Jesus revealed a lot of truths to the world when He was on earth. But He mentioned to His disciples that there are many things that He couldn’t reveal to them yet because they were not able to bear it yet. “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. (Jn 16:12-14)
One of those truths that the Holy Spirit was going to reveal to us after Jesus was gone was the “mystery of all ages” which was hidden from the foundation of the world. What is that mystery? And why did it have to be hidden for all ages? Paul explains why: if the demons had known the sacred secret, they would not have crucified Jesus.
They surely would not have wanted for ALL believers to have the fullness of the Holy Spirit and that both Jews and Gentiles would be joint-partakers of the promises of God, and that God’s Holy Spirit would have been poured out on all believers. The Old Testament spoke of the Gentiles being blessed by the Messiah and the Holy Spirit being poured out on “all flesh.” But had they known that Jesus was to open the door to everyone being a “chosen person,” instead of just the Jews, and that everyone could be empowered to walk as Christs in this world, the devil never would have slain the lamb which was offered from before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8).
It was a secret hidden by God from the very beginning (Rom 16:25). God literally ambushed the devil. Jesus came here as the only begotten son to fulfill a mission: to be the “one” sacrifice, the Lamb of God. It was planned out by God before the foundation of the world, to bring not only salvation to all mankind, but to multiply Christ’s image to all believers. We’re now born in Christ, no longer in Adam. Therefore we no longer carry the original image of Adam but we are a New Creation born after the image of Christ. “Christ in me, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27)
“God did not reveal it to previous generations, but NOW by His Spirit He has revealed it to His holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 3: 5,6)
This revelation was so important to Paul that he called himself a servant of Christ and steward of that mystery (1 Cor 4:1) and basically calls that mystery his gospel (Col 4:3) for which he’s repeatedly thrown in prison.
That revelation is the essence of the New Testament: “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but NOW is made manifest to his saints:” (Col 1:26). We’re are re-born in the image of Christ and Christ is now replicated in every believer; His image, His life, His Words, His authority, His power, His dominion and His imperial name. Without that revelation, there’s no Christianity. It’s the replicated Christ in you that gives you the power to live your Christian lifestyle. Paul refers to it as the hidden wisdom of God. “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (1Cor.2:7)
“Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith.” (Rom 16:25, 26)