The Sacred Secret
This article is an explanation of the sacred secred of God, and a small window into the incredible wisdom of Jehovah, our loving creator.
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BEFORE the beginning of time
Before anything else existed that we know of, except for himself— Jehovah formed the sacred secret and kept it hidden within himself. This secret was embedded in his eternal purpose for creation before he began to create (Ephesians 3:9–11).
To truly grasp the sacred secret — also known in Christendom as the mystery of the Kingdom of God — we must first understand this essential truth: God’s purpose was already complete and perfect in every way before creation began. Perfection, by nature, cannot be added to or subtracted from, which the following verse in Ecclesiastes helps to illustrate this point:
“I have come to know that everything the true God makes will endure forever. There is nothing to add to it and nothing to subtract from it…” — Ecclesiastes 3:14
For this reason alone, we can be confident that Jehovah did not create the sacred secret at Genesis 3:15 in response to the arrival of sin. It was not a reaction, nor an adjustment to his purpose — because you cannot add to perfection.
Creations Perfect Foundation
Creation was built upon a flawless framework — a divine design planned by God. Two foundational elements in that design are time and free will. These precede everything else that would come into existence, and upon them, all creation was established.
- Time was necessary because we needed a dimension to live in. The term fabric of time is fitting: Jehovah created a structure through which we could move, grow, and exist.
- Free will is perhaps the greatest gift God gave to humans, apart from life itself. It allows us to freely return the love God gives — not because we are forced to, but because we choose to.
When free will is used in harmony with its intended purpose — according to the moral standard it was designed with — the Creator and his creation exist together in perfect union and peace.
Free will was the greatest gift Jehovah could give to creation, because without it love, loyalty, and obedience would have no real meaning. But genuine freedom, by its very nature, must be capable of expressing its full range; if it could never do so, then it was never truly free to begin with. Once free will was granted without artificial limits and allowed to operate over time, it was certain that its full potential would eventually be manifested. Given enough time and independence, at least one of God’s sons would inevitably choose a wrong course. Sin, therefore, was not an accident or an anomaly - it was the unavoidable outworking of real freedom being exercised.
It would be naive to think that Jehovah had not already accounted for this when he purposed to give creation the ability to choose between right and wrong. Jehovah is not reactive, nor does he wait for problems to arise before addressing them. Knowing that genuine free will would eventually reveal its full scope, he formed the solution in advance, before creation ever began, thus guaranteeing that his purpose would be accomplished. This is exactly how a wise builder operates, calculating the full cost before laying the foundation. When Jehovah began the construction of creation, its success was already assured.
“. . .so my word that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. It will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.” (Isa 55:11)
The Solution to Sin
Within the Scriptures, the Sacred Secret and the Jerusalem above refer to the same reality, spoken of in different ways.
The Sacred Secret, also known as the Mystery of God, is both the name of, and the means by which, Jehovah restores creation back to perfection. It is the solution to sin that later affected both heaven and earth. This solution was not formed in response to sin; it was prepared in advance. Jehovah did not wait for sin to appear before acting - the instrument was already in place.
1 Cor 2:7 — But we speak God’s wisdom in a sacred secret, the hidden wisdom, which God foreordained before the systems of things for our glory.
The “Jerusalem above” is the symbolic demonstration of what the Sacred Secret actually is.
Scripture uses imagery to help us grasp what it is and how it works. It is revealed through the illustration of a seed, and also through the picture of a pregnant woman about to give birth. Both images help us understand how the Sacred Secret operates and how it removes sin in order to restore creation back to perfection.
The seed illustration provides the clearest picture. Every seed begins in a dormant state, regardless of what it is meant to produce. Only when the seed is planted and the proper conditions exist does it germinate and begin to grow. A seed is designed with a purpose, not merely to produce a plant or tree, but often to provide fruit as well. Everything required to produce what the seed is meant to become is already contained within it from the start.
In the same way, everything required to bring about a new heavens and a new earth, free from sin, was instilled within the Sacred Secret. Just as a seed remains dormant until the right conditions arise, the Sacred Secret lay dormant within God before creation began and long before sin appeared. Sin did not give rise to the Sacred Secret; it simply caused what had already been prepared to begin operating. Sin thus served as the activating condition by which the Sacred Secret germinated and began to grow, marking the moment when what had long been prepared within God moved from dormancy into operation.
“. . .and should make men see how the sacred secret is administered which has from the indefinite past been hidden in God, who created all things. 10 [This was] to the end that now to the governments and the authorities in the heavenly places there might be made known through the congregation the greatly diversified wisdom of God, 11 according to the eternal purpose that he formed in connection with the Christ, Jesus our Lord,” (Eph 3:9-11)
Just as a seed has DNA that determines what it will become long before it ever grows, the Sacred Secret also contained within it the full design of Jehovah’s purpose. Within that “DNA,” or set of instructions, was the foreordination of Jesus Christ and the 144,000 chosen ones, his brothers, to come into existence as new creations. Everything required to restore God’s purpose to its original state was already present. In this way, the Sacred Secret functioned as a creative, generating force, much like a seed whose end result is already fixed. When it began to grow, it would eventually bring forth exactly what Jehovah intended; to restore creation back to its original sinless state.
“. . .Now we know that God makes all his works cooperate together for the good of those who love God, those who are the ones called according to his purpose; 29 because those whom he gave his first recognition he also foreordained to be patterned after the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Ro 8:28-29)
“. . .For we are a product of his work and were created in union with Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to walk in them.” (Eph 2:10)
Eternal Purpose
We know that Jesus Christ is integral to God’s eternal purpose, because Scripture shows that he did not create his own purpose. Rather, he is the agent through whom Jehovah carries out what He had already purposed. This is why the Sacred Secret, as part of God’s eternal purpose, must have been formed in connection with Christ before Jesus Christ came into existence. Because Jehovah’s purpose was already complete, it necessarily included the Sacred Secret beforehand, with Jesus Christ built into it as the one through whom it would be fulfilled. For this reason, Jehovah first established the Sacred Secret within his eternal purpose and then brought Jesus Christ into existence as the central figure through whom that purpose would be carried out. From that moment forward, success was guaranteed. Nothing could prevent Jehovah’s purpose from being fulfilled, not even sin.
As previously mentioned, just as a dormant seed requires moisture, oxygen, and the right temperature in order to germinate and grow, the Sacred Secret likewise required a condition under which it would begin to grow. That condition was sin. When sin manifested within creation, the dormant seed—the Sacred Secret—germinated and began to grow. Once a seed germinates, it first develops a root system to support what it is meant to become.
The Bible uses the imagery of roots to describe lineage and genealogy. In this way, the roots that developed from the Sacred Secret—the seed that germinated—would become the nation of Israel, from which Jesus Christ would arise. Scripture illustrates this by stating: Isa 11:10 — “In that day the root of Jesse will stand up as a signal for the peoples. To him the nations will turn, and his resting-place will become glorious.” This helps us see more clearly why the seed is such a fitting analogy for the Sacred Secret.
Once the seed has germinated and developed a root system strong enough to support it, it produces a sprout. Jesus Christ is that sprout of the Sacred Secret that germinated after sin manifested in the garden of Eden. When Jesus Christ was born on earth through Mary, he was the sprout who would replace what was lost and serve as the means by which a new heavens and a new earth would come to exist.
“. . .for here I am bringing in my servant Sprout!” (Zec 3:8)
In the Garden of Eden stood the Tree of Life. Once mankind lost access to that tree, they also lost the means by which life could continue to time indefinite. Because that access was cut off, what had been lost needed to be restored. For this reason, a new means for eternal life was required in order to reestablish what mankind no longer possessed.
“. . .and now in order that he may not put his hand out and actually take [fruit] also from the tree of life and eat and live to time indefinite,. . .” (Ge 3:22)
Jesus Christ became that new means of life, for he himself said that everyone who feeds on him has everlasting life. Jn 6:54 — Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day. Through Jesus, access to life that had been lost in Eden would be restored.
Because the 144,000 brothers of Christ were formed in union with him prior to creation, they were foreordained to be patterned after his image and to share in that life-giving role. In this sense, they too become Trees of Life. Revelation presents this symbolically: Rev 22:1–2 — And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, down the middle of its broad way. And on this side of the river and on that side were trees of life producing twelve crops of fruit, yielding their fruits each month. And the leaves of the trees were for the curing of the nations. This imagery shows life flowing from Christ and extending outward through those united with him.
For this reason, Jesus Christ and the 144,000 are also called the firstfruits.
1 Cor 15:23 — But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.
Jas 1:18 — It was by his will that he brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we should become a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
They are the firstfruits produced from the dormant seed that had been hidden within God. That seed germinated in the Garden of Eden when sin manifested, grew roots through the nation of Israel, and, once those roots were firmly established, sprouted in the person of Jesus Christ—the new Tree of Life.
Through Jesus Christ, the 144,000 holy ones were then patterned after him, sharing in his role. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel spoke of this very development.
Isa 27:6 — In the coming days Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, and they will fill the surface of the productive land with fruit.
Eze 47:12 — Along the torrent on its bank, on this side and on that side, all kinds of trees for food will grow. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruitage be consumed. Each month they will bear new fruit, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruitage will serve for food and their leaves for healing.
Viewing the Sacred Secret through the illustration of a seed allows us to see more clearly how Jehovah intended to repair his creation after sin. Next, we will consider the creative generating force of the Sacred Secret—the spirit—which not only allows Jehovah to remain in his sacred rest but also brings new creations into existence.
A Creative Generating Force
The Sacred Secret contained all the divine power necessary to restore creation fully and to bring about what Scripture describes as making “all things new” (Rev 21:5; 2 Pet 3:13). It was not merely a plan for restoration, but a means by which restoration and new creation could actually take place. Like a seed that carries within it the complete blueprint for new life, the Sacred Secret held the full potential to create what did not yet exist.
Scripture symbolizes this creative power as the “Jerusalem above,” portraying the Sacred Secret as a life-giving source rather than a static concept. For this reason, it is often depicted through the imagery of a woman giving birth—emphasizing generation, emergence, and new life. In this way, the Sacred Secret functions as a dynamic, creative generating force, designed by Jehovah to transform what was broken and to bring forth a renewed creation.
The Sacred Secret not only contained the essential elements needed to restore creation back to perfection, namely Jesus Christ and the 144,000, but also the ability to bring those elements into existence. This was necessary because Jehovah had entered into his sacred day of rest, a rest that marked the completion and perfection of his creative work. For Jehovah to resume direct creative activity would imply that what he had finished was incomplete or required correction.
Instead, he formed the Sacred Secret in advance as a creative, generating force that could operate within that rest, allowing restoration and new creation to take place without violating it. In this way, the Sacred Secret functioned as an extension of Jehovah’s completed purpose rather than a revision of it. It allowed new creations to come forth while Jehovah remained at rest, not because his work was inactive, but because it was already perfect. For this reason, the Sacred Secret stands as the ideal instrument Jehovah formed to guarantee the success of his eternal purpose, ensuring that all things could be restored and made new while preserving the integrity of what he had already declared complete.
Through the provision of the Sacred Secret, the Jerusalem above(Jesus' symbolic mother), Jesus was born again(Rev 12:5) and became a new creation. The 144,000, who are purchased with Jesus Christ blood, are also 'new creations' that come to exist within Jehovahs sacred day of rest. Therefore the sacred secret is a creative generating force, created by Jehovah to bring into existence that which did not yet exist.
Born Again
To be born is to be created. When Jesus spoke to the Pharisee Nicodemus, he explained that unless a person is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Jn 3:3 — “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
The Greek expression translated “is born again” is gennēthē anōthen, which literally means “to be generated from above.” This language points to the coming into existence of life from a higher source, not merely a change or renewal of what already exists.
Seen in this light, the Sacred Secret, symbolized as the Jerusalem above, can be understood as the creative generating force Jehovah used to bring Jesus Christ out of death and into new life. Through resurrection, Jesus was born again, generated from above, and became a new creation, having life within himself. This birth did not mark a return to former life, but the bringing forth of a new form of life as Jehovah had purposed.
The same is true of the 144,000 chosen ones. They were foreordained to be born again as new creations, patterned after Jesus Christ. As Paul states, Gal 4:26 — “But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” Though formed within God’s purpose prior to the beginning of time, they are brought into existence as new creations through the same Sacred Secret. That same creative generating force serves as their symbolic mother, giving birth to them in due time, exactly as Jehovah intended.
2Ti 1:9 “He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not by reason of our works, but by reason of his own purpose and undeserved kindness. This was given us in connection with Christ Jesus before times long lasting,” [before the beginning of time, ASV]
Notice that Jesus’ brothers are called according to God’s own purpose. Because Jesus Christ is the exact image of God, he too necessarily shares in that same purpose. They are truly his brothers, not merely by association, but because both they and Jesus Christ were formed together within God as part of the solution to sin before creation began.
In this way, before anything came to exist within the stream of time that commenced with the creation of Jesus Christ, the Sacred Secret had already been formed. Contained within it were all the elements required to bring that solution into effect—its “DNA,” so to speak. This divine design was prepared in advance to bring into existence what did not yet exist, ensuring that God’s purpose would unfold exactly as intended.
“. . .Consequently if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away, look! new things have come into existence.” (2Co 5:17)
Because Jehovah is still resting within the sacred day of rest, the sacred secret is the creative force that gives birth to Jesus Christ after his death, to cause him to be born again.
“ And she gave birth to a son, a male, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was caught away to God and to his throne.. . .” (Re 12:5)
Conclusion
The woman described in Revelation chapter 12 is the symbolic representation of God’s Sacred Secret within Scripture, the Jerusalem above. The birth she gives to the male child represents Jesus Christ being brought forth from death, into existence as a new creation. That same pattern then applies to the 144,000, who are brought forth afterward in union with him by 'their mother'. In Scripture, to be born is to be created, and this vision depicts the Sacred Secret actively generating new life according to God’s purpose.
“. . .He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that he might become the one who is first in all things;” (Col 1:18)
“. . .These things stand as a symbolic drama... 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Ga 4:24-26)
Thus, Jesus Christ is first in all things. He was first formed within God’s purpose, prior to creation itself, as the exact image of Jehovah, the only true God. Included within that purpose for Jesus was the Sacred Secret, so that if mankind were to sin, Jesus Christ would already stand as the appointed means by which humanity could be cleansed.
Jesus was the first to be brought into existence, marking the beginning of creation (Rev 3:14) and the start of time itself. He was also the first to be born from the dead, becoming the firstfruits produced by the seed of the woman, his symbolic mother, the Jerusalem above. In this way, Jesus is first in purpose, first in creation, and first in resurrection, standing at the center of God’s eternal purpose from beginning to end.
“. . .But each one in his own rank: Christ the firstfruits. . .” (1Co 15:23)
“. . .Because he willed it, he brought us forth by the word of truth, for us to be certain firstfruits of his creatures.” (Jas 1:18)
Jesus Christ is the only one who the sacred secret, the Jerusalem above', has given birth to at this point in time. All the holy ones who have died do not exist anymore within creation, however once the 1260 days begins, through the provision of the sacred secret, the anointed will be given birth from their non existence, and resurrected to also have life within themselves. The remaining seed alive on earth will then have war waged against them by Satan, who will have at that point been thrown out of heaven in great anger.
“ However, now Christ has been raised up from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]. 21 For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each one in his own rank: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who belong to the Christ during his presence.. . .” (1Co 15:20-23)
“. . .For this is what we tell YOU by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord shall in no way precede those who have fallen asleep [in death]; 16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. 17 Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall always be with [the] Lord.. . .” (1Th 4:15-17)
“. . .And the dragon grew wrathful at the woman, and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her seed, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus.” (Re 12:17)
Timeline of Events
If we break down the main events of creation and the Sacred Secret as presented in Scripture, the sequence can be understood as follows:
- Jehovah purposes within himself to create, fully forming and completing his purpose before any act of creation begins.
- Knowing that genuine free will necessarily includes the possibility of deviation, Jehovah knew that sin was a certainty over time, and he therefore formed the Sacred Secret in advance as the solution that would guarantee the success of his purpose.
- Creation then begins, and time itself starts with the creation of Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s only-begotten Son.
- Through Jesus Christ, all other things are created.
- Jehovah enters into his sacred day of rest after completing his creative work and has remained in that rest ever since.
- Sin manifests within creation, and at that point the Sacred Secret—the solution already prepared—begins to operate.
- Jesus Christ comes to earth, proves that mankind can choose obedience, is put to death, and for three and a half days does not exist within creation.
- After three and a half days, the Sacred Secret—symbolized as the Jerusalem above—gives birth to Jesus Christ as the firstborn from the dead.
- During the 1,260 days, the remaining ones of the woman’s seed bear witness and are killed, joining those already waiting; once the full number is complete, all are brought forth together as new creations, just prior to the seventh trumpet.
- Through Jesus Christ, the 144,000 symbolically become Trees of Life, serving as the means by which mankind will be healed from sin and imperfection.
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