“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,“The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” - Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,” - ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I believe that as we draw closer to the final stages of this age, two mysteries in Scripture will unfold in their fullness: The Mystery of Israel (Romans 11:25-27) and The Mystery of the Church (Ephesians 3:7-11), according to the Eternal Purpose of God realized in Christ.

When we talk about a mystery, it requires us to contend and approach it with humility, as seen in Daniel 9 through prayer and fasting. It is through this posture that we receive the grace for the spirit of revelation to come upon us and understand. Without the Lord's grace and the ability to see and comprehend, we may view these words merely as poetic writings by Paul, missing the weight and intensity they carry, which calls us to pour out our whole heart and seek God's help to comprehend them.

As we approach the end of the age, the Lord will pour out His grace and increase the spirit of revelation to raise up many people of understanding (Daniel 12:10) who will grasp the mystery of Israel and the plan for the manifold wisdom of God to be made known to the powers through the church, according to the eternal purpose of God revealed in Christ. We must also recognize that the mystery of God can only be unveiled through the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God often appears as foolishness, weakness, and contrary to what our flesh desires. This means that if we approach these mysteries with a humanistic, self-fulfilling perspective, according to the wisdom of this world and age, we will never truly understand. The Lord has reserved His secrets for those who fear Him (Ps 25:14), and those who fear Him are the ones who choose the wisdom of God (Proverbs 9:10).

So, what is the Wisdom of God? It is Christ Crucified. (1 Cor 2:6-8)

The reason why Paul preached Christ and Christ Crucified only was because that is the wisdom of the gospel, and we, as the Church, are called to demonstrate that life to defeat the rulers and powers of this age, just as Christ did. This ultimately leads to the salvation of Israel, in accordance with the eternal purpose of God. Remember, Stephen's sacrificial life (a demonstration of Christ Crucified) provoked jealousy in Paul, causing him to rage because no Pharisee could measure up to that kind of conviction and life. His jealousy further fueled his anger against the followers of Jesus until the Lord met him on the road to Damascus and called him into Israel's Apostolic Call to become a light to the Gentiles. Paul was the first fruit of what Israel is to the nations.

What will provoke Israel to jealousy is more than the mere institution of the Church and the facts of Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. They will only be provoked by the demonstration of the cross through a people who are fully given in living out the eternal purpose of God rather than pursuing a life of self-interest and fulfillment. When the powers of the air see a church displaying this kind of living, they are defeated. They cannot tempt or entice a church that has laid down its self-interest and is fully dedicated to the eternal purpose of God, which is from Him, through Him, and for His glory forever.