Prophecy & Mystery

    The following in an abbreviated version of my prior post:  "Rightly Dividing the Word vs Wrongly Mixing the Word"

      When thinking about the subject of rightly dividing the word (2 Timothy 2:15) many only consider the division of the Old and New Testament.  Most Bibles usually have a page dividing Malachi from Matthew in order to denote this division.  There is certainly nothing wrong with this in regard to printing Bibles.  When it comes to being technically correct the New Testament does not start until the death of the testator (Hebrews 9:16-17).  This means that with the exception of the last couple of chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that the four Gospels are under the Old Testament.  Understanding the technical division of the Old and New Testament certainly helps in Bible study, but there is another two-fold division of even greater importance when it comes to rightly dividing the word of truth.  This two-fold division is called “Prophecy and Mystery.”

     The “Prophecy” division is defined in Acts 3:18-21.  The theme of the “Prophecy” division concerns that which was spoken by the prophets since the world began.  Acts 3:18-21 (King James Version) states:

[18] But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
[19] Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
[20] And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
[21] Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

This means from the time of Genesis (when the world began) through Acts 8:40 that the “Prophetic” program is in effect.  With the salvation of Saul of Tarsus (Paul) a major dispensational change gradually takes place.

     The second major division coincides with the dispensational change that occurs after Paul's salvation.  This second major division is defined in Romans 16:25 and is called the “Mystery” division.  The theme of the “Mystery” division concerns that which was kept secret since the world began.  Romans 16:25 (King James Version) states:     

 [25] Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

This mystery was kept secret and was not revealed until after Saul of Tarsus (Paul) is converted in Acts 9.  This mystery concerns the church which Paul defines in Ephesians 3:6 as the Jew and Gentile in one body.  In this “Mystery” division God is not making distinctions between Jew and Gentile as He did in the Old Testament (prophetic program).  This mystery age will come to an end when the Body of Christ (church) is raptured at some unknown time in the future.  It should be noted that the writings of Hebrews through Revelation pick up where the book of Acts leaves off with the prophetic program.  Although those books have much practical application for the Body of Christ, the themes of those books do not relate to the mystery program revealed to Paul.

It is very important doctrinally to understand the divisions of “Prophecy” and “Mystery” in the Bible.  Most doctrinal disagreements of Bible believers are a result of mixing these two programs.