Mystery Revealed

             (Republishing Study 7 from the Watch Tower publication, "The Harp of God", 1928)

A MYSTERY is that which is kept a profound secret. It is something unknown, except to certain ones, being kept carefully and continuously concealed from all others. Jehovah being all powerful can hide or keep secret from every creature, earthly or heavenly, any part or all of his great plan and reveal or make it known at such time as might please him. One feature of his great plan he did keep secret for ages, and it is still a secret to all except a few. . 198 When Jesus was on earth he taught the people in parables or dark sayings. His disciples came to him and asked: “Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” (Matthew 13:10,11) It will be observed that he did not say, ‘You now know the mysteries of God’; but that it was given them to know those mysteries. Not even his disciples understood him in many things when they were with him. On the last night before his crucifixion he was instructing them in various things that would be helpful to them in the days to come. On that occasion he said: “When he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13) The spirit of truth here mentioned is the holy spirit, the spirit of God, the invisible power operating upon the minds of those who are in covenant relationship with God. Jesus here used the masculine pronoun in speaking of the holy spirit.

The holy spirit was given to the disciples at Pentecost, that is to say, fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the holy spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4) The King James Version of our Bibles translates the word here holy “ghost”, but there is no warrant for such a translation. It comes from the word which means spirit.

It was at Pentecost that for the first time God’s great mystery began to be understood by the disci-pies. The mystery of God has been a stumbling block to both Jews and Christians so called; but in God’s due time he will make known to all the secret of his mystery and then all rightly exercised by this will rejoice with exceeding joy.

The mystery is the Christ, the great one through whom redemption, deliverance and blessing will ultimately come to all mankind who receive Christ and obey him. God foreshadowed his mystery for ages by the use of various men. Yet all of that time he kept it secret.

Death has been and is the great enemy of man. Death is the very opposite of life. The greatest desire of man is and always has been to have life everlasting in happiness. From the time of his expulsion from Eden man has been looking for something upon which to fasten a hope for life and happiness. Satan was the cause of death, and when God pronounced the sentence in Eden he said that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head. This statement was in the nature of a promise, but it could not then be understood. Since Pentecost some have understood the meaning of these words to be an assurance that in God’s due time the seed of promise, the seed of the woman, will destroy Satan, who has the power of death. Nearly two thousand years rolled by after this statement before anything further was promised.

Then unto Abraham Jehovah called and made him the promise: “In thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed.” This was another reference to the mystery; but that promise was not understood in its proper light. Abraham believed God would bless the human race, but he did not understand just the manner in which it would be done. At the time of this promise Abraham had no children. Several years more passed and then Isaac, Abraham’s first son, was born. Abraham believed that his natural seed, his son would be the ruler through whom the blessing would come to the people ; but his son Isaac was merely a type of the mystery, God using him to foreshadow the greater one. This promise was renewed to Isaac and to Jacob, and at the death of Jacob his descendants, who of course were descendants of Abraham, were organized into twelve tribes, forming the nation of Israel, and were thereafter recognized as God’s chosen nation. (Genesis 49:28; Deuteronomy 26: 5) Then it was that the faithful believed that God’s promised blessings would come through this nation, his chosen people. But in time they became slaves to the Egyptians and their hopes were almost blasted. They were sorely oppressed in Egypt when God sent Moses to be their deliverer and to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Moses was also a type foreshadowing the great One. (Acts 3:22) Moses died and the promised blessing had not yet come. The prophetic statement made by Moses that God would raise up unto'Israel one like unto himself led the prophets to understand that there would be a great one raised up from the nation of Israel who would be the deliverer and blesser of mankind.

Joshua followed next in line after Moses. His name signifies savior or deliverer. But he also was only a type of the great Deliverer.Then David became the king of Israel. His name means beloved one. The Jews had hoped that he would be the great deliverer, but in his old age he abdicated the throne in favor of Solomon, and yet the blessing did not come. Solomon became the most famous man in the world for riches and wisdom, and the hopes of Israel were centered in him, only to be disappointed. David and Solomon were also but mere types foreshadowing the coming of the great Deliverer.

The nation of Israel degenerated and under the reign of Zedekiah, their last king, they fell into captivity to the Babylonians and they continued subject to other nations until they were finally driven out of Palestine.

Moved by the holy spirit of God operating upon their minds, the holy prophets testified of the coming of this great Deliverer, both of his sufferings and of his glory that would follow; but they did not understand. The matter was a mystery to them. (1 Peter 1:11) Even the angels of heaven sought to look into it, but they were not permitted. God’s purpose was to keep the matter secret until his own due time to reveal the great truth.

Then came Jesus, whose coming was announced by John the Baptist; and he was pointed out as the one who would take away the sin of the world. He chose his disciples and they walked with him, and he taught them for three and a half years; yet they did not understand the great mystery. They expected Jesus to be made an earthly king and hoped that they might be with him in the kingdom, probably in his cabinet, because he was asked if one might sit on his left and the other on his right hand in the kingdom. They expected him to make Israel a great nation and believed that through that nation other nations would be blessed. When he was put to death they were greatly disappointed, mystified, and in great distress. (Luke 24:21) Even after his resurrection they did not understand his mission, and this is shown by their words to him on the day that he ascended into heaven. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel! And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the holy spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”—Acts 1:6-9.

In obedience to the command of Jesus, these faithful disciples went to Jerusalem to the place known as the upper room, and there waited. Ten days passed and then it was that the holy spirit, the invisible power of God, was visited upon them; and true to his promise, the disciples began to understand.

Jesus had now ascended on high and presented the merit of his sacrifice before Jehovah, and the acceptance of this was manifested by the giving of the holy spirit to his disciples who had been his consecrated followers for three and a half years. Doubtless the angels of heaven now began-to know something about the great mystery. "What joy must have been in heaven when Jesus Christ appeared before the Father and presented the merit of his sacrifice and was received by Jehovah! Surely the heavenly host must have sung his praises. They had beheld him triumphing over death and the grave and now exalted to a position in heaven next to the Father. It must have been a great joy to the heavenly host, even as contemplation of it was a great joy to Jesus himself. “For the joy that was set before him, [he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) "What joy must have filled the hearts of his disciples when they began to understand the mystery of God and to see how wonderfully he had led them and their fathers before them, preparing them now for the revelation of this great truth!

In due time Saul of Tarsus, who afterwards was named Paul, was illuminated and understood. And then he wrote: “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church; whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath 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 [mystery] is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1: 24-27) The apostle here emphasizes the fact that this mystery of God is now made known only to the saints. “Saints” means purified ones, which purification comes through receiving the merit of Christ’s sacrifice.

The word “Christ” signifies anointed. Anointing means designation to official position in God’s arrangement. The Christ is the instrument or channel for the blessing of mankind. The Christ is composed of Jesus, the great and mighty head, and 144,000 members. (Revelation 7:4) Christ Jesus is the head and the church his body. We ofttimes hear the expression, a body of men with a general at their head. Of the Christ the apostle says: “And he [Christ Jesus] is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.”—Colossians 1:17-19.

The Apostle Paul uses a human body to illustrate the Christ, the great mystery class; the head representing Jesus, and the other members of the body those who are of his church. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”—1 Corinthians 12:12,27.

The Christ is also designated in the Scriptures as the seed of Abraham according to the promise. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Galatians 3:16) Addressing himself to the church, the Christians, the followers of Jesus, the apostle further said: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26, 27, 29) This is the seed, then, through whom the blessings will come to all the families of the earth. “Church” means a gathered out class; and so the period from Jesus’ first coming until his second coming is employed by Jehovah for the selection of the church, the seed of Abraham, through which blessings will come to all the remainder of mankind in God’s due time.

• “ This same class is called the elect of God, according to his foreknowledge.—1 Peter 1:2.

* 1T Again, the apostle likens the whole of the Christ to a living stone, saying: “Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. . . . Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, dect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.” (1 Peter 2:5-7) Christ Jesus, who is God’s anointed King, is the chief corner Stone mentioned in this prophecy. The anointed ones who prove faithful unto death will, as living stones, be made a part of this building. The latter are the members of the body of Christ and must be made into his likeness and image.

• “Again this anointed dass, Jesus the head and the church his body, is spoken of as a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. This was foreshadowed by the nation of Israel, particularly by the priesthood in connection with the house of Israel. The Apostle Peter, speaking of this class, says: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”—1 Peter 2: 9, 10.       .

The members of the body of Christ, the church, are also designated as his footstep followers; and as such they are called to suffer with him that they might also reign with him. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21) These are also designated as Christians. It does not mean that because one is a member of some earthly organization called a church he is a Christian or a member of the true church. The true church is the body of Christ; and any one to be of the true church must be a follower of Christ in the truest sense of the word. To this class are given the exceeding great and precious promises recorded in the Bible, the promises of being associated with Christ Jesus in his kingdom. (2 Peter 1:4) Not to the world, but to his followers Jesus said: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”—Revelation 2*. 10.

No one has been able to understand these things and appreciate them except those who have given their hearts to the Lord. The Apostle Paul says: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) Jehovah has arranged that only those who have their minds illuminated by the holy spirit, which follows their consecration, justification, and acceptance by the Lord, can understand and appreciate the mystery of God. After one becomes a Christian he must continue to joyfully obey God’s commandments if he would continue to have an understanding and appreciation pf the truth as set forth in his Word.

The hiding of this mystery was illustrated by Jehovah in the construction of the tabernacle in the Wilderness and its furnishings. The inside walls of the tabernacle were covered with pure gold. Inside the Holy were the golden candlestick, the table covered with gold for the showbread, and the golden altar; and in the Most Holy was the ark of the covenant. The tabernacle inside, therefore, was beautiful* but it was hidden from the people on the outside because it was covered with three heavy layers of cloth and skins. The priest ministered inside the tabernacle, and therefore was unseen by the people. As God thus hid these things which were typical of greater things, so he has hidden the glories and beauties of spiritual things, seen only by those who have come into relationship with him through Christ.

The Christian era is the antitypical day of atonement. With the Jews there was one day each year called the day of atonement. In that day the priest alone was in the Holy and the Most Holy; and even so on the antitypical day of atonement no one is in the Holy condition except those who are in relationship with Christ, the great high priest, The Lord has been pleased to permit these during the Christian era to have some understanding of his Word, therefore receiving the sweet and refreshing music from his harp; tod the light ha& grown in brilliancy and the music in harmony as the understanding has increased. To the world in general, Christians have been despised because not understood. The Lord of glory, when on earth, was despised because he was misunderstood. And so his true followers seem to be a mean and despised people. The poet has truly said:

“Why do they, then, appear so mean?

And why so much despised?

Because, of their rich robes, unseen, The world is not apprized.”

Satan has tried to counterfeit every part of Jehovah’s plan; so he organized a mysterious system in the earth which is iniquitous and is known as “the mystery of iniquity”. (2 Thessalonians 2:7; Revelation 17: 5} This mystery of iniquity God will destroy in his great day of vengeance which is now on, and then the mystery of God will be more clearly revealed to mankind. It is revealed to individuals now as they come into Christ. It is important, therefore, for us to know how one becomes a member of the Christ, the great mystery of God.

BODY MEMBERS SELECTED

The mystery of God involves an understanding and appreciation of the fundamental truths of repentance, consecration, justification, spirit-begetting, and sanctification. Let us now trace the steps of one in the world as he comes to Jehovah that he might be a member of the body of Christ.

Because of the disobedience of father Adam,, all of his children are born imperfect, all sinners. “There is none righteous, no, not one.”(Ramans 3:10; 5:12)

All such are out of harmony with God. They have no right to life. It has pleased Jehovah, then, during the age of sacrifice to draw to Jesus, the great Redeemer and Deliverer, those who have the desire to come into harmony with him. The prophet says: ‘The reverence of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom/ (Psalm 111:10) The first thing essential for one becoming a Christian is an honest desire to know the Lord and to do his will. A man with this honest desire, then, realizes that he is a sinner and born such; and he has an honest desire to come to God. He learns that Jesus is his Redeemer and he wants to know more about him and do his will. In his mind he does not approve the ways of the world. He begins to think about the Lord and wants to know more about him. He begins to turn his face in the right direction. When he ceases to approve the course of the world, he is repentant to that extent. Repentance means a change of mind respecting one’s relationship to evil.

 Jesus said: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (John 6:44) The man is now drawn to Jesus by what he learns of Jesus, what Jesus has done for him, and by his own desire to follow a different course. When one ceases to approve the worldly course and begins to seek after the Lord, he is in that condition mentioned by the apostle as seeking God, “if haply they might feel after him, and find him.” (Acts 17:27) When he is drawn to Jesus, seeking God, then he is converted. He is now in the condition spoken of by the apostle when he said: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19) Repentance means a change of mind respecting one’s relationship to evil; and conversion means a change of one’s course. But neither repentance nor conversion, nor both together, brings the individual into relationship with God. Being drawn to Jesus, he must exercise faith. Faith means first tounderstand and believe that God exists; that he is the great rewarder of them that diligently seek him; that the Bible is his Word of truth; that Jesus is his beloved Son and our Redeemer; and then to rely confidently upon these things and prove this reliance by his action.—Hebrews 11:1,6.

He now needs information to increase his faith, and the prophet has written: “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7) To such now as are feeling after God, through Christ Jesus this message comes: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Heavy laden means to be weary of the sinful course of the world and to have a desire to be relieved of this burden. Such a one says: *1 am tired of the wrongful course. I want to follow the right course, to know God, and to do his will.’

Now being drawn to Jesus, he learns through the Word that he must do something. To him Jesus says: ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) What can one who is now repentant and changing his course, but still a sinner, do to come into harmony with God! He is informed that it will cost him much. So Jesus says to him: ‘Sit down and count the cost.’ (Luke 14:28) He learns it will cost him all he has, namely, the surrender of himself to the Lord. The next step for one, then, to become a Christian is to make a consecration; that is to say, to commit himself to the Lord and his arrangements. And this he may do by saying in substance: ‘Blessed Lord, I commit myself to thy arrangements; here I am. Do unto me according to thy holy will. I desire to do thy will.’

Neither the Lord Jesus nor the heavenly Father coerces any one, but we must come to the Lord voluntarily, seeking his aid. This is clearly indicated as necessary to become the follower of Jesus by the words the Master used: ‘If you will be my disciple, you must deny yourself, then take up your cross, and follow me.’ (Matthew 16:24) Self-denial means an agreement to abandon one’s selfish course and to agree to do the will of the Lord. It means a full and complete surrender of oneself unto the* Lord. And this is consecration, the setting aside of oneself to do the Lord’s will.

Those who are selected to be members of the body of Christ, which selection is done during the Christian era, must be justified in order that they might be accepted. They are justified only for the purpose of being accepted as a part of the sacrifice of the Lord. On the typical day of atonement when the high priest of Israel slew the animals, the Lord’s goat pictured this class who come to the Lord in consecration. That goat must be perfect, without any blemish; thus foreshadowing how that all who are presented unto the Lord to be accepted as a part of the sacrifice of Jesus, and hence to become members of his body, must be perfect; and since man is imperfect himself, something must be done for him in order to make him stand before the Lord Jehovah as perfect He must be justified. Justification means to be made right with God. This must all be done ja the acceptable time of the Lord. (Isaiah 49:8; 61:2) Any one coming to the Lord Jesus with an honest desire to be presented to the Father in the acceptable year or time may be assured that he will not be cast out, because Jesus said: “Him that corneth to me I will in no wise cast out. ’ ’ (John 6:37) He would not decline to present any genuine consecration before the heavenly Father. Of course this consecration must be made before the person can be presented.

Jehovah God is the great wise judge of the universe; and he sits to determine whether or not one thus presented is right or not. “It is God that justi-fieth.”—Romans 8:33.

The steps essential now to justification, as shown by the Scriptures, briefly stated, are these: (1) Faith in God and his promises, which is exercised and proven by making a surrender of ourselves to the Lord; (2) receiving the merit of Christ, and his presentation to the Father; and (3) the determination by Jehovah God that the one thus presented is right. The following scriptures show these points in the order named: By faith are we justified (Romans 5:1); by the blood of Jesus are we justified (Romans 5:9); “It is God that justifieth.” (Romans 8:33) Christ Jesus is the great High Priest. When we make a consecration of ourselves, then he presents us to the Father. (John 6:37) But in order to make us acceptable or presentable to the Father, the merit of Jesus’ sacrifice must be imputed to us. When he ascended on high, he deposited with Jehovah the ransom price, the merit of his sacrifice, as we have seen, pictured by the blood. The second step, then, is* taken when Jesus imputes to the one thus coming to the Lord the merit of his sacrifice, which makes him presentable to the Father, Jehovah ; then Jehovah, upon the merit, determines, as the great Judge, that the one thus presented is right, is justified, and is acceptable as a part of the sacrifice of his beloved Son. Thus Jehovah has been receiving sacrifices throughout the Christian era; but that acceptable year or time will soon pass, as indeed it is now passing.—Hebrews 3:13.

SPIRIT-BEGETTING

The one that is justified before Jehovah is then counted right or justified that he might be a part of the great sacrifice of God’s beloved Son Jesus, to the end that he might be a part of the mystery class and ultimately reign with Christ. The next thing indicated by the Scriptures is the begetting of such a one as a new creature. Begetting means the beginning. The begetting of the new creature, then, means the beginning of a newness of life. When justified by Jehovah, there results to him the right to live as a human being on earth, and this is what he immediately sacrifices. At the same time Jehovah begets him to a hope of life upon the high or heavenly plane, because he is called to a “high calling”, a “heavenly calling”. (Philippians 3:14; Hebrews 3:1) This begetting is in the nature of a contract or an agreement. Covenant is also a word used for contract. In order to make a contract there must be two or more parties, and there must be a consideration passing from one to the other. Where there are mutual promises, made on both sides, this is sufficient consideration. We will name the one whom we have been discussing as coming to justification Honest Heart.

Honest Heart presents himself to the Lord Jesus the high priest, fully surrendering himself and agreeing to do the will of God. There is the promise on his part, then, and he is one party to the contract through his advocate, the Lord Jesus. And when Christ Jesus the high priest presents him to the Father, Jehovah, the Lord Jehovah in substance says to Honest Heart: 4In consideration of the fact that you have turned away from the wrongful course, and have come to Jesus, and have made a full surrender of yourself in consecration, thereby exercising faith in his blood shed for you and your faith in my plan; and in consideration of the further fact that my beloved Son has imputed to you his merit to make you acceptable before me, I accept you and determine that you are right or justified, and accepting you as a part of his sacrifice, I give to you my exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might become partaker of the divine nature.’—2 Peter 1:4.

This is in harmony with James’s statement: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18) The psalmist shows that this begetting is in the nature of a contract when he says: “Gather my saints together unto me; those who have made a covenant [contract] with me by sacrifice.” (Psalm 50:5) Honest Heart now being begotten has the promise of life upon the highest plane, the divine nature. He is begotten to a new hope of life. Peter thus writes: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5) The inheritance to which Honest Heart is now begotten is an incorruptible inheritance, which is the divine nature. This means that if he is faithful unto death, faithful to his part of the contract, he is certain to be born upon the divine plane, for the reason that Jehovah is always faithful to his part of the contract; and so Jesus says: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”— Revelation 2:10.

Any one thus presented by Jesus to the Father, Jehovah, justified, accepted and begotten, is designated in the Scriptures as a new creature. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.n (2 Corinthians 5:17) There is now a newness of life, which does not result from being transferred to another climate, but from being given a new dominating factor in our lives, namely, the will of God. Honest Heart, or whoever takes this step, now has new hopes, new aims, new ambitions, new aspirations, and new ideas. He is not looking for earthly honor and glory; but he is looking forward to the time when he might be for ever with the Lord in his kingdom and be a part of the seed of Abraham according to the promise, through which the blessings of mankind will come.

This one is now dead from the standpoint of a human being, as the Apostle Paul puts it: “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3) The new creature now must be renewed, refreshed and invigorated and strengthened by knowledge; not by ordinary knowledge, but by an acquaintance with God’s will and a deep appreciation of his plan. (Colossians 1:9) The world can not know anything about this; only those who are in the relationship with the Lord. The whole world lies in the wicked one. (1 John 5:19) But now the new creature in Christ is admonished to be not conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of his mind, that he might prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.—Romans 12:2.

The one begotten is begotten by the spirit of God, the holy spirit. He is also anointed. This anointing is received by reason of coming into the body of Christ. He is baptized into Christ’s death; therefore baptized into Christ’s body. To be baptized means to be immersed. To be baptized into Christ’s death means to be immersed into the death of Christ. And so the apostle puts it: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death ? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism ihto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3,4) Baptism in water is merely a symbol of the real baptism. It would do no one any good to be baptized in water unless he had first undergone the real baptism by being immersed into Christ.

All of those who are thus inducted into the body of Christ receive the anointing through the head of the Christ, Jesus the beloved One. This is illustrated or pictured by God’s dealings with Israel. In the type Aaron the high priest was anointed. “He [Moses] poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.” (Leviticus 8:12) This anointing oil was poured upon Aaron’s head and ran down upon his garment. (Psalm 133:2) Aaron the high priest was a type of the entire Christ, head and body. As the oil was poured upon his head and ran down to the skirt of his garments, so in antitype, Jesus the head, at the time of his baptism in the Jordan, received the anointing of the holy spirit without measure (Matthew 3:16,17); and at Pentecost his disciples received the anointing of the holy spirit. And thereafter during the age of sacrifice all who tome into Christ receive this anointing through

Christ Jesus the head by virtue of being inducted into the body of Christ.

Those who are thus anointed have the spirit of the Lord and by virtue of his spirit are able to understand the mystery of God and to appreciate the fact that they have the promise of being joint-heirs with Christ Jesus in his kingdom. To be anointed means to be assigned to a place in the body of Christ. “The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”—Romans 8:16,17. ,

SANCTIFICATION

These new creatures in Christ, otherwise called members of his body, must now be transformed and made into the image and likeness of their Head. (Romans 8:29) They must be sanctified. Sanctification means to be set apart for the use of Jehovah. It means the process of making us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:12) It is the process of perfecting the saints. (Ephesians 4:12) This process begins when Jehovah accepts our consecration and begets us; and must continue until birth upon the spirit plane.

Sanctification, then, is to be made holy, in the likeness of our Lord. Concerning such Jesus said: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) The Christian now must feed upon or study the Word of God, learn its principles, learn of Jehovah and of the Lord Jesus, and strive to conform his own life thereto. He now has set before him the hope of being made like the Lord in glory; and “every man that hath this hope in him purifleth himself, even as he is pure”. (1 John 3:3) This process of sanctification is done by the Lord through his Word. ‘6 Both he who sanctifies and those whom he is sanctifying have all one Father; and for this reason he is not ashamed to speak of them as his brothers.” (Hebrews 2:11, Weymouth) Here we see the sanctifier is the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom he is sanctifying are the members of his body; and all of these have one Father, Jehovah God; therefore all of the one body, constituting the mystery of God.

All this work of sanctification is done in what we designate the school of Christ; and it is only those who are in this school by being in Christ Jesus that can be sanctified and ultimately be a part of that glorious mystical body, the heavenly kingdom class that will constitute the great prophet, priest, and king.

This mystery hid from ages and generations and made known only to the saints is, says the Apostle Paul, the Christ; and the Christ in you is the hope of glory. Those who are in Christ and who have the spirit of Christ in them have the glorious hope of being born on the divine plane as members of the body of Christ. These are called to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; and to them are given all the exceeding great and precious promises contained in the Word of God. The prophet speaking of them and to them said: “The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.” (Isaiah 62:2,3) These have the promise: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colbssians 3:4) And “then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father”.—Matthew 13:43.

The Apostle Paul declares that he was made a minister, according to the gift of God, that he should preach to the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ, “and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath 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 ba [made] known, by the church, the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:7-11) Thus we see that this great mystery is the Christ, and that for six thousand years Jehovah has been preparing for, developing and completing this great mystery; and that when completed, he will use the Christ as his prophet, priest, and king to minister unto the people, to rule over the people, and to bless the people, according to his promise.

The apostle declares that the whole creation is groaning and travailing in pain, waiting for the manifestation of this great mystery. (Romans 8:19-22) The people do not know for what they are- waiting. But when the great mystery is complete and Messiah’s kingdom set up, then God will bring his long-promised blessings to mankind, and ultimately his will shall be done upon earth as it is done in heaven.

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