1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
What God has readied for those who love Him lies beyond what unaided eye has seen, ear has heard, or human heart has imagined, for it is His hidden wisdom ordained before the world unto glory. That wisdom was unknown to the rulers of this world, who in ignorance crucified the Lord of glory, but God has revealed it to believers by His Spirit, who searches the deep things of God so they are spiritually discerned. At its center stands Jesus Christ and Him crucified, the atoning sacrifice from which all other truth is to be understood and around which every truth clusters. It points to a real future inheritance of immortal life in the heavenly city and renewed earth, with mansions, eternal riches, fellowship with God and Christ and angels, and an eternal weight of glory that no finite mind can fully comprehend and no language adequately describe. These things are not found by human reason and worldly wisdom but by searching the Bible as treasure, coming to Christ in faith, and learning in demonstration of the Spirit, and glimpses of them now awaken hope, sustain through trial, and fit those who love God supremely, obey His commandments, and reflect Christ's character to share that glory.
Words and Immediate Context
What God has prepared for those who love Him lies beyond what unaided human eye has seen, ear has heard, or heart has imagined. No human senses, natural understanding, sight, hearing, thought, or wisdom can discover it by themselves. Even the saved will find its glory exceeds the brightest picture men can form.
Those prepared things are God's hidden wisdom in a mystery, ordained before the world unto glory for those who love Him. It is the hidden wisdom ordained before the world for the believers' glory and for humanity's glory. None of the princes or rulers of this world knew that wisdom, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. In ignorance and blindness of mind men did not apply the prophecies of Christ, and therefore crucified Him.
But God has revealed those prepared things to believers by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. They are received and discerned spiritually, not by the natural mind, and are known as what God freely gives, by comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Believers have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God so they may know them, and every heart that has received Christ is entrusted with ability to discern Christ in His message. Knowing them requires study of the Word with spiritual knowledge and spiritual experience in order to face the future, meet opposition, and be transferred to the future life, changed if alive and brought up from the grave if dead.
Paul determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified, declaring this testimony of God not with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom. Though able to meet oratory with oratory and philosophy with philosophy, he set aside human wisdom, learning, pomp, pride, speech, and energy, because God does not work through them but by the Spirit through humble instruments. His message was accomplished only in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that faith stands not in the wisdom of men nor in the wisdom of this world but in the power of God. Ministers, conference presidents, and physicians must therefore change, wake up, be united in the Spirit, depend wholly on God, and preach in humility, weakness, fear, and dependence, turning from idols to serve the living God and bringing forth abundant fruit in soul-saving through deep, thorough, substantial conversion.
This limit is declared by the apostle who was taken up to the third heaven and heard unutterable things. Even after being shown the mystery of godliness he could not disclose all that he heard, and men had to learn through the revelations given to him. Yet Christ turns the mind from earth to the eternal world by withdrawing heaven's curtain and bringing its treasures and living glories within range of the mind's eye. In this way man can grasp only a notion of its infinite eternal weight of glory, for human beings in sinful condition could not endure the full display.
Future Inheritance Described
The verse points to the future immortal life, to the heavenly city and the renewed earth as a real eternal home with mansions Christ has gone to prepare, not to be explained away as mere figure. Christians live here as pilgrims and strangers passing as through winter, with faith and hope looking forward and upward to that better life beyond this earthly sojourn. Those who accept the teachings of God's Word will not be wholly ignorant concerning the heavenly abode, for it is a real inheritance of beauty and abundance on a renewed earth.
Its glory exceeds the brightest picture men can form, and human language cannot adequately describe the reward of the righteous. No finite mind can comprehend the Paradise of God, and its full glory will be known only by those who behold it. Even that partial knowledge comes only through God's Word, which now gives only beams of what is to come.
The world to come will never be touched by sin, death, or the curse, but will be a home of perfect love, holiness, peace, and endless bliss. Present beauties of nature, though blighted by the curse, give only the faintest glimpse, impression, or shadow of its beauty, holiness, peace, and joy. God made this present world fair because He delights in human happiness, and the future home He is preparing will be fairer still, with crystal river, green fields, living fountains, shining city, and white-robed singers beyond an artist's picture or mortal description.
The inheritance includes mansions for the obedient, crowns placed on the heads of the humble and obedient, golden harps and songs of redeeming love filling heaven, eating of the tree of life, the crystal river and green fields, and fellowship with God and Christ and angels. Those adopted as children into the heavenly family will share angelic dignity radiant with Christ's character, clothed in His robe of righteousness, and crowned with an eternal weight of glory. Because of this reward they should be the happiest people on earth and not apologize for being Christians.
The prepared things are lasting honor as God's children and heirs with Christ, and eternal riches given only through Christ, wealth beyond all computation and of immeasurable worth. Even the greatest earthly riches, natural beauty, outward pomp, pride, self-indulgence, wealth, and praise cannot compare with heavenly things, which endure forever. In contrast to fleeting worldly treasure, those who have found God are supremely rich in contemplation of His treasure, and these treasures belong to the future immortal life surpassing the richest blessings of this life.
Even with deep study and broad experience these things are known only in part now, and heaven's endless bliss, glory, riches, knowledge, perfect love, holiness, and peace cannot be fully described or comprehended by the senses, which is why men must walk by faith rather than sight. The gospel gives beams of light and hope from the eternal world, revealed gradually as men are able to bear them, while an infinite fullness remains beyond finite understanding. Eternity will unfold ever-new glories, precious treasures, heights to surmount, wonders to admire, truths to comprehend, and treasures of the universe opened to study, with God's gifts forever exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought.
The full glories are curtained from view because keeping them wholly before the mind would incapacitate men for the affairs and duties of the present world. Christ as Redeemer adjusts the claims and attractions of this world in relation to the future world, revealing enough of heaven to draw attention to the eternal world without making this world supreme and all-absorbing or unfitting men for present life. He did not describe the beauties and glories of heaven as they are because full knowledge of them is not essential to salvation, and the glories already revealed must not be eclipsed by temporal things if the work of saving perishing souls is to be done. Even Paul, after being taken up into heaven and shown the mystery of godliness, could not disclose all that he heard, and sinful men could not endure the full display of heavenly glory.
Earthly hints such as the beauty of the night sky, lovely rooms, colors of the heavens, and landscapes only begin to suggest the New Jerusalem and the eternal glory awaiting the faithful, and cannot adequately represent them. The mind can be led from the wisdom and goodness seen in creation to God and fixed on that promised heaven. Sacred and eternal things must be approached with reverence, recognizing the limits of finite understanding, yet the verse does not limit the imagination: when directed toward divine things and heavenly realities it finds fresh wonders and delights stirring gratitude to God.
Christ the Hidden Wisdom
The unseen and unheard things prepared for those who love God are the hidden wisdom ordained before the world unto glory, centered in Christ crucified as the atonement for sin uplifted on Calvary, from which the deep things of God stream. That wisdom never entered the natural eye, ear, or heart and cannot be known by the wisdom of this world or its princes, who in ignorance and blindness of mind did not apply the prophecies of Christ and did not know it, for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. God has revealed those prepared things to believers and workers by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God, and every heart that has received Christ is entrusted with ability to discern Christ in His message. True laborers learn at the foot of the cross and preach Christ crucified plainly in weakness, fear, and entire dependence, with self hidden and Jesus ever lifted up as chiefest among ten thousand and altogether lovely, not with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God and brings people to the cross and to growth in grace and knowledge.
That sacrifice is the great central truth around which all other truths cluster, and every truth from Genesis to Revelation must be studied in the light streaming from Calvary and in connection with it to be rightly understood and appreciated. The prepared themes of salvation opened by the cross, which rolled away thick darkness from before the throne and displays a love and grace never to be surpassed or made richer, are the treasures of eternal life and an eternal weight of glory given to all who receive God's gift by believing on Jesus. They include the incarnation of Christ, His great sacrifice to save from perdition, pardon, peace and everlasting righteousness, holiness and truth, grace and righteousness, and immeasurable blessing on the redemption of a lost world, with the world surrounded with favors, gift heaped on gift, and all the resources of heaven given with Jesus. They include Christ enthroned on earth in the Holy Spirit's power to convince of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to live through all the powers of the soul, giving a perpetual current of blessedness and joy in obedience to all God's commandments that counterworks the power impelling to disobedience.
Through redeeming love the coming sinner receives a new heart, God justifies the believer and finally glorifies those He justifies, and the honor and exaltation of those conformed to His image surpass the shame of sin with such heavenly power and excellence that they are placed above angels who never fell. This wisdom is revealed in Christ's human and divine nature, and how man can be a counterpart of Jesus Christ is an exalted mystery that natural sight cannot see, natural hearing cannot hear, and the natural mind cannot comprehend. Only the Holy Spirit can quicken the perceptive faculties and strengthen spiritual eyesight to discern it, and by the Spirit which searches the deep things precious truths about it are revealed which cannot be fully described by pen or voice and which no human understanding can explain unless God reveals it.
The great and good things prepared for believers in Jesus are things the faithful of earlier generations longed to see and hear but did not know in the fuller light later given through the gospel, and greater light brings greater responsibility to be faithful with the greater trust as the holy people of old were faithful with what they had, in order to be counted profitable servants and crowned with glory, honor, and immortality. Those unimaginable blessings belong to those who love God and obey His commandments as part of the heavenly benefits made possible by Christ's great atonement, in which He bore humanity's sins and took the suffering that brings peace while offering people the cup of His blessing. They include the final triumph of God's people which angels await with earnest expectation, when seraphim and cherubim and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands shall swell the anthems of the blessed and celebrate the triumphs of Christ's mediatorial work in the recovery of man.
Revelation by the Spirit
No lifetime of laborious searching after God by reason, argument and logic can find what God has prepared for those who love Him, for such effort only leaves men ignorant and confused, and human wisdom, human speech and human energy cannot see it or accomplish it, but it is made known and accomplished only in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor heart conceived these things, for the gospel is a mystery hidden for ages whose depths human wisdom cannot sound. Faith must therefore stand not in the wisdom of men nor in the wisdom of this world but in the power of God. That knowledge is found alone in the Bible, for God has revealed those things by His Spirit who searches all things, even the deep things of God, so the Scriptures must be searched as for hidden treasure. Even the Word gives only a partial revelation now, and these prepared things can be known only through God's Word.
In the future life every power will be developed and every capability increased, the grandest enterprises carried forward and the highest ambitions realized, with ever new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, and fresh objects to call forth the powers of body and mind and soul. All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's children, who will enter into the joy and wisdom of unfallen beings and share the treasures gained through ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. The years of eternity will keep bringing more glorious revelations, and forever the impartation of God's gifts will exceed abundantly above all that is asked or thought. Human senses and unaided thought cannot discover what God has prepared, but God reveals these hidden things through His Spirit, and understanding the revelations of Scripture therefore requires wisdom from God, not merely human intelligence. That wisdom is received by coming to Christ in faith, with a sensitive and receptive mind and heart kept continually on these things, allowing the Holy Spirit to mold and work through preaching, advice and fellowship rather than trying to direct the Holy Spirit by personal ideas.
Every heart that has received Christ is entrusted with ability to discern Christ in His message, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. Believers are to take hold of God's provision and become partakers of the divine nature, knowing Him through personal experience, trusting His word and receiving the Spirit's help to understand Him. The glorious things prepared for those who love Him and reverence His commandments can be made distinct and clear to sight now through the sacred privilege of communing with God, walking by the side of holy angels and encouraging holy thoughts and holy communing. Bringing reverence into daily business and worship and throwing open the windows of the soul heavenward to let in light fills the heart with love for fellow men, while bringing what is little and common into the daily duties hides Him who is invisible and causes loss of many rich blessings in religious experience. Ministers, conference presidents, physicians and workers must therefore change, wake up, be united in the Spirit and depend wholly on God, preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified in humility, weakness, fear and dependence.
Self must be hidden and Christ lifted up, for true laborers learn at the foot of the cross and preach Christ crucified plainly, not with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom to please ears, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so the work stands in the power of God and brings people to the cross. Ministers who deeply feel their inefficiency and entire dependence on Christ, who do not seek to be above their brethren but hide self in Christ and reveal Him as chiefest among ten thousand and altogether lovely, make the sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin the theme of every discourse to produce deep, thorough, substantial conversion, turning from idols to serve the living God and bringing forth abundant fruit in soul-saving. Human beings cannot discover the deep things of God through their own wisdom or goodness, and Peter's recognition of Christ's glory is evidence that God had taught him. Workers need to study the life of Christ until they give themselves unreservedly to Him, and as the Spirit quickens them those who practice His words and come into sacred relation with Him become one with Christ, with the mysteries of God's grace opened to them and their lives representing the pure principles of the Word in simplicity and meekness.
God's promises are the means by which His gracious purposes are learned, giving peace, comfort and hope and developing peace, joy and faith in those who make them part of their lives. The glory within those who belong to Christ and are full of the divine nature is beyond what the eye of flesh can see and makes all the glory of this world contemptible by comparison. The same laws that govern earthly seed-sowing and reaping govern the sowing of the seeds of truth, and the Word of God is therefore to be communicated as truth and interwoven with the whole practical life in gospel seed-sowing.
Living the Promise Now
The first two chapters of 1 Corinthians, and the second chapter in particular, are to be read and studied carefully at home with prayer for understanding and then personally applied. That chapter is given as a test of readiness for the Lord's coming, for many who think they are prepared are not, and God helps those who make this application to understand it. Applied, it calls for falling on the Rock and being broken while mercy lingers so that Christ builds up into His own likeness, separating every hindrance, knowing the will of God and walking in that pathway, which makes men free and all light in the Lord as they confess Christ and come out of darkness into His marvelous light. It is meant to bring those grown up in the truth out of the position of carnal babes in Christ fed with milk into right relation to truth and close connection with God, where they discern what they need and lay hold upon it, trim their lamps with the oil of grace like the wise virgins, eat the bread of life and heavenly manna from the Word, gain a right to the tree of life, and have Christ reveal Himself day by day because they seek Him who gave His life for them.
What God has in store for those who love Him lies beyond human sight, hearing, and imagination, yet God makes those things known by His Spirit. They are therefore to be kept continually in thought, with a sensitive and receptive mind and heart, so the Holy Spirit can impress light received through preaching, advice, and fellowship with other believers. This requires allowing the Holy Spirit to mold and work through the person to catch the spirit and influence God intends, rather than trying to direct the Holy Spirit by personal ideas, and it calls for knowing God through experience, trusting His word, and receiving the Spirit's help to understand Him.
When truth abides in the heart these prepared things become the theme of conversation, for those who love Christ delight to talk about them. Christ's love within flows out like a spring or well of water bringing everlasting life, life, and gladness wherever the living streams flow. Those who have a relish for holy things and talk of precious lessons of instruction leave no place for criticism of God's servants or for picking flaws with His message, because what is in the heart flows from the lips and cannot be repressed. Meditating on salvation, pardon, peace, and everlasting righteousness fills the mind with ennobling themes and leaves no desire for questionable excitement or amusement, being connected with the joy of Christ's presence.
Glimpses of the saints' inheritance which God may give by drawing aside the veil awaken hope and expectation and strengthen the soul to endure life's conflicts and trials. The chapter containing this promise offers precious assurances and comfort for God's children when trouble increases. The prospect of glory beyond adequate human description gives meaning to present trials, which test whether people are prepared for what God is preparing for them. When believers fully surrender to God and use through Jesus the power He provides, the Spirit can bring great changes, and human cooperation in sharing God's blessings with the world accompanies an increase of divine blessing, for Jesus gave His life intending greater things for humanity than unconsecration and unbelief have yet allowed the church to test.
This promise belongs to a life of loving God supremely and one's neighbor as oneself, and of sanctifying the whole being through obedience to truth, such love and harmony with God bringing freedom crowned with glory. It is the unseen and unheard reward for those who love and obey Him as children adopted into the heavenly family: an inheritance of mansions for the obedient, crowns placed on the heads of the humble and obedient, golden harps, and songs of redeeming love filling heaven. It is the reward promised to the overcomer who loves God, a crown of unfading glory and a life that measures with the life of God, including eating of the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God, calling for striving to obtain an abundant entrance into the kingdom through diligent study and keeping of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. These great things of eternal interest are not seen by those who serve the world, but are learned through persevering pursuit of heavenly wisdom and faith in Christ, enabling believers to overcome and leading to spiritual perfection and a holy, Christlike life. Only what is pure and holy can enter the beautiful world Jesus has prepared for those who love Him and seek to become like Him in character, so His children must rely on His daily grace to overcome faults and form Christlike character, and those who obey Christ and reflect His character share in these joys.
The everlasting home Christ prepares surpasses even the beauty and expense of earthly possessions, so this hope calls people to value eternal life above self-glorification and to use entrusted means in service to God and the salvation of others. Gold, display, extravagance, luxuries, and ornaments cannot purchase the indescribable eternal reward, which those who love God with all their hearts and their neighbors as themselves will receive. In light of unutterable bliss prepared for those saved through Christ, in contrast with the depths of woe awaiting those who reject salvation, worldly things of value become insignificant, and people are obligated to use their entrusted talents in God's service. This hope is a powerful reason to devote abilities and resources to God and to saving souls, for the joy of heaven, fellowship with God and His Son, the society of angels, and the eternal growth of human powers await, and the work done for God in bringing others to salvation will have significance throughout all ages.
Education begun in this life continues in the life to come, where understanding of God's works, creative and sustaining power, and the love and wisdom of redemption will unfold in ever-new beauty. In this life people may glimpse God's presence and taste communion with heaven, but the fullness of joy and blessing awaits the hereafter, and eternity alone will reveal the glorious destiny of humanity restored to God's image. Ability to appreciate those future glories will be proportionate to attainments reached through faithful use of God-given powers and opportunities and cultivation of faculties, for knowledge gained under the fear and love of God is imperishable and will be carried into that life. Abilities and powers developed in faithful service to God will be carried forward into the future immortal life, unlike worldly business and its pursuits, which will have no place there.
In the future life every power will be developed and every capability increased, the grandest enterprises carried forward and the highest ambitions realized, with ever new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, and fresh objects to call forth the powers of body and mind and soul. All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God's children, who will enter into the joy and wisdom of unfallen beings and share the treasures gained through ages spent in contemplation of God's handiwork. The years of eternity will keep bringing more glorious revelations, and forever the impartation of God's gifts will exceed abundantly above all that is asked or thought. The redeemed will live forever in the heavenly home with its beauty and blessed inhabitants, free from sin and its curse, restored to the Creator's likeness, and continue to grow in wisdom, knowledge, holiness, joy, love, and capacity to understand and enjoy. These things include the instruction awaiting those who pass through the gates of God's city into the higher school, where the divine Teacher teaches them, with music and song beyond mortal ear except in visions of God.
Our work now is to prepare for those mansions that God is preparing for those who love Him and keep His commandments, for the Lord will greatly honor and exalt His faithful ones. They shall grow like the cedar, and their comprehension will certainly increase, yet at every advanced stage of knowledge their anticipation will fall far beneath the reality. Heaven as a rich treasure is to be won by putting away unbelief and pressing close to Christ and sharing His suffering in order to share His glory. Being fitted for this inheritance requires educating the mind now and cultivating a teachable spirit, so that when Christ comes to take His people home they are fitted to compose the family of God, and as overcomers to unite with the heavenly family, see the King in His beauty, and become members of the royal family as children of the heavenly King, the prepared blessings being received through the Holy Spirit who opens the mysteries of God's grace to those in sacred relation with Him. This calls for claiming Jesus' promises, dedicating life to God, and making use of opportunities, with the help of angels and the Holy Spirit's work in helping believers understand what God has in store, for the satisfaction from appreciating God's goodness and love is so great that no tongue can express it and no finite mind can conceive it.