Part #01
“The ‘Mystery of Iniquity’ sounds like an odd topic, however, it’s very much a Scriptural one”.
This ‘mystery of iniquity’ is something that is very relevant today, especially in the light of end-time events.
Events that are taking place across the globe and unfolding right before our very eyes at an exceedingly rapid pace.
We are closer to it than we can imagine, in fact, it’s at the door.
And the Bible being the Inerrant and Authoritative Word of God, talks about this iniquity, under the label of a ‘mystery’.
Once again, it is the Apostle Paul, who tells us, ‘by revelation’, about this ‘mystery of iniquity’.
And he talks about this mystery with significance and relevance, for its something we all need to be aware of.
“Be not ignorant”, is one of the greatest repetitive admonishments of Scripture in the Bible.
The Connotations of Iniquity
When we look at the English definition of ‘iniquity’, the connotations attached to it are seemingly endless.
Wickedness, immorality, impropriety, offence, evil, villainy, criminality, outrage, obscenity, violation, atrocity are just but a few under the banner of iniquity.
These are all violations of the right or duty that mankind is under obligation to do.
They are harmful and offensive to society and, especially to God.
In the Bible, the terms, ‘sin’, and ‘iniquity’, are often used interchangeably.
And the reality is, that this is the world that we live in today.
Most of us no doubt, do hope and pray that things will turn around.
And that the world would be a better place to live in for us and our children.
But the harsh truth is, we all know, that will never happen, we are far too gone.
The scales have more than just tipped and we are well beyond the ‘point of no return’.
Yes, there will always these little pockets of seeming ethical attempts, both genuinely and diplomatically, to give us that hope.
But in the bigger overall picture, we know they’ll eventually be futile, to overwhelm the powers that be.
‘Self-interest’, be it individual or national, is the order of the day, and there is no turning back from it.
Some may consider this to be a negative and pessimistic mindset, but on the other hand, it’s a reality.
Human History Proves And Testifies
Mankind has ‘never’ been able to turn things around, our human history proves and testifies to this harsh truth.
It just does not have that ‘track record’, in fact, quite the opposite.
As the German philosopher Georg Hegel once famously said:
“The only thing that we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.”
Then he went on to say:
“This is a worrying thought because there is so much that went wrong when we look at world history.
As we are often told, history repeats itself.”
How much truth there is in that statement.
The Pinnacle Of Wickedness And Iniquity
The Bible records the first time in human history, when mankind reached the pinnacle of their wickedness and iniquity.
The iniquity of men had reached a place where it could not get any worse.
And this point was 1650 years after the creation of man, resulting in the great flood, referred to as Noah’s flood.
There are consequences to our actions, one way or another, and we all know that is an inexplainable grounded truth.
Whatever goes around comes around, be it good or bad.
That’s a universal unwritten ‘spiritual Law’ and truth in every area of life.
And no man can claim this law to be theirs, it was always there, placed by the Supreme, Almighty Creator God.
Call it ‘karma’, or an ‘action bringing in an equal and opposite reaction’, or whatever else, it’s an irrefutable fact of life.
Anyway, both historically and chronologically, this ‘great flood’ took place about 2350 B.C. 👇🏽
The Bible tells us in [Genesis 6:5-13] that, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth……
……And that ‘every imagination’ of the thoughts of his heart was only evil ‘continually’.
Bible history in [Genesis 6:11] tells us that the earth was ‘corrupt’ and “filled with violence”.
Everything was just totally saturated with iniquity, through men choosing to exercise their free will this way.
Nobody was safe any longer, the world had reached the point where it was impossible to live in.
Men Of Great Intelligence
There was no shortage of great intelligence in the pre-flood days.
Men at that time were far more intelligent and creative than we claim to be today.
It was far more than we can imagine, we don’t even come close.
They had far more technology in every area of life way beyond we can imagine.
“We are not the first”, by any means.
It has been correctly said, that we are only re-discovering that which was already there once upon a time.
The development of modern science during the course of the past 400 years is merely a rediscovery of ancient knowledge.
Archaeological discoveries across the world over the years, have played a major and vital role, in bringing out these facts.
There is this very interesting account, an old book written by Andrew Tomas, “We Are Not The First”.
It’s available through Amazon in paperback, first published in 1971.
(The PDF is accessible at, http://www.vielewelten.at/pdf_en/tomas.pdf).
If you care to take the time, it could be worth reading, and make of it what you will.
But here is the point:
In spite of all their intelligence and brilliant innovative brains, the earth was corrupt.
And the Bible repeats itself to emphasize in [Genesis 6:13] that the earth was “filled with violence through them”.
It reached that point when God said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth……..”
Remember consequences……….!!!
Noah Finds Grace
Noah being the only man of ‘faith’ along with his eight-member family, found Grace in the eyes of God.
He was the only one who ‘heeded the instruction’ by faith that God gave, to stay in right standing with Him.
Please do refer to our article, “Heeding The Instruction” on this for further insight.
It’s why the Bible in [Genesis 6:9] states, “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation and walked with God”.
So, Noah along with his eight-member family, were spared from the historical devastating flood that destroyed everyone and everything.
This Act of God
Many refer to this Act of God as His judgement and wrath, which really is far from the truth.
Mankind has never yet experienced the wrath of God, it’s to come, and we’ll address that later in this series.
The flood was really out of God’s Mercy for the future generations.
None of us can ever imagine what the world would be like today, had God let things continue in that state.
And those of us who think it was a ‘cruel act’, because so many children were also destroyed, think again.
Because anyone who knows their Bible, knows that every single one of those children are safely with God in heaven today.
So, the ‘Great Flood’ was in reality, a great merciful Act of God.
Mercy comes across as one of the greatest attributes of God in the Bible, apart from Him being perfectly ‘just’.
But once again, here is the point:
Historically, the earth, or the world, got so corrupt and “filled with violence” and iniquity ‘through men’, inviting its consequences.
Would this history repeat itself?
Realistically speaking, whether we admit it or not, we all know the answer to that question.
That is exactly where this earth or world has just about come to.
And this has everything to do with the ‘mystery of iniquity’, operating behind the scenes, as revealed through the Apostle Paul.
And we’ll come to that, for that is what this particular series is about.
God Starts Afresh
God started afresh through Noah, his wife, and his three sons along with their wives to repopulate the earth.
That was the instruction given to them by God, to scatter across the globe, ‘replenish and multiply’ [Genesis 9:1].
Every single one of us today, are in that literal physical genealogy of Noah.
But instead of heeding the instruction, their offspring at that time era, ended up doing just the opposite.
We find this fresh race of humanity coming out of the flood, gathering at the ‘Tower of Babel’ in 2175 B.C.
That was just one hundred and seventy-five years after the flood.
It’s where the pagan worship of false gods began, at the Tower of Babel.
And then God had to scatter them across the globe by confusing their language [Genesis 11:1-9].
‘Babel’ meaning ‘confusion’, has led to the slang word ‘babbling’, which is not surprising, knowing it’s origin.
But it’s really then and there, at Babel, when the depravity of men really began.
This is actually what the Apostle Paul talks about and refers to, in [Romans 1:20-32].
Take a good look at it.
And it all started at Babel, and come down the generations to this very day.
It’s where every pagan religion and cult, in any and every form across the globe to this day, finds its roots.
God’s Time Table Stopped
God’s prophetic time table for the nation of Israel stopped when He turned to the Gentiles with the Gospel of Grace.
And remember that God’s programme for Israel, the Jewish economy, was ‘under the Law’.
We saw all this in the previous series, “The Mystery of The Rapture”.
The period in ‘red’, is ‘under Grace’, it’s where 👇🏽 we are today.
When that period of Grace eventually ends, you will find ‘Grace and Law cannot mix’.
Israel ‘is’ going to have her Temple, for she’s going to go back ‘under the Law’.
Everything required for the temple that ‘will come’, is at this present moment, ready and in place, including the ‘red heifer’.
Take a look at this 👇🏽 which comes from the Jerusalem Post:
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-717650.
The temple priestly garments are all ready and waiting, hanging on mannequins.
“If ever we have any argument that the ‘Church’ will not go into the Tribulation, it’s that one purpose right there.”
You cannot mix Law and Grace!
Therefore, Grace cannot go into the Jewish economy, which will pick up again in that seven-year timeline Tribulation period, above.
So ‘Grace’ has to be removed, for it ‘cannot be mixed’ with ‘Law’.
We exhort and encourage all believers in Christ’s Gospel of Grace, you can ‘REST ASSURED’ in this infallible truth.
God Separated Them
Remember it was God Himself Who separated Law from Grace, never permitting it to mix [Galatians 4:30-31].
Christendom, for the most part, has unheedingly and consistently mixed the two.
Hence the mass of untold confusion, divisions and doubt, has saturated it.
When the two are ‘kept separated’, the entire infallible message of the Bible falls perfectly in place without any contradiction whatsoever.
And not only that, the message is free from the demands of the Old Testament ‘LAW’.
“……for ye are not under the Law, but under Grace” , the Apostle Paul tells us in [Romans 6:14].
Remember that the Apostle Paul was God’s specially Hand-picked, designated apostle of the Gentiles [Acts 9:15] and [Romans 11:13].
And everything he pens down is by ‘direct revelation’ from the Ascended Lord Jesus Christ in Glory, not his personal opinions.
We should never forget that!
All the Old Testament Law could do was find us guilty and condemn us.
It was to show us that we were far too fallen to meet its rightful demands [Romans 3:23].
That was its sole role, it’s what the Bible teaches us.
‘GRACE’, God’s unmerited favour, is the ‘only way out’, totally ruling out our futile attempts in any form or shape.
