What is the mystery that Paul reveals about the body of Christ?
The mystery reveals that God is now calling out the body of Christ during this age, entirely apart from law, Israel, Judaism, and the temple. This calling operates wholly by God's grace, resting on Christ's finished work—His death, burial, and resurrection—and it cannot be mixed with law.
Les explains that the mystery is the revelation that God is now doing something different during this 1,900-plus-year period. Instead of dealing with Israel under law, God is calling out the body of Christ. This body is not under law, not associated with the nation of Israel, and not associated with Judaism or the temple. It is totally the operation of the grace of God, based on the finished work of the cross—His death, burial, and resurrection. Les stresses that law and grace cannot be mixed. The church is not part of the Jewish program; it is insulated from God's dealings with Israel. Therefore, the church would be like a fish out of water in the tribulation, which is primarily God dealing with Israel. When the church age is completed, the church must be taken out of the way so God can pick up where He left off with Israel, introducing the Antichrist's seven-year treaty according to Daniel 9.