As someone said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” However, as someone else has said, “Yes, it’s true that you can’t make him drink. But it is also true that we can feed the horse a little bit of salt, and they would likely want to drink.”
Here’s a little bit of that salt that I want to take in with you. We can drink some refreshing water together.
I’m not attempting to be coy or catchy by asking the following question, because this question leads to things that surprise even many pastors and theologians. It’s not only intriguing; it leads to a deep and wonderful truth that will move us toward understanding the Endtimes. Putting it another way, without that deeper truth it is impossible to understand the Book of Revelation and the Endtimes.
So, here’s the question: What was it that the Apostle Paul taught that caused his enemies to want to put him in prison and murder him?
Most would answer: “For preaching the gospel!”
Well….that’s not exactly correct. And we want to be on target!
Here’s the Apostle Paul’s own words:
“…praying…that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the MYSTERY of Christ, for which I am also IN CHAINS [in prison],” (Colossians 4:3, NKJV)
“For this reason I, Paul, the PRISONER of Christ Jesus …[because of the] revelation He made known to me the MYSTERY…” (Ephesians 3:1–3, NKJV)
“and…pray…for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the MYSTERY of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador IN CHAINS [in prison]; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:19–20, NKJV)
The Apostle Paul was thrown into prison, not for the mere preaching of the gospel. Whatever this “Mystery” was, it was the specific motivator for those who demanded that he be in chains, in prison.
So, what is this “Mystery”? Why was Paul put into prison for preaching something that most of us are totally unfamiliar with? We are familiar with the gospel; but most of us are utterly unfamiliar with this vitally important Mystery. It was so important to Paul that he was willing to go to prison for preaching it, and to openly declare that this truth was the reason he was there. Most of us have never come across a teaching, sermon or book that refers to this Mystery, yet, there it is right in front of us!
“but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7, NKJV)
Because Revelation 10:7 ties into the Marriage of the Lamb (in Revelation 19:7-8), the Apostle Paul makes the unequivocal connection between the Mystery and the Marriage in Ephesians 5:30-32:
“For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:30–32, NKJV)
Most of us have read our Bibles, or heard a sermon, during which the teacher read one of twenty-seven (27) passages of Scripture which contain the word Mystery.
But, if you are like I was years ago, when I, too, would hear the word “mystery” in a sermon, I simply subconsciously set it aside as something I didn’t understand, and probably didn’t need to understand. After all, the pastor or teacher just kept reading along without taking a moment to explain, so it couldn’t be too important, right?
But the Mystery of God is much, much bigger and much more important than the flippant dismissal of it might suggest.
This Mystery has to do with the wonderful plan of God the Father for His Son concerning His Marriage. That plan was from before the foundation of the world and on through to the future end. This Mystery is a beautiful love story. This Mystery is the answer to so many questions throughout Scripture.
Furthermore, the Mystery of God is the The Incredible Key that unlocks the Book of Revelation and the Endtimes. It is the single greatest issue missing in the Church’s teaching on the Endtimes around the world.
I have learned, after having interviewed scores of Christians about this Mystery, including pastors and theologians, that not one had any idea of what it really is. That’s not to say that no pastors or theologians exist who have an understanding of this Mystery. I can only account for those many with whom I have spoken. Furthermore, I was personally introduced to the Mystery of God truth, or doctrine, by a pastor friend.
In response to my question, most of those whom I interviewed said that perhaps the Mystery of God refers to the fact that God is mysterious. Some suggested that the Mystery of God is the revelation of the church in the New Testament. They are close, but much more understanding than that is needed.
There are several “mysteries” referred to in the Bible. But, this mystery is called the “MEGA-Mystery” by the Apostle Paul. And for good reasons.
Whatever other mysteries are mentioned in the Bible, this Mystery is the “great/mega” one we need to give some attention to.
I’ll conclude this blog post with this quote from our award winning book, then a couple of other comments, and then return in the next blog post to meet with you when you can return.
We are about to read again one of the Apostle Paul’s references to the Marriage of the Lamb, which is that event in which Christ marries His bride, the Church. This particular passage in Ephesians 5 is more often than not used to teach regarding the marriage relationship between a Christian husband and wife. Though that is certainly a good thing to teach from this passage of Scripture, these Ephesians references are, nevertheless, first and foremost about Christ’s marriage to His own bride, according to Paul’s own words.
The Marriage of the Lamb is seen as the culmination of the Mystery of God. I want to read it with you and let’s see this picture.
“For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. … and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great [Greek: “great” is “MEGA”] mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:25–27,30-32)
At first, to some, this may not seem like a prophetic passage; but it is deeply rooted in the Endtime prophecy of the Marriage of the Lamb.
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7, NKJV)
The Marriage of the Lamb is inseparably tied to the Mystery of God!
We find the Mystery of God anchored in the Book of Revelation also, to which I referred earlier:
“but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.” (Revelation 10:7, NKJV)
This is where it gets a bit more interesting. In the next blog post, I want to see with you the connections between the Marriage of the Lamb and the Mystery of God. This will lead us to understand how the Mystery of God is the key to unlock the Book of Revelation, so we can “finally” understand what is going on. We need understanding, because that “day is approaching”, and everyone knows it! Even the unsaved, secular world knows things are turning upside down! It’s just that most do not know just how close it is
It delights me to make available in this blog the very ideas that are in print in my book, The Incredible Key. If you meet me here for this blog, you will eventually learn what is in the book and more.
I am currently writing a book about the prophecies in the Book of Daniel. We’ve all heard about Daniel being in the lions’ den. The working title for the new book turns things around a bit:
The Lions In Daniel’s Den: What’s Coming Can Devour You
In this new book, I explain the The Absolute Greatest Errors in the History of Prophetic Interpretation and Why It Matters To Your Future.
I look forward to spending time with you again!
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