The Epistle to the Hebrews part CCXXIV

I Peter 1:7-9
"That the trial of your (trusting becomes) faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom (speaking of Jesus Christ) having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; Receiving the end of (His faith) your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
Here again, even Peter is emphasizing the trusting in His faith aspect. Verse 10:

I Peter 1:10
"Of which salvation the prophets have (what?) inquired (what does that mean? They asked a lot of questions.) and (they) searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you."
It hadn’t come yet, but they understood that there was something coming and they searched and they tried their level best to put the whole thing together, but they could not. They were under the veil because God had it hidden from view though they each from the time of Jacob onward knew a portion, they had lost sight of the old path way that Enoch, Methusela, Noah, Shem and Eber for example knew, these all knew Him as the Most High God.

Many times, we’ve gone back to Rachel’s death at the birth of little Benjamin. And I think most of you are aware, as she was dying, what did she say the little fellow’s name would be? "Benoni." Which meant what? ‘The son of my suffering’ because she was dying. But Jacob overruled it and he said, "No. We’re not going to call him ‘Benoni,’ we’re going to call him Benjamin." Which means ‘the son of strength.’ Well now, what do you suppose the Rabbis did with that? Well, there’s something here. This didn’t just happen by accident. Surely there’s going to be two Messiahs. One who will suffer and they understood Isaiah 53 that said, ‘He would be led as a lamb to the slaughter.’ They could put that much together, they saw it as being two separate persons.

So evidently the Benoni was a ‘suffering’ Messiah. But then along comes Jacob and renames the little lad Benjamin, the ‘son of strength,’ and the Old Testament is full of the King and His Kingdom. So that Messiah must be the King. So they thought maybe there would be two. Well, that was logical up to a point. What they never put together? Is that the One and the same, but in two different times! Separated now at least by 2,000 years, but we hope it won’t be much more. But they could never comprehend that the Benoni was Christ’s first advent, the suffering Messiah and as Christ He is the 'son of strength'. Now, nearly 2,000 years later, we trust that soon, the Benjamin aspect is coming and what is He going to be? The King! People still don't see that He is both and how it all ties together in us as heirs of His salvation through Grace activity. See how beautiful it all is? But these Old Testament people never figured it out. They never figured it out, and most Hebrews and the church today still haven’t.

Those Rabbis just didn’t have an understanding. They saw the shadow, but like I showed in my analogy, you don’t build a piece of furniture with a shadow. You’ve got to have the tree. And all they could pick up was the shadow. They knew there was something they couldn’t put their finger on. All right, verse 11:

I Peter 1:11a
"Searching…"
Now if you understand Yeshivas in Israel’s educational system, all those young men do from morning till night is they just sit there and they do nothing but analyze the Old Testament; searching to see if they can come up with some little tidbit of revelation that nobody else has ever seen. Well, these old fellows were doing the same thing, searching the Old Testament. And remember they're without the aid of the Holy Spirit, even to this day. Why? Because they grieve the Spirit of God because of unbelief. And therefore God has given them a spirit of strong delusion to believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

I Peter 1:11-12
"Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, (the old path way and the Benoni) and the (what?) glory which should follow. (the Benjamin, the blood continues in the seed,[the power of an endless life, concealed, LXX, yamiyn, Strong's H3225] the King, the Kingdom.) Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us (Peter, speaking now after the fact) they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them who have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
Peter is so clear and adamant here that these Old Testament Rabbis saw the shadow, but they could not construct the whole picture because God was keeping it secret from them.

Now let’s take you back to a verse in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 29:29.

Deuteronomy 29:29a
"The secret things…"
What things? The Secret things. Now listen, a secret is a secret! And when it’s a secret, how many people know about it? Nobody but one.

Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God: (and nobody else) but (flipside) those things which are revealed (that are no longer secret, see?) belong unto us (Moses is writing, the things that had been known but had been lost or hidden) and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Now I must deviate from my outline to interject this:

Revelation 10:7
"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
What is the mystery here spoken of that is revealed by God? Let's track it down....Romans 11:25
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." from here we'll go to.....
Romans 16:24-27
"The grace [this is the Grace of Christ as confirmed by John in chapter 1 verses 14 and 16-17 of his gospel, the very embodiment in His person of this Gospel of Grace and the New Covenant as found only in Him as He is the ontological essence of Grace, Truth, Light and Eternal Life] of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel [it could be said this Gospel as it is a singular propitiatory Gospel], and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever." The Amen. just as He has declared in........
Luke 24:44-48
"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." from here we'll go to.....
Acts 3:20-23
"And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."
Galatians 4:19
"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you."
Colossians 1:26-28
"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

Now and we thank you for this commercial interruption, we'll return to our original outline.