To truly understand end times and where we stand as far as the coming of the Lord Jesus, we need to have an understanding of the uniqueness of the Church Age. Not only is the dispensation of Grace unique, it was unknown in the Old Testament. In other words, when the Day of Pentecost arrived, believers were unaware of what was happening. They thought Jesus would take His throne and begin His kingdom on the earth, the millennial reign. But a time period began which needed a whole new set of rules and books, a whole new explanation, about a time period Moses and the Old Testament prophets knew nothing of.

The New Testament calls our time period, the dispensation of grace, the mystery. The definition of the word mystery does not mean something we do not understand. It means something which has been kept secret for many centuries, but now is revealed by God to us, the Church, through the Holy Spirit. We live in the day of the unveiling, or uncovering, of the mystery. Before the Day of Pentecost, the Church Age, and its uniqueness to other dispensations, was unknown.

For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me for you: How that by revelation he made known to me the mystery; (as I wrote before in a few words, Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).  Which in other ages (time periods) was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel (Ephesians 3:1-6).

Jesus first used the word mystery with his disciples in Matthew 13:11 and Mark 4:10,11. He introduced the coming Church Age with parables. He used the word mystery in a story form and later openly told the twelve, “I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18). I am sure the disciples asked each other, “what is the Church?”

The Time Period of the Mystery

The length of time the mystery will continue is the length of time the Church Age will exist. The Church began on the day of Pentecost and will continue until the rapture, the catching away of the Church from earth. The mystery began on the Day of Pentecost and will continue until the removing of the Church. Once the Church is gone, the earth will return for seven more years to Jewish time. Jewish time has never been completed, only temporarily halted. The last seven years of Jewish time is called the Tribulation. Israel, again, as in the Old Testament, will be the custodians of the gospel and the word of God. Evangelism will begin with great furor from Jerusalem when 144,000 Jews will receive Jesus as their savior and begin world evangelism as it was intended in the Old Testament. Another name for the Tribulation, Israel’s last seven years, is Daniel’s 70th week. The Church has been inserted between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week (Daniel 9:24-27). When the Tribulation begins, the earth will go back to the time before the Day of Pentecost. Israel will again be under Roman domination for seven more years. This time period we live in, when Jewish time has halted, is the dispensation of the mystery.

What is Not Included in the Mystery  

Whatever happened before the Day of Pentecost is not part of the mystery. What happens after the Church has been removed is also not part of the mystery. All of these things are well described and well documented in the Old Testament. Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension and seating at the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1), are well detailed in the Old Testament and not part of the mystery. They all happened before the Day of Pentecost. The Tribulation, Second Advent, Battle of Armageddon, millennial reign and eternal state are also well documented in the Old Testament and not part of the mystery. They happen after the rapture of the Church.

When are Our Sins Forgiven?

It is this simple. Our sins are forgiven, or remitted, when we are born again. It all takes place when we repent and receive Jesus as Savior.

There are so many scriptures on this subject, I cannot possibly give you all of them. But the Word is clear that our sins are not forgiven until we accept Jesus.

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission (forgiveness) of sins (Mark 1:4).

Seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them (Mark 4:12).

Clearly it is taught in just these two verses that sins are not forgiven until we repent and turn toward Jesus. Understand, we repent and turn from sins that have already been judged. They are just not forgiven until we believe in Jesus as our Savior.

What is Included in the Mystery?

The books of instruction for the mystery, the church Age, are the New Testament epistles. These books of Paul, Peter, James, Jude and John are meat for our dispensation. They describe the great monopolies of the Church, things never available in the Old Testament to believers in the Lord. Some of those monopolies are:

1. The new birth. A recreated spirit within us.

2. The indwelling of Christ and the Holy Spirit

3. The infilling of the Holy Spirit for daily power.

4. The Church made up of redeemed Jews and Gentiles.

5. Each believer is a child in the family of God.

6. The Body of Christ

7. The Bride of Christ

8. The individual priesthood of each believer.

9. Spiritual gifts available to all believers.

The Rapture of the Church is also Part of the Mystery.

The rapture is not described in the Old Testament or the four gospels.

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

What is described in the Old Testament and Four Gospels is the Second Advent of Jesus, His return to Jerusalem at the end of the Tribulation to set up His millennial kingdom on the earth.

The Mystery Gives Stability for Our Day

Although the whole of the Bible is given to us for our growth and maturity, the main teachings for the Church are the writings of the New Testament epistles and especially the writings of Paul.

Now to him who has power to stabilize 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 (ages) began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith (Romans 16:25,26).

You cannot truly become all God wants you to become by studying only the Old Testament or the Four Gospels. They are good and necessary in the daily Christian walk, but will never replace the importance of who we are in Christ, found only in the New Testament epistles.

The Mystery Includes Israel’s Partial Blindness During the Church Age

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (rapture of the Church) (Romans 11:25).

The Mystery Has Always Been Known in the Heart of God

But 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).

Paul Was Responsible to Complete God’s Word, the Mystery

Whereof (for the Church) I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill  (complete) the word of God; Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in

you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect (complete) in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:25-28).

God’s Goal of the Mystery Was to Show Satan and Demons His Wisdom Through the Church

Even Satan and his demons did not know the Church, the mystery, was coming. Satan thought he was rid of Jesus when Jesus ascended into heaven. Then a few days later, Satan was confronted with one hundred and twenty of Jesus. Then before the end of the day, there were three thousand one hundred and twenty of Jesus, hitting the streets of Jerusalem. He probably had to pull demons out of retirement.

God’s plan was, during the Church Age, to give the revelation of His mystery to the Church. Satan would see God’s revelation of a centuries old plan displayed through redeemed men and women from all nations. The Son of God was no longer needed. Christ’s ambassadors, the Church, now stand in His place to do His work.

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of (participation in) the mystery, which from the beginning of the world (ages) has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:8-11).