EPHESIANS: Mystery Solved

EPHESIANS Number 11:
Mystery Solved

Our passage continues in Ephesians 1:9–10
9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10That 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 word “mystery” occurs 27 times in the King James Bible. To be sure, in God there are many mysteries, but interestingly, every occurrence of the word in the King James is in the New Testament. It is found once in each of the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In each of these cases it refers to the “mystery of the Kingdom.” Paul speaks of the mystery that was kept secret since the world began in Romans 16:5. In 1 Corinthians 2:7 he says, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” While some passages talk of mysteries, most speak of what I will call the grand mystery.

Verse 10 tells us what the grand mystery is. It says that the mystery of His will is that He would “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.” Paul says a lot about this. In Colossians 1:25–27 he presents it this way: “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 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.”

He elaborates on this gathering together of all things in Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:27–28 “For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

This is our hope of glory. God has predestinated that all who are in Christ will be saved. He has not only included the chosen Hebrew people, but He has included the outcast Gentile people who had been without hope and without God in the world. This is the grand mystery.