6 Mysteries of the Bible – Tip of the Holy Mountain

 

Do you ever stop and think about those things in the Bible that are still a mystery to us? As a writer of fictional mysteries, I spend a great deal of my time trying to figure out all the moving parts in my mysteries. But the Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 29:29 ESV, The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever . . .”

That verse tells me there are some things we aren’t supposed to know or understand while we are still here on earth. The things we need to know, like the law or the Ten Commandments, the two greatest commandments as told to the disciples by Jesus are to be found in Matthew 22:36-40 ESV, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

That is pretty straightforward. But the Bible still holds so many mysteries. I will admit, I’ve asked many questions as I read my Bible. Who is that? What does that mean? How could that even happen? Many times, I’m left scratching my head in wonder.

Here are six of the many mysteries I’ve wondered about. Have you wondered about these things, too?

6 Mysteries of the Bible - Tip of the Holy Mountain @DDuPreeWilliams #faith #BiblicalMysteries Share on X

6 MYSTERIES OF THE BIBLE

1. Who was Melchizedek? I wrote about him in a recent blog post. I don’t think I could fully tell you who he was. Some say a Christophany, but I’ve seen others say, “No” to that. Are we supposed to know? Does it matter? Isn’t it enough to know Abraham met him? I’m asking because I don’t know. Read about him here: Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 5:5-10; Hebrews 6:19-20.
2. Who were the Nephillim? Were they truly giants? Fallen angels? Warriors? These days, with so many caught up in alien life-forms, could they be aliens? Should Christians even be messing around in things like alien life forms? Do we really need to know about such? Seems our attention should be on Christ alone. Genesis 6:1-8; Numbers 13:32-33.
3. What was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh? I will say, I’ve never given this too much thought. Whatever it was, God knows and I’m sure Paul accepted it for what it was. Certainly, it didn’t affect his reasoning, or his writing. For that, I’m thankful. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
4. What happened during the Lost Years of Jesus? Between the ages of 12 and 30, we only see one account in Luke 2:41-52. We know He went with his parents to Jerusalem for Passover. We know he lingered behind when they left. We know He was in the Temple, listening and asking questions. The last verse of Luke 2 says, And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. If God had wanted us to know about every little detail of Jesus’ life between the time He was in the Temple and when He began His ministry, He would have told us. See also: Matthew 2:13-23.
5. What happened to the Ark of the Covenant? It hasn’t been seen or mentioned in the Bible since the Babylonian conquest. I can say, I’ve wondered. I have my own theories about this, but I’ll save this for another blog post. Be thinking about this and read 2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 3:16, and Jeremiah 52.
6. What is the Mystery of the New Name? This is another one to which I’ve given little thought. We discussed this in our Sunday school class recently. This is from Revelation 2:17. Remember, this is Jesus revealing all these things to John. In your Bible, the words will be in red. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no ones knows except him who receives it (Rev. 2:17 NKJV).

TIP OF THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (not the iceberg)

This is just touching the tip of the holy mountain. The Bible has many mysteries and things that make us stop and ask questions and wonder. But isn’t that its purpose? We should read it, ask those tough questions, then seek the answers within God’s Word. Always use your Bible to explain the Bible. Of course, we have trusted commentaries. We have the use of original Hebrew and Greek. And too many translations to read them all in a lifetime. The point is, read God’s Word. Find the answers for yourself.

The point is, get into God’s Word. I promise it will speak to you and in different ways each time you read it. It never ceases to amaze us that something will jump out in a passage we’ve read many times. We find ourselves asking, “Did you see this?” Of course we’d seen it, but this time, God revealed something new to us. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV).

What mysteries have you found in the Bible? Have you taken the time to dig deeper? Some things we simply aren’t supposed to know until we see Him face to face, and remember, God is Sovereign. He has the whole world in His hands. He has a plan. Put your trust in Him.

Blessings, y’all!

We sang this old hymn within a cantata by Lloyd Larson years ago. I love this tune. Fabulous words too. Perhaps Christ dying for us is the biggest mystery. What amazing love!!