were in expectation of the Messiah, the coming king of Israel and, through Israel, of the world. But Israel’s hope of the glory of their coming King, based upon types and prophecies of His greatness and power, caused them to overlook another set of types and prophecies, which pointed to a work of suffering and death, as a ransom for sinners, necessary before the blessing could come. These things were prefigured in the Passover before they were delivered from Egypt, and in the Atonement sacrifices performed continuously by the priesthood year after year.
Therefore, when Jesus came to them, they did not recognize Him. Even His close followers were sorely perplexed when He was put to death. However, when they found that He was raised from the dead, their hopes began to revive (1 Peter 1: 3). When He was about to leave them and ascend into heaven, they asked Him, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” to which our Lord replied, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” (Acts 1: 6, 7).
Not until the Pentecostal blessing came to the waiting disciples, ten days later, would they begin to understand the mysterious ways in which God was working out His plan in harmony with His original covenant. When Peter brought the Gospel to Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, and when Paul ministered to the Gentiles in general, the disciples realized that during this age believing Jews and Gentiles were equally favored. They recognized that after the work of this Gospel age is completed, the promises to fleshly Israel will be fulfilled. Gradually they learned the great mystery that had been hid from ages and from generations, now manifest to his saints, which is
“Christ in You, the Hope of Glory” (Colossians 1: 27)
What is meant by “Christ in you”? Jesus was anointed with the holy spirit (Acts 10: 38), and therefore we recognize Him to be the Christ – the Anointed – for the word Christ means anointed. The saints of the Gospel Age also received an anointing. They are an anointed company, anointed to be kings and priests unto God (1 John 2: 27) (2 Corinthians 1: 21) (1 Peter 2: 9), and together with Jesus, their chief and Lord, they form God’s Anointed – the Christ. We see, therefore, that the Christ is “not one member, but many,” just as the human body is one, but is composed of many members. Jesus was anointed to be the Head or Lord over the Church, which is His body. Together, they are the promised “Seed” – the Great Deliverer: “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3: 29).
The oneness of the Lord Jesus with the members of His body is illustrated well by the figure of a pyramid. The top-stone, the Lord Jesus, is a perfect pyramid of itself. Other stones, the various members of His body, may be built up under it, and if they are in harmony with the characteristic lines of the top-stone, the entire structure will be a perfect pyramid. In harmony with this thought Peter writes: “Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious” – to whom coming, as unto a living stone . . . ye also, as lively [living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up *sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2: 4-6).
*Sinaitic MS. omits spiritual before sacrifices.
Even though God’s plan has been a mystery to all but His people, it will not always be so. The dawn of the Millennial Day, in which we are living, will bring the fuller light of God to men, and eventually “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11: 9).
The mystery of God will be finished in its two senses: The mystery or secret features of God’s plan will then be made known and will be clearly seen; and also the “mystery of God,” the Church, which is the embodiment of that plan. The greatness of the mystery, so long and carefully kept secret, suggest that the work to follow its completion must be an immense and grand work, worthy of such great preparations. Surely, it is this for which the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now, waiting for the completion of this mystery – for the manifestation of the Sons of God, the promised “Seed,” in whom they shall all be blessed (Romans 8: 19, 21, 22).