THE MYSTERY | SHADOWS OF GLORY

1. The Mystery

Colossians 1:25-27
25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

a) Paul preached the revelation of the mystery which was "hidden for ages and generations but now has been revealed". (Colossians 1:26). Of course God's purpose, the promise that Messiah would come, and the hope of eternal life have always been known. This hope was "hidden" in the sense that it was mysterious and obscured, a bit like looking up from the bottom of a hill at a garden with a picket fence. You can see the garden is there, but there's a lot of fence in the way of your vision. Peter explains this "mystery" concept very well (1 Peter 1:10-12).

2. Shadows Of Glory

a) Paul uses the analogy of "shadows" versus "the substance" as another way of expressing the former mystery compared to the present clear revelation (Colossians 2:16-17). The Old Testament religion and prophecy showed the shadow of Christ. The gospel reveals Christ himself.