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Eureka AN EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE |
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Chapter 10 Section 12 The Mystery |
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In my translation, I have rendered the words eueggelise, as he hath declared the glad tidings. The English Version reads as he hath declared. But this is not the full import of the verb euaggelizo. This is compounded of the adverb eu, good, and the verb aggello, to announce by one sent; by a messenger, or angel. The context of the English Version shows that the thing declared to the prophets was "the mystery," or secret purpose "of the Deity;" but its rendering does not indicate whether the import of that mystery was good or bad. The original gives us to understand that the subject-matter of the mystery was good -- or glad tidings of great joy. Good, of course, to the servants of the Deity, the Father’s sealed ones; not to those who are obnoxious to the "pillars of fire," which march in indignation through the countries of "the earth and sea." This mystery of the Deity to be finished is styled by Paul "the mystery of Christ," "the mystery of the gospel," "the mystery of the Deity’s will," "the mystery of Godliness," "the mystery of the Deity, even of the Father and the Christ." These are not many mysteries, but one and the same mystery, which he says, was "hid from the aiones," or Mosaic and prophetic cycles of time; "and from the genea," or thrice fourteen, that is from the forty-two generations between Abraham and Christ; and in another place he says that it was "hid from the aions in the Deity;" or "kept secret chronois aioniois in the times of the aions." It was the special function of the apostles to make known this
mystery in their preaching. Paul was a prisoner in bonds because
of his zealous labors in this enterprise. As we have seen
before, it was revealed or declared to the prophets; but the
revelation was not in the same form as was the revelation
of it to and by the apostles. This appears from Paul’s teachings,
who says concerning "the mystery of the gospel, for which
he was an ambassador in bonds," "in other generations
it was not made known to the sons of men as it is now apekaluphthe,
apocalypsed or revealed to his holy apostles and prophets
by spirit;" among whom he includes himself in saying, "kata
apokalupsin, by revelation be made known to me the mystery." They
were commanded to go and make manifest this important and
long concealed secret to every creature under the Roman heaven.
This was the apostolic work in which John and his companions
were engaged. The whole ground of their prophesying was covered
by the euaggelion, by the kerugma, and by the apokalupsin
musteriou; that is, by the good-announcement they made as
the messengers of heaven; by the proclamation of Jesus as
the Christ; and by the revelation of the secret, which none
of the chief men of their time knew anything about. These
are the three grand divisions of the great subject they handled,
and in the right understanding of which they sought to establish
all true believers. In addressing such, Paul says, the only
wise Deity establish you "by my evangile," good-announcement,
or gospel, "and proclamation of Jesus Christ; by the
revelation of the mystery which was kept secret in aionian
times, but now is made manifest through the prophetic writings
by command of the aionian Deity (the Deity of the times of
the law) made known for obedience of faith to all the nations." They
set forth in their teaching the gospel preached to Abraham;
and afterwards preached by Moses to the enslaved Israelites
in Egypt; and next proepeggeilato, previously announced through
His prophets in the holy writings; and then by John the Baptist,
Jesus and his disciples, before the crucifixion; after this,
they proved that Jesus was the promised and expected Christ,
or Son of David and Son of the Deity, raised from among the
dead to be King of Israel; and they showed how remission of
sins and eternal life might be obtained through his name. "The
sufferings of the Christ and the glory that should follow," are
the more general and twofold division of the mystery; or in
other words, "the things concerning the Kingdom of the
Deity, and the Name of Jesus Christ;" which every one
taught by them who desired to share in the great salvation,
practically elaborated by the Spirit-Angel of the Bow, believed,
and obtained a right to by being aqueously immersed into Christ.
From this exposition, then, the reader will perceive, that,
the mystery previously announced through the prophets, and
preached by the apostles, is not yet finished. Multitudes
have received the remission of sins and a right to eternal
life, on the basis of the sufferings of the Christ, belief
of the truth, and immersion into his name; but the realization
of their right in the kingdom of which they are "heirs;" and
the blessedness of all nations in Abraham and his Seed, are
parts of the mystery previously announced to the prophets, "the
Hope of the Gospel" and "the Hope of Israel," which
yet remain to be developed by the almighty power of the Spirit-Angel
of the Bow, in "the days of the seventh angel," when
he shall synchronically consummate "the wonders" and "the
times" (Rom. i. 2; xvi. 25,26; 1 Cor. ii. 7,8; Eph. i.
9,10; iii. 3-9; vi. 19,20; Col. i. 26; iv. 3; Matt. i. 17).
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