THE TWO MYSTERIES

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 18, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 16.

THE TWO MYSTERIES.

The Mystery of Godliness.

THE reason for Lucifer's discontent will further appear as we study the plan of God for the preservation of His universe. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power." Heb. 1:1-3.

In Col. 1:15-19 we read concerning Christ: "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [R.V., margin, "hold together"]. And He is the Head of the body, the church; . . . that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell."

In Eph. 1:7-10 the scheme of redemption is said to be "according to the riches of His [God's] grace, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, . . . according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him [Christ] unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times [the Authorized Version more clearly expresses the thought of this phrase, "that in the dispensation of the fulness of times"], to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth." R.V. The same purpose is expressed again in chapter 2:7, "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

And again, in chapter 3:10, 11 the same is said to be "to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." That is, it was God's eternal purpose to (1) create all things through Jesus Christ; (2) in case sin should enter—and we have seen from the nature of the case that it was a possibility that it should sometime enter—to make Christ the Head of His redeemed church; (3) to make the church, redeemed from a fallen race of rebels, a trophy of His grace and a triumph of love, and love alone, over all other forces; (4) thus to prove to all His creatures that He is what He claims to be,—a God whose name and every attribute is love; (5) in these ways to sum up all things in Christ, to make Him rightful Heir of all things, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.

When Lucifer saw that Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24), was from eternity appointed Chief (Prov. 8:23, Jewish translation), the Master Workman enjoying an intimacy with the Most High that was allowed to no other, his heart was fired with jealousy, which he soon fanned into open rebellion against the government of heaven.

"Why," questioned Lucifer, "should Christ in all things have the pre-eminence? Why should He be preferred before me? He is Morning Star; so am I. Why should God choose to 'sum up all things' in Christ when He Himself has declared that I 'seal up the sum'? Eze. 28:12. Why should Christ alone be the wisdom of God, when God Himself has pronounced me 'full of wisdom'?" With what justice, reasoned Lucifer, could God appoint Christ "Heir of all things," even tho He was the "brightness of His glory," and the "image of Himself" (Heb. 1:3, Syriac version), and slight him, when he was Lucifer, the "light bringer," declared by his Creator to be "perfect" in his ways, "complete in outline" (Jewish translation), and "perfect in beauty"? Was not he covering cherub, anointed to cover God's throne? Why should not God say of him rather than of Christ, "Let all the angels of God worship Him"? Heb. 1:6. Why should it not be said to him, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever"? Heb. 1:8.

These honors conferred upon Christ and denied to himself, Lucifer regarded as an injustice and an arbitrary slight of his dignity and an invasion of his rights. Thus was his heart "lifted up" because of his brightness, and he corrupted his wisdom by reason of his elegance. He regarded God's dealings with himself as unfair and unjust, and the exaltation of Christ as altogether arbitrary and partial. He decided, therefore, that he would be wholly justified in boldly asserting for himself those immunities which had been denied him by his Creator. This he resolved to do, and to claim by force what he could no longer hope to gain by other means. Thus by his diabolical scheming to destroy souls, he was "filled to the center with violence," and he sinned. Eze. 28:16, Jewish version.