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Associated with these mysteries of the kingdom of heaven is the time period,
"The foundation of the world". The full expression, "From the foundation of the world",
occurs seven times in the N.T. and is associated with the following items of truth.
Matt. 13: 35.
The secret, associated with the parables of Matt. 13:
Matt. 25: 34.
The kingdom, prepared for those of the nations who were kind to the
Lord's brethren, even though not consciously acting as unto Him.
Luke 11: 50.
The blood of the prophets, shed for the truth's sake, commences with
that of Abel, and so the expression, "From the foundation of the
world", goes back at least to the days of Adam.
Heb. 4: 3.
Speaks of the institution of the Sabbath and its fulfillment, and the
finishing of the work of God in connection with this period.
Heb. 9: 26.
An argument is used in which this period is introduced in order to show
the folly of the reasoning in question in the passage.
Rev. 13: 8.
The book of life of the Lamb slain which had been written from the
foundation of the world.
Rev. 17: 8.
Names not written in this book of life.
The first time in Matthew that the Gentiles are mentioned with approbation (see
Matt. 4: 15; 6: 32; 10: 5, 18), is in Matt. 12:, that is upon the Lord's rejection.
"Then the Pharisees went out, and held a counsel against Him, how they might destroy
Him . . . . . should not make Him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying . . . . . He shall show judgment to the Gentiles . . . . . and in His
name shall the Gentiles trust" (Matt. 12: 14-21).
In the immediate context of the first quotation of Isa. 6: 9, 10 in the N.T. we have,
therefore, the following suggestive features:
(1)
The rejection of Christ as Israel's Messiah and King.
(2)
The introduction of the "if" into the problem of John the Baptist.
(3)
The first occurrence of the word "mystery".
(4)
The first occurrence of the phrase "From the foundation of the world".
(5)
The first reference to the Gentile as an object of blessing. (In Matt. 10: the word
was "Go not unto the Gentiles").
The reader who has already entered into the blessedness of the dispensation of the
mystery made known through Paul, the Lord's prisoner, will need no lengthy exposition
of the close parallel that exists between Matt. 13: and Acts 28: At the latter:
(1)
Israel, who reject the Lord, are rejected.
(2)
"The mystery" is made manifest for the first time in those epistles written by Paul
from prison.
(3)
Those thus blessed are "Gentiles", particularly (Eph. 3: 1-13).
(4)
And they were chosen in Christ "before the foundation of the world".
The two passages are parallel, but they deal with vastly different parts of the great
kingdom of God: the one with the mystery phase of the kingdom of the heavens, the
other with the dispensation of the mystery, which has its sphere "far above all" where
Christ sits at the right hand of God. Just as Christ turned from the multitude and began to
speak of secrets to His disciples, secrets which had been kept since the foundation of the