The Unveiling of God

 1 COR. 2:7-16; HEB. 1:1-2; 2:1-4 

SUBJECT:  THE DOCTRINE OF REVELATION 

              

THEME: This Lesson Is Concerned with God’s Disclosure or Unveiling of Himself to Mankind by the Method of the Scriptures. Yes, God Is the Greatest Communicator of Himself Ever. Therefore, the Bible Is the Irrefutable Evidence of His Desire to Be Thoroughly Known and Embraced in a Vital Redemptive Relationship by all People.

RELEVANCY:   Why Is This Important to Us:

The Bible clearly claims to be the Word of God--its message is of divine origin. We need to realize from Scripture why it makes sense to believe that it really is.You see this is the question: Is blind faith enough to accept the Bible as an authoritative and sufficient platform on which to place one's eternal destiny? I contend that we need to know what the Bible says about itself to further justify our accepting it as the Word of God.  As a result we will be far more confident that we have a compass for life, giving us instructions in how to live and assurance of life after death in Heaven with God. (Anders) 

INTRODUCTION:    

Yes, through the ages, God has used a variety of ways to speak to His people. He apparently talked face-to-face on a daily basis with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, meeting them in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were expelled from the Garden, God turned to other forms of communication with His beloved creation.

There are at least eight ways in which God spoke to His people in Bible times: through Direct Revelation, Dreams, Written Words, the Prophets, Circumstances, Angels, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit.

Today we want to focus our study on the meaning of Revelation and distinguish it from some of the myths and other erroneous ideas about what should be considered a revelation of God.

MESSAGE:
WHAT IS MEANT BY REVELATION?   (DEFINITION)

The word "revelation" simply means a revealing, and in theology is applied to God's revealing of Himself to mankind.

Without revelation, we wouldn't know anything about God -or even that there is a God. Thus we begin this study with the premise that God desires to make Himself known to man, and has in fact revealed Himself at various times and in different ways.

Hebrews 1:1-2, God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, [2] 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;

     A.  ITS MEANING.  

          1. "Revelation Is the Unveiling of Something Previously Hidden So That it May Be Seen for What it Is."  1 Cor. 2:7-10,  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: [8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. [9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. [10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

         2.  Revelation:  God Disclosing to Man That Which He Cannot Find out by Himself.

1Cor. 2:11-16,  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. [13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. [16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Romans 16:25-26,  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, [26] But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:   (Also see:  1 Cor. 14:6,26; 2 Co. 12:1,7; Ga. 1:12; 2:2; Ep. 3:3; 1 Pe. 1:13; Re. 1:1).

           3.  The Greek Word Translated "Revelation" Is Apokalupsis, Which Means an Uncovering, or to Take Off the Cover, Disclose.  In the following verses we see this same word variously used but always denoting a disclosure of something previously unknown.

                a)  Revelation Means Disclosure in the Writings of Paul.

Ephes. 3:2-6,   If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward: [3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, [4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) [5] Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; [6] That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

                b) Revelation Means Disclosure in the Writings of John.

Rev. 1:1,  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

                c) Revelation Means Disclosure According to Our Lord Jesus.

Luke 10:21-24,   In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. [22] All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

    [23] And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: [24] For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Also Matt. 16:15-19) (Other Ref.  Amos 3:7;  Matt 11:25-27;  Matt 13:11;  Matt 16:17;  Luke 2:26;  Luke 10:21;  1 Cor. 14:30;  Eph. 3:3;  1 Peter 1:12;  Rev 1:1)

                                              

    B.  IT’S MASTER.

All revelation is supernatural in that it has God for its source and truth as its end.

Deut. 29:29, 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.

The “secret things” here refer to the “words of this law” clearly referring to the Scriptures and God as the ‘Originator’ of revelation.

         1.  All Divine Revelation /Truth Proceeds From God and Him Alone.

             a. The Supreme Being of Truth.

Romans 1:25, Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Romans 15:8, Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

  

              b. The Son of Truth.                         

John 14:6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Rev. 19:11, And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he (The Lord Jesus Christ) that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

              c. The Spirit of Truth.

John 14:17, Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 16:13-14, 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. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

         2.  Divine Revelation/ Truth Can Only Be Obtain From God.  He is the Source.

There is no need to look anywhere else to find or to secure truth or divine revelation. 

1Cor. 2:14-16, But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. [16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

This automatically eliminates the Human Mind, Reason, Philosophy, Intuition, Speculations, Aristotle, Plato, and any other love and pursuit of wisdom and knowledge as equals with the Revelation of God-the Truth.  Only the Apostles and Prophets knew the mind of God, we have it today in the written Word of God.  God has revealed Himself to man and the Scriptures are the single authoritative disclosure of Him in this day and age.  If we really want to know God we must turn to the scriptures.  No other writings should be placed on the same level with them.

   C.  IT’S MISCONCEPTIONS.

There are Ways in Which God Does Not Speak Today and I Want to Simply Identify Some of These from the Outset of Our Study!

We will explore some of these ways briefly latter on, but I would like to indicate at the outset of this study that there are two ways in which God did not and does not speak to His people.

           1. God Does Not Speak to His People Through Natural Phenomena.

That statement may seem strange to you since many of us say that we feel closer to God when we are in the great outdoors. I am a lover of God's natural world. Few things delight me as much as seeing the beauty of nature and even taking photographs of what God has created. Having feelings about God's presence and about His creation is not the same, however, as claiming that we have a message from God through some act of nature.

                a. ILLUSTRATION: We cannot observe a volcanic eruption or a hurricane, for example, and say, “Look at what God is saying.” Neither can we perceive a certain pattern in the ashes of a fireplace and conclude, “This is God's word.” I heard of a man who saw a cross shape in the clouds as he was flying in a jet one day, and he concluded that it was a sign that meant he was saved. A glint in the skies does not have anything to do with confessing our sinful state, receiving God's forgiveness, or believing in Jesus Christ and confessing Him as Savior and Lord, which is the pattern that the Bible gives for our salvation.

                  b. The Broad Message of God in Nature Is That Our God Is an Orderly God, Who Operates His Universe According to Purpose, Design, and Intention.

                        1)  We See in Nature That God Loves Beauty and That He Provides Amply for His Children.

                        2)  We See That God Has Seasons of Timing and a Rhythm of Life for All Things, Including Each of Us.

                        3)  We See That God Is Infinitely Creative, and Certainly, as We Look at Some Aspects of Human Nature, We must Conclude That God Has a Sense of Humor.

                        4)  Ultimately, We See in Nature That God Is Supreme and Awesome, and That We Are the Work of His Hands, the Created and Not the Creator. Nature speaks of God. That is far different from saying, “God speaks through nature a personal word to us.”

                  c. When We Try to See God's Message in Natural Events, We Are Dangerously Close to the Practice of Divination. God clearly condemns divination—the attempt to discern God's message through such things as the pattern of tea leaves or the position of the stars. God does not speak to us through astrology or fortune-tellers. The Bible calls these practices abominations to God.

                  d. God May Use Natural Means to Confirm His Word to Us or to Reveal His Timing, But We must Be Very Clear on this Point So as Not to Misunderstand How He Does it.  Jesus said that we are to be astutely aware of the natural events/phenomena that lead up to the fulfillment of God's promises.

Matthew 16:1-4, The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. [2] He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. [3] And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? [4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. (Luke 12:54-56)

                           1) ILLUSTRATION: We find a good example of this in 1 Kings 18. Elijah told King Ahab, “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.”(Vs. 41). Elijah had received a message from God that the drought was ending. After Elijah said those words, he sent his servant to the top of a mountain to look toward the sea, the direction from which storms came to that area. He sent his servant seven times, and on the seventh trip, the servant reported, “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.” (Vs 44). Elijah perceived that God was fulfilling His word, and he sent a message to the king, “Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” (See 1 Kings 18:41–44.)

                            2)  Note That Elijah Had the Word of the Lord First and He Was Looking for the Fulfillment of That Word. A natural phenomenon was used to confirm what Elijah had already heard; the word of God came first. It's critical that you see this difference. Many people make a grave error in assuming that when they see some twist of a twig or a breeze from a certain direction that God is giving them a message or a sign.  (Other examples of this would be in Matt.24:1-35; Joel 2:28-32 ect.). Natural circumstances, wonders, sensations, marvels, and events only confirm the Word of God but does not establish a message from God within themselves!

             2. God Does Not Speak to His People Through Occult Practices.

God's Word speaks strongly against conjuring spirits—such as séances—and any form of magic that might attempt to give us direction for our lives.

                   a. Soothsayers and Seers Were among the People That God Clearly Told His Children to Avoid. We are to stay far away from such things as tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystals, magic charms, and other such paraphernalia associated with the occult. They are not methods that God has used in the past, is using today, or will ever use.

          

                   b.  Divination:  Attempting to Foretell Future Events or Discover Hidden Knowledge Through Dreams, Astrology, Magic, Palm Reading, Cards, Stones, Etc. Divination is forbidden by God (Le. 19:26). [See also Witchcraft.]

Leviticus 19:26, Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

Leviticus 19:31, Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. (See Also Lev. 20:6; De. 18:9-14)

                   c. Witchcraft. Magic; Sorcery; Demonism; Occultism (Ex. 22:18; Le. 19:26,31; 20:6;; 1 Sa. 15:23; 2 Ki. 9:22; 2 Ch. 33:6; Is. 47:13-15; Je. 27:9-10; Da. 2:10; Mi. 5:12; Na. 3:4; Ac. 19:19; Ga. 5:20; Ep. 5:11; 6:10-18; Re. 21:8). The Bible makes no distinction between "white magic" and "black magic." Every form of involvement in spiritism is strictly forbidden.

                   d. Astrologer--one who observes the heavens, believing the heavenly bodies influence men's lives (Is. 47:13; Da. 1:20; 2:2, 10, 27; 4:7; 5:7,11,15). Certainly, Divine Wisdom is much better then Demonic Wisdom! 

ILLUSTRATION: The Four Hebrew Boys in Babylon Proved that the Wisdom of the Divine is Far Superior to the Wisdom of the Devil!  Daniel 1:16-21, Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

    [17] As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. [18] Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. [19] And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. [20] And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. [21] And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

                   e. These Practices Are Satan’s Tools of Deception. Satan Will Use These Methods to Deceive You into Believing Something Wrong…Deadly Wrong.

Matthew 22:29, Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 

CONCLUSION:  The focus of this Lesson has been God’s Disclosure or Unveiling of Himself to Mankind by the Method of the Scriptures. Yes, God has spoken to humanity and He Is the Greatest Communicator about Himself; the record is in the Scriptures. Therefore, the Bible Is the Irrefutable Evidence of His Desire to Be Thoroughly Known and Embraced in a Vital Redemptive Relationship by all peoples everywhere.

If we refuse to believe the Bible is the Word of God, then the lights are out and we are left in the dark. We have no spiritual and moral compass with which to live, we have no meaning in this life, and no hope for the next life (eternity). In addition, we have no answers for the significant questions of life, who am I, where did I come from, what am I doing here, and where am I going? These things should draw us to the conclusion that the Bible is absolutely necessary for everyday living in the 21^st century.