Mysteries: February 2020
Table of Contents
Mysteries
Remember the servants in the parable of the tare-field (Matt. 13)? Are not tares a hindrance, sharing the strength of the soil with the good seed, while they themselves are good for nothing? The common sense of man, the right moral judgment, would say all this, but the mind of Christ says the very contrary: “Let both grow together until the harvest.” Christ judged only according to divine mysteries. That is what formed the mind in the Master, perfect as it was, and that is what must form the like mind in the saint. God had purposes respecting the field. A harvest was to come and angels were to be sent to reap it, but as yet, all was the patient grace of the Master. The Lord will have the field uncleared for the present. The mysteries of God, the counseled thoughts and purposes of heaven, precious and glorious beyond all measure, demand this, and nothing is right but the path that is taken in the light of the Lord, in the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The call of God now demands that the tare-field be left unpurged, that the resources and strength of the flesh and of the world be refused rather than used, and that the church should reach the heavens, not through the judgment of the world by her hands, but through the renunciation of it by her heart and separation from it in company with a rejected Master.
J. G. Bellett (adapted)
The Mysteries
A “mystery” in Scripture is not something mysterious and enigmatic, but an open secret, which, before it was revealed, was unknown by men (Deut. 29:29). “The mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1; 13:2; 14:2) are certain lines of truth that God did not make known to men until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the sending of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:5; Col. 1:26). Essentially, they constitute the Christian revelation of truth. The apostles were the “stewards” of these mysteries, and thus they were responsible to make them known to the church (1 Cor. 4:1). The Christian revelation of truth has been delivered through the apostles “to the saints.”
There are a number of references to these “mysteries” in the New Testament. The word in the Greek text (musterion) appears 27 or 28 times, and it has led Bible teachers to categorize them. The difference of opinion as to how many there really are stems from the fact that some of the references are speaking of the same mystery, but with slightly different wording. Most say that there are ten. These are:
The Mysteries of the Kingdom
(Matt. 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10)
The Lord indicated to His disciples that there are several “mysteries” in connection with the kingdom. He was alluding to a subset of ten similitudes outlined in the Gospel of Matthew, which are a special kind of parable that begins with the phrase, “The kingdom of the heavens is like unto....” (Matt. 13:24,31,33,44,45,47; 18:23; 20:1; 22:1; 25:1). These similitudes describe the unusual form which the kingdom would take in this present day when the King is rejected and visibly absent from this world. These parables serve a twofold purpose. They give an understanding of these things regarding the kingdom to those who have received the Lord, but they also work to conceal the truth from those who have not believed on Him (Matt. 13:10-17). These “mysteries of the kingdom” show us truth that was unknown in Old Testament times, but is now open to all who believe.
The Mystery of God’s Will Concerning Christ and the Church
(Rom. 16:25; Eph. 1:9-10; 3:3-4,9; 5:25-32; 6:19; Col. 1:26-27; 2:2-3; 4:3)
This mystery is said to be “great” because it is the jewel of all the mysteries and is something that is near to the heart of God (Eph. 5:32). It discloses the truth of Christ and the church and presents God’s great purpose to display the glory of this relationship before the world in a coming day.
The truth disclosed in this mystery has been “hid” in God’s heart from the foundation of the world (Eph. 3:9). The secret which has now been made known is that God will display Christ’s glory before the world through a specially formed vessel of testimony — the church, which is His body and bride (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-32; Rev. 21:9-22:5). This display will be in two spheres (heaven and earth) and will take place in “the dispensation of the fullness of times,” which is the millennium (Eph. 1:10).
The Mystery of the Faith
(1 Tim. 3:9)
This refers to the special revelation of truth that has been revealed through the coming of the Holy Spirit. It entails the specific blessings of the believer in connection with Paul’s doctrine and the ordering of the Christian’s conduct in accord with the present dispensation (1 Tim. 1:4 JND). All this was unknown in Old Testament times.
The Mystery of Godliness
(1 Tim. 3:16)
This refers to the secret of godly living. Paul told Timothy that if he wanted to know “how one ought to conduct oneself in God’s house” (1 Tim. 3:15), all he needed to do was to look at the Lord Jesus and His perfect pathway in this world. Thus, the secret of being godly is to be acquainted with the walk and ways of Christ and to emulate them.
The Mystery of the Glorification of the Saints
(1 Cor. 15:51-57; 1 Thess. 4:15-18)
This refers to the revelation of truth concerning “life and incorruptibility” being brought to light through the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10 JND). Resurrection itself was not a secret; Old Testament saints knew that God would raise the dead. It is the manner in which they would be raised and the condition into which they would be changed that they did not know, nor did they know when this would occur.
These things have been brought to light through the gospel and are an open secret in the New Testament.
The Mystery of the Stars and Candlesticks
(Rev. 1:12,20)
This refers to the responsibility that elders/overseers have (in the local assemblies where they reside) to order the assembly according to the mind of the Lord in doctrine and in practice. In interpreting what John had seen in the first vision of the book (Rev. 1:12-16), the Lord explained that “the seven golden candlesticks” are the local assemblies set in the earth as a public witness for Him. He also said that the seven “stars” are the “angels” of those assemblies. As “stars,” the elders in these assemblies were to provide light, wisdom and guidance for the various situations that the assemblies would face.
The Mystery of the Olive Tree
(Rom. 11:25)
This mystery has to do with dispensational truth. The dispensational truth in connection with “the olive tree” refers to the suspension of the legal dispensation wherein God has been dealing with Israel, brought about through the Jews’ rejection of Christ. During the suspension, God has reached out to the Gentiles and has brought them into a place of favor and testimony in the world.
The passage goes on to mention that the mass of the Gentiles, who will embrace this privilege merely outwardly, will prove themselves to be unbelievers. They too, as branches, will be “cut off,” and God would take up with the natural branches (Israel) and graft them in again (Rom. 11:18-24). Paul adds that this re-grafting would not take place “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25).
The Mystery of Iniquity [Lawlessness]
(2 Thess. 2:7)
This “mystery” has to do with the spirit of disobedience stirring in the Christian profession and in the world generally. It refers to the working of the human mind in opposition to the will of God in all things, divine and secular, through the influence of the devil. The secret working of lawlessness is something that was going on in the apostles’ day, and it would continue to grow until it would be fully displayed in the apostasy of “the man of sin” (the Antichrist).
The Mystery of Babylon, the Mother of Harlots
(Rev. 17:5)
This mystery reveals that after the true church is called away from the earth at the rapture, the false church of merely professing believers (which will be left behind) will be headed up by the Roman Catholic system. It will have the character of religious confusion and blasphemy for which secular Babylon was known; hence the same title is given to that system. The false church will use its money and influence in the political arena to unite the nations in Western Europe into a ten-nation confederacy (Rev. 6:1-2; 17:12-13). This is really a revival of the Roman Empire (Dan. 2:40-43; 7:7-8; Rev. 17:7-11). Thus, the Church of Rome in its ecclesiastical corruption will control the Western superpowers, as depicted in the woman riding the beast (Rev. 17:1-4).
The Mystery of God
(Rev. 10:7)
This “mystery” is not the same as “the mystery of God” in Colossians 2:2, which is an aspect of the mystery of Christ and the church. The “mystery” in Revelation 10 has to do with the secret of God’s ways with men finally being made plain. For thousands of years God has allowed evil men to continue in their wickedness and seemingly to get away with it. However, when Christ publicly intervenes at His appearing and judges this world in righteousness (Acts 17:30-31), the mystery of God will be “finished [completed].” That is, when God brings His judgments upon the earth, this mystery will become an open secret, and the rightness of all His dealings through the ages will be seen. Thus He will be justified in it all. While all the previous mysteries have been disclosed to us now and are opened secrets, we must wait for this last mystery to be disclosed — which will happen when the Lord appears.
B. Anstey (adapted)
The Mystery of God and the Mystery of Christ
When speaking of the mystery of Christ and the church, the Word of God refers to it as both the mystery of God and the mystery of Christ. While it is the same mystery in both cases, it is good to recognize why the Spirit of God makes this distinction, for there is a different shade of meaning in these two terms.
In the New Testament, we often find a term referred to God in one passage and to Christ in another. For example, we find that the terms “the Spirit of God” and “the Spirit of Christ” are both used in Romans 8:9. We find the term “the Word of God” used many times, but in Colossians 3:16 it is “the Word of Christ.” We have the term “the peace of God” (Phil. 4:7), but also “the peace of Christ” (Col. 3:15 JND). In Romans 8:39 it is “the love of God,” while in Romans 8:35 it is “the love of Christ.” There are others, such as “the gospel of God” and “the gospel of Christ,” that could be added to this list.
What Concerns God and Christ
While the exact meaning in each case must be ascertained by the context of the passage, yet in a general way we can say that when it is “God” that is connected with a particular thought, it is His nature and power that are brought before us — the essence of what He is in Himself. If we read the term “the Spirit of God,” it is the thought of who the Spirit is in His essential deity and in His power that works in us. If it is the love of God, it is God’s nature as love and the force and power of His love that we are to consider. If it is the peace of God, it is a peace connected with the power of God over all circumstances.
When it is “Christ” who is connected with the same entity, the thought is different. It is rather the practical side of things, referring to our experiences in life and our walk before the Lord, that the Spirit wishes to bring before us. Thus the term “the Spirit of Christ” occupies us with what the Spirit is doing in us and our identification with Christ through the Spirit’s indwelling. The “love of Christ” is spoken of in relation to trials that are in this world, such as tribulation, famine and peril, while the “love of God” is connected with power outside of this world. The peace of Christ is spoken of in relation to our walk, while the peace of God relates more to our having committed everything to God and making our requests to Him.
The Two Parts
How then do we understand these terms as applied to the mystery of Christ and the church? There are really two parts of the mystery: first, that all things shall be put under the headship of Christ, and second, that the church will be associated with Christ in it all, as His body and His bride. When we get the expression “the mystery of God” in Colossians 2:2, the fullness of the Head of the body is being brought before us. Colossians, in a general way, speaks of what Christ is to the church and gives us the highest truth in Scripture concerning His person and God’s purposes in His Son. Thus the mystery of Christ and the church is referred to here as “the mystery of God,” for it is God’s primary purpose to honor and glorify His beloved Son and to head up all things in Him, both in heaven and on earth. This is the first and most important part of the mystery, for God always begins with Himself and His counsels, for His glory and the glory of His Son. (Note that the words “and of the Father, and of Christ” in Colossians 2:2 KJV should be left out; the verse should end with the phrase, “the mystery of God.” There is no such thing as the mystery of the Father, and it is not the mystery of Christ that is in view here.)
The Mystery of Christ
The term “the mystery of Christ” is used twice in Scripture, once in Ephesians 3:4 (“my knowledge in the mystery of Christ”) and once in Colossians 4:3 (“to speak the mystery of Christ”). In both cases it is connected with our part of the mystery, namely, that God has chosen to associate His church with Christ in all His glory. We get this expressed in Ephesians 1:11: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” Ephesians, in contrast to Colossians, brings before us what the church is to Christ and gives us the highest truth in Scripture concerning the blessings of the believer in Christ. In chapter 3, it is the Apostle’s burden that the saints should enter into and enjoy all the privileges connected with the revealed mystery of God — that they might “see what is the fellowship of the mystery” (vs. 9) and that they might have their affections and ultimately their lives formed by that knowledge. Thus it is called “the mystery of the Christ” (vs. 4 JND), for the expression “the Christ” brings Christ and the church together as one.
Likewise, the use of the term “the mystery of Christ” in Colossians 4:3 is connected with the Apostle’s wish for practical boldness to speak of it, even though he was a prisoner and might naturally be a little reticent to bring out clearly what had previously resulted in his being made a prisoner. He might have the knowledge of the mystery, but needed practical grace to give it out fearlessly.
In these two expressions, then, we see clearly God’s pattern, in that He always begins with Himself, and then He brings man into blessing based on His own purposes and grace. This blessing is always connected with and obtained through His beloved Son. In all our thoughts, we, too, need to see everything from God’s side, for in this way God will always be glorified and man will enter far more into his blessings.
W. J. Prost
The Mystery of God Should Be Finished
With respect to this subject, we will refer to three Scriptures:
First: “When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Gal. 4:4).
Second: “In the dispensation of the fullness 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; in whom also we have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:10-11).
Third: “The angel... sware by Him that liveth forever and ever... that there should be time [delay] no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished” (Rev. 10:5-7).
These three portions of Scripture mark out the great leading events or epochs of God’s dealings towards the world. The first of them is past; the two others, future. We shall now endeavor to ascertain from Scripture to what past dealings and ways of God the expression in Galatians refers: “When the fullness of the time was come.” We must, consequently, take a general glance at the past history of man, as revealed to us, from the beginning until that moment.
Dominion and Government
If we turn to Genesis 1-2, we find that God, having created the man and the woman in innocence, bestowed upon them a joint universal dominion over all that God had created in this world. But Satan came in and succeeded in overthrowing him from this universal lordship; man had fallen under his power and become estranged from God. Adam passes out from the presence of God and from a state into which he could never return. Then begins the trial of man in this condition, which lasts about four thousand years, till the “fullness of the time was come.”
For about 1600 or 1700 years of this trial, God left men to themselves (God always preserving a witness in the world for Himself) till the flood, when the earth was “corrupt before God, and ... was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Gen. 6:11-12). And the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; this ended the trial of man left to himself without law. Noah and his family are saved through the judgment of the world, and we find him on the earth thus cleansed. Into his hand God places the sword of government. (Adam had lordship; Noah, government.)
Idolatry
A new principle now finds a place in the hearts of men; the worship of demons began. When men knew God, “they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened: professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things” (Rom. 1:21-23). Man cannot do without something to rule his conscience and heart; if he has not God as above him, he will have something else. Satan gets this place, and man turns to the worship of demons. “What the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God” (1 Cor. 10:20 JND).
In such a state of things man’s heart became filled with self-will — self-will which shows itself in independence of God. This was expressed in the building of Babel. This meets its judgment from God, who gives restraint of the confusion of different languages, a hindrance to the common purpose of man’s heart.
Israel and the Law
When the world had thus gone into idolatry, God separated to Himself one man — Abraham — and in him a nation — Israel—that He might place man under another test on new ground. The law represented to man the test of his responsibility as a fallen child of Adam and the authority of God. This fresh trial lasted until the captivity of Babylon. After the history of the royalty of Israel and its failure, God removed the seat of His government from the center from which He had governed the world, and then He transferred the supreme power of the world into the hands of the Gentiles, beginning with Babylon and its king, Nebuchadnezzar.
The Times of the Gentiles
How then will he use it? Lifted up in pride of heart, he makes of himself a center and endeavors to make a religious and idolatrous center of unity apart from God. Lifted up in pride, he says, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:30). He loses his moral reason and becomes a beast, thus typifying, as their head, the power of the Gentiles in the whole period of their existence, till the “times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24).
And now into the moral wilderness of this world and into that little spot on which He had bestowed such care came His last trial for man. “Then said the lord of the vineyard, what shall I do? I will send My beloved Son: it may be they will reverence Him when they see Him. But when the husbandmen saw Him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill Him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast Him out of the vineyard, and killed Him” (Luke 20:13-15). Thus ended the probation of man for 4000 years, under every form of trial. The fullness of the time was come (Gal. 4:4-5).
God Sent His Son
God had sent forth His Son, who was so received. The Son had come to seek and to save that which was lost! He took the twofold position: “made under the law,” through which the Jew was under condemnation, but His purpose was to redeem, by His death, them that were under the law, that those who believe, of both Jew and Gentile, might receive the adoption of sons — that God might display the exceeding riches of His grace towards those who were under sin and condemnation.
To those who believe, God reveals His purpose — “that in the dispensation of the fullness 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; in whom also we have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:10-11). And when that time shall have come, the strong angel swears by Him that lives forever and ever that the “mystery of God” should be finished (Rev. 10).
The Mystery of God
During the interval between the “fullness of the time” and the “dispensation of the fullness of times,” “the mystery of God,” of Rev. 10, goes on. This is His non-intervention in open power to set things right in the world, while He watches over all in secret — the time when He bears with long-suffering the evil, without judging it. The church of God suffers through this interval in the “kingdom and patience of Jesus.” Gentile domination goes on in the world. The great image of Daniel 2 has not yet received the blow upon its feet by the stone cut out without hands. The whole creation groans and travails in pain, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom. 8:19-22). Satan goes about unrestrained, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Jesus, rejected by the world, sits at God’s right hand, waiting till His enemies are made His footstool (Psa. 110; Heb. 10).
The Son of Man in Dominion
If we turn to Psalm 8, we shall find that there is a “Son of Man” on whom this dominion is bestowed. “Thou madest Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas” (Psa. 8:6-8). Who is this “Son of Man”? And where is this dominion to be exercised and enjoyed? It is the second (last) Adam — the Son of Man — to whom this headship is given. It is in an age to come this dominion is to be exercised and enjoyed. Meanwhile, when waiting for the assumption of this headship, He is “crowned with glory and honor.”
All things that had been marred and destroyed in the hands of the first Adam shall be more than made good in the last Adam, the Son of Man. He takes the headship of Psalm 8 not only by right, but by redemption, as the inheritance had fallen under the power of the enemy through man’s sin. The joint-heirs will then enjoy unitedly with Him this headship in the heavenly glory, and the name of the Lord shall be excellent in all the earth.
F. G. Patterson (adapted)
Mystery - Babylon the Great
There was once a mighty city called Babylon, the glory of the Chaldean kingdom and the praise of the whole earth (Jer. 51:41). But her sins rose up to heaven, and judgment from God went forth against her. In the Book of Revelation, Babylon is used figuratively by the Spirit of God to describe a vast system that is rapidly developing upon the earth at the present moment, against which the judgment of God has already been pronounced. It is prefigured in two aspects — as a woman and as a city. The woman’s name is “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” Babylon represents a vast system built up by man upon the earth through the exercise of his own will, in rebellion against God, under the influence of Satan. It comprises a vast mixture of natural and religious elements, ostensibly combined for the glory of God, but actually for the glory of man himself. Protestants apply this scripture to Romanists, but all Christendom would do well to take heed to the solemn contents of the chapter where this evil system is described.
The prophet John, carried away in spirit into the wilderness, saw a woman seated upon a beast, holding out to her devotees a golden cup of intoxicating wickedness (Rev. 17:3-4). The woman represents ecclesiastical evil, and the beast, worldly power. Professing to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God, she becomes the habitation of demons, the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird (Rev. 18:2).
Then we read: “Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth” (vs. 5). By “mystery” we understand that this had not been revealed before and that it was something which could not have been understood but for this divine explanation. “Babylon the great” sets forth her corrupting character. The professing church on earth, rejected as Laodicea, refused as Christ’s light-bearer in the world, will finally concentrate within herself, and in a more intense form, all the evils that marked Babylon of old. This wicked “woman” is also a mother, a mother of other systems, as false to Christ as herself. It is thus not only Popery, but all other systems that derive their parentage from her and partake of her character.
The Fall of Babylon
In Revelation 18:21-24 we have the manner of her fall: “A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.” Yes, there is a moment coming when, with violence, Babylon shall be utterly overthrown. Her music, her arts and manufactures, her trade, her artificial light, all shall cease. Even the joy of natural relationship shall be known in her no more. God will avenge Himself upon her for her sorceries by which all nations are deceived and for the blood of His martyred loved ones which lies at her door. He is strong that executes His Word.
The Merchandise of Babylon
Notice the lamentation of those who drank of her intoxicating cup. First, we have the kings of the earth. They bewail and lament as they see the smoke of her burning, saying, “Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.”
Second, the merchants of the earth join in the same cry, “Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught.”
Third, the shipmasters, sailors and traders cast dust on their heads, crying, weeping and wailing, and say, “Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.”
Note, too, the description given by the Spirit of God of Babylon’s merchandise: “Gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves [or bodies] and souls of men” (Rev. 18:12-13). We get in this list things most valuable in the eyes of men. Gold stands first, but the souls of men are last. God knows the heart, and He knows the order of precedence in man’s estimate. Babylon’s general store has all the luxuries and necessities, used by some, indulged in by others, but with no fear of God before their eyes (Rom. 3:18). So degraded and perverted is she that she actually traffics religiously in the bodies and souls of men! Shall not God judge for these things? Indeed He will.
Her Adornment
Remark too another striking point about this vast and wicked system. In describing her adornment in Revelation 17:4, purple and scarlet color (imperial raiment) are mentioned, but there is a total absence of fine linen. Now we are told that the fine linen represents the righteousnesses of the saints; that is, the practical righteousness wrought in the saints, God’s people, by the power of the Spirit of God. This is utterly lacking in Babylon. Those who wear true fine linen are objects of her hate. But when the Spirit of God describes her traffic, fine linen is brought in. She knows how to turn it to account, to get advantage and wealth to herself through the faithfulness of the children of God. How many at that day will be found guilty of this! And the merchants too, bewailing her fall, cry, “Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen.” Looking at it morally, we see how they are deceived by Satan and are color-blind. They esteem as fine linen that which is but worldly abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15).
This a dark and solemn picture, but it is no sketch of fancy; it is the reliable Word of God. To speak broadly, it is God’s view of Christendom. His thoughts are not as ours. Thoughts, ideas, opinions, theology, religion — all are valueless unless they answer to “Thus saith the Lord.” God has spoken. “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word” (Isa. 66:2).
Her End
As we see all the developing in these last days and as we contemplate the awful end of such a system, we do well to heed the warning given in Revelation 18:4: “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” It is easy for believers to get caught up in worldliness and to be occupied with the same things with which Babylon is trading today. To see her end and then to have our eyes on the One whose glory will eclipse all the glory of Babylon will keep us away from all that formal religion offers.
E. H. Chater (adapted)
Climate Change
In two articles in previous issues of The Christian (“World Food Shortage,” July 2008, and “The Consumption of Food,” March 2011), we alluded to climate change and global warming as being at least one factor with which man has to contend in the twenty-first century. In the years since these articles were written, these issues have moved from the periphery to occupy center-stage in world affairs, and they have begun to dominate many of the political and economic interactions within and between nations.
The Paris Accord
In the years leading up to the signing of the Paris Accord in 2016, the world became more and more concerned, not only about global warming, but also with the alleged side effects of it, such as massive droughts, severe flooding and frequent hurricanes, as well as other extreme weather conditions, such as harsh winter storms and unusual heat waves. With all this before them, the nations of the world came to an unusual agreement, via the United Nations, to draft and sign the Paris Accord, by which they made a pact to work toward lessening the production of greenhouse gases by limiting the use of fossil fuels. The guidelines of the Accord were not legally binding, but meant to be followed up voluntarily by those who signed it.
Needless to say, all this was not without its problems, and it tended once again to bring to the surface the differences between liberals and conservatives. Under former U.S. president Barack Obama, the U.S. signed the Accord, but his successor Donald Trump, within a few months of his taking office, declared on June 1, 2017, that he would withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. His opinion was that the Accord would undermine the U.S. economy, kill jobs and raise energy prices for the average American family. He further alleged that the Accord required the U.S. to pay heavily, as a developed nation, while other nations would stand to reap the benefits. Needless to say, this proposed lack of cooperation by a country as influential as the U.S. caused widespread dismay among other nations in the world. (The U.S. cannot legally withdraw from the Accord until November 4, 2020.)
Only Syria and Nicaragua did not sign the Accord, but other, more major players such as Russia, Iran and Turkey, signed the Accord but have not ratified it. In the meanwhile, greenhouse gases and global warming continue to be a major cause of concern.
Events That Get Our Attention
At the time of the writing of this article, several events have combined to bring global warming to everyone’s attention, but not without controversy. Hurricanes have continued to form and cause serious damage, especially Hurricane Dorian, which devastated the Bahamas in early September 2019, and then proceeded to move toward the continental U.S. But then a far greater event emerged — wildfires burning out of control in the Amazon rainforest. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s pro-business president, has dismissed the fires as being a normal phenomenon that occurs from time to time. He has also tended to encourage the logging off of rainforests, in order to promote farming and, in particular, cattle raising. His seeming indifference to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has angered many nations around the world.
All this has roused the youth in the world to action, largely spear-headed by a 16-year-old Swedish girl named Greta Thunberg. She has traveled extensively and addressed the United Nations, as well as other national government bodies such as the U.S. Congress. She has been speaking very forcibly to world leaders, demanding that they address global warming and deal with the problem before it is too late. Her words are strong: “We can no longer save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed. So, everyone out there, it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel.” Youth around the world have rallied to the cause, taking to the streets in large numbers to protest what they consider to be an indifference to their future. In the U.K. and Canada, a young people’s movement calling itself “Extinction Rebellion” recently blocked bridges and roads in a number of cities, while similar protests occurred in other countries.
Scientific Data
All this alleged scientific data, which is promoted to support an alarmist attitude to global warming, is not without its detractors. While it is not our intention to discuss the various views on climate change, suffice it to point out that Dr. Rex Fleming, an award-winning scientist formerly associated with the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.A.) with impressive credentials, has concluded that “CO2 has no impact on climate change.” His contention is that while global warming is a fact, it is the warming that causes CO2 levels to rise, not the other way around. There is also good evidence that the NOAA has “cooked” its data over the years to try and support the alarmist attitude toward global warming. It is a fact that global warming, which has been going on and measured in the U.S. since about 1850 (when data began to be measured), has been steady in a linear graph. The rate of warming has not “spiked” rapidly in the last 40 or 50 years.
We may well ask, What does all this mean for believers? No one would doubt that, in a natural sense, there is cause for concern, even if it is only because the world seems unable to bear its increasing population. More than 80,000,000 people are added to the world population each year, and food production is not keeping pace. The world’s resources can support only so many people. Even if one does not believe that global warming is a serious threat, there is no question that the “human footprint” is tending to strain this world’s ability to support itself, given the pollution of air and water, the difficulty in disposing of waste (especially the plastics problem), and the shortage of water, both for drinking and irrigation. To those whose horizons consist only of this world, the future does indeed look depressing, and their aim is to do whatever they deem necessary to preserve the planet “in perpetuity.”
God Is Left Out
In all of the discussion about climate change, what is noticeably absent is any reference to God’s claims or the fact that it is His world. Man’s objectives are totally for himself, with a view to sustaining a world for his own ends and his own pleasure. God as Creator and God’s plans and purposes are left out of man’s calculations. One of Greta Thunberg’s favorite phrases, addressed to government authorities, is, “How dare you?” This, of course, refers to their alleged indifferent attitude to the damage that she feels is being inflicted on the planet. But no one thinks of how God Himself might well say to man, “How dare you?”
But the believer can rest in three things, all of which enable us to pursue Christ’s interests in this world, while valuing our natural resources and treating them with respect.
First of all, we know that “our commonwealth has its existence in the heavens, from which also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior” (Phil. 3:20 JND). The believer’s hopes are beyond this world. Furthermore, we know that this present world will not go on “in perpetuity.” This brings us to our second point.
How the World Will Go On
We know that even if the Lord were to come and call us home today, the world must go on for more than 1000 years, to fulfill the scriptures concerning the tribulation and the millennium. This present world will not end until it is burned up at the end of the millennium, to make way for “a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
What is happening now with global warming is all in God’s control. If indeed the rate of warming has been a constant steady rise for more than 150 years and possibly longer, it is interesting to note that man would rather assume that he is in control than admit that God is doing something that he does not understand.
Finally, we have God’s promise to Noah, when he and his family came out of the ark, that “while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22).
Despite man’s alarmist attitude, God knows how long this earth has to go on in order to accomplish His purposes. He can and will maintain it, although He may allow climatic events in order to speak to man and warn him of coming judgment. The believer’s place is to act as God’s ambassador, warning man to “flee from the wrath to come,” while walking in peace and trusting the One who upholds “all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3).
W. J. Prost
Unveiled Mysteries
“What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter” (John 13:7). Much is baffling and perplexing to us in God’s present dealings. “What!” we are often ready to exclaim. “Could not the cup have been less bitter, the trial less severe, the road less rough and dreary?”
“Hush your misgivings,” says a gracious God; “question not the rightness of My dispensations. You shall yet see all revealed and made bright in the mirror of eternity!”
“What I do” — it is all My doing — My appointment. You have but a partial view of these dealings — they are seen by the eye of sense through a dim and distorted medium. You can see naught but plans crossed. and gourds laid low, and beautiful rods broken. But I see the end from the beginning “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”
“Thou shalt know!” Wait for the “hereafter” revelation! An earthly father puzzles not the ear of infancy with hard sayings and problems. He waits for the manhood of being, and then he unfolds all.
So it is with God! We are now in our childhood — we shall learn the deep things of God in the manhood of eternity. Christ often shows Himself only behind the lattice — a glimpse and He is gone! But the day is coming when “we shall see Him as He is”! A flood of light will break upon us from the sapphire throne. “In Thy light shall we see light” (Psa. 36:9). The “need be,” muffled as a secret now, will be revealed to us then and become luminous with love.
Perhaps we may not even have to wait till eternity for the realization of this promise. We may experience its fulfillment here. We not infrequently find, even in this present world, mysterious dispensations issuing in unlooked-for blessing. Jacob would never have seen Joseph, had he not parted with Benjamin.
Often would the believer never have seen the true Joseph, had he not been called on to part with his best beloved! His language at the time is that of the patriarch, “I am bereaved.” “All these things are against me.” But the things which he imagined to be so adverse, have proved the means of leading him to see the heavenly King “in His beauty” even here. Much is sent to “humble” us and to “prove” us. It may not do us good now, but it is promised to do so “at thy latter end.”
I shall not dictate to my God what His ways should be. The patient does not dictate to his physician. He does not reject and refuse the prescription because it is nauseous; he knows it is for his good, and he takes it on trust. It is for faith to repose in whatever God appoints. Let me not wrong His love or dishonor His faithfulness by supposing that there is one needless or redundant drop in the cup which His loving wisdom has mingled.
“Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12).
Christian Truth, Vol. 19 (adapted)
The Mysteries of God
The secret things of the Lord our God
Are His own, and are His alone;
For His deepest ways are unsearchable,
And His mysteries cannot be known;
In the times of old, though men might search,
As they penned the inspired Word,
No knowledge, no light, nor Spirit to teach;
Total darkness did all enshroud.
But God is a God of love and light,
And delights to unfold His ways;
Though in ages past, His counsels might
Be hidden from His creatures’ gaze;
In fullness of time, His Son He revealed
To this world so immersed in sin,
That those mysteries of God, so long concealed,
Might enthral those His grace would win.
The secrets of God, long to man unknown,
Now revealed to His saints on earth;
Those called of Him, who were long foreknown,
And destined for heavenly birth;
Those counsels of God, which He once did hide,
Are now to be preached to all,
That all might find, in the One who died,
That glory, their hearts to fill.
But the mysteries too on the conscience burn,
So that man is without excuse,
Should a creature dare God’s free grace to spurn,
And His offer of love refuse;
How solemn to think of the end of those
Who, exposed to the fullest light,
Would rebuff His grace, and iniquity choose,
And His offer of mercy slight.
But how blest are those who God’s secrets know,
That are centered in His dear Son!
Those counsels sublime, revealed to us now,
From the risen ascended One!
In the ages to come, we shall praise Him where
We shall with Him in glory be;
Yet though glory shines, in that heavenly sphere —
’Tis His face that we long to see!
wjp