GOD's REVELATION

SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD'S REVELATION

Believers believe the Creator Redeemer God, the only God, 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).
His Spirit helps believers understand and apply these truths (i.e., 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
  2. There is extensive literature, both in Egypt and Mesopotamia, concerning dreams and their interpretation. It is interesting that the two Hebrew persons involved 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 the 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.
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 3:22; Acts 9:4-5,10; 2 Cor. 12:9)
    2. by inspired apostolic writers/speakers (i.e., the New Testament)
  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
    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
    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 but the words of God! He has chosen to reveal Himself to us!
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, 83,112,124,135,145,155,171
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
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
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
All of these refer to God's special revelation of Himself to Israel. They are basically synonymous.

SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION

SPECIAL TOPIC: ILLUMINATION

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BIBLE (its uniqueness and inspiration)

SPECIAL TOPIC: The Angel of the Lord