Theology Introduced: Revelation and Inspiration
How God Reveals Himself
Scriptures For Your Reading:
Scriptures supporting General Revelation:
(Grab Your Bible)
1. Psalm 19:1-4 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
2. Romans 1:20 - "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
3. Acts 14:17 - "Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
4. Job 12:7-10 - "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
Scriptures supporting Special Revelation:
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2. Hebrews 1:1-2 - "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe."
3. John 16:13 - "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
4. 2 Peter 1:20-21 - "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
These scriptures affirm both general and special revelation. I encourage you to highlight these in your Bible for future use.
Introduction
We as the creation, differ dramatically from our creator. We serve a God who is All-knowing. Another way of saying this, that you may hear is, Omniscient. He has perfect knowledge and we are not capable of knowing him by creation alone.
Revelation is God showing us truth about who he is and what he’s like to us, humans.
So, let’s look at two ways God does this. We will look at two scriptures. Psalms 19:1-6 and Psalms 19:7-14. I have also listed a variety above for a more in-depth look.
Psalms 19:1-6 and General Revelation:
“1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
As we look at these verses what do you see?
It says:
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
We can see that as you and I wake up in the mornings, and as we look out our windows, we are witnessing revelation. We may not cognitively admit it, but the world around is yelling that there is a creator. From the trees to the flowers, from the ants to the elephants, from the solar system to the eco system, we can see “handiwork.”
God is so obvious that to not see him is from willful neglect rather than not enough evidence.
It says in a way that the thing we see everyday is a proclamation with a voice that isn’t heard but felt.
We read:
“Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.”
It’s a voice that can’t be heard, but can be seen. It’s the feeling we get at a beautiful sunrise or standing at the peak of a mountain. It is everywhere we look!
So what more is revealed in this General Revelation?
1. Gods Wisdom and Power.
We have science, now that is revealing more and more of the order and the complexity of things. We see the planets revolving around the sun. We see the human cell and the complexity of that. We see the wonder of the human eyes. The whole cosmos yells, “Genius!”
It’s as though we are witnessing God in his workshop everyday, making new scenarios and new diversities, in things seen but even more in things not seen. It should provoke Awe and Wonder in our hearts.
We see the impact of the storms and the power behind them. We look at volcanoes and the roaring power we feel under the earths surface. We look at the Oceans and the wonder of what lives in them. We travel and dive and climb the world around us. This is Gods wisdom and power.
2. Gods goodness
When we look at the animals gathering the food before the snow, or when we look at the lion roaring for its prey. We are witnessing the goodness of God. When we see rain continually water the earth and the growth and the consistency in the cycles of seasons. This is the goodness of God. These things are revealing something. They are constant care from our creator.
The error is to find these things as “natural” or as a way things are “suppose to be” by themselves. But let us not rob ourselves of the wonder and revelation before us.
It’s like having a pet hamster. He gets food and water from you everyday, and it reveals your good will towards him. He can’t connect your goodness to the food in his bowl every morning, but this doesn’t mean you, yourself, don’t exist. It may seem “natural” for him, but he’s unaware that at any moment he could never have food again.
Now, we are not hamsters. And we can connect Gods goodness to the constant provision we see everyday. The rain. The sun. The energy to wake up. The energy to work. The relationships provided. All from the goodness of God. All revelation.
3. Man, himself reveals there is a God.
Man has this natural alarm system given to them by God, himself. It’s the conscience. It tells you and I what is right and what is wrong. It says “don’t do that..” and it makes us feel guilty if we go against what is right. A good place to read this is Romans 2:14-15.
We also, naturally know that there is “more” to life. We know there is “forever.”
We internally understand this. The way we are “wired” and the way we run things, speaks to Gods existence. It speaks to us being, “made in his image.”
General revelation is what we as humans can witness around us. Its universal. Everyone can see it. Daily. It’s what we see in others. It makes us without excuse before God. It only leaves us with more questions, by itself. We see that there is a God but we don’t know what he expects or his will or his plan. We see his wisdom and power but we don’t know him personally through it. So we also needed the second way God reveals himself. A more “direct” way.
Psalms 19:7-14 and Special Revelation
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, previving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Special revelation is how God revealed himself to a certain people group at a certain time and place. It’s historical, its dreams and visions given to men, it’s the audible voice being heard by some men, it’s Christ himself. It’s found in what we call “The Bible.”
As we read psalm 19:7-14 we hear a lot of the law of the Lord, rules, and precepts. This is the scripture. This is Special Revelation.
It covers things like:
1.The beginning of creation
2. The fall of man. Sin.
3. The covenants established.
4. The judgements and holiness of God.
5. Gods attributes
6. Gods will
7. Gods kingship
8. Gods redemption
9. Gods salvation/Christ
10. Conduct and how to please God
11. The Church.
It doesn’t just reveal God exists, but makes God knowable. Scripture is Gods way for us to know him deeply.
He made himself knowable by working in men and through men. He put men in a historical context and in a certain narrative that would be penned down in order to allow us to know him in a profound way. He spoke to men like Abraham, Moses, Joseph, The Prophets, and Christ. He gave some men dreams and visions and ultimately became a man. Which is Christ. He revealed his will, commands, promises. Words, works, and his very nature.
This type of revelation is specific and personal.
We have it in our grasp and we have a great privilege before us. Are we taking advantage of it?
Conclusion:
Now that we have covered briefly the concepts of general and special revelation. We can see that what we see out our windows is providing us a way to learn new things of God. And the book we have on our shelves is taking the outside and expanding it for us in a personal context. We see the vastness of God laid out before us and I encourage you to explore creation but more than that get to know the word of God!
Here are some arguments for your study:
(These questions are meant to provoke thoughts of comprehension. I encourage you to research and continue to learn of general and special revelation, but also the opposing sides)
Arguments against general revelation:
1. Limited and Incomplete Knowledge: General revelation, which refers to the knowledge of God that can be obtained through nature and human conscience, is considered by some to be limited and incomplete. It is argued that nature alone cannot provide a comprehensive understanding of God's character, will, and plan for humanity.
2. Interpretation and Subjectivity: Another argument against general revelation is the issue of interpretation and subjectivity. Different individuals and cultures may interpret natural phenomena and moral intuitions differently, leading to conflicting understandings of God and morality.
3. Insufficient for Salvation: Some argue that general revelation is insufficient for salvation. While general revelation can point to the existence of God, it may not provide the specific knowledge and understanding necessary for individuals to develop a saving relationship with God.
Arguments against special revelation:
1. Reliability and Authenticity: Skeptics may question the reliability and authenticity of special revelation, which refers to direct communication from God to individuals or communities. They may argue that claims of divine revelation can be subjective, influenced by personal biases, or prone to error. They may say that the Bible is only a “man book.”
2. Lack of Universality: Special revelation is often associated with specific religious traditions or individuals who claim to have received “divine messages.” Critics argue that the exclusivity of special revelation raises questions about its universality and the fairness of God's communication to humanity.
3. Conflicting Claims: There are numerous religious traditions that claim to have received special revelation, each with their own unique doctrines and teachings. This can lead to conflicting claims and interpretations, making it challenging to determine which, if any, of these claims are true. How can you know the Bible is true?
4. Rational and Scientific Objections: Some argue that special revelation contradicts rational and scientific understanding. They contend that claims of miracles, supernatural events, and divine interventions are inconsistent with the laws of nature and scientific explanations.
Personal Questions For Your Study:
(Grab your Journal)
1. How does general revelation manifest in the natural world?
2. How does general revelation differ from special revelation?
3. What role does general revelation play in shaping our worldview and ethics?
4. What guidance does special revelation provide for making important life decisions?
5. How has special revelation impacted your faith journey?
6. What lessons or insights have you gained from studying special revelation?
(Here is an ebook for your future studies. Click the link below)