Why did the Old Testament not predict two advents of Christ? (2)

Read Ephesians 3:1-13

Continuing our discussion from last Saturday, the inability of the Old Testament prophets to distinguish two advents of Christ is the reason for the list of mysteries referred to in the New Testament.  The term mystery is used in a technical way in the NT (cf. Rom. 16:25-27; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:3-5; Col. 1:26).  It referred to truth kept secret by God in previous times, but now revealed to and through the Apostles, even as Jesus had promised (John 16:13).  

A consideration of these mysteries shows how they fit the idea of two advents as well as the parenthetical time in between.

·        Matt. 13:11; Mk. 4:11; Lk. 8:10: The parables of Matthew 13 were given when Jesus saw His rejection by the Jewish leaders.  They describe the time between the two advents as a time of sowing and reaping, of rejection and reception.  As He says, they are the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; they are a form of that kingdom that was unknown prior to that time.

·        Rom. 11:25: Israel’s blindness was predicted in the OT.  But the resulting time of being set aside in order for Gentiles to be saved was not known. 

·        Eph. 3:6; 5:32: Salvation of the Gentiles was predicted in the OT.  But the fact that it would involve Jew and Gentiles on equal footing, in Messiah’s Bride and not in the Nation of Israel, was unknown to the prophets.

·        1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:13-18: There was no mention of the rapture of the Church in the OT.  This event is necessitated so the purposes of Daniel’s 70^th Week, which have to do with Israel, can be fulfilled.

·        Eph. 6:19; Col. 4:3; 1 Cor. 2:8: Saving faith has always been in Christ.  But in OT times the message was a shadow, pointing to an event involving the shedding of blood of One who was of the seed of the woman.  How the sufferings and glory of Messiah were to be accomplished was a mystery.

·        Col. 1:26-27: The OT predicted the Holy Spirit’s outpouring.  But the way it would happen, with the indwelling of Christ by the Spirit, was not known.

·        2 Thess. 2:7: The mystery of lawlessness has roots in the OT (Zech. 5:5-11).  But the increase in evil toward the end of this age, especially in Israel, was something Jesus revealed (Luke 17:26-30).

·        1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21: The OT predicted the Messiah would be know as The Lord our Righteousness.   But the mystery of godliness is how in fact the righteous life of Christ would become our life.  It is a truth that could not become reality until after the great exchange of the cross when believers were united with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection.

All these fit with THE Mystery of God (Rev. 10:7; Eph. 1:9-10), God’s plan to exalt His Son over all His enemies.  OT saints had to wait for our day for these mysteries to be seen and for their own faith to become sight!