All:
As I have been addressing in my post series "Absence of Proof is Not Proof of Absence" relative to the collective evidence that supports a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, it becomes clear that some folks have to be told in uncertain terms what God's plan is for them.
In coming segments of the "Absence of Proof is Not Proof of Absence" I will share over 200 passages of evidence for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. I would like to share with you some fascinating evidence that the Creator has seeded into His Holy Word for us to have our faith encouraged.
One of those is Proverbs 25:2: "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."
Anyone attempting to understand the Apostle Paul's words concerning the Rapture has to start or begin with his words in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: "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."
I believe the following three passages are the leading verses for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. They are all recorded by the Apostle Paul:
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
1 Thessalonians 4:14, 16
Titus 2:13
You might consider others, but I see these as absolute "keepers".
When reading them, read the entire chapter to feast upon our heavenly destination. The Apostle Paul couldn't have put it more clearer, regarding the Pre-Trib Rapture. It is a "Mystery".
The word "Mystery" in Greek is "Musterion" and it actually appears in the New Testament a total of 27 times, exactly the same number of times as the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Let me illustrate:
22 times for the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
5 times for the 5 "final form" letters.
Five of the Hebrew letters in their alphabet take what is known as the "final form" when used at the end of a sentence, paragraph, etc. Hebrew in its base form is one long continuous string of letters. It is these five "final form" that tell the reader that the sentence is ended. The entire text of the Old Testament has within it, a hidden design, unknown to the non-Jew, to indicate the verse structure. I'll give a basic instruction in this later in this series of posts.
This is so significant and in this post we are going to unpack the meaning of Proverbs 25:2. Before we get to look at the signature of the Creator, I will show something that only a few people are aware of that will blow your mind. Even more, it will exalt your faith. Kiss your doubt goodbye!
God reveals His mind, wisdom, and love for us in many interesting and fascinating ways, throughout the Bible. Sadly, many students of the Word have yet to discover the wonders of the Lord. Once you discover the key God will reveal "diamonds and nuggets" that will make your spirit quicken like nothing imaginable.
Each occurrence of the word "mystery" will be part of an integral message and a continuous thematic pattern. Each time the word occurs, hidden behind or within the passage of where the word "mystery" appears, it conveys the meaning of a theme of the Hebrew letter that appears in that verse or chapter. The entire theme begins in the Gospel of Mark and concludes in Revelation. This may all sound a bit confusing but it will become apparent as we proceed through the 27 occurrences of the word "Mystery".
The very first time we find the word "Mystery" it will be found in Mark 4:11; "And he said unto them, unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables."
The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is easy to remember - "aleph" - and its primary meaning is "God is Creator and King". Each letter may have several definitions, like in the case of "aleph" it may also mean "head", or "chief", among a few others. As one can see here, our very first occurrence of the word "mystery" is found in Mark 4:11, and the meaning is associated with the mystery of the Kingdom of God. The meaning of the letter contains the "theme" of the passage as well.
The second letter of the Hebrew alphabet is also easy to remember - "beit" - and it stands for "house" and "temple". The very next time we come across the word "mystery" in the New Testament will be in Romans 11:25-29; "For I would not, brethren, that ye be ignorant of this mystery lest ye be be wise in your own conceit that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." In this case, the meaning is less explicit and requires a "connect-the-dots" by inference. When you digest the four verses you begin to see a subtle inference. Often times the relationship is not evident, however, it may be nuanced in the Hebrew where the connection is more discernible. I illustrate this concept through the use of children's ABC blocks in my presentation "Mining the Diamonds and Nuggets of the Bible."
At this point you may have noticed the first two letters "aleph" + "beit" when combined forms the English word "alphabet".
In this present dispensation, "The Age of Grace" or "The Age of the Church", only a remnant of Israel has accepted Jesus as the Messiah. After the grand purpose of God for His church has been fulfilled -(Ephesians 3:2-11), God will deliver Israel. Prior to this deliverance, the nation will experience a "hardness of the heart," with most turning away from the Gospel. This rejection will continue up until God has determined the mission of the church is complete. The "fullness of the Gentiles" thus presented is to be distinguished from the "times of the Gentiles". -(Luke 21:24).
All of Israel shall be saved, meaning those alive when their Deliverer shall come. The deliverance is twofold, indicting a rescue from the Gentile armies of the Antichrist -(Isaiah 59:20-21; Zechariah 13:1,6,8-9; 14:1-14) and spiritual conversion, when the New Covenant is fully established with His people -(Jeremiah 31:33-34). Notice in verse 29, the gifts and calling is without repentance. God's sovereign election of Israel is unchangeable and irrevocable. Nowhere in Scripture will you find the elimination of Israel as His earthly chosen people ever expressed or implied. Israel's promised destiny is as certain as the promises of God; the promises made to Israel will be experienced by Israel.
The third occurrence of the word "mystery" is found in Romans 16:25-26. The third letter of the Hebrew alphabet is - "gimel" - and it means "loving kindness & culmination", "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Crist, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began." Note the phrase "which was kept secret since the world began." Again, the subtlety is such that it takes a while before one makes the connection of its subliminal meaning. Next time I will pick up the pace with our movement through the 27 occurrences of the word "mystery" found in the New Testament.
>From what I have shared so far you can begin to see and understand the meaning of Proverbs 25:2. God has hidden "truths" embedded in the text that are revealed in thematic patterns. There are many, far to numerous to name, which speak to such things as God's Glory, His Love, His Wisdom, His Sense of Humor, His Signature of Authentication.
The word "to hide, to keep secret, to conceal" in Proverbs 25:2, is the Hebrew word "sathar" and it occurs over eighty times in the Hebrew Bible in five different stems, or levels of emphasis. Basically, "sathar" means "to hide". It, interestingly, is found 22 times in the Psalms, 14 times in Isaiah, and 8 times in Job. It's various cognates appear in 8 forms as well.
A key point I want to make especially clear here is that the theme, concept, idea, meaning, of a letter, or word, can all be found concealed within the letter, or of a passage, or a chapter of the text. It is similar to computer software languages where a language will have a check-bit, or self correcting, validation method of determining data accuracy. By that, I am saying that God has intricately devised a system of codes that validate or authenticate its accuracy. There is an element of "supernatural" oversight or control that eludes the human mind. We know from computer analysis, the King James Bible is 98.2% accurate. No other translation comes anywhere close to this level of integral accuracy. The degree of sophistication is well beyond human comprehension and thus precludes the Bible is merely a human book.
God bless,
Pastor Bob