Related: The Mystery of Christ
- mysteries (and riddles)
- The Bible contains many mysteries – mysteries that it literally calls “mysteries” (Mt 13:11; 1 Cor 4:1; 13:2).
- Mysteries are sometimes called “riddles” (Ps 49:4; Prov 1:6; Ezek 17:2). Mysteries are revealed, and riddles have answers. More to the point, God gives no mysteries that He doesn’t ultimately plan to reveal, nor does He pose riddles for which He will not give the answer – sooner or later.
- A riddle is an apparent contradiction, but that can be shown to not be contradictory if understood in the proper way. Even children can appreciate them. (What word contains 26 letters but only has three syllables? Alphabet.)
- Samson presented a riddle to his wedding guests when he said, “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” – Judg 14:1-20.
- Other biblical examples of riddles are Ps 82:5-7; Ps 110:1; 118:22; Prov 30:4. All of these are answered in Jesus Christ, and usually in His resurrection from the dead.
- In Matt 22:41-46 Jesus demonstrated that His primary opponents – the religious elite of Israel who felt threatened by the success of His ministry – could not answer the riddle of Ps 110:1 even though they knew it was messianic.
- Messianic riddles:
- Defining criteria: 1) Points to Messiah, describes something that seems impossible or paradoxical, ultimately makes sense on in light of Jesus (especially through His death and resurrection), creates an “Ah!” moment when the answer (fulfillment) is revealed.
- Examples: Ps 118:22; Is 8:14-15 paired with Is 28:16 (paired in Rom 9:32-33; 1 Pet 2:6-8); Is 53:3-5; Gen 3:15; Is 7:14; Mic 5:2*; Zech 12:10; Ps 22:1, 16-18; Dan 7:13-14; Zech 9:9; Is 9:6 (*How can a baby have “goings forth” that are “from long ago”?)
- Other riddles: Jn 1:30
- When a mystery is explained or a riddle is correctly answered, it is said to be revealed or called a revelation (see below).
- All biblical mysteries are intended to be revealed (Mt 10:26; Mk 4:22; Lk 12:2). That said, not all revelations are immediate or universally understood and accepted.
- Prime examples of biblical mysteries include…
- Ps 110:1 which Jesus presented as a riddle for His opponents to solve (which they couldn’t) in Mt 22:41-46; Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:41-44.
- Ps 118:22 which raises the question of how a stone rejected as unworthy of being used in the construction of a building could ever be the cornerstone (that is, the most important stone in a building).
- How the Messiah could preexist His forerunner, which was the case with John the Baptist who was born before Jesus was born but after Jesus created the world (cf. Lk 1:21, 36 and Jn 1:1-6).
- In a broader sense, the sufferings and glories of Messiah fall into the realm of biblical mystery (riddle) because the two things do not normally go together; for example, before Jesus, the Messiah was expected to be a glorious figure and people did not associate suffering with him.
- Ministers of the gospel are “stewards of the mysteries (and their corresponding revelations) of God” (1 Cor 4:1).
- revelations (and answers)
- A revelation is knowing something you previously didn’t. To reveal something is to make it known. It is an unveiling.
- When the Bible speaks of a revelation, it is usually alluding to a mystery or riddle (see above), even if it doesn’t explicitly mention one.
- References to revelations: Mt 10:26; 11:25; 16:16-17; Mk 4:21-22; Lk 10:21; 12:2; 1 Cor 4:5; 14:6, 26, 30; 2 Cor 12:7; Gal 1:12, 16; 2:2; Eph 3:1-13; 1 Pet 1:13; Rev 1:1; Job 12:22; Dan 2:22
- The Second Coming was a great revelation, the ultimate revelation: Luke 17:30; 1 Cor 1:7-8; 1 Pet 1:13; Rev 1:1-3; also consider Rom 8:19 and Col 3:4, which are relevant both individually and in tandem.
The Duty of a Man 