Jehovah’s Revealed Secrets

3. What revelations of his purpose did Jehovah make to Adam and Eve?

³ Happily, Jehovah has been very liberal in revealing knowledge. From the time of creation, God has gradually given to his worshipers all the information necessary for them under varying circumstances. (Proverbs 11:9; Ecclesiastes 7:12) Originally, he explained that the earth and its animal inhabitants would be subject to Adam and Eve and their descendants. (Genesis 1:28, 29) However, Satan influenced Adam and Eve to sin, and it became difficult to see how the divine purpose could be worked out to God’s glory. Quickly, though, Jehovah began to explain matters. He revealed that, in time, there would appear a righteous offspring, or “seed,” that would counteract the works of Satan and his followers.​—Genesis 3:15.

4, 5. What further revelations did Jehovah make, and who were the channels he used?

⁴ God-fearing men and women must have had many questions about that Seed. Who would he be? When would he arrive? How would he benefit mankind? As the centuries passed, Jehovah gave further revelations about his purposes, and eventually he answered all these questions. Before the Flood, he inspired Enoch to prophesy about the coming destruction of Satan’s seed. (Jude 14, 15) About 2,400 years before our Common Era, he entrusted Noah with the revelation that human life and blood are sacred​—a truth that would be of prime importance when the promised Seed arrived.​—Genesis 9:1-7.

⁵ After Noah’s day, Jehovah revealed vital knowledge by means of other faithful patriarchs. In the 20th century B.C.E., Abraham learned that the promised Seed would be one of his descendants. (Genesis 22:15-18) This promise became the priceless possession of Abraham’s son Isaac and grandson Jacob (later named Israel). (Genesis 26:3-5; 28:13-15) Then, through Jacob, Jehovah revealed that this Seed, “Shiloh,” would be a powerful ruler born in the line of his son Judah.​—Genesis 49:8-10.

7, 8. (a) What additional information did Jehovah reveal about the coming Seed? (b) How were “the things revealed” preserved, and who revealed the proper understanding of such things?

⁷ As time passed, Jehovah made more revelations about the Seed. Through the psalmist, God revealed that the nations would reject his Seed but that the Seed would triumph with Jehovah’s help. (Psalm 2:1-12) Through Isaiah, he revealed that the Seed would be the “Prince of Peace” but also that he would suffer for the sins of others. (Isaiah 9:6; 53:3-12) In the eighth century B.C.E., Jehovah even revealed the place of the Seed’s birth and, in the sixth century B.C.E., the timetable for his ministry.​—Micah 5:2; Daniel 9:24-27.

11, 12. What were some of the wonderful revelations made through this new channel?

¹¹ The central fact of these new “sacred secrets” was that Jesus Christ, the promised Seed, had appeared. (Galatians 3:16) Jesus was “Shiloh,” the one with the right to rule mankind, and Jehovah appointed him King of the Kingdom that would eventually restore Paradise to this earth. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Luke 1:31-33) Jesus was also Jehovah’s appointed High Priest, who gave his untainted, perfect life as a ransom for mankind​—a most marvelous application of the principle of the sacredness of blood. (Hebrews 7:26; 9:26) Henceforth, believing mankind had the hope of regaining that perfect human life that Adam had lost.​—1 John 2:1, 2.

¹² This promised Seed was also a mediator, effecting between his followers and his heavenly Father a new covenant that replaced the old Law covenant. (Hebrews 8:10-13; 9:15) On the basis of this new covenant, the fledgling Christian congregation replaced the nation of fleshly Israel, becoming a spiritual Israel, a spiritual “Abraham’s seed” along with Jesus, and stewards of “the things revealed.” (Galatians 3:29; 6:16; 1 Peter 2:9) Moreover​—something unthinkable to Jews—​Gentiles were invited to become part of that new spiritual Israel! (Romans 2:28, 29) Together, Jewish and non-Jewish spiritual Israelites were commissioned to make disciples of Jesus all around the earth. (Matthew 28:19, 20) Thus, “the things revealed” took on an international aspect.