'Mystery' in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Fourth Gospel

John Ashton’s essay focuses on a puzzling expression in the scrolls. What is meant by the term רז נהיה ? Does it correspond to any known concept in first-century Judaism or Christianity? Ashton argues that the idea behind this expression is not unique to Qumran but has parallels with contemporary apocalyptic writings in which life is shaped by the revelation of a “mystery” in the process of actualization. Ashton’s work has implications for understanding Johannine eschatology and what the New Testament literature calls the “reign of God.”