Mystery in 2 Thessalonians and Revelation

 

This is my final post on Mystery in the New Testament and I’m tackling two seemingly unrelated passages, 2 Thessalonians 2:7 and Revelation 17:5. What? Why? I believe they are very closely related, and they are both definitely speaking of the same period in time – antichrist and the great tribulation. Buckle up and away we go!!

 2 Thessalonians 2:7 Mystery of lawlessness

In 1 Thessalonians Paul put a lot of emphasis on the second coming, yet somehow some false teachers slipped in and confused the Thessalonians, teaching that the Day of Christ (His coming again) was about to burst upon them. In 2 Thessalonians 2 Paul is correcting this error. He says the coming of Christ and the resurrection (v 1) will not come until two things happen first: [1] the falling away and [2] the antichrist is revealed (v 3). The entire chapter is worth reading, but for my purpose here I’m only going to look at the verses that apply to the mystery.

³ Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin [the man utterly given up to sin] be revealed, the son of perdition; [a man doomed to eternal misery]

This is the antichrist, the man of sin and the son of perdition

⁴ Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

This is the whole purpose of his life and why he is the man of sin.

⁷ For the mystery of iniquity [lawlessness] doth already work: only he who now letteth [hinders] will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

the mystery of iniquity – many versions have lawlessness; the Greek word is anomia, which is literally no law. I believe the idea is rebellion. The antichrist will be the arch-rebel and will lead a huge rebellion against God and His Christ. This rebellious attitude or lawlessness, anomia, is already at work in the world, been at work since the tower of Babel, and will burst forth full-throated when antichrist is revealed.

⁸ And then shall that Wicked [lawless one] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

That Wicked – this is a play on the word lawlessness, he is that lawless one, the rebel who opposes God (see v 9-10)

Now let’s turn to

Revelation 17 Mystery 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.

There is so much in Revelation 17, but I have promised to be brief, so here goes…

This woman rises to power riding upon a scarlet colored beast, with seven heads and ten horns. The beast is the man of sin, the son of perdition, the rebel of 2 Thessalonians 2. Who then is this woman, the mother of harlots? Her name is our clue: “Mystery, Babylon”. This is the mystery of lawlessness or rebellion. This is the spirit behind all worldly religions, all idol worship. Babylon.

This began back to Genesis 10 and 11.

Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

According to rabbinic tradition, “Nimrod is the prototype of a rebellious people, his name being interpreted as "he who made all the people rebellious against God…he is generally considered to have been the one who suggested building the Tower of Babel." (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11548-nimrod) 

“Nimrod is the prototype of a rebellious people” – the mystery of lawless begins here, and culminates in the lawless one, the rebel, the man of sin. So, who is this woman Mystery Babylon? Jeremiah calls her the queen of heaven (Jer 44:25). This is Babylon, the mother of harlots (idol worship; spiritual adultery). This rebellious woman is manifested in religion and politics. The religious expression of this spirit of Babylon opposes God and oppresses the people of God. Politically, it is embodied in cities such as Babylon and Rome.

The mystery of lawlessness or rebellion, the attitude that opposes and exalts itself against God, is the spirit of Babylon. It will be incarnated in the man of sin. This son of perdition and the mother of harlots will together rise to power during the great tribulation and all that dwell upon the earth will go after them. But God! Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. And as for that lawless rebel, the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. MARANATHA!

Thus endeth Mystery in the New Testament

Mystery in Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians

 

Colossians is another of Paul’s epistles largely devoted to explaining a mystery of the Gospel. There are two in fact!

The Mystery of Christ in or among the Gentiles as their hope of glory

Colossians 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷ 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 prophets had clearly declared that salvation of the Gentiles, but they didn’t know the riches of the glory of this salvation – Christ dwelling among the Gentiles as he had dwelt among Israel in the tabernacle and temple! Even better, that our bodies would be temples of the Holy Spirit!!

The Mystery of God and of Christ

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 mystery of God, even the Father, and of Christ – there is something about God and Christ that was not fully understood by the saints in the Old Testament, which the Gospel reveals and Paul sets forth in this epistle. In this chapter he says of Christ:

2:3 all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ
2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
2:19 Christ is the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

All the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ! This is a powerful statement! The Greek word for Godhead is "θεότητος (theotetos), deity, that is, the state of being God" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). Who is Christ? Emmanuel, God with us. Paul adds in the very next verse, And ye are complete in him, “because only Christ, being God and man, is most perfect, and passes far above all things, so that whoever has him, requires nothing more.” (Geneva Study Bible)

And in Colossians 1:15-20 he had been even stronger and clearer:

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature
16 all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

This is the mystery of God and of Christ, that Christ is the very Son of God, the image of the invisible God; all fullness of the Godhead dwells in him; he is the Creator himself; the firstborn, the preeminent One; and this is the One who through the blood of his cross reconciled us to Himself! They knew Christ was coming but they didn’t know or understand all this about him. O that our 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 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:

Notice the humility of the apostle – all this has been revealed to him and he has been commissioned to preach it, yet he still asks for their prayers.

 

I am including the two occurrences of mystery in 1 Timothy because I think this is the same as the mystery of God and of Christ.

1 Timothy 3:9 & 16 Mystery of the faith / Mystery of godliness

3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

3:16 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.

What a wonderful Savior! What a glorious Gospel!

Go here to hear and sing All Hail King Jesus

NEXT: Mystery in 2 Thessalonians and Revelation

Mystery in Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians

 

Much of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians is devoted to explaining the mystery, which makes it very hard to be brief, but I shall try. I think mystery in Ephesians is related to the mystery of the kingdom and the mystery of blindness in part is happened to Israel, offering more details. So let’s “Launch out in the deep, cut away the shore line / And be lost in the fullness of God.”* 

Ephesians 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: ¹⁰ 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:

the mystery of his will... that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather in one all things in Christ. In my younger days I was taught this refers to the second coming, but I have since changed my opinion. I now believe it is “that plan by which God has provided salvation for a lost world; and according to which he intends to gather all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, into one Church under Jesus Christ, their head and governor,” (Adam Clarke), as we will see next...

Ephesians 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, {ie 1:9} ⁴ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵ 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; ⁶ That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

This is the mystery of his will – that Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, that is heirs with, members with, partakers with; the Gentiles would be equal participants with the Jews in the promises of the Gospel and in the body of Christ. The prophets had declared that salvation would come to the Gentiles, but what they didn’t see is that Israel and the Gentiles would be on equal footing, sharing equally in the inheritance of Christ, one body in Christ.

Ephesians 3:8-12

⁸ 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; ⁹ 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: ¹⁰ To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,  ¹¹ According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:  ¹² In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

This is the mystery of his will, the equality of Jew and Gentile: one promise, one inheritance, one body in Christ. Not only so, but this unity and harmony serves to bring glory and honor to God. In Christ and visibly seen in the Church, all that separates in the world is erased. A healthy church is made up of people I wouldn’t normally hang out with, but in Christ we are one! This is the fellowship of the mystery.

 Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Marriage between a man and a woman is designed to be a picture of Christ and His Church. This is a rich passage!

Ephesians 6:19 And [pray] for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

God had revealed the mystery of His will to Paul and commissioned him to proclaim it, yet Paul asks for prayer that he might faithfully fulfill his calling. We are in this together!

This is astonishing and wonderful and deep. It is amazing how much of Ephesians is dedicated to the mystery of His will. The Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) quote I began with captures this wonderfully. Sadly, a large segment of the church in America is so homogenous that I’m afraid we struggle to appreciate this. Society is segregated by ethnicity, economics, education, and so are many churches. In Christ, these divisions, these walls, are broken down and a new people is created. May Christ, the Head of the Church, grant grace to each church and every believer in each church to reflect the fellowship of this mystery.


NEXT: Mystery in Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians

* Launch Out, a hymn by A.B. Simpson & R. Kelso Carter

Mystery in 1 Corinthians

 

Mystery occurs 5 times in 1 Corinthians! That’s a lot! First, let’s look at the mystery Paul explains and then the four he doesn’t explain.

The Mystery Paul explains – The Mystery of the resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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.

The prophets had clearly taught the resurrection of the dead (Dan 12:2, Hosea 13:14). And of course, in order to be raised from the dead you must first die. But the mystery, that which God had not revealed to the prophets, was we shall not all sleep or die, but we shall all still be changed. When the Lord Jesus returns in glory the dead will be raised. This is the resurrection. Then, after the dead are raised, those who are alive at His return will be changed, translated, given resurrection bodies without passing through death. This sounds like it will take quite a while, but it will all be done in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Oh the power and glory of our resurrected Lord!

This change or translation of the living is what is commonly called the rapture. But please notice, the mystery is the being changed without dying first, not the timing. The timing is clearly said to be at the last trump. When Jesus comes again, well, let Paul himself explain it: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) Maranatha!!

There is a great song which captures the joy of His coming, “What A Day That Will Be”, written by Jim Hill in 1955. You can listen to it sung beautifully here.

Mysteries which Paul does not explain or define:

1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

The wisdom of God was revealed to Paul by the Holy Spirit which he taught using words that the Holy Spirit taught him; and it can only be understood by spiritual people (see the rest of ch 2). This describes the revelation and inspiration of the Bible, and how the Holy Spirit helps the believer understand the Word.

1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 14:2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

NEXT: Mystery in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians