GOD's REVELATION

SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD'S REVELATION

Believers believe the Creator, Redeemer God, the only God (see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM), has spoken to us. This belief is based on three related truths.

God has revealed Himself in His acts (i.e. Revelation).
He has chosen certain humans to record and explain these acts (i.e. Inspiration; see SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION).
His Spirit helps believers understand and apply these truths (i.e. Illumination; see SPECIAL TOPIC: ILLUMINATION).

Ways of Revelation
1. These truths have been communicated in the Old Testament in several ways. The following are quoted from NIDOTTE.
  1. The NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 354, has an interesting summary of the ways YHWH reveals Himself in Genesis.
    1. by words (BDB 55) ‒ Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 21:12-13; 22:1-2
    2. by visions ‒ Gen. 15:1-6 (BDB 303); 46:2-4 (BDB 909 I)
    3. by dreams ‒ Gen. 20:3-7 (BDB 538); 28:12-15 (BDB 321); 31:10-13 (BDB 321), 24 (BDB 538)
    4. by theophanies (lit. "appeared," BDB 906) ‒ Gen. 12:7; 17:1; 18:1; 26:2,24; 35:1,9; 48:3
    5. by the angel of YHWH ‒ Gen. 16:7-13; 21:17-19; 22:11-12,15-18; 31:11 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: The Angel of the Lord)
  2. There is extensive literature, both in Egypt and Mesopotamia, concerning dreams and their interpretation. It is interesting that the two Hebrew persons involved in interpreting dreams each worked for pagan kings.
    1. Daniel in Mesopotamia
    2. Joseph in Egypt
      
      The NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 154, makes an interesting comment about three kinds of dreams.
      1. natural sleep, Ps. 126:1; Isa. 29:7-8; Eccl. 5:7
      2. false revelation, Jer. 23:25,27,32; 27:9-10; 29:8; Zech. 10:2
      3. true revelation, Gen. 20:3; 28:12; Num. 12:6; 1 Kgs. 3:5; Dan. 2:28; Matt. 1:20
        
        Visions can often occur at night, but seem to be different from dreams. The exact nature of the difference is not stated. YHWH communicates to a person's subconscious using symbols and images with which they are familiar (i.e. Gen. 15:12-21).
2. In the New Testament these same methods continue (selected examples).
  1. by words
    1. directly from the Father and Son (i.e. Matt. 2:12,22; Luke 3:2; Acts 9:4-5,10; 2 Cor. 12:9)
    2. a direct word from the Father to the Son (Luke 9:35; 2 Pet. 1:17)
    3. by inspired Apostolic writers/speakers (i.e. the New Testament, cf. 2 Pet. 3:2)
  2. by visions/dreams
    1. the magi (i.e. Matt. 2:12)
    2. Joseph (i.e. Mat. 2:1,19)
    3. Peter (i.e. Acts 10:3,17,19)
    4. Paul in several ways
      
      (1) bright light and Jesus' voice, Acts 9:3-4
      
      (2) a vision, Acts 9:10
      
      (3) a vision, Acts 16:9,10
      
      (4) a vision, Acts 18:9
      
      (5) a trance, Acts 22:17
      
      (6) an angel of God, Acts 27:23
    5. Ananias (i.e, Acts 9:10)
  3. by angels (see SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS IN THE BIBLE)
    1. Mary (i.e. Luke 1:26-38)
    2. Joseph (i.e. Matt. 1:20)
    3. Zacharias (i.e. Luke 1:11-23)
    4. all Apostles (i.e. Acts 5:19-20)
    5. Peter (i.e. Acts 10:3; 11:13; 12:7-10)
    6. Paul (i.e. Acts 27:23)
  4. by the Spirit (see SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE)
    1. Elizabeth (i.e. Luke 1:39-55)
    2. Zacharias (i.e. Luke 1:67-80)
    3. shepherds (i.e,. Luke 2:8-20)
    4. Peter (i.e. Acts 10:19-20; 11:0-12)
    The Bible is not the words of men (cf. 2 Pet. 1:16) but the words of God (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20-21)! He has chosen to reveal Himself to us (2 Pet. 1:19; 2:21; 1 John 1:1-4)!
Terms for God's Revelation (Using Deuteronomy and Psalms)
1. "Statutes," BDB 349, "an enactment, decree, or ordinance"
  1. MASCULINE, חק (KB, 346) ‒ Deut. 4:1, 5, 6, 8, 14, 40, 45; 5:1; 6:1,24; 7:11; 11:32; 16:12; 17:19; 26:17; 27:10; Psalm 2:7; 50:16; 81:4; 99:7; 105:10,45; 148:6
  2. FEMININE, חקה (KB, 347) ‒ Deut. 6:2; 8:11; 10:13; 11:1; 28:15,45; 30:10,16; Ps. 89:31; 119:5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 26, 33, 48, 54, 64, 68, 71, 80, 83, 112, 124, ,145, 155, 171
2. "Law," BDB 435, KB 1710, "instruction" ‒ Deut. 1:5; 4:44; 17:11,18,19; 27:3,8,26; 28:58,61; 29:21,29; 30:10; 31:9; Psalm 1:2; 19:7; 78:10; 94:12; 105:45; 119:1, 18, 29, 34, 44, 51, 53, 55, 61, 70, 72, 77, 85, 92, 97, 109, 113, 126,136,142,150,153,163,165,174
3. "Testimonies," BDB 730, KB 790, "divine laws"
  1. PLURAL, ע דה ‒ Deut. 4:45; 6:17,20; Psalm 25:10; 78:56; 93:5; 99:7; 119:22,24,46,59,79,95,119,125,138,146,152,167,168
  2. עדות or עדת ‒ Psalm 19:7; 78:5; 81:5; 119:2,14,31,36,88,99,111,129,144,157
4. "Precepts," BDB 824, KB 959, "a charge" ‒ Psalm 19:8; 103:18; 111:7; 119:4, 15, 27, 40, 45, 56, 63, 69, 78, 87, 93, 94, 100, 104, 110, 128, 134, 141, 159, 168, 173
5. "Commandments," BDB 846, KB 622 ‒ Deut. 4:2,40; 5:29; 6:1,2,17,25; 8:1,2,11; 10:13; 11:13; 15:5; 26:13,17; 30:11,16; Psalm 19:8; 119:6, 10, 19, 21, 32, 35, 47, 48, 60, 66, 73, 86, 96, 98, 115, 127, 131, 143, 151, 166, 176 (see. SPECIAL TOPIC: "COMMANDMENT" IN JOHN'S WRITINGS)
6. "Judgments/ordinances," BDB 1048, KB 651, "rulings" or "justice" ‒ Deut. 1:17; 4:1,5,8,14,45; 7:12; 16:18; 30:16; 33:10,21; Psalm 10:5; 18:22; 19:9; 48:11; 89:30; 97:8; 105:5,7; 119:7, 13, 20, 30, 39, 43, 52, 62, 75, 84, 102, 106, 120, 137, 149, 156, 160, 164; 147:19; 149:9
7. "His ways," BDB 202, KB 231, YHWH's guidelines for His people's lifestyle
  
  ‒ Deut. 8:6; 10:12; 11:22,28; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16; 32:4; Psalm 119:3, 5,37,59 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PATH, THE WAY)
8. "His words"
  1. BDB 182, KB 211 ‒ Deut. 4:10,12,36; 9:10; 10:4; 17:19; 18:19; Psalm 119:9,16,17,25,28, 42,43,49,57,65,74, 81,89,101,105,107,114,130,139,147, 160,161,169
  2. BDB 57, KB 67
    1. "word" ‒ Deut. 33:9; Psalm 119:11,67,103,162,170,172
    2. promise" ‒ Psalm 119:38,41,50,58,76,82,116,133,140,148,154
    3. command" ‒ Psalm 119:158
There are basically two categories of Divine revelation.
1. Natural revelation is YHWH's speaking by means of His creation ‒ Ps. 19:1-6
  1. His invisible attributes, His eternal power, His divine nature ‒ Rom. 1:20-22
  2. inner moral voice ‒ Rom. 2:14-15
  3. natural revelation is the mechanism whereby all humans are responsible for their actions and motives (cf. Galatians 3)
    1. natural revelation makes humans aware there is a God
    2. it does not provide enough information about Him for them to be saved
2. Special Revelation is God choosing to disclose Himself to His human creatures, made in in His image. It explains the "who" and "why" of this current physical reality.
  Ultimate revelation is revealed by the Spirit in the life of Jesus (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE GOSPEL)

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BIBLE (its uniqueness and inspiration)