The Revelation Of Scripture Series

BIBLIOLOGY

The Doctrine of Scripture #1

[ The Revelation of Scripture ]

Dr. Russell K. Tardo

I. THE REVELATION OF SCRIPTURE

A. Revelation:

Revelation is the first of three important parts to the Doctrine of the Scriptures. It is the unveiling of the truth; the giving of spiritual truth to the Christian. Both Christianity and Judaism are religions of revelation; religions in which God has revealed Himself. All other religions are religions of discovery (human attempts to discover God).

Thou has heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shown thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. [Isa. 48:6]

God revealed Himself to Israel. Man usually acquires knowledge by searching for it. The Word had to be revealed to Samuel.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

[1 Sam. 3:7]

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? [Job 11:7]

God revealed His plan and purpose to Abraham:

1Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. [Gen. 12:1-3]

God revealed Himself to Moses:

And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said Here am I. [Ex. 3:4]

God will reveal Himself to the heart that searches, that longs for Him. Of himself, no man can find God. God must reveal Himself.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. [Eccl. 3:11]

Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it. [Eccl. 8:17]

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

[Matt. 11:27]

Only Israel had the revelation of God in ancient times.

He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. [Ps. 147:19]

Only Christians have the full revelation of God today.

For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. [Col. 2:9]

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? [Acts 2:12]

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [John 1:1]

B. Transmission and Interpretation:

Revelation itself would be meaningless without an anointed messenger, prophet, to receive (transmit) and interpret the revelation. Otherwise, no one would understand its meaning. For example, when the children of Israel left Egypt with all of the gold and riches of their taskmasters with them. Had there not been a prophet to interpret and record the incident, the world would have thought of it as just a mass migration of people from one country to another. The revelation of God was entrusted to the Jews, and that’s why God has dealt so severely with Israel. For to he whom much is given, much will be required.

1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. [Rom. 3:1-2]

C. Recorded Revelation:

When revelation is recorded, it is called inspiration. God inspires the writer to record what has been revealed. The result is the Bible. The revelation had to be preserved. Had it not, only the one generation alive while the incidents actually occurred would have benefitted by it.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. [Isa. 40:7]

The word of the Lord abideth forever. The Jews had the privilege of recording and preserving the revelation.

9When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tales of the covenant which the Lord made with you, .... 17And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes. [Deut. 9:9, 17]