◄ What Does 1 Corinthians 2:9 Mean? ►

Unregenerate man in his wisdom failed to know God, and so the wisdom of God is hidden to those that are perishing. Certain mysteries which were revealed to Paul for the Church were been hidden from the Old Testament prophets of God from before the foundation of the world, such as: "Christ in you the hope of glory." But many truths and teachings that were given to God's people Israel are also referenced in the New Testament, and we should pay particular attention to such passages for God is drawing our attention to them for a reason.

It was Isaiah 64:4 about which Paul was referring to when he wrote: "But as it is written, eye has not seen and ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him and wait for Him."

Isaiah was writing at a point in Israel's history when God's chosen nation had drifted far away from Him and many were following after false deities and engaging in pagan rituals. There was nevertheless a little remnant that were faithful to the Lord, and Isaiah encouraged them as he told them of their coming Messiah and of the many blessings that are stored up for the people of God: "Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of all who earnestly wait for Him and trust His Word."

There were certain things that God revealed to the prophets of old and certain revelations that God made to Paul and His New Testament apostles and prophets, but we are not party to the whole mind of God. Although certain elements of God's wisdom have already been revealed to us through holy men of God who were moved by the supernatural work of the Spirt of God, there is much of God's infinite wisdom and knowledge that continues to remain hidden to the limited finite minds and flawed imaginations of fallen man.

God in His grace has revealed to us that He has prepared amazing and wonderful things for those that love and trust Him. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Himself said that He was going to prepare a place for us in His Father's house, but we do not know all the wonderful things are being prepared for us. The Bible reminds us that we cannot even imagine what they could be, for God in His wisdom has said that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and the imagination of man is too limited to envisage what God has prepared for those that love him..

Many try to add to the canon of scripture by describing their own visions, dreams, and imagination as if they were as equally authoritative as the revelation that God has given us in His Word. Certain fantasy films of heaven and extra-biblical imaginations of mystical things, have too often been portrayed as having equal authority with the Word of God, while twisting biblical truth in order to embrace as fact the limited, flawed thoughts and defective imaginations of man.

We have a blessed hope in Christ, and God in His grace chose to give incredible detail about His message of redemption through His written Word of truth. We should be wary of trying to delve into our own, limited imagination or those of our fellow man in an attempt to discover elements of our future, which God in His wisdom has chosen to keep as a mystery. As it is written by Isaiah: "Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what He hath prepared for him that keep on waiting for Him." And this is confirmed by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: "Eye hath not seen, and ear has not heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."

Thank You, Heavenly Father, that in Your goodness and grace, You chose to reveal Yourself and the wonderful message of redemption in Your Word. I pray that I would earnestly study the Word, but keep me from hankering after a knowledge of things which You have chosen to keep hidden from my sight. Thank You that my blessed hope is in Christ, and the wonders of my eternal future are hidden in Him. To Him be all praise and glory, AMEN.