Chapter I - A Brief History of Divine Revelation Has God spoken? How did he speak? What did he say? Has he said all he intends to say? Where may we find an accurate record of his revelation to man? Those who seek to know, worship and serve God cannot avoid these questions.
Christian's affirm that God has spoken in a variety of ways. As music and art are acts of self expression, so God's creation is an act of self revelation.
"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."Were men's hearts not darkened by sin every glimpse of forest, sky and sea would be a sermon.
Psalm 19:1"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 God-head; so that they are without excuse."
Romans 1:19-20Even in the human heart, God has not left himself without witness. The conscience in limited measure speaks of God's law and the coming judgment. Even the thief who justifies his greed sees clearly the evil of theft when he becomes the victim. At judgment, God will have no trouble unmasking the hypocrisy of those who disclaim knowledge of right and wrong.
Theologians refer to such forms of divine self- disclosure as "natural revelation." While natural revelation is in every way worthy of the Almighty, yet it fails to meet the need of man in his fallen state. Creation shouts of a creator but cannot bring men to worship him or even acknowledge his existence. Conscience speaks of God's law but cannot produce obedience. Neither can it find a way of forgiveness for the law breaker. One can study the volume of nature for a lifetime and never read:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."God in his grace has supplied our need. In revelation he moved beyond the natural to the supernatural. To the ordinary, he has added the
Romans 5:8
special. In special revelation, God has revealed himself, his will and his gracious plan of redemption through Christ Jesus. This gift of revelation is sufficient for salvation and as a guide in worship and service.The Bible claims to be an inspired and inerrant record of special revelation. Christians accept this claim. They believe the Bible to be "God's Word."
That God should produce a book is really no surprise. Men must be addressed using the vehicle of human language. Our memory being limited and fallible, this record needed to be written down. We needed an accurate, complete and permanent record. We needed a book! Notice the words that prophecy places in the mouth of Christ:
"Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me."The history of revelation recorded in the Bible shows that revelation was progressive in nature. The journey from Eden to Calvary was a long and eventful one. As the centuries rolled by, God revealed more and more of himself and his plan. The progress was sporadic, but not random. Each step led toward the goal. Every word was in preparation for his final word. Some two thousand years ago, God spoke his final word. The sun of revelation reached its zenith.
Psalms 40:7The Epistle to the Hebrews gives us a thumbnail sketch of these matters. We might call these verses a "brief history of special revelation."
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets,John Calvin gets to the heart of this in his brief tabulation of Hebrews 1:1-2.
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."
Hebrews 1:1-2.
"God spake Of old by the prophets: - now by the Son _______________
Then to the fathers: - but now to us
Then at many times: - now at the end of the times."1
1 John Calvin, New Testament Commentaries; A New Translation (volume on Hebrews and I and II Peter) trans. W.B. Johnson (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., reprint 1974) p. 5.
Looking at Hebrews 1:1-2, we understand why the Bible has two major divisions: the Old and the New Testaments. These divisions of scripture are referred to as "testaments" because each centers on a divine covenant. The Old Testament records the history and details of the covenant God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai. The New Testament concerns the history and exposition of the New Covenant brought into force by the death of Jesus the Christ.The Old Testament then records the history and content of special revelation before the coming of Christ. This came in a variety of ways and through many individuals. Prophets, priests, kings, soldiers, women and even little children heard God speak. He spoke to Adam in the Garden and to Moses at the burning bush. He spoke to Micah of Bethlehem, to Isaiah of Calvary and to Joel of Pentecost. God talked of his creation, his holy law, his chosen nation and the details of his covenant with Israel. Repeatedly, he spoke of a coming Savior whose advent would introduce the last days and a new covenant.
This initial period of special revelation reached from the time of Adam forward to the close of the prophet Malachi's ministry. The record of this revelatory activity is inscripturated in the first 39 books of the Bible. These books are what we call the "Old Testament."
In these preliminary revelations, God was preparing the way for his final word. In giving his holy law, God exposed men's sin and their need of a Savior. Messianic prophecies assured that when Jesus arrived, he would have their witness to his claims. The types, offices, ceremonies and even the people of the Old Testament, illustrated concepts and produced a language that made it possible for us to understand the person and work of Christ.2 Having at the time of Malachi said everything short of his final word, God said no more for four hundred years.3
Moving on to the second period of special revelation we shall again notice the "thumbnail sketch" given in Hebrews 1:1-2.
"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."
2 Consider this the next time you think of Christ as the Lamb of God, a sacrifice for sins, or our great high priest.
3 The period of time between the closing of the Old Testament Canon and the coming of Christ is often referred to as "the four hundred silent years."
God's final word came to us through Jesus Christ. So significant was his coming that it divided both the historical calendar and our Bible. Christ Jesus is the anti-type of all old covenant types, the subject of the prophets and the object of Israel's forward-looking faith.So great was the revelation made through the Son, that he is called "the Word."
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.Who can fully ponder the glory of one who could truly say "I am the light of the world"?4 What truth can be added to the revelation of him who is "the truth"?5 Does the theology of "God manifest in the flesh"6 need augmentation?
The same was In the beginning with God.
John 1:1-2And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
John 1:14The life of Christ on earth is our only perfect example. Others are to be followed only as they follow Christ. His teachings are the essence of all New Testament truth; the bud from which the flower of apostolic exposition opened up. His saving work is the "good news" to be proclaimed to all. He is the completion of God's revelation in this age; He is God's final word.
How beautifully this was expressed by the late F.F. Bruce in his exposition of Hebrews 1:1-2:
"The earlier stage of the revelation was given in a variety of ways: God spoke in His mighty works of mercy and judgment and made known through His servants the prophets the meaning and purpose of these works; they were admitted into His secret council and learned His plans in advance. He spoke in storm and thunder to Moses, in a still small voice to Elijah. To those who would not heed the gentle flowing stream of Shiloh, He spoke by means of the Euphratean flood. Priest and prophet, sage and singer were in their several ways His spokesmen; yet all the successive acts and varying_______________
4 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12
5 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
6 "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." I Timothy 3:16
modes of revelation in the ages before Christ came did not add up to the fullness of what God had to say. His word was not completely uttered until Christ came; but when Christ came, the word spoken in Him was indeed God's final word. In Him all the promises of God meet with the answering "yes!" which seals their fulfillment to His people and evokes from them an answering "amen!" The story of divine revelation is a story of progression up to Christ, but there is no progression beyond Him. It is "at the end of these days" that God has spoken in Him, and by this phrase our author means more than "recently;" it is a literal rendering of the Hebrew phrase which is used in the Old Testament to denote the epoch when the word of the prophets will be fulfilled, and its use here means that the appearance of Christ "once for all at the end of the age" (Hebrews 9:26, RSV) has inaugurated that time of fulfillment. God's previous spokesmen were His servants, but for the proclamation of His last word to man, He has chosen His son.7_____________________________________
7 F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1973) p. 2-3._______________
Chapter 2
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