GENERATIONAL REVELATIONS (Part 4 of 4)

Beyond Wisdom and Prudence

Jesus often made the point about time-bound mysteries purposely put by God beyond the reach of even the most meticulous unintended searcher. Once, He told His disciples that He was offering them truth that “MANY prophets and righteous men have desired to see … and have not seen” (Matthew 13:17). It was truth being made freely available to a present generation; truth that MANY holy men in previous generations had carefully sought but could not access. In other words, merely being a prophet in terms of calling, or a righteous person in terms of an acceptable lifestyle, does not often provide access through some seals, when the time or the people for whom the message is sealed have not come. Being anointed is not the question here, and the multitude of searchers does not guarantee a find where the calendar of God is the mystic factor. Jesus’ point was clear: certain revelations are reserved for certain generations. No matter how holy or how many and how earnest other searchers might be, they are not supposed to find them, and never will, even though they might never agree that they did not find it.

How did Jesus know that many researchers had tried to break the code but could not? He is the Word, and He has been there from the beginning. He is the Custodian of all Documents in the Library of God, who also oversees the Control Room of the Holy Spirit (John 11:3; 16:14). He certainly knew what He was saying.

Desire is a strong force, but not sufficient to break every code. Those “many” holy men “desired to see” – and it was a good desire, but the timetable of God was an important protocol that could not be breached. Principles are good, but they have their place. Anointing is great, but every anointing has its place. In the multitude of counsellors, some truth may be easier to find (Proverbs 11:14), but not all truth.

Those many attempters certainly wrote many books and preached many sermons on their efforts and their perceived meanings of the things that they had researched, but Jesus knew that they never got to the soul of those messages for which the time had not come. So, being unable to access certain truths is not because one is not a prophet enough or one is not righteous; it could either be a matter of dispensation or because one is not the vessel chosen to unveil that truth, like Martin Luther became the vessel for unveiling the seal of justification by faith, and Peter to break the code on the Pentecost prophecy of Joel.

The fact that those “many” prophets and wise men sought those truths means that they were aware of what they were looking for, but they could not “see” it. It also means that number does not define truth, and mere spirituality does not open every seal. They were many, they were prophets, they were righteous, but they were limited – not blind. Unfortunately, there was bound to be some of those early eager searchers who would not agree that there was anything more to say on what they had studiously and ‘prophetically’ concluded. Those would have been the conceited ones who believed that they alone had the privileged whole of what every other prophet merely had a modest ‘part’ (1 Corinthians 13:9).

Trust prophets and righteous men; they must have put many days of prayer and fasting into their efforts, and God would have mercifully helped them to a certain extent, but without permitting them to cross the ancient spiritual seals that their age could not break. They had access, but only a ‘limited access,’ despite their many conferences and camp meetings at which they believed that they were expounding great truths, from their restricted understanding; ‘great expositions’ some of which might have mightily impressed and mesmerised the inexperienced.

In Matthew 11:25, the Bible says, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast HID THESE THINGS from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Jesus “at that time” was revealing specific truths (“these things”) since hidden by God Himself from other generations despite their being “wise and prudent” researchers; but truths being eventually “revealed” to a subsequent dispensation of children, even “babes,” who did not have the theological and intellectual sophistication of their fathers; who did not have the privileged prophetic prominence and righteousness that the ancients had (Matthew 13:17).

Jesus made that declaration “at that time” – indicating the element of timing (Matthew 11:25). In other words, until “that time,” even the best of rabbis and theologians could not ‘find’ it. God hides certain matters, sometimes even from prophets and the most famous seekers; and no mortal intelligence can find what God hides (2 Kings 4:27; Mark 5:9, 30; 9:21).

Like the prophets may have fasted and prayed to gain access beyond the limits allowed for their age, the wise and prudent men must have put elaborate research and careful details into their efforts, consulting histories and Greek and Hebrew, which would greatly have impressed the ignorant, yet there was a limit beyond which their age could not go; a code that even their ‘advanced science’ could not break, because there was a time-bound seal that no meticulous research could undo.

According to Matthew 11:25, great theologians as well as wise and judicious researchers could not ‘find’ what God had chosen to hide, until the “babes” came, who had no great learning but expounded hidden mysteries effortlessly. In other words, the fact that someone is wise and prudent, that they have great theological training, does not make them more reliable expounders of every mystery. That is also where we are sometimes fooled, despising mysteries from the mouth of “babes” not because the mystery is wrong but because the privileged and chosen revealers of that great mystery are unknown and unpractised “babes,” not our revered “Papas.” It gets worse when the hitherto unknown “babes” are proclaimers of Hosannas painfully unwanted by the revered Pharisaic and Sadducaical lords of the law (Luke 19:37-41; Matthew 21:15-16).

According to the Psalmist, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise”; perfect praise from the mouth of babes (Matthew 21:16; Psalm 8:2). Unfortunately, proudly, we do not usually judge as perfect what we despise, even when God honours it – to our mortal shame (Matthew 12:24).

When Luke reported the same matter, he added that it “seemed good” in the “sight” of God to hide those mysteries for a season (Luke 10:21). We dare not question what God says is “good.” It was also Luke, in the book of Acts, who said that there are “times or seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” (Acts 1:7). The disciples had pried the Master to know if the time had come to reveal who Israel’s Messiah would be. Jesus said that that subject was one of those matters which the Father had “put in his own power,” and none could pry it from Him, until He chose to reveal it, however He chose to do it.

In Matthew 13:11, Jesus announced to His hearers, “it is given unto YOU to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to THEM it is NOT given,” making a distinction between “them” and “you,” between then and now, between ‘congregations’ and generation. To one generation, it was “NOT given,” despite how much they might have sought it; to another, it was “given,” even when they had not consciously expected it. Furthermore, according to that passage, hidden things thus revealed are not just information; they are “mysteries.” That such mysteries are usually “given” (1 Corinthians 12:8), not earned by research or other religious and intellectual merit, takes away from the vessel the power to take credit for it.

Everything is in the Bible, but not everyone can see all that there is. Some is treasure for some other age, or for some other vessels who might be mere “babes,” not wise and prudent as we are; not prophets and righteous men, as we are. It is the great wisdom of God not only to hide certain mysteries, from the “many mighty” and the “many noble,” but also to choose to give them to “the foolish” and “the weak,” so “That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Amen.

Prayers

Father, at this ‘breaking of bread,’ at this table, mercifully grant us an opening of the eyes, to know You, and open our understanding of the many things that so long have burned in our tender hearts, but for which we have found no capable explainers (Luke 24:31-32, 45). O Lord, despite the limits on the ages, enable us with grace to receive all the treasures and wonderous things freely available to us. Save us from the laziness that blames its blindness on a non-related seal that is not responsible for our limitation of sight.

Father, open our understanding to Your law, to behold in it the wonders that pertain to us and to our age (Ephesians 1:17-18). May the Fire of Pentecost burn the coldness from off our hearts, and grant us an answer as never before to the mysteries that now confront us, that make us seem as irreverent drunkards at dawn to our global audience of puzzled lookers who cannot tell that the fire they see over our ardent heads is but the New Page of your boundless mysteries unfolding to our age; that our ‘cacophony of joy’ in multiple tongues is but Your merciful Babel reversal, the overflow of Your promised New Wine in the wine skins of tender babes preferred by grace. Amen.

References:

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints (Colossians 1:26).
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Daniel 12:4).
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed TILL THE TIME of the end (Daniel 12:9).
And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days (Daniel 8:26).
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand (Revelation 22:10).
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not (Revelation 10:4).
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at THE END it SHALL SPEAK, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry (Habakkuk 2:3).
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29).
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the HIDDEN wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world KNEW: for had they known it, THEY would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

10 But God hath REVEALED them unto US by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:7-10).

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life (2 Corinthians 3:6).
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast HID these things from the wise and prudent, and hast REVEALED them unto babes.

26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight (Matthew 11:25-26).

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast HID THESE things from the wise and prudent, and hast REVEALED them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight (Luke 10:21).

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which WAS kept secret SINCE the world began (Romans 16:25).

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in OTHER AGES was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is NOW revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit

9 And to make all men SEE what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been HID in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:3-5, 9).

THEN opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45).
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which YE SEE, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which YE HEAR, and have not heard them (Matthew 13:17).
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but YE cannot bear them NOW.

13 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 (Luke 16:12-13).

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. (Psalm 119:18).

From The Preacher’s diary,
March 26, 2025.