Have you ever played a game of cards? Chances are that if you have, the hand of cards that you’ve been dealt is very important. Sometimes, the rules state that it is the responsibility of the card holder to make sure that no one sees his hand. This invites crafty opponents to go to great lengths to attempt to determine what cards you are holding in your hand. What if instead of hiding them, you decided to show them to your opponents? Or maybe you only showed them what you wanted them to see.
What They Didn’t Know
What would become of humanity? Israel, the nation and conduit to God had fallen into blindness. What was God’s move now? Was the battle lost?
God had kept a secret. At what seemed the darkest of times, Christ appeared to and raised up a man to tell this secret to. His name was Saul (later referred to as Paul). A religious man with blood on his hands, “...breathing out threatenings and slaughter...” (Acts 9:1)
God chose Paul and saved him by grace to go unto all the nations of the earth - the devil must have cringed as Paul began to write and tell humanity these truths:
“...we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” - 1 Corinthians 2:7-8
God hadn’t, until now, revealed the whole plan! How the devil must have cried in anguish as this mystery was revealed! Christ began to explain through Paul something that had been hidden, something God had planned since before the world was formed! This plan was for heaven, a battle not yet described.
God began to build a new creature (neither Jew, nor Gentile), called the church the body of Christ who would be seated in heavenly places. This news brought with it God’s grace on full display. Men could be saved despite the blindness of Israel and now could be made a part of Christ’s body! All men could be saved without Israel and their law. All men could be saved by simply believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as a payment for sins! This was not prophesied.
“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” Ephesians 2:15
“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” 1 Corinthians 12:27
“And [God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” - Ephesians 2:6
“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,” - Romans 16:25
God would begin to build this new creature destined for heaven, but we are also assured that Israel will return, and one day their promises will be fulfilled and the purpose of God made complete as both that which are in heaven and that which are in earth are all brought together in Christ.
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” - Ephesians 1:9-10
For Satan, God’s surprise party wasn’t such good news. God had shown the cards that he chose to show, but always in play were the hidden cards that no one saw coming. For us who are saved, we can know the cross is the “power of God” made possible by his hidden wisdom. We can know who we are as members of His body and preach God’s grace that is unto all and upon all who believe. We can know God’s wisdom and will, that not only will he take back the earth with Israel, but that today he is taking back heaven with the Body of Christ.