The Mysteries of Christ

The word Mystery or Secret appears 27 times in the Greek NT. 3x9. The word is Musterion and Strong's 1st definition of the word is:

I. hidden thing, secret, mystery
A. generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals


I've listed all of the occurrences of the word Musterion
I've broken them up into a few divisions:

First words from the gospels, Second words of Paul, Third words of the pastorals, Fourth words of the Revelator, Fifth the two "negative" uses of the word mysteries

[Mat 13:11 NASB] 11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
[Mar 4:11 NASB] 11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,
[Luk 8:10 NASB] 10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.


[Rom 11:25 NASB] 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
[Rom 16:25 NASB] 25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
[1Co 2:7 NASB] 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
[1Co 4:1 NASB] 1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
[1Co 13:2 NASB] 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
[1Co 14:2 NASB] 2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
[1Co 15:51 NASB] 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
[Eph 1:9 NASB] 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
[Eph 3:3-4, 9 NASB] 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ... 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
[Eph 5:32 NASB] 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
[Eph 6:19 NASB] 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
[Col 1:26-27 NASB] 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
[Col 2:2 NASB] 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
[Col 4:3 NASB] 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;


[1Ti 3:9, 16 NASB] 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ... 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.


[Rev 1:20 NASB] 20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
[Rev 10:7 NASB] 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.

[2Th 2:7 NASB] 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
[Rev 17:5, 7 NASB] 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." ... 7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

The divine reveal what human hide in mystery word for the people who are not ready to hear the calling and are more interested in the words than the thing behind the words.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and [a]have it abundantly.

Those who know are not afraid of quantifying what they know not having any real need of faith in religion since they know by experience what hides behind the religions.

John 16
12“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

What are these many more things? They weren't written in the "gospels", they didn't come out of Jesus' mouth (of the flesh guy walking around Galilee 2000 years ago). When were they given and how?

These are the Mysteries of Christ. Although all of the Apostles received instruction in the "secret teaching", it was mainly to Paul, and John to whom these advanced teachings were given. Many try and build the foundation of the church on Peter using this passage:

Mark 16
13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

I see it a bit differently, the Rock is Peter yes, but that is his new name given to him, in comparison to Simon Bar Jonah, which he calls him just prior. The word Peter means Rock. This is just as Saul to Paul. Saul is the old man, and Paul is the new. Simon is the old man and Peter is the new.

But thats not even the point. The Rock that the church is built on is this:

because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

I've gotta run, I'll be back later to "flesh" this out a bit

a reply to: zardust

This whole subject should bother worshippers considerably, because the church today does not impart any mysteries to its flock it concentrates on Christ's teachings to the multitudes. Also Paul who has a lot to say (as usual) was not present when Christ taught the mysteries to his chosen disciples after his crucifixion. He might allude to mysteries, but he doesn't say what they were and from his relationship with the original disciples, they certainly wouldn't have taken him into their confidence.

In fact unless one reads the two codex's one in the Bodlean and one in the British Museum no one will know about his hidden mysterious teachings and the things his disciples learned from him.

The benefit of the exoteric teachings is that they are a code for life and forgining one's neighbour, turning the other cheek, being a samaritan and not judging are the worthiest forms of purity of heart from any religion, which for me puts Christianity way ahead of its supposed religious roots and branches. However whether these teachings are original to christianity is doubtful.

it's no mystery the great majority of all this "stuff" is tied up with knowledge of the soul
that's also the great divide when it comes to the sheep & the goats of this world

one school of thought teaches man has no real authority here..
the other is 1001 various ways of how you can be your own god

the one who keeps that little thing in mind as they go through all this stuff is the one who will find it takes all the mystery out

a reply to: zardust

I see it a bit differently, the Rock is Peter yes, but that is his new name given to him, in comparison to Simon Bar Jonah, which he calls him just prior. The word Peter means Rock. This is just as Saul to Paul. Saul is the old man, and Paul is the new. Simon is the old man and Peter is the new.

Notice how both new names start with the letter P.
This is significant in the mystery religions in that it (the letter P at the beginning of the name) designates the person as an initiate.
Jesus was possibly recognizing that Simon now understood the mystery, by calling him Peter.
Same thing with Paul, he understood that Jesus was the risen Christ.
What was a mystery then is common knowledge now.

a reply to: jmdewey60

Perhaps you can explain a little further?

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Perhaps you can explain a little further?

That was a common practice at the time that the New Testament was written (changing a persons name once they were initiated into the mysteries).
It may not have been a specifically Jewish practice, but they would have understood it.

Thanks ZD

Strongs definitions need to be taken with a salt mine.They use the same word to define the meaning.They usually "bury" it inside their religious agenda so other sources need to be sought out or better yet.... use common reasoning.A mystery is something that isn't known.It is not a"secret" learned through a magical "mystical" school of initiates who "learn"the secrets.When Yahoshua asked the disciple who THEY thought he was Simon/Peter's answer is how mysteries work.

…"Flesh and blood HAS NOT REVEALED this to you but my Father has".

When the Truth of the Kingdom of God is not "known" it is a mystery.When it is know it is "revealed" BY the creator God the Father…..it isn't learned".There is no "mystery" school'.In the preamble to the explanation of the parable of the seed and soils Yahoshua told the disciples it was "given" to them to "know" what is NOT "known".He never said everyone else would "know" he only said they would "believe" ….which is to NOT know.Yahoshua expounded upon this same principle.

"Yahoshua said to some JEWS who BELIEVED in him if you continue in my word you are TRULY my disciples THEN you will KNOW the Truth THEN the truth will make you free".

Even after Yahoshua explained the parables to the disciples and that it was given ONLY to them to "know" they didn't understand because it hadn't been "revealed" to them.He said this over and over.You can't "know" the creator God by studying a book or a "school" of mystery.It will only be the traditions of men…void and meaningless religion which is only belief in doctrines not the creator God.

Yahoshua was not "teaching" a mystery school to the disciples he was revealing the Truth.There is a natural pecking order.First comes belief because that is the nature of man .A person can ONLY believe through faith in "their" Belief System" which is their religion.It can change with the tides because it has no foundation because it is built on the sand of their "belief"..The rock Yahoshua was talking about to Peter (who is not a rock but a stone or pebble) was "revelation" from the Father which is the foundation of "knowing" the Truth.

That is the beginning of the "mystery".Paul is the archetype of the "new man" being formed in the physical realm.He was the most "religious" man who ever lived(He even called himself the chiefest of sinners).Paul was completely immersed in "his " religion.He was COMPLETELY deaf to the creator God yet he "believed" he knew the creator God because Paul had the worst case of religion in history!

The creator God revealed themselves to Saul who became Paul.He didn't "study" in the mystery school.The creator God was destroying" Paul's Belief System which the foundation stone was Judaism.That is one of the main processes of salvation.That's why Paul said he had not "attained" the "prize" yet and he knew his "religion" was still in him till the day he died.You can see the remnants of Paul's religion in his writing.His "mind" was still filled with rules and regulations of belief and mystery.Religion is at the root of all of mankind it is very difficult to kill.It is the wide road everyone walks down their own path fortunately it leads to the gate of destruction.

The old and new testimony scriptures have one purpose.To testify of Yahoshua…which means Yahweh (the creator God) is salvation…which mean deliverance.That deliverance is that ALL of mankind(The Israel of God) will be delivered from the realm of death…that is the only revealed mystery of the Gospel…christ in you …the hope of glory.
The mysteries remain just that..what is NOT known.Only the creator God can reveal it and it is positively NEVER by religion because that is the anthesis of knowing the creator God.

I often feel that history was dictated to the past from the future.
history is mystery
his story is my story

a reply to: Rex282


I agree with pretty much what you're saying, and you explained much of what I was going for. I don't believe that Jesus started a new mystery religion. Nor did Paul, or Peter or John for that matter.

But they are using Musterion, which Strong's does have correctly (yes Strong's needs to be cross checked), I've checked, and that is the same word used for Mystery rites. And he is using it in the sense of evoking the Mysteries. It is my humble opinion, that all religions prior to Jesus spoke of him, though in a fragmented view. The Jewish myth believed that God was a genocidal maniac. They were waiting for the coming day of the Lord in Vengeance, which Jesus so aptly forgot to mention when he read from the scroll of Isaiah, and the pharisees were not happy with him for it. He refined their view of God, as the "exact imprint of the Father".

In the same way, I believe that Paul is speaking here when he speaks of the Mystery hidden from Ages past, in the domain of the Mystery rites, and is explaining the True Mystery Rite. What those ancient inductees saw and did was a type of the initiation into the Mysteries of Christ.

When Paul uses Mystery it is intentionally evocative. Just like John using Logos to start out his gospel. The Logos is Hermes, morphed into Hermes Trigemnisus the center point of the mysteries of the Middle East around that time. This was well known, that would be like me saying Jesus was Buddha, oh wait, he was, because Buddha is Hermes, aka Thoth, aka Nebo (the mountain Moses died on), and Jesus was Transfigured on the Mountain of Hermes, aka Hermon.

Just as the jewish tradition had to be refined, as the veil is removed, the "pagan" tradition also had to be refined. The Jewish Tabernacle was laid out almost identically to the pagan temples of its time. They had veils, and a holy of holies. In this thread we looked at the Bronze serpent, which Jesus likened himself to, which has many implications.

But yes I agree that Jesus didn't give a secret teaching that has to be passed down through a religion. My point which you picked up on perfectly was that Flesh and Blood do not initiate you into the mysteries of Christ, but by Revelation from God. Revelation is unveiling, removing the veil of separation that our minds have created, between man and woman, jew and gentile, slave or free, man and God.

The two shall become one, this is a great mystery concerning Christ and the Church. Only when one has had the veil removed will he begin to see that "I and the Father are one", this Paul Spoke of when he said, "let me tell you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed (transformed into the image from glory to glory, with unveiled faces). And also when Paul speaks of the exanastasis, the "out-resurrection", the one he says he has not attained to yet, this is the great mystery, of being Transformed NOW, prior to the general resurrection.

Hebrews 11:39And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

Perfection, Rest, One-ness, Glorification, the wedding of the Lamb, The Unveiling of the Sons of God

These are the Mysteries of Christ

originally posted by: LittleByLittle
The divine reveal what human hide in mystery word for the people who are not ready to hear the calling and are more interested in the words than the thing behind the words.

Those who know are not afraid of quantifying what they know not having any real need of faith in religion since they know by experience what hides behind the religions.

The problem is that as we continue to reincarnate we forget the object lesson for that specific incarnation; even if its the two hundredth time around; and that is generally regarded as a 120 human year wait time (not a big deal in a less technological age). Was the bible or Koran supposed to be the jumpstarter for those to remember where we come from initially? A place/dimension resonating at a higher lighter frequency (heaven some call it). I have no need for dogmatic faith as it was written by man as interpreted by a seraphim or archangel to lead or mislead mankind into whatever he has plans for himself in this life. If you remember your past lives/destiny you have no need for dogma; you are already on earth knowing this is fakery, just an opportunity to discover/experience heavy matter existence and with it the disconnect from "all that is which is nothingness and encompasses also everything) and that you are IT despite these handicaps of not being able to telepath anymore (where is god, does it exist; and why the quest to find a higher being when that being is you).

a reply to: zardust

What those ancient inductees saw and did was a type of the initiation into the Mysteries of Christ.

I think he was just borrowing terms from the mystery religions, and not necessarily any of their beliefs.
The Greek language itself is based on those religions so it was kind of unavoidable that Paul writing in Greek would be using words with religious connotations.

originally posted by: deadeyedick
I often feel that history was dictated to the past from the future.
history is mystery
his story is my story

You would think future if linear time, its actually a trickle down from the higher dimensions (organized tested and then inserted here on earth at designated times to upgrade or bootstrap the species, ingenious). History as well as Herstory is your story/our story.

originally posted by: jmdewey60
a reply to: zardust

What those ancient inductees saw and did was a type of the initiation into the Mysteries of Christ.

I think he was just borrowing terms from the mystery religions, and not necessarily any of their beliefs.
The Greek language itself is based on those religions so it was kind of unavoidable that Paul writing in Greek would be using words with religious connotations.

Jesus was an Essene; not a Jewish Rabbi. He was at Qumran during his missing years and studied the Egyptian mystery schools including the Qabala magic (tree of life) tools for ascension from Malkuth to Kether; material state to God state. The original Qabala was never Jewish it was always of Egyptian origin.

a reply to: vethumanbeing

He was at Qumran during his missing years . . .

You aren't up to date on the study of Qumran.
It has now been determined that it was abandoned towards the end of the reign of Herod the Great, so Jesus could not have lived there.
By the time he returned from Egypt, the place would have been empty of any inhabitants.

originally posted by: zardust
The word Mystery or Secret appears 27 times in the Greek NT. 3x9. The word is Musterion and Strong's 1st definition of the word is:

I. hidden thing, secret, mystery
A. generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals


I've listed all of the occurrences of the word Musterion
I've broken them up into a few divisions:

First words from the gospels, Second words of Paul, Third words of the pastorals, Fourth words of the Revelator, Fifth the two "negative" uses of the word mysteries

[Mat 13:11 NASB] 11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
[Mar 4:11 NASB] 11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,
[Luk 8:10 NASB] 10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.


[Rom 11:25 NASB] 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
[Rom 16:25 NASB] 25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,
[1Co 2:7 NASB] 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
[1Co 4:1 NASB] 1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
[1Co 13:2 NASB] 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
[1Co 14:2 NASB] 2 For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries.
[1Co 15:51 NASB] 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
[Eph 1:9 NASB] 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
[Eph 3:3-4, 9 NASB] 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ... 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
[Eph 5:32 NASB] 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
[Eph 6:19 NASB] 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
[Col 1:26-27 NASB] 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
[Col 2:2 NASB] 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
[Col 4:3 NASB] 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;


[1Ti 3:9, 16 NASB] 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ... 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.


[Rev 1:20 NASB] 20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
[Rev 10:7 NASB] 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.

[2Th 2:7 NASB] 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
[Rev 17:5, 7 NASB] 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." ... 7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

To be granted initiation into the mysteries of heaven is to seek inwardly, to know thy self. The mystery of the seven stars, also known as the seven churches are in reference to the 7 chakras. One cannot just hear this and expect to understand, one must meditate as Jesus did.

a reply to: LittleByLittle

I think I would agree with what you're saying.

All the mysteries had the same temple setup, of a tripartite division, with increasing levels of initiation. Very few could enter into the Holy of Holies and receive the full scoop. Look at this passage speaking of the tabernacle

[Heb 9:5 NASB] 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Pretty much all of Hebrews explains the symbolism of the temple and its meaning for us

The Tabernacle is a pattern. It is a roadmap, that shows you the way home.

Pattern is Tupos or Type G5179 I'd like you to consider these 4 passages that use Type. A

[Heb 8:5 NASB] 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."

[Act 7:43-44 NASB] 43 'YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.' 44 "Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

Adam was made in the Image of God. Tselem the Hebrew word image there is an Idol

[Rom 5:14 NASB] 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

[1Co 10:1-4 NASB] 1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
This is an overview of the 3 Main Feasts of Israel (which are really 7), which correspond to the 3 courts of the Tabernacle. I'll discuss this in more detail later. These correspond to the Ages.

What do these all have in common? They are all prefigurements of Christ.
Adam, the Tabernacle, the image, the pattern, the Rock
The Tabernacle of Moloch and Rompha is the Ark of the Covenant and its small tent, written as Siqquth (Tabernacle). The Israelites were worshipping the ark (which even building the ark was against the Mosaic legislation). That is worshipping the outer form. Just as the disciples marveled at the beauty of the outer form of the temple standing there just after Jesus gets Done ripping the pharisees about their outer form of worship. They did not get it. In Matthew 23 its the 7 woes, and Matt 24 is when the disciples show Jesus the Temple. In mark the same scene speaks of the tremendous stones, and Luke talks of the beautiful stones and adornments.
(Think chief corner stone, and temple of living stones instead)

In John 2 Jesus cleanses the temple (clarifies the truth),
18The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

I believe these are all examples (pun intended) of the Image

Images H6754 Tselem

[Gen 1:26 NASB] 26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

[2Ch 23:17 NASB] 17 And all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down, and they broke in pieces his altars and his images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
[Psa 39:6 NASB] 6 "Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
[Amo 5:26 NASB] 26 "You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.

Notice the correlation between the 2 sets of verses with Pattern and Image.

The Pattern of the Tabernacle had very specific instructions that we see the same phrase repeated over and over, make sure its according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain. The movement through the Tabernacle had a very specific instruction. All these things were given as examples on whom the end of the ages have come, The ages again corresponding to the temple, which is the body, which is the veil. These things are symbols or Icons, way markers, signs that lead to the Kingdom (which is IN YOU)

[2Co 3:14, 18 NASB] 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. ... 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

originally posted by: Shiloh7
a reply to: zardust

This whole subject should bother worshippers considerably, because the church today does not impart any mysteries to its flock it concentrates on Christ's teachings to the multitudes. Also Paul who has a lot to say (as usual) was not present when Christ taught the mysteries to his chosen disciples after his crucifixion. He might allude to mysteries, but he doesn't say what they were and from his relationship with the original disciples, they certainly wouldn't have taken him into their confidence.

In fact unless one reads the two codex's one in the Bodlean and one in the British Museum no one will know about his hidden mysterious teachings and the things his disciples learned from him.

The benefit of the exoteric teachings is that they are a code for life and forgining one's neighbour, turning the other cheek, being a samaritan and not judging are the worthiest forms of purity of heart from any religion, which for me puts Christianity way ahead of its supposed religious roots and branches. However whether these teachings are original to christianity is doubtful.

Hey thanks for your reply.

I take a little different stance in regards to what I bolded above. That is what I was alluding to, but time got away from me.

The rock that Christ built his church on is this : Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my father in heaven.

I don't think that Jesus imparted the mysteries to the disciples after his death. Peter never really got it, or at least had a hard time grasping it. Thats why he says Pauls writings are hard to understand. Remember Peter needing to be put in his place by Paul, who Paul calls Super Apostles, for they did not want to pollute themselves by eating with gentiles, they were falling back to their old ways, even after peter had a revelation from God about the unclean and clean animals in the sheet. One of the mysteries is that God is creating one New Man out of Jew and Gentile. He has broken down the dividing wall.

For me Peter and James represent the Law and the Prophets respectively. These correspond to the outer and inner courts respectively. John the one who Jesus loved, is the Holy of Holies and the Writings. The writings are all about the mystical union that takes place behind the veil. The writings were kept outside the camp, at Golgotha, the place of the skull. This is the realm of the gentiles, but brings you into the holy of holies at the place of the New Man, the mount of olives, where Golgotha is located. You can read about the glory departing to Olives I think in Josephus.

What the heck do Peter James and John have to do with anything?

They are the three that went up on the Mountain of Hermes, the logos when the Son of God was revealed/unveiled/transfigured.

They saw the glory, but Peter wanted to build tabernacles for them. He still had no clue about the true tabernacle. If 2 Peter was written by Peter, he says Paul has things hard to understand, meanwhile Peter here still believes that God destroys and kills.

This is in opposition to John's Epistles which say God is Love and there is no darkness or turning. God does not tempt, kill, or destroy. John being the only disciple of the 12 that gets the Mystery, that God is love. That is the mystery.

Paul didn't need to be there at any time because there is no specific time for everyone. Flesh and Blood do not reveal the mystery. It is a lightning bolt to the brain, a transforming of the mind that takes place from God.

[2Co 12:1-4 NASB] 1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows-- 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

The third heaven is the Holy of Holies symbolically. Paradise, the place guarded by the cherubim at the gate of the garden, and on the veil.

This is where the mystery is revealed.

[Heb 10:20 NASB] 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

[Psa 133:1-3 NASB] 1 A Song of Ascents, of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing--life forever.