After serving as slaves in Egypt, Israel was finally delivered by their great leader and lawgiver, Moses. Then another clue about the mystery was given—that God would raise up from Israel a special “Prophet,” like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22). But Moses, the servant, of the LORD died. Then Joshua—whose name means “Savior”—conquered the Land promised by covenant (Deuteronomy 34:4,5). But Joshua died and the nation came to no prominence until the reigns of King David and King Solomon.
Sadly, the nation then split in two, followed by various invasions from foreign powers demanding tribute. Finally, Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. These were later rebuilt, but the land remained subject to Persia, Greece—and lastly Rome.
About the time of Jesus, all men were in “expectation” (Luke 3:15) of the Messiah King who would bless them. Israel would finally be a “light to the Gentiles” and their walls would be called “Salvation” (Isaiah 42:6; 60:18). Alas, they overlooked other prophecies and features of the Law that “testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11). Deliverance and blessing would come only after the “Lamb of God” was slain and the Day of Atonement sacrifices were fulfilled (John 1:29). When Jesus died, even his followers were bewildered. “We trusted it had been he which should have redeemed Israel” (Luke 24:21). Their hopes were correct, but the “times [and] seasons” were not yet due to be understood (Acts 1:6, 7).
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The Hidden Mystery
आध्यात्मिक"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints" (Colossians 1:26).
