Nov. 2 Great Mysteries - Continued

November 2 - Great Mysteries - Continued

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

This is one of those mysteries that I just accept. I don't question it, I just figure that God's got it worked out and I'm along for the ride.

Now, I know that most people don't always respond to mysteries like I do. They want concrete proof and reasonable assurance. Huh ... I guess that's why it is called a mystery!

When mom was dying, we had a long discussion about eternity, heaven, dying, being buried, transformation at death ... the whole thing. Yah, I wanted to know what was in her head while she was facing death. And, she wanted to talk about it. So, we did. I asked her if she really believed that God was real and that everything she had taught was true. There was absolutely no doubt for her.

One of the things she told me, though, was really interesting. I talked about how much I was going to miss her - that I had decades before I would see her again. She laughed and gloated a little bit. Because what she believed was that time on earth in comparison to time in eternity was just that ... a twinkling of an eye ... not even a blink. Eternal time was nothing like what we could possibly understand. So, for her, not a single moment would pass between her arriving in heaven and me arriving ... even though so many years would pass for me.

I think this is one of those difficult to comprehend passages because we try to grasp the concept of time in eternity based on our understanding of time on earth. If mom was right (she generally was), this is how everyone is changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. Does that make sense?

"Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16)

Wow! Colossians 1:26-27 says, "...the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

This is another of those great mysteries that I have just accepted all of my life. Colossians tells us that Christ was kept hidden for ages and generations, but at this time is being disclosed. God's timing was planned. He was not surprised at the need of the world for His Son to be sacrificed. He planned it. Until God was ready for Christ to be known, He kept Him hidden.

The mystery as to God's timing still remains. We don't know or understand why He chose to do what He did and why it occurred at that specific time. All we know is that both Gentiles and Jews ... everyone on earth is able to approach the throne of God because of Christ's work on the cross. Because of this we have the hope of glory!