THE MYSTERY OF GOD by James White

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 27, 1856

THE MYSTERY OF GOD.

By James White

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets." Rev. x, 7. In the following brief examination of this subject, we desire to answer the following inquiries:

1. What is the Mystery of God?

What is the finishing of this Mystery?
When will it be finished?

First. What is the Mystery of God? Answer. The gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. But the Scriptures are very explicit on this point, and we will let them testify.

Col. i, 25-29; ii, 1-3. "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill 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: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

"For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Eph. iii, 1-9. "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; as I wrote afore in few words; whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, 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; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 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; 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."

Chap. vi, 19. "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel."

Rom. xvi, 25-27. "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, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."

The word appears in its plural form, in 1 Cor. iv, 1. "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." Read the parable of the sower, which so forcibly illustrates the gospel and its effect upon the hearts of the children of men. Mark iv, 11, 12. "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."

Second. What is the finishing of this mystery? The seventh angel has been regarded as the "last trump," which will raise the dead, [1 Cor. xv, 52] hence the finishing of the mystery of God under its sounding has been regarded as the termination of the gospel at a point of time.

But we have shown that the sounding of the seventh angel covers a period of time. It is days (years) sounding; hence we regard the finishing of the mystery of God as occupying a period of time under the sounding of the seventh angel. We therefore hold that the finishing of the mystery of God is the closing work of the gospel of Jesus Christ, embracing the last message of mercy to the world.

It will be admitted that the gospel holds a very close relation to the ministry of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary. As the tenth day atonement for the cleansing of the sanctuary of the first covenant was the finishing up of the work of that year, so the ministration of Christ for the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary after the termination of the 2300 days of Dan. viii, is the finishing up of Christ's entire work as Priest. And while his work as Priest is being finished in heaven, the mystery of God, which is the gospel to the world, is being finished on earth in the third message, which is the last that offers salvation.

Third. When will the mystery of God be finished? Rev. x, 7, seems to be a sufficient answer to this question, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, WHEN HE SHALL BEGIN TO SOUND, the mystery of God should be finished." Then the finishing of the mystery of God occupies a period of time, and that period is at the beginning of the sounding of the seventh angel.

We have seen that the seventh angel, or third woe, reaches to the second death at the close of the 1000 years of Rev. xx, covering all woe. We have also seen that it begins to sound before immortality is given to the saints, as several events under its sounding takes place while the saints are in their mortal state. Rev. xi. We think it commenced sounding at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844; and from that point of time to the close of the Third Message, the mystery of God is being finished. Then it will be said, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Let the candid compare with this sentiment the heresy that the gospel in its greatest glory is to go forth after the coming of the Lord, during the 1000 years of Rev xx. J. W.