Revelation

Defined

 Revelation- a disclosure of something that was before unknown; and

divine revelation is the direct communication of truths before unknown

from God to men. (McClintock & Strong Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature)

Revelation Logical

The doctrine of revelation is a doctrine that is very logical.  God is an intelligent God.  He has created intelligent creatures.  This being so, it stands to reason that God would communicate to them His reason and will for their being.  There are also things about life and about God that we would not otherwise know.   “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut 29:29)(KJV)  God has given us revelation that we can know His purpose for us and fulfill this purpose.

Revelation Necessary

             Revelation is necessary, because God is not known apart from His revelation. 

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Rom 11:33-34)(KJV)  God is far beyond all human comprehension.  The wisdom, ways, and mind of God are limitless.  They are of a depth that cannot be fathomed (measured).  In fact, the Bible tells us that there is much more of God than is revealed to us.  Habakkuk said, when he saw a vision of God, “His brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.” (Hab 3:4)(KJV)  God is so great that, when He reveals Himself, He is still hidden!  Isn’t that amazing?  God’s greatness is such that, when He manifests Himself to us, more is hidden of God than is made known of Him.  This greatness makes revelation necessary. 

Two Forms of Revelation

            There are two forms of revelation: general revelation and supernatural revelation.

In general revelation God makes Himself known to all.  This could also be called natural revelation.  The Psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” (Ps 19:1-3)(KJV)  All of creation testifies to the majesty of its Creator.  The signature of God is seen upon the canvas of His world and works.  Creation also testifies to the eternal nature and power of God.  In fact, man is responsible to God because creation reveals to him that God is present.  “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.   For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”( Rom 1:18-20)(KJV)    God has revealed himself in man by giving him an inherent knowledge of God.  He has also revealed His eternal power and deity to man in nature.

God’s general revelation of Himself is also seen in history.  As Paul stood before the people of Lystra, he told them that God had revealed Himself to them by providing for them throughout each year of their lives. “The living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.  Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:15-17)(KJV)  In many other ways, and in many other times, God has revealed Himself throughout history.  This could also be spoken of as providential revelation, or God’s revelation of Himself through intervening in the lives of His creatures.

In supernatural revelation God works in ways that are above nature.  Supernatural revelation is more specific than natural (or general) revelation.  General revelation does not make known to us the truth of the triune nature of God.  Supernatural revelation teaches us this.  We do not learn of the person and work of the Holy Spirit from nature, but we do learn this great truth because of God’s supernatural revelation.

Supernatural revelation has two basic forms.  The first is the incarnation and life of Jesus.  Jesus came into the world to make God known unto man.  “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”( John 1:18)(KJV)  There are many, many things about our great and wonderful God that we would never have known if Jesus had not come into the world.  The unseen God was not seen in nature, but He is seen in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.”( Heb 1:1-2)(KJV)

             The second form of supernatural revelation is the written word of God.  This is called Biblical revelation.  God has made His will and ways known to man through the truths He has revealed to us in His word.  This word of God is revelation.  This is not to be confused with inspiration which deals with the process by which we received the word.  The word of God is God’s revelation of Himself and His will to us.  Paul told the Galatian church that the law of God found in the Old Testament is a Divine revelation.  “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”( Gal 3:19)(KJV)  God used angels and Moses to reveal Himself to us and give us the law.  This is indeed supernatural, for we would not have known many of the things taught us in the Old Testament had God not chosen to tell us.   .   “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut 29:29)(KJV)   Peter also spoke of the word of God as being a supernatural revelation.  “We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.   And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.   We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.   For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”( 2 Peter 1:16-21)(KJV)  Peter stated that he was an eyewitness to the glory of Jesus.  He was present when God the Father spoke from Heaven to testify of His pleasure in His Son.  This was a supernatural revelation that would not/ could not occur naturally.  Peter also stated that God has revealed Himself to us through the writings of the prophets, and that this was given supernaturally. 

            We also find that the New Testament scriptures are a supernatural revelation of God.  Note Jesus’ promise concerning the coming of the Holy Ghost: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:12-15) (KJV)  Today we are blessed to have the Word of God which has been revealed through the work of the Holy Ghost.  This has happened just as Jesus promised it would.

            Finally, we find supernatural revelation at the coming of Jesus.  “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev 1:7) (KJV)  This revelation of Christ brings about eternal change for His children.  “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”  (1Jn 3:2) KJV

The One True God Is The Triune God Of Christianity

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1–3)

The Triune God

            This text, in the context of the totality of Scripture, gives to us an understanding of God as a plurality in unity, as it speaks to us of God creating and the Spirit being present. We must specifically, when speaking of the God of the Bible, speak of God as a Tri-unity, or Trinity. The one God is three persons in perfect unity of being, essence, and agreement. We see this by considering the fact that the Son is as much Creator-God as the Father (See John 1:1-4,14 and Hebrews 1:1-3), and by understanding that the Spirit of God is equally Divine (Job 33:4, Acts 5:1-5 and Romans 8:9-10). These three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, are the One God.

Why Is The Triune God Necessary?

            Why would we say that the Triune God of Scripture is necessary to knowledge?

            First of all, truth is expected to be an unity. We expect that which is true in one field of study to agree with what is true in any other field of study in whatever fashion those fields of truth intersect. For example, we would expect that mathematical truth would be the same whether it were applied to governments or to a building contractor’s business. We would not expect the realities of mathematics to change simply because of the field in which math was applied changed. We expect truth to be true wherever truth appears.

            What this means is that we expect there to be unity in plurality. While there are many fields of knowledge, we expect the truth to be united across the plurality of fields. There is one body of truth, though many fields of knowledge; and the truths found in every field of knowledge agree, as truth is an unity.

            The problem is that we must then find a source and standard for truth and knowledge that can provide unity in plurality.

            Pantheism cannot provide this unity in plurality. If all is god, then there is actually more of a monad than a plurality. Not only so, but all is subsumed into god leaving us with obscurity. There would be no true revelation, because all is god and there would be nothing distinct from the god to receive knowledge. In fact, we would be unable to even know what to call this god. This would cause everyone and everything to be a standard of truth in and of itself/ourselves. This would leave us with relativism, because we would be unable to point anywhere to a united standard of truth that addresses the problem of plurality in unity.

            If God were totally one in the sense that Allah, the god of the Muslims, is one, then we would again have an unknowable standard. The god would then be so utterly other than the world and humanity that the god would be unapproachable and unknowable. There would be no way to have a divine revelation that would give us truth and knowledge. Neither would we have a standard by which to know truth. We would be left in the dark.[1]

            What, then, is the answer to our dilemma? The Triune God of Scripture is the answer. He alone meets our need for a single, sovereign, intelligent Creator God who is the source of all knowledge and truth. Apart from the Trinity there can be neither truth nor knowledge.

            The Bible, as the source of our knowledge of this Triune God, is our only ground of rational thought. It is in the Christian Scriptures that we find that God is:

1.     Our Creator (Genesis 1:1-3;Jeremiah 32:17;Hebrews 1:1-3;11:3).

2.     The God of knowledge and truth who judges us (Deuteronomy 32:4;1Samuel 2:3).

3.     The God who is one God, yet three persons (Genesis 1:1-3,26-28;Psalm 110:1-7;John 1:1-4,14;3:16-17;5:17-21;Hebrews 1:1-3).

4.     The God who makes Himself known to His creatures (Genesis 1:1-31;2:1-25;Psalm 19:1-11;Isaiah 40:1-8;John 1:18;Hebrews 1:1-3;Revelation 1:1-8;22:1-6,16-21).

            With this in mind, we need to approach our Bibles as God’s revelation of Himself; and, if God reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures, we must acknowledge that the Scriptures are true.

---

[1] Thus, ipso facto, the Koran is no revelation of God, nor is it true.

The Existence Of God

The Existence Of God

            Is God real? This is among the most important of all questions asked. It is also the one that we must settle before we begin a long series on Christian doctrine. After all, Christian doctrine is of no use if there is no God.

            How does one go about proving the existence of God? He cannot be seen with the eye. God cannot be measured with a scale or a ruler. God cannot be found through scientific experimentation. Christians, however, are convinced that the Trinitarian God of the Bible is real. How can we ever establish His existence as a matter of fact?

            As we begin with the existence of God, we must go to one of the most basic and most important issues of life: meaning[1]. Once we begin to speak of meaning, different ideas arise. Some believe that there is no meaning. Ironically enough, they expect us to understand the meaning of their words as they speak to us. Others say that all is relative[2], and that meaning changes. Yet others speak of absolutes[3], and declare that meaning is neither related to, nor dependent upon, anything; but meaning exists independently.

            All of us live as if there is meaning, and as if there are absolutes. When we get a paycheck, and when we make our deposits in the bank, we are definitely convinced that math has meaning, and that the principles of addition and subtraction are absolute. We have no desire for anyone to deal with our money (And we feel the same about the rest of our lives, too.) as if mathematical principles are relative. Furthermore, we live with the understanding that time is an absolute. We all mark time in hours, minutes, and seconds. Though the language may be different from one nation to the next, we all understand that time has meaning, and that there are twenty-four hours in a day. If we did not do so, all would be chaotic.

            This belief in absolutes is especially relevant when it comes to the things that we know and consider to be true. Truth cannot be relative. By nature, that which is true cannot be false at the same time. This is called the law of non-contradiction, and it tells us that something cannot be A and Non-A simultaneously.

            For us to have absolutes, we must have an absolute standard[4]. We measure our days by the rotation of the earth. We measure our years by the orbit of Earth around the sun. This means that we recognize that our watches and our calendars have to be reset at times, because a solar year is a bit longer than our calendar year is. Thus we have a leap year every four years. Why? Because we are measuring our time by the standard of the time it takes the earth to make a complete revolution around the sun.

            Now, the rotation and orbit of the earth are not necessarily absolute. They are subject to change. When it comes to truth, we need an absolute standard, because we speak of truth versus falsehood; and we recognize that truth is absolute. But where does truth get its truthfulness? What is the standard of truth? What is the source of truth? For the answer to these questions, we must turn to the Scriptures, and we shall see that the Christian’s Bible gives him the only logically coherent view of truth, knowledge, and the world.

 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

            There must be a source of all things. There must be a cause of all things. There cannot exist an effect without there first being a cause. The world did not come into being on its own power. There must be a beginning cause that is uncaused. [5]  Christians understand that this uncaused cause is the Creator, the God who is presented to us in the Bible.

            Creation testifies to us that God exists. The Psalmist tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard.” (Psalm 19:1–3) Wherever one goes there is testimony to the existence of God. The starry heaven and all that is in the sky above us tell us that God is great, valuable, and is beautiful. Their beauty, balance, and order tell us that they were designed by a mighty, beautiful, and intelligent person.

            Not only do the skies and heavens above us testify to the existence and presence of God, but all of Creation tells us that He is here with us. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:18–20) Creation testifies to us that God exists, because we know that there must be a cause for all things, and that cause must be beautiful (i.e. glorious), eternal (timeless), and forever powerful. After all, matter, beauty, and time could not exist except a beautiful, all powerful, and intelligent person existed outside of time and made it all.

            There is also a seasonal cycle that testifies to God’s personal existence. The succession of the four seasons provides us with that which is necessary to the production of the food that sustains us. This order of events speaks to us of the fact that an orderly and intelligent person made the Earth to do these things.  Paul preached telling some idol worshipers, “We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:15–17) This Creator must be a person, because He made persons who, and He acts in a personal manner by showing kindness to His creatures: kindness that gives us joy.

            If one were to believe the illogical theory that everything came into being by nothing, out of nothing, by random and meaningless processes, there would be no reason for them to think that there was any meaning to anything. After all, there would be no intelligent creator and ruler who had the ability and authority to give meaning. On the other hand, those of us who understand that God created all things believe and know that He has a purpose for all things and gives all things meaning.

           

As we saw above in Romans 1:18-20 shown Himself to us in Creation. This means that the created order speaks to us primarily of God. In fact, Genesis 1:1 opens us the Bible telling us about God. He reveals Himself to His creatures by instructing them and giving them purpose. He also reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures. That is why the Bible begins by telling us that all started with God: He is revealing Himself to us so that we may know Him and His will and purpose for us.

God has revealed Himself to us, and Creation is first and foremost about God and His purposes. When we look around us and think about the world, we must think of it as God’s world that is filled with God’s meaning and made for God’s purposes.

           

Furthermore, This world has no other standard of truth than God. God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), and He alone is the arbiter and source of knowledge and truth (Deuteronomy 32:4;1Samuel 2:3;John 14:6[6];2Corinthians 1:18;1John 2:27). Why is He the standard? Because He is the only absolute, eternal, unchanging God. He also is our Creator. "If the Christian position with respect to creation, that is, with respect to the idea of the origin of both the subject and the object of human knowledge is true, there is and must be objective knowledge. In that case the world of objects was made in order that the subject of knowledge, namely man, should interpret it under God. Without the interpretation of the universe by man to the glory of God the whole world would be meaningless. The subject and object are therefore adapted to one another. On the other hand if the Christian theory of creation by God is not true then we hold that there cannot be objective knowledge of anything. In that case all things in this universe are unrelated and cannot be in fruitful contact with one another. This we believe to be the simple alternative on the question of the objectivity of knowledge as far as the things of this universe are concerned."[7] There is simply no other way that there can be coherence and rationality. Either God the Creator is the sole and absolute standard and authority, with all things relating to Him and subordinate to Him, or there is no knowledge, truth, or rationality[8].

                       

If there can be no knowledge or truth apart from God, then God is a necessary[9] being. In other words, God must exist; because there is no logical way for there to be no God. If one denies God, he must also deny truth and meaning. If he denies truth and meaning, all is random, chaotic, and relative. No one lives as if that were true, however. We all live as if there is meaning and truth in life.  To speak of meaining and truth is to acknowledge taht there is a standard of meaning and truth, and that invariably brings us back to the necessity of God’s existence.

Finally, we should take notice of the fact that we have not only seen the logical need for God, but we have seen that the Bible presents to us the God who is needed. The Bible provides us the framework for rational thought in that it presents to us God as the Creator who is the source and standard of all knowledge and truth. This means that, not only have we established a good case for the existence of God, we have also found good reason to believe the Bible. Without the Bible, we have no means by which we can establish that there is absolute truth and meaning.

---

[1] Meaning is what is meant by a word, concept, or action. It also deals with the worthwhile nature and purpose of something.

[2] That which is relative is dependent upon something else.

[3] An absolute is a value or principle that is universally valid or able to be viewed without relating it to other things.

[4] A standard is that by which all else is measured.

[5] To say that there is no God is to hold that the world exists on its own as its own creator, or that there is an infinite series of causes that brought the world into existence. Neither of these ideas are actual solutions to the question of origins. The first presents the idea of a self-caused cause, which is impossible and illogical. The latter posits an infinite regress, which is impossible, because there will of necessity be a cause that is the first of all causes.

[6]   It is interesting to note the bearing that this has upon the discussion of the Genesis Creation Account, because John 14:6 builds upon John 1:1-4 and Jesus' being the creator. Cornelius Van Til said regarding this, "If the Christian position with respect to creation, that is, with respect to the idea of the origin of both the subject and the object of human knowledge is true, there is and must be objective knowledge. In that case the world of objects was made in order that the subject of knowledge, namely man, should interpret it under God. Without the interpretation of the universe by man to the glory of God the whole world would be meaningless. The subject and object are therefore adapted to one another. On the other hand if the Christian theory of creation by God is not true then we hold that there cannot be objective knowledge of anything. In that case all things in this universe are unrelated and cannot be in fruitful contact with one another. This we believe to be the simple alternative on the question of the objectivity of knowledge as far as the things of this universe are concerned."

                  Cornelius Van Til, The Defense Of The Faith, P&R, Philadelphia, PA, pg 43

[7] Cornelius Van Til, The Defense Of The Faith, P&R, Philadelphia, PA, pg 43

[8] Rationality is that which accords with reason or logic.

[9] That which is necessary is inevitable. It cannot be otherwise.