Divine Revelation

by J.D. Terrell, Carlisle | Category: The Holy Scriptures | Apr 1966

Divine revelation will be considered under three main headings, and each of these aspects of the subject will be briefly studied in particular relation to the Holy Scriptures as the absolute standard of truth, given by God. The three headings are: The Principle of revelation; The Plan of revelation; The Progress of revelation. The aim will be to demonstrate how our thoughts are drawn along each of these lines to converge upon the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ who "is before all things, and in Him all things consist" (Colossians 1.17). Necessary as a careful and studied approach is to these matters, hearts which have been touched by the love of God, and minds sanctified by His grace, search eagerly and reverently in these truths for a rich ministry of Him "in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden" (Colossians 2.3).

The Principle of revelation

Although for study purposes we speak of a "principle", revelation in its widest sense is spoken of in Scripture as a supreme fact of universal history. As such it immediately and directly challenges the human heart and mind. The New Testament Greek word "apokalupsis" - the unveiling-occurs eighteen times, often clearly referring to a future revelation of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that God disclosed to man His power, character and purpose, progressively. One way in which this can be summed up is to speak of a "general" revelation; and then a special supreme disclosure in the Person of Christ. Linked inseparably with the Word incarnate, is the written word of God. It is imperative that the Lord's people should have a clear and comprehensive grasp of the significance and authority of the word of God.

By "general" revelation is meant the manifestation of God dealt with in Romans 1.18-25. This clearly demands a response, individual and personal, from man. The fact that "the invisible things of Him ... are clearly seen" involves a deep and far-reaching human responsibility. But sin has darkened man's heart and perverted his logic. From pride follows rebellion and the end is idolatry-the creature has aspired to usurp the Creator. "Ye are of your father the devil" (John 8.44). To how many people, and in what otherwise dark places and ages, a real knowledge of God has come through this broad general revelation in creation, we cannot tell. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

The heart and the summit of revelation, however, is Christ the Logos. Inseparable, as we have seen, is the inspired written record of God's speaking unto us in His Son. It is clear that only God Himself could, and indeed must, take a glorious initiative in disclosing to man His character, purpose and love. And the infinite God must do this within the limits and comprehension of the human mind. Not only for this reason, but because it is a prime law of the sovereign Lord of the universe, faith on man's heart must be an essential in reconciliation and redemption. It would seem that, in His perfect wisdom, God underlines this principle with great finality by giving us a glimpse of certain deep truths, notably foreknowledge and election, which out-distance the dimensions of the human mind and compel a profound faith in God. The only alternative is the disastrous rebellion recounted in Romans 1. A further point to note here is that revelation as principle is not the same as inspiration but can perhaps be thought of as the basis and material of inspiration.

The Plan of revelation

"In the beginning God...". Thus opens the written, and we believe inspired, record of divine revelation. It introduces the book of the beginnings, Genesis. "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ..." (Matthew 1) and, "In the beginning was the Word..." (John 1) - thus we have introduced the great complementary unfolding of the New Covenant. Without, of course, making any claim for inspiration of the order of the books in the English Bible, there is surely to be acknowledged a divine overruling of the remarkable correspondence of pattern of Old and New Testaments. In the writings of the beginnings each opens with the appearance of "Adam" - the first Adam and the last Adam; each closes with an act of divine deliverance, with resurrection seen in shadow and in substance. Then a redeemed people, old and new, receive a constitution based on covenant relationship, the spiritual experience of the New Covenant people involving the mystery "hid from all ages", the Church, His Body. Then follows a history, which is brief and introductory in the New Testament (the Acts); then "prophetic" writings in both cases, including in the Old Testament, the wisdom and poetic literature. Finally we have the apocalyptic writings, mainly Daniel in the Old, and Revelation in the New Testament. We are considering a living organism (Hebrews 4.12) and we wonder at the consummate wisdom and skill with which the Divine Builder has constructed for us such a marvellous written record of revelation, a record comprehensive, complete, and in itself, creative. And yet, as we consider the vastness of infinite space and of eternity, we realize how limited is the compass of events from Creation to the end-time which Scripture records. They stretch forward, however, to the end of time and flow on into the sea of eternity out of which this life-giving stream of God's revelation first came. It has also pleased God to limit the detailed knowledge He imparts to us, for example, in the creation narrative, in revealing man's relationships and responsibilities to Himself. All of this but sharpens the focus of revelation on the Person of Christ and His redemptive work.

The Progress of revelation

The biblical history of God's creative and redemptive purposes can be viewed as developing in progressive stages. One such view is now suggested:

(1)A golden era of INNOCENCE and COMMUNION from

the creation to the fall of man. Its exact duration is not revealed. Its blessedness we long to recapture, as we surely shall through Him who restored that which He took not away.

(2) The day of CONSCIENCE and SELF-DETERMINATION in which the Adversary perverted conscience and cultivated sin. The resultant degeneration in human hearts culminated in the judgement of the flood.

(3) A period of CONTROLLED GOVERNMENT emerges from Noah onwards involving such principles as we have in Genesis 9. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed". Sin again produced failure and God acted judicially at Babel in separation by language.

(4) The COVENANT with Abraham comes next as God turns towards a man, a people, and a Seed. We now see clearly that golden thread of FMTH which runs right through God's dealings with man.

(5) The period of LAW - "given by Moses". Sin is now exposed starkly as rebellion against God and His inflexible standard of righteousness. But the law, being "weak through the flesh", the divine purpose must progress to "God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin" (Romans 8.3).

(6) The day of GRACE. Now divine revelation finds its perfect focus in God manifest in the flesh. Faith comes into its glorious own, and from Calvary the stream of New Covenant blessings flows forth in its full tide. "The power of God unto salvation" surges forward towards a brilliant climax of revelation in the presence (parousia), the glorious appearing (epiphany), and splendid unveiling (apocalypse) of the Man of Calvary.

(7) The MILLENIUM, a thousand years of the Messiah's glorious kingdom when the lion and the lamb shall dwell together, when swords shall be beaten into plough-shares and nations shall learn war no more. The Prince of Peace will triumphantly lead God's universal and cosmic purposes into the time of the end-the final suppression of the Adversary-the abolition of the "last enemy"-the Day of God (1 Corinthians 15.24-28). "And His servants shall do Him service; and they shall see His face" (Revelation 22.3,4).

Finally, let us share Paul's meditation of the "mystery" made known unto him by revelation (Ephesians 3.3); the preciousness and glories of the grace of God and the unsearchable riches of Christ (7,8); and strive by the Spirit, to fulfil Paul's aspiration for the saints, "that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith... that ye... may be strong to apprehend ... and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God" (17-19). With the apostle, we bow our knees unto the Father, and ascribe "unto Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever, Amen" (21).

J.D. Terrell, Carlisle | Apr 1966
The Holy Scriptures