Mysteries

Mark 4:11 - And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables...

Wow, I wrote this blog some time ago but never posted it. Since then I have heard more about mysteries. So glad to be able to add some more tidbits. A mystery, according to Rabbi Curt Landry, a Jewish believer in Christ, is hidden, yet right before us. God says we are not to keep our eyes veiled but we are to open our eyes because a fullness is coming in this time.  

In Acts we are told that in the last days, which many believe we are in, God will pour out His Spirit on all people; sons and daughters will have a gift of prophecy, young men will see visions and old men will have dreams. It's happening already.  Romans 16 tells us:  Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past...and Romans 11:25 tells us we should not be ignorant of this mystery. God wants us to understand mainly through spiritual knowledge, which would be truth.

My husband and I and some of my friends went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at our public museum back in March. It was wonderful. One particular exhibit brought about some dramatic feelings for most of us...the rooms which showed bits and pieces of the scrolls and translated them. I wasn't there very long reading and listening to the narrative when emotions started to take over. I can't express how I felt other than that it was God's Spirit rising up in mine.

One book that truly caught my attention was the Book of Mysteries, or the Book of Secrets. It was supposedly written by a group of Jewish religious leaders called the Essenes. It is not part of the Bible, but like other books that are not, it opens up understanding to even more of God's "mysteries."

There was a word, "raz" that was used throughout the book. The meaning of this word is secret or mystery and is defined as "a type of wisdom or knowledge that is known by God and can only be known by humans by divine revelation (Harrington 2000:588-589)." It was often used in a phrase that meant "the secret of the way things are." I can only believe that's God's view...the way things are...according to God as Creator since the Bible was written by Divine revelation. 

I think our knowledge of the Bible and the way things God has intended them to be are becoming known to us today...as a prelude to changes that will take place in this world, that we are seeing starting even today...birth pains, as the Bible calls them. 

God is a mystery. His plan of salvation is a marvelous mysterious act that could only come from God. His plan of drawing us near to Him to fellowship with Him is an amazing mystery. How we change when we accept and begin to know Christ is yet another mystery.  God's Word is a mystery to some. To others it's life-giving and the understanding has come through Divine revelation. His words show us who and how God was then (and He never changes)...and reveals the greatest mystery...Christ and His ability to save.

Wikipedia says this: Much of The Book of Mysteries appears to be a teaching of correction against those who do not live righteously in the author's eyes. They warn of the hypocrisy of nations, the false knowledge of magicians, and the wrath of God upon sinners. They especially warn against the fate of those who do not recognize the divine mysteries.

Here are some of the verses below from this book, which parallel thoughts we have in the Bible, (my emphasis added):

4Q301 F1       [To those who choose to know?]

(...) I shall speak out freely, and I shall express my various sayings among you (...) (.. those who would understand parables and riddles, and those who would penetrate the origins of knowledge, along with those who hold fast to the wonderful mysteries ...) 

1Q27 col 1         [A look at today?]

secrets of sin (...) but they did not know the secret of the way things are nor did they understand the things of old and they did not know what would come upon them, so they did not rescue themselves without the secret of the way things are. This shall be the sign that this shall come to pass: when the sources of evil are shut up and wickedness is banished in the presence of righteousness, as darkness in the presence of light, or as smoke vanishes and is no more, in the same way wickedness will vanish forever and righteousness will be manifest like the sun...True knowledge shall fill the world and there will never be any more folly. This is all ready to happen, it is a true oracle, and by this it shall be known to you that it cannot be averted. It is true that all the peoples reject evil, yet it advances in all of them. It is true that truth is esteemed in the utterances of all the nations - yet is there any tongue or language that grasp it? What nation wants to be oppressed by another that is stronger? Or who wants his money to be stolen by a wicked man? Yet what nation is there that has not oppressed its neighbor? Where is the people that has not robbed the wealth of another ...

4Q299 F8       [Wisdom that comes only from God]

(...) How can a man understand without knowledge or hearing? (...) (...) He created insight for His children, by much wisdom He uncovered our ears that we may h(ear...) (...) He created insight for all those who pursue true knowledge and (...) (...) all wisdom is from eternity; it may not be changed (...) (...) 

"This is all ready to happen, it is a true oracle, and by this it shall be known to you that it cannot be averted...all wisdom is from eternity; it may not be changed..." These statements really stood out to me. Our unchanging God knows the beginning from the end. What He has shown us in the Bible about the coming days will happen, just like He says.

The Book of Mysteries tells us that revelation is the key to wisdom. That revelation knowledge can come to us through spending time listening to God and letting Him illuminate our spirits through His Word. God gave men words of great wisdom (revelation) to impart to us. I've heard that the closer we get to Christ's return, the more mysteries (revelations) will be revealed through His Word. The eyes of the wise will grow in greater understanding (revelation knowledge). The Holy Spirit of God will reach into the very recesses of our minds and hearts and will show us things, give us greater discernment for the things of God and lead us in truth. 

I don't suggest that I know a lot. I know there are mysteries and trust that when I need to know something, God will reveal it. To have more knowledge would be welcome!

Colossians 1:27 - To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.