-- A. Means of special revelation.
2. SPECIAL REVELATION.
A. Means of special revelation.
1. History teaches, that no religion has enough of general revelation.
The Christian religion, too, appeals to special revelation. Scripture is the book of revelatio specialis. The words by which it expresses the concept of revelation are mainly these: גלה discover, ni. be discovered, show up, appear, be revealed, Gen. 35:7; 1 Sam. 2:27,
3:21; Isa. 53:1, 56 : 1; Hos 7 : 1, etc. ראה seeing, ni. being seen, appearing, shining, Gen. 12:7, 17:1, 18:1, etc.; ?יד knowing, ni. pi. hi. hithp. making known, teaching, Num. 12:6; έπιφαινειν appearing Lu.
1:79; Tit. 1:11; subst. επιφάνεια, appearance, especially of Christ in His Second Coming 2 Thess. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1; Tit. 2:13; 2
Tim. 1:10 of Christ's first coming; εμφανιζειν public, make visible, pass, show up, appear Mt. 27:53; Jn. 14:21, 22; γνωριζειν make known Luk. 2:15; Bom. 9:22; Eph. 3:3, 5, 10; όηλονν make known 1
Pet. 1:11; 2 Pet. 1:14; όεικνναι show John 5:20; λαλειν speak Heb. 1:1, 2:2, 5:5; especially also άποκαλπτειν and φανερονν. Both words are not to be distinguished as subjective, internal illumination and objective, external display or disclosure, as Scholten, L. Η. K. 4th ed.
I 165 v. 299. Dogm. Christ. Initia I 26 sq. thought; for άποκαλνπτειν is several times used of objective revelation Luke 17:30; Rom. 1:17,
18, 8:18; Eph. 3:5; 2 Thess. 2:3, 6, 8; 1 Pet. 1:5, 5:1. Nor does the distinction lie in that φανερονν denotes the general revelation of God in nature, and άποκαλνπτειν the special revelation of grace, Neander,
Gesch. der Pflanzung und Leitung der christl. Kirche durch die Apostel, 5te Aufl. Gotha, Perthes 1862 S. 131 f. because φατερονν is many times used of the special revelation Joh. 17:6; Kom. 16:26; Col.
1:26; 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1 : 10, etc.; and άττοχαλνπτειν comes Rom. 1
18 also occurs of the general revelation. A constant difference in the use of both words is difficult to point out in the N. T. But
etymologically άποχαλνπτειν indicates the removal of the cover by which an object was hidden, and φανεροννν the making public of a thing that was hidden or unknown. The former therefore emphasizes the removal of the obstacle which prevented the knowledge of the hidden; the mysterious character of that which was hitherto unknown; and the divine act which removed that veil and made the mystery understood. The second word indicates in general that something, which was hidden and unknown, has now become public and has entered into the light. Αποχαλυψις removes the cause by which something was hidden; φανερωσις discloses the thing itself.
Hence it is that φανερωσις is always used of objective revelation, άποχαλυψις of both objective and subjective revelation; that φανερωσις more often than not denotes both general and particular revelation, but άποχαλνψις most always the particular and only once or twice the general. And both words are again so different from γνωριζειν and όηλουτ, that the first two bring things into the light, bring them under observation, and the last two as a result of that now also make them the contents of our thinking consciousness. Cf.
Dr. F. G. B. van Bell, Disput, theol. de patefactionis christianae indole ex vocabulis φαν. et άποχ. in libris N. T. efficienda 1849.
Niermeyer, Guide 1850 I 109-149. Rauwenhoff, The independence of the Christian 1857. Cramer, Jaarb. v. law. Theol. 1870 bl. 1-70.
Cremer, Wörterbuch s. v.
Herzog2 12, 654.
Voigt, Fundamentaldogm. 201 f. Van Leeuwen, Prol, of Bijb. Godg. 41 v.
The Christian religion thus corresponds to all historical religions in that it relies on revelation. But the similarity extends even further, to the forms and ways in which revelation takes place. All means of revelation can be reduced to three. First, religious faith desires a God who is near and not far (John 17:27); it was therefore convinced at all times of the appearance of the gods in one form or another, under one sign or another, in one place or another. Holy places, holy times, holy images exist in almost every religion. The gods are not equal to men and do not live on equal terms with them; the profane domain is separated from the sacred; but the gods nevertheless live with and among men in certain places, in special objects, and communicate
their blessing at certain times. Idolatry, understood in the broadest sense, is born of the need for a God close at hand, Ch. de la Saussaye,
Lehrb. der Rel. gesch. I 54 f. 114 f. In the second place, all religions have the belief that the gods in one way or another reveal their thoughts and their will, either through human beings as their organs, such as soothsayers, oracles, dreamers, death seekers, spiritists, etc., or artificially and externally through the stars, the flight of birds, the entrails of sacrificial animals, the play of the flame, the lines of the hand, the accidental opening and folding of a book, etc, μαντική, divinatio. Nemo vir magnus sine afflatu divino unquam fuit, Cic. de nat. deor. 2, 66, cf. Cicero de divinatione, Plutarchus, de defectu oraculorum, A. Bouché - Le clercq, Histoire de la divination dans l'antiquité, 4 vols. 1879-82. Saussaye t. a. p. 93 f. And finally, in all religions there is the belief in special intervention and help from the gods in times of need; magic is widespread, i. e. the art by which people with mysterious means, holy words, formulas, amulets, potions, etc. make the divine power available to them and produce miraculous effects, Ennemoser, Gesch. der Magie, 2nd Aufl. Leipzig
1844. Alfr. Maury, La magie et l'astrologie dans l'antiquité et au moyenage 1860. Lenormant, Les sciences occultes en Asie, 2 vols.
1874-'75. Saussaye ib. Theophany, manticism and magic are the ways through which all revelation comes to mankind. This general religious belief in appearance, prophecy and miracles is certainly not, at any rate not exclusively, explained by deceit or demonstration, nor by ignorance of the natural order, but is a necessary element in all religion. The religious need seeks satisfaction; and where it does not find it in a real revelation of God encountered, it seeks it in the way of έs.
It seeks it in the way of έ&ΐλο&ρηΰκεια. It employs those mysterious forces in man himself or outside him in nature, which can bring him into contact with a supernatural world. Superstition is the bastard form of true religion. Superstition is the caricature of the πιστις. The present-day phenomena of spiritism, theosophy, telepathy, magnetism, hypnotism, etc., are proof of this, and perhaps also demonstrate that in the so-called night side of human nature lie
forces which can work out a more direct rapport with a supernatural world and in any case sufficiently explain the belief in such a rapport, without the hypothesis of deliberate deception, etc. There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy
(Shakespeare). Cf. article Modern Superstition in Tijdspiegel Jan.
1895. Scripture does not seem to deny all reality to such phenomena, Gen. 41:8; Ex. 7:8; Deut. 13:1, 2; Mt. 7:22, 24:24;
2 Thess. 2:9; 2 Tim. 3:8; Apoc. 13:13-15. But the religion in O. and N.
T. definitely wants to have nothing in common with all these religious phenomena. It is opposed to them in principle. It neither recognizes nor tolerates them, it firmly forbids them Lev. 19:26, 31,
20:27; Num. 23:23; Deut. 18:10, 11; Acts 8:9,13:6, 16:16, 19:13 f.; Gal.
5:20; Apoc. 21:8, 22:15. Prophets and apostles strongly object to being placed on a par with the heathen soothsayers and magicians.
There may sometimes, e.g. in the appearances to the patriarchs, be agreement in form, but there is a difference in essence. Theophany, mantis, magic, as well as sacrifice, temple, priesthood, cult, etc., are essential elements in religion. They are therefore found in all religions, including that of Israel, and in Christianity. The Christian religion also has its sacrifice, Ephesians 5:2, its priest, Hebrews 7, its temple, 1 Cor.
3:16, etc. The difference between Christianity and other religions does not lie in the absence of all these necessary elements of religion, but in the fact that everything that occurs in paganism in caricature has become a shadow and image in Israel, and a true, spiritual reality here. This explains why Israel's religion, on the one hand, has so much in common with pagan religions in its form, circumcision, sacrifice, tabernacle, priesthood, etc., and, on the other, is fundamentally different from them, so that the Messiah arose only from Israel. This difference in principle lies in the fact that in the Holy Scriptures the initiative in religion is not taken by man, but by God. In the heathen religions it is man who seeks God, Dd. 17:27; he tries in every way to make God come down to him, and draws him down to the dust, Bom. 1:23; he tries to obtain power over God by all
kinds of means. But in Scripture it is always God who seeks man. He creates him in His own image. He calls him after the fall. He saves
Noah. He elects Abraham. He gives Israel His laws. He calls and empowers the prophets. He sends his Son. He sets apart the apostles.
He judges the living and the dead. Ethnicism teaches us to know man in his restlessness, in his misery, in his discontent, and also in his noble aspirations, in his eternal needs; man both in his poverty and his wealth, in his weakness and in his strength; Ethnicism bears its noblest fruit in humanism. But the Scriptures teach us to know God in His coming to and seeking of man, in His mercy and grace, in His right and love. But theophany, prophecy and miracle are also here the means by which God reveals himself and gives himself to mankind, Oehler, üeber das Verhaltniss der altt. Prophetie zur heidn.
Mantik 1861. ld. Altt. Theologie 1882 S. 29 f. 753 f. Tholuck, Die Propheten u. ihre Weissagungen 1860 § 1. Staudenmaier, Encycl. §
231 f. § 271 f. Schultz, Altt. Theologie, 4th Aufl. Gottingen 1889 S.
226 f.
2. Theophany (Angelophanie, Christophanie). More than once in Scripture there is mention of an appearance of God; sometimes without any further description, Gen. 12:7, 17:1, 22, 26: 2, 24, 35:9;
Ex. 6:2. cf. also Gen. 11:5; Ex. 4:24, 12: 12, 23, 17:6; Num. 23: 4, 16; 1 Sam. 3:21; 2 Sam. 5:24; but elsewhere in the dream, Gen. 20:3, 28:12 v. 31 vs. 24 ; 1 Kings 3:5, 9:2 ; or also in the prophetic vision , 1 Kings
22:19 v. Isa 6. Ezek. 1:4 v., 3:12 v., 8:4 v., 10 :1 v., 43 : 2 v., 44:4; Am.
7:7, 9:1; Dan. 7:9 v. Luk. 2:9; 2 Pet. 1:17; and more frequently still in clouds of smoke׳ and fire as signs of His presence; so to Abraham.
Gen. 15:17 v., to Moses, Ex. 3:2, 33 : 18 v., on Sinai, Ex. 19 : 9, 16 v., 24 : 16, cf. vs. 9-11, Deut. 5:23, 9 : 15 ; Heb. 12 : 28, over the people,
Ex. 13 : 21 v., 14 :19-24, 40 v. 38 ; Num. 9 : 21, 14 : 14 ; Deut. 1 : 33; Neh. 9 : 12, 19 ; Ps. 78:14, over the tabernacle, Ex. 33:9, 40:34 v. Lev.
9:23; Num. 9:15-23, 11:17, 25, 12:5, 17:7, 20:6; Deut. 31:15; Ps. 99:7; Isa. 4:5, and in the holy of holies Ex. 25:8, 22, 29:45, 46; Lev. 16:2,
26:11, 12; Num. These appearances do not imply the physicality of God, Ex. 20:4, 33:20; Deut. 4:12, 15, but are sensible signs by which His presence becomes known, just as the Holy Spirit on Pentecost
made Himself known through wind and fire. Nor is this an emanation of this cloud from the divine Being, but a presence of God manifested in creaturely forms. In these signs the divine glory, רד±כ, êo'Sa is manifested, Ex. 16:20, 24:17; Lev. 9:6, 23, 24; Num. 14:10,
16:19, 20:6; and therefore this glory is also described as a consuming fire Ex. 24:7; Lev. 9:23, 24 and as a cloud 1 Kings 8:10, 11; Isa. 6:4.
But God does not only appear in impersonal signs; He also visits His people in personal beings. Surrounded and served by many thousands of angels Isa. 6:2, 6, He sends them to this earth in human form, to make known His word and will. They already appear in Genesis 18, 19, 28:12, 32:1, 2; Deut. 33:2; Job 33:23; 1 Kings 13:18 and according to Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19 they also served during the legislation, but they are mediators of revelation especially after the Exile, Dan. 8:13, 9:11, 10:5; Zech. 1:7-6:5. Still more frequently they appear in the N. Test; so are present at the birth of Jesus, Mt. 1 : 20,
2 :13, 19 Lu. 1:11, 2:9, each time in His life. John 1:52 ; Mt. 4:6, at his sufferings, Mt. 26:53; Luke 22:43, at his resurrection and ascension,
Mt. 28:2, 5; Luke 24:23; John 20:12; Acts 1:10. In the history of the apostles they occur several times, Acts 5:19, 8:26, 10:3, 11:13, 12:7,
23:9, 27:23; Apoc. 22 vs. 6, 16. And at his return Christ is accompanied by the angels Mt. 16:27, 25:31; Mk. 8:38; Luke 9:26; 1
Thess.3 : 13 etc. Among all these emissaries of God, the יהרה אך-מ occupies a special place. He appears to Hagar, Gen. 16: 6-13, 21:1720; to Abraham, Gen. 18, 19,22, 24:7,40; to Jacob, Gen. 28:13-17,
31:11-13, 32:24-30 cf. Hos. 12 : 4; Gen. 48 : 15, 16; to and at the time of Moses, Ex. 3 : 2 v. 13 : 21, 14 : 19, 23 : 20-23, 32 : 34, 33 : 2 v. cf.
Num. 20 : 16; Isa. 63 : 8, 9, and further Jos. 5 : 13, 14; Richt. 6 : 1124, 13:2-23. This Malak Jhvh is not an inauthentic symbol, nor also a created angel, but a personal, adaequal revelation and appearance of God, distinguished from Him, Ex. 23 : 20-23, 33 : 14 v.; Isa. 63 : 8, 9, and yet not Him one in name Gen. 16 : 13, 31 : 13, 32 : 28, 30, 48 : 15,
16; Ex. 3 : 2 v., 23:21; Richt. 13:1, 2; in power Gen. 16:10, 11, 21: 18, 18:14, 18; Ex. 14:21; Richt. 6:21; in redemption and blessing, Gen.
48:16; Ex. 3:8, 23:20; Isa. 63:8, 9; in worship and honor, Gen. 18:3, 22: 12; Ex. 23: 21. After the redemption from Egypt, the Malak Jhvh steps back. God dwells among his people in the temple 1 Kings 8 : 10
v.; 2 Chron. 7 : 1 v.; Ps. 68:17, 74:2, 132:13 v., 135:21. Thence goes forth the soul's desire of Israel's pious, Ps. 27:4, 42, 43, 48, 50, 63 : 3,
65, 84, 122, 137. But this theophany is imperfect. God does not dwell in a house made with hands 1 Kings 8:27; Jer. 7:4; Mich. 3:11; Hd.
7:48, 17:24. In the holy of holies only the high priest was allowed to enter once a year. The theophany in the O. T. does not yet reach its end and purpose. Therefore another and more glorious coming of God to his people is expected, both for redemption and for judgment,
Ps. 50:3, 96:13; Isa. 2:21, 30:27, 40 v. passim. Mich. 1:3, 4:7; Zeph.
3:8; Joel 3:17; Zech. 2:10 v.; 14:9. The Angel of the covenant appears again in prophecy Zech. 1:8-12, 3; and shall come to his temple Mal.
3:1. The theophany reaches its climax in Christ, who is the a/yeJoc, Joi'a, είκων, λογος, νιος του iksov, in whom God is fully revealed and fully given, Mt. 11:27 ; John 1:14; 14:9; Col. 1:15, 2:19, etc. Through Him and the Spirit whom He sends, God's dwelling among and in His people is already now becoming a true, spiritual reality John
14:23; Rom 8:9, 11; 2 Cor 6:16. The church is the house of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit, Mt. 18:20; 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19;
Eph. 2:21. But even this indwelling of God in the church of Christ is not yet the last and highest. It will reach its full realization only in the New Jerusalem. Then the tabernacle of God will be with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and their God. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads, Mt. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:28; 1 John 3:2;
Rev. 21:3; 22 : 4. Cf. art. Theophany and Schechina in Herzog2. Art.
Wolkenu. Feuersaule in Winer, Bibl. Realwört. Trip, Die Theophanieen in den Geschichtsbüchern des A. T. Leiden 1858 and the litt. cited there. Schultz, Altt. Theol. 4th Aufi. 1889 S. 507 f.
Oehler, Altt. Theol. 2te Aufi. 1882 S. 195 f. Smend, Lehrb. der altt.
Religionsgeschichte 1893 S, 42 f. Weber, System der altsynag. palastin. Theologie, Leipzig 1880 S. 179 f. Cremer, Wörterb. s. v. δο'ξα. Delitzsch, Bibl. Psychol. 2nd Aufi. 1861 S. 49 f. Keerl, Die
Lehre des N. T. von der Herrlichkeit Gottes. Basel 1863. Van Leeuwen, Bijb. Godg. 72 v.
3. Prophecy. By prophecy we mean the communication of God's thoughts to mankind. Often the name of inspiration is used for this; and to that extent also more correct, as the concept of prophecy is broader than that of inspiration and also includes the proclamation of these thoughts to others. But inspiration, on the basis of 2 Tim. 3 :
16, is used especially of the described revelation. And the word prophecy was formerly several times used in our sense, Thomas, S.
Theol. II 2 qu. It also includes receiving the thoughts of God, because a prophet alone is one who proclaims God's word. And it expresses better than inspiration the intention of God with which He communicates His thoughts, namely, that man himself be a prophet, a proclaimer of His virtues. Now the thoughts of God which are communicated in prophecy may relate to the past, as in the historical books of Scripture, or to the present, or to the future. But always prophecy sets God's thoughts against those of men, His truth against their lies, His wisdom against their foolishness. This communication of God's thoughts to mankind can take place in various ways according to Scripture. Sometimes God himself speaks audibly, in human voice and language, Gen. 2:16, 3:8-19, 4:6-16, 6:13, 9:1, 8 v.,
32:26 v.; Ex. 19:9 v.; Num. 7:89; Deut. 5:4; 1 Sam. 3:3 v.; Mt. 3:17, 17:5; Jn. 12:28, 29. In many places God is presented as speaking, without any further description of the manner in which this speaking took place, whether external or internal, in dream or vision, etc. The confidentiality of this speaking is of the utmost importance. The confidentiality of God's speaking is bestowed on Moses, who was not frightened nor fell down when God spoke to him, but with whom
God spoke from mouth to mouth, and dealt as a friend with his friend, Num. 12:6-8; Ex. 33:11, 34:29; Deut. 5:5, 18:15, 18; 2 Cor. 3:7;
Gal. 3:19; Heb. 3:5. Cf. Thomas S. Theol. II 2 qu. 174 art. 4. Witsius, de proph. Episcopius, Instit. Theol. III 2. The Jews later spoke of a Bath-Kol, a heavenly voice, by which God revealed himself; but this stood lower than the former prophecy, and had come after the spirit of prophecy had ceased, Weber, System der altsyn. pal. Theol. 187,
Herzog2 2, 130. But God often joins these lower forms in the communication of his thoughts, under which also among the pagans the gods were thought to make their will known. There is then an
almost complete agreement in the form. These include fate, the Uriin and Thummim, the dream and the vision. Fate was used on many occasions, on the Day of Atonement Lev. 16:9, in dividing the land,
Jos. 13:6, 14:2 etc., Neh. 11:1; of the Levite cities, Jos. 21:4; of spoils Joel 3:3; Nah. 3 : 10; Ob. 11; of garments, Mt. 27 : 35; Jn. 19:23; in deciding difficult cases, Jos. 7; 1 Sam. 14:42; Spr. 16 : 33, 18 : 18; Jon.
1:7; in election to an office, 1 Sam. 10:19; Hd. 1:26; 1 Chron. 24:5; Lu.
1:9, etc.; also the judgment of God, Num. 5 : 11-31 may be counted among them, Herzog2 8 762. The Urim and Thummim, LXX όηλωαις και άλη&εια, Vuig, doctrina et veritas, light and right, occur
7 times Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33 : 8; The ü. and Th. are not identical with the 12 precious stones on the breastplate of the high priests, as Josephus Ant. III, 8, 9 and many after him think, but were according to Ex. 28:30 and Lev. 8:8. 28 :
30 and Lev. 8 : 8 objects, which were hidden in the breastplate, Philo, Vita Mosis 3. But how they made God's will known, by glittering of the stones, by a voice, by inspiration, etc., and also what they consisted of, in two stones with the tetragrammaton, or in statuettes, or in a necklace made of precious stones, or in stones to draw lots, is completely unknown. The latter opinion has received support in modern times in the text of 1 Sam. 14:41 changed by Thenius 1842 to the LXX. The ü. and Tb. would then have been lots with yes and no and are also used in Richt. 1:1, 20:18; 1 Sam. 22:10,
15, 23:6, 9-11, 30:7 v.; 2 Sam. 2:1, 5 : 19, 23. But therewith are answers, not of yes and no, but of long description and digression
Richt. 20:27; 1 Sam. 30:7 v.; 2 Sam. 5:23, 21:1; Direct. 1:1, 20:18; 2 Sam. 2:1, especially 1 Sam. 10:22b ; 2 Sam. 5:23; 1 Chron. 14:14, do not explain well. The U. and Th. behath, however, certainly belonged to the same category of revelation as destiny; they occur especially in the time of Solomon, and then seem to give way to prophecy proper. Cf. art. U. and Th. in Herzog2. Winer Realwört.
Riehm, Wörterb. Keil, Archaeol. § 35. De Wette-Rabiger, Archaeol. S.
281 f. Oehler, Altt. Th. S. 334 f. Schultz, Altt. Th. 257 f. Dosker, Presbyt. and Ref. Rev. Oct. 1892 p. 717 etc.
Next, dreams occur in the Holy Scriptures as a means of revelation.
They were held for this purpose throughout all antiquity, Homer, Od.
19: 560 v. II. 1: 63, 2 :22, 56. Aristoteles, περί της na!) ίπνον μαντικής. Cicero, de divinatione 1 : 29. Philo, de somniis, etc.
Herzog2 15 : 733. And still many attach great value to dreams, Splittgerber, Schlaf und Tod, 2nd Aufl. 1881 I 66-205. Now it was known at all times, that dreams were also very deceiving. Homer Od.
19: 560 v. Arist. t. a. p., and also the H. S. repeatedly points out the vainness of dreams Ps. 73 : 20; Job 20 : 28; Isa. 29 : 7; Eccles. 5:2, 6;
Sirach 31 : 1 v., 34: 1 v.; and attributes them often to the false prophets Jer. 23:25, 29:8; Mich. 3:6; Zech. 10: 2. Yet God constantly uses dreams to make His will known, Num. 12:6; Deut. 13:1-6; 1 Sam.
28:6, 15; Joel 2:28 f.; they occur to Israelites, but also several times to non-Israelites Gen. 20, 31, 40 41; Richt. 7 ; Dan. 2, 4 and contain either a word, an announcement of God, Gen. 20:3, 31:9, 24; Matt.
1:20, 2:12, 19, 22, 27:19; or a representation of fantasy, which then needs explanation several times Gen. 28. 37 : 5, 40 :5, 41 : 15; Richt.
7 : 13; Dan. 2, 4. Litter, by Herzog2 15 : 734. G. E. W. de Wijn, The dreams in and outside the Bible 1858. Witsius, de proph. I cap. 5.
With the dream the vision is related Gen. 15 : 1, 11; 20:7; Num. 12:6.
Already the names אה'--, חזה, הביא and perhaps also -צ by which the prophet is called, Kuenen, The Prophets 1 49, 51 v. 97. ld. Godsd. v.
Isr. I 212. Id. Hist. Cr. Ond. II2 5 v. König, Der Offenbarungsbegriff I 71 f. Delitzsch, Genesis8 634. Schultz, Altt. Th. 239. Smend, Lehrb.
79 f., and the names אזה-c and חזרfor the prophetic sight truly indicate, that vision was a not uncommon means of revelation. But these words have often lost their original meaning and are also used when there is no actual vision, 1 Sam. 3:15; Isa. 1:1; Ob. 1; Nah. 1:1, etc. Visions are repeatedly mentioned and described in Scripture, from Genesis down to the Apoc. Gen. 15 ;1, 46:2; Num. 12 : 6, 22 : 3,
24 : 3 ; 1 Kings 22: 17-23; Isa. 6, 21 :6; Jer. 1:24; Ezek. 1-3, 8-11, 40; Dan. 1:17, 2:19, 7, 8, 10; Amos 7-9; Zech. 1-6; Matt. 2:13, 19; Luk.
1:22, 24:23; Acts 7:55, 9:3, 10:3, 10, 16:9, 22:17, 26:19; 1 Cor. 12-14; 2 Cor. 12:1; Apoc. 1 : 10, etc. The vision was often accompanied by a certain spirit-exaltation. Music, dance and ecstasy go together;
prophecy and poetry are related, 1 Sam. 10:5 v., 19:20-24; 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Chr. 25:1, 25; 2 Chr. 29:30. When the hand of the Lord falls upon the prophets, Isa. 8:11; Ezek. 3 :14, 11 : 5 or the Spirit comes upon them, they many a time enter into a state of rapture Num. 24:3;
2 Kings. 9:11; Jer. 29:26; Hos. 9:5, and fall to the ground Num. 24:3, 15, 16; 1 Sam. 19:24; Ezek. 1:28, 3:23, 43:3; Dan. 10:8-10; Acts 9:4;
Apoc. 1 :17, 11:16, 22:8. In this state the thoughts of God are given to them to see or hear in symbolic form. In images and visions His counsel is revealed to them Jer. 1:13 ff, 24:1 ff; Am. 7-9; Zech. 1-6;
Apoc., etc.; especially concerning the future, Num. 23 ff; 1 Kings 22:17; 2 Kings 5:26, 8:11 ff; Jer. 4:23 ff, 14:18; Ezek. 8; Am. 7, etc.; and all kinds of other things. They also hear all kinds of voices and sounds in this state, 1 Kings 18:41; 2 Kings 6:32; Isa 6:3, 8; Jer 21:10,
49:14; Ezek 1:24, 28, 2:2, 3:12; Apoc 7:4, 9:16, 14:2, 19:1, 21 :3, 22:8, etc. Even they are taken up and moved in spirit, Ezek. 3:12 v., 8:3,
43:1; Dan. 8:2; Matt. 4:5, 8; Acts 9:10, 10. 11, 22:17, 23:11, 27:23; 2 Cor. 12:2: Apoc. 1:9, 12, 4:1, 12:18. Daniel, after receiving a vision, was insane for several days, 7:28, 8:27. Yet the ecstasy in which the recipients of revelation often found themselves was not a state in which consciousness was wholly or partially suppressed. Such was the state, in which the Greek μάντεις gave their divine pronouncements, Tholuck, Die Propheten u. s. w. 64 f. s. w. 64 f. And Philo, Quis rer. div. heres, Just. Martyr, Dial. c. Tryph, c. 135; Goh. ad Graecos c. 37. Athenagoras, Leg. pro Christ, c. 8. Tertul. adv.
Mare. 4, 22 and in newer times Hengstenberg in the first edition of his Christol. des A. T. III. 2. 158 f. have already conceived the ecstasy of the profets in this way. But these receive visions not in a sleeping but in a waking state, not only in solitude, but also in the presence of others, Ezek. 8:1. Under the vision they remain conscious of themselves, see, hear, think, speak, ask and answer Ex. 4-6, 32:7 f.;
Isa. 6; Jer. 1; Ezek. 4-6 etc. and later they remember everything and communicate it accurately, König, Der Offenbarungsbegriff, I 160 f.
II 83 f. Kuenen, De propeten I 96 f. Oehler, Altt. Theol. § 207 f. Orelli in Herzog2 16 : 724. Therefore most theologians considered the psychic condition of the prophets under vision to be a self-conscious, spiritual perception, an alienatio mentis a sensibus corporis, and not
an alienatio a mente; e.g. by Orig. de princ. III, 3, 4, August, ad Simplic. II qu. 1. Thomas, S. Theol. II 2 qu. 175. Witsius, de proph. 1 c. 4. Buddeus, Inst. theol. dogm. I, 2, 5 and in newer times by Havernick and Keil in their introduction to the O. T. Oehler, Altt.
Theol. § 210. Tholuck, Die Propheten S. 64 f. Kueper, Das Profetenthum des Alten Bundes S. 51 f. Orelli at Herzog2 16, 724.
König, Offenb. II 132 f. Only König, in order to maintain objectivity, has added the peculiar opinion that all visions were externally, physically and sensually perceptible. Indeed, many apparitions such as Genesis 18, 32, Exodus 3, 19, etc., can be considered objective according to the authors' intentions. There is a difference between theophany and vision. Yet the visions mentioned above, 1 Kings
22:17ff; Isa 6; Jer 1; Ezek 1-3; Dan; Amos 7-9; Zech 1-6, etc., are certainly internal and spiritual. Many are of such a nature that they cannot be sensually imagined and perceived. Koenig goes too far if he makes the external aspects of revelation the basis of its objectivity and truth, and cannot conceive of any influence of God's Spirit in the mind of man except through the external senses. He forgets that there are also hallucinations of sight and hearing, that the external as such does not exclude self-deception, and that therefore the certainty of revelation is not sufficiently proved by its external character alone,
Orelli at Herzog2 16: 724 f. Kuenen H. C. O. II2 13. Van Leeuwen, Bijb. Godg. 62 v. Borchert, Die Visionen der Propheten, Stud. u. Krit.
1895, 2tes Heft.
The last form of revelation is internal illumination. Hengstenberg, Christol. des A. T. III2 2 S. 158 cf. also Kueper, Das Proph. 53 f. held that ecstasy was the ordinary state in which the prophet was at the receiving of the revelation. But this opinion has been rejected by many, a.o. by Riehm, Mess. Weissagung2 S. 15 f. König, Der Off. begriff 11 48 f. 83 f. 132 f. disputed and now generally rejected.
Ecstasy is not the rule, but the exception, Kuenen, Prof. I 98. Most revelations to the prophets also in the O. T. took place without any vision, e.g., in Isaiah, Hagg., Mal., Ob., Nah., Hab., Jerem., Ezek. It is true that the word ״face‖ is often used for the speech of God, but this
occurs also where nothing is seen Isa. 1:1, 2:1; Amos 1:1; Hab. 1:1, 2:1; 1 Sam. 3:15; Ob. 1 ; Nah. 1 :1 etc. The revelation then takes place internally by the Spirit, as the Spirit of revelation. Well has König,
Der Off. I 104 f. 141 f. 155 f., has asserted that the Spirit is not the principle of revelation but only principle of illumination, i. e., that Yahveh reveals but only makes the Spirit subjectively receptive to that revelation; König came to this, because he wanted to handharbor the objectivity and externality of revelation and bind the subjective Spirit to the objective word of Yahveh. But Num. 11:25-29;
Deut. 34 : 9. 1 Sam. 10 : 6, 19 : 20 f. ; 2 Sam. 23 : 2; 1 Kings 22 : 24; 1 Chron. 12 : 18, 28 : 12; 2 Chron. 15 :1, 20 : 14 v., 24 : 20; Neh. 9 : 30;
Isa. 11 : 1, 30 : 1, 42 : 1, 48 : 16, 59 : 21, 61:1, 63:10ff, Ezek. 2:2, 3:24, 8:3, 11:5, 24; Micah 3:8; Hos. 9:7; Joel 2:28; Zech. 7:12, are not exclusively understood as a formal, sub-jective empowerment of the Spirit; they clearly teach that the prophets did not speak only through but from the Spirit, that prophecy came from the Spirit in them. There was also an activity of the Spirit that subjectively enabled the prophet, but this is not the only one; it cannot be separated from the other revelatory activity in the way that König does, and on König's point of view, where revelation is entirely external, it is unnecessary. And the spirit of lie 1 Kings 22: 22 clearly teaches that the Spirit is source of the word, Rev 2 16:721. Jewish theology saw in the Spirit not only the source of illumination, but also of revelation and prophecy. Weber, System der altsyn. pal.
Theol. 184-187. The N. Test, declares just as clearly, that the O. T. prophets spoke out of and through the Spirit of God, Rev. 28 : 25; 1
Pet. 1: 11; 2 Pet. 1:21. There is, however, a difference in the manner in which the Holy Spirit communicates the inner revelation in the Old and New Testament. In the O. T. the Holy Spirit descends upon a person from above and moment by moment. He comes upon the prophets, Num. 24:2; 1 Sam. 19:20, 23; 2 Chr. 15:1, 20:14; becomes skillful over them, Richt. 14 : 19, 15 : 14; 1 Sam. 10 : 6; falls on them,
Ez. 11 : 5; puts on them like a garment, Richt. 6:34; 1 Chr. 12:18; the hand, i. e. the power of the Lord seizes them, Isa. 8:11; Ez. 1:3, 3:22,
8:1, 37:1, 40:1. In the face of this working of the Spirit, the prophets are therefore most passive; they are silent, fall to the ground,
dismayed, and for a time are in an abnormal, ecstatic condition. The Spirit of prophecy is not yet the permanent possession of the prophets; there is still separation and distance between them; and the position of the prophets is still separate from the people. The whole of prophecy is still imperfect. Therefore it also looks ahead and expects a prophet on whom the Spirit of the Lord will rest Deut.
18:18; Isa. 11:2, 61:1; yes, it foretells the fulfilment of Moses' wish that all the Lord's people may be prophets Num. 11:29; and it testifies to a future dwelling of God's Spirit in all the Lord's children,
Isa. 32:15, 44:3, 59:21; Joel 2:28; Ez. 11:19, 36:27,39:29. In the N. T. the highest, the only, the true prophet appears. As Logos he is the full and complete revelation of God, John 1:1 v. 18, 14:9, 17:6; Col. 2:9.
He receives no revelation from above or outside, but is Himself the source of prophecy. The Holy Spirit does not come upon Him or fall upon Him. He dwells in him without measure John 3:34. By that Spirit He is received, by that Spirit He speaks, acts, lives and dies, Mt
3:16, 12:28; Luke 1:17, 2:27, 4:1, 14, 18; Rom 1:4; Heb 9:14. And that Spirit He gives to His disciples, not only as the Spirit of regeneration and sanctification but also as the Spirit of revelation and illumination, Mk. 13:11; Lu. 12:12; Jn. 14:17, 15:26, 16:13, 20:22; Rev.
2:4, 6:10, 8:29, 10:19, 11 v. 12, 13:2, 18:5, 21:4; 1 Cor. 2:12 v.; 12:7 11.
11. By that Spirit special persons are still qualified for the office of prophet, Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 14:3; Eph. 2:20, 3:5 etc. Also prophecy itself is not lacking in the N.T., Mt. 24; Acts 20:23, 21:8; 1 Cor. 15; 2
Thess. 2. Apoc. But all believers have the anointing of the Spirit, 1 Jn 2:20; and have been taught by the Lord, Mt 11:25-27; Jn 6:45. All are prophets who proclaim the virtues of the Lord, Acts 2:17ff; 1 Pet. 2:9.
Prophecy as a special gift will be nullified, 1 Cor. 13:8. In the new Jerusalem the name of God will be on all foreheads. Lying is completely excluded, Apoc. 21 : 27, 22 : 4, 15. Literature on the prophets and prophecy by Schultz Altt. Theol. 4th Aufl. 213 f; and further König, Der Offenbarungsbegriff des A. T. Leipzig, Hinrichs
1882. Kuenen, Hist. crit. Research, 2nd ed. 1889 II bl. 1 v. Smend, Lehrbuch der altt. Religionsgesch. 1893. S. 79 f. Kuyper, Encycl. II
362 v. 429 v. C. H. Cornill, Der israel. Prophetismus, Strassburg 1894.
4. Miracles. Just as man, besides his appearance and his word, also makes himself known by his deeds, so God reveals himself not only by his words but also by his works. Word and deed are closely related. God's word is an act, Ps. 33:9; and His doing is a speech, Ps.
19:2, 29:3; Isa. 28:26. Both, word and deed, seal each other in creation as well as in re-creation. Generally speaking, the word precedes as a promise or a threat, but it contains the deed as a seed within it. His word does not return empty, but does what pleases
Him, Isa. 55:10, 11. The words by which in Scripture the deeds, the works of God, are indicated, differ. According to their outward appearance they are פפלארת Ex. 3:20, 34:10; Ps. 71:17; פלא Ex. 15:11;
Isa. 25/1'. insignia, ingentia, or הים-״ר Ex. 4:21, 7:19; Ps. 105:5, splendidum quid, both gr. τέρατα, something special, unusual, distinguished from ordinary events. They are called רת" תבד Deut.
3:24; Ps. 21:14, 54:3, 66:7, όνταμεις, יב-ב״נב Ps. 8:7, 19:2, 103:22; Isa.
5:19 or בלילית; Ps. 9 : 12/77 :13 έργα μεγαλεία, for the great, divine power, which reveals itself in them. Above all, they are also called
אותית Ex. 3 : 12, 12 : 13, etc., because they are a proof and sign of the contradiction of God. The works of God are first of all to be seen in His creation and maintenance. All God's works are victorious. Also the works of nature are often called miracles in Scripture, Ps. 77 : 13,
97 : 3, 98 : 1 107 : 24, 139 : 14. From this, however, it must not be inferred, as Scholten did in Supranaturalism in connection with the Bible, Christianity and Protestantism in Leiden 1867, p. 9 f., that Scripture makes no distinction between nature and miracles.
Certainly, the idea that a miracle would be contrary to the laws of nature and therefore impossible, does not arise. Rather, all Scripture is based on the belief that nothing is too miraculous for God, Genesis
18:14; Deut. 8:3ff; Mt. 19:26. But that is not why there is a lack of distinction between the ordinary order of nature and the extraordinary acts of God. The O. T. knows a fixed order of nature, ordinances which apply to heaven and earth, which are fixed in the order of the Lord, Gen. 1:26, 28, 8:22; Ps. 104:5, 9, 119:90, 91, 148:6;
Eccles. 1:10; Job 38:10 f.; Jer. 5:24, 31:25 f., 33:20, 25. And the N. T. makes an equally clear distinction, Mt. 8:27, 9:5, 24,33, 13:54; Luk.
5:9, 7:16,8:53; Jn. 3:2, 9:32, etc. Miracles are a בריאת a creation, something new, never otherwise seen, Ex. 34:10; Num. 16:30. The facts, which are mentioned in the H. S. as miracles, are still regarded by us as miracles; as to the qualification of such facts there is no difference, Cf. Herzog2 17:360. Pierson, God's miracle-power and our spiritual life 1867 bl. 10 v. Gloatz in Stud. u. Krit. 1886, 3tes Heft
S. 403 f. W. Bender, Der Wunderbegriff des N. T. Frankf. 1871 S.
100 f. Schultz, Altt. Theol. 077 f. Further, Scripture does acknowledge, that also outside of revelation unusual forces may work and unusual things may happen, Ex. 7:11, 22, 8:7, 18, 9:11; Mt. 24:
24; Apoc. 13: 13 v.; thus a sign or miracle is not in itself sufficient to seal a prophet, Deut. 13:1-3. Yet it is Israel's God alone who works miracles, Ps. 72: 18, 77: 15, 86: 10, 136: 4. Sometimes He accomplishes these miracles directly Himself; sometimes He makes use of men or angels. But always it is God who does them. His όνναμις is manifested in them, Luke 5:17, 14:19; Mk. 7:34; Luke
11:20; John 3:2, 5:19ff, 10:25, 32; Acts 2:22, 4:10. It is the Spirit of the Lord who works them, Mt. 12:28; Acts 10:38.
The miracles have their beginning and their foundation in the creation and maintenance of all things, which is a continual work and miracle of God, Ps. 33:6, 9; John 5:17. All that is done has its last ground in the will and power of God. Nothing can resist Him. He does with the host of the heavens according to His will, Isa 55:8 v. Ps
115:3. This power and freedom of God is preached by nature, Jer.
5:22, 10:12, 14:22, 27 ;5; Isa. 40:12, 50:2,3; Ps. 33:13-17, 104; Job 5:9 v., 9:4 v., etc. but comes out especially in the history of His people,
Deut. 10:21, 11:3, 26:8, 29:2, 32 :12 v.; Ps. 66 : 5 v., 74: 13 v., 77 : 15 v., 78:4 v., 135 : 8 v.; Isa. 51:2, 9; Jer. 32 :20 v.; Acts 7 : 2 v. In this history "the miracles especially occur. They occur for different purposes. Mt. 8:32, 21 :19 ; Hd. 13 : 11, etc. Then, to save and redeem
God's people, to bring salvation and healing, like the plagues in Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the miracles in the desert, the healings of Jesus. More than once they also have the direct or
indirect intention of confirming the mission of the prophets, the truth of their word, and thus faith in their testimony, Ex. 4: 1-9;
Deut. 13: 1 ff; Richt. 6 : 37 v.; 1 Sam. 12:16 v.; 1 Kings 17:24; 2 Kings 1:10, 20:8; Isa. 7:11, etc.; Mt. 14:33; Luke 5 ; 24; John 2:11, 3:2, 5:36,
6:14, 7:31, 9:16, 10:38, 12:37; Acts 2:22, 10:38, etc. Prophecy and miracle-working go together. All the prophets and also the apostles have the consciousness of being able to do miracles. Moses was also great in his miracles, Ex. 5-15; Deut. 34:10-12. His sin once consisted in doubting God's miracle power, Num. 20:10 v. Around Elijah and Elisha a cycle of miracles is growing, 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 13. With the later prophets miracles do not occupy such a large place anymore.
They often make use of so-called symbolic acts, in order to confirm their prophecy and, as it were, to realize it initially, 1 Kings 11:29-39,
20:35 ff, 22 : 11 ; Isa. 7:3, 8:1, 20:2 v., 21:6, 30:8; Jer. 13, 16, 18, 19, 25 : 15, 27, 28 : 10 v., 32 :6, 43 : 8; Ezek. 4:5, 6:11, 7 : 23, 12:3, 17:1;
Hos. 1-3; para. 21 : 10 v., Schultz, Altt. Theol. 250 f. Smend, Lehrb. der altt. Rel. Gesch. 88. König, Der Offenbarungsbegriff II 111 f. Yet even of them miracles are still recounted and they have the conviction, to be able to do miracles, Isa. 7:11, 16:14, 21:16, 38:7 cf. 2
Kings 20; Jer. 22:12, 30, 28:16, 29 : 22, 36 : 30, 37 : 7 v.; Dan. 1-6.
But all these miracles in the O. T. have not worked an elevation, a renewal of nature. They have had their effect. They have by turns punished and blessed mankind, and in any case preserved it from destruction. They have created in Israel a people of its own, redeemed it from the servitude of Egypt, kept it from merging with the Gentiles, and protected it as the people of God against the oppressive power of nature. But they were momentary, passed away, diminished in effect, and forgotten. Life took its usual course. Nature seemed to triumph. Then the prophecy raised its voice and said that Israel could not perish and perish in the natural life of the Gentiles.
God will come again to his people in greater glory. God will not forget His covenant, which is an everlasting covenant, Ps 89:1-5; Isa 54:10.
With that coming of God the old time will pass into the new. That is the turning point in world history. It is the יהודה ירם, the Day of the Lord, when He will reveal His Lordship and display His miraculous power. God then gives signs in the sky, Am. 8:8 f.; Joel 2: 30. All
nature, heaven and earth, will be moved, Am. 9:5; Isa. 13:10, 13, 24:18-20, 34:1-5: Joel 2:2, 10, 3 : 15 ; Mich. 1 : 3 v.; Hab. 3 : 3 v.;
Nah. 1 : 4 v.: Ezek. 31 :15 v., 32 : 7 v.. 38 : 19 v. The judgment will be on the wicked, Isa. 24 : 16 v. etc. but it will also purify and deliver.
God will save his people by his miracles, Isa. 9:3, 10:24 v., 11 : 15 v., 43: 16-21, 52 : 10, 62 : 8. He does something new on the earth, Isa.
43: 19, brings Israel back from the dead, Ezek. 37: 12-14, and makes it share in a fullness of spiritual and material blessings. Forgiveness of sins, holiness, a new covenant, Isa. 44:21-23, 43:25; Ezek. 36:2528; Jer. 31:31 v.; Zech. 14:20. 21, but also peace, security, prosperity will be his portion.... Even nature will be transformed into a paradise, Hos. 2 :17 v.; Joel 3 : 18; Jer. 31 : 6, 12-14; Isa. 11 : 6-8, 65 :
25; Ezek. 34:29, 36:29 v.; Zech. 8:12. There is to be a new heaven and a new earth, and the former things shall be thought of no more, Isa.
65 : 17 , 66 : 22. This Yom Jhvh, this תבא עלם, αιών μελλων, in contrast with the "-:כים --, αιών οντος, has, according to the representation of Scripture, dawned with the N. Test. The coming of Christ is the turning point of time. A new cycle of miracles groups itself around His person. He himself is the absolute miracle, descended from above and yet the true, perfect man. In Him, in principle, creation is restored, lifted up from its fall to its former glory. His miracles are σημεία of the presence of God, evidence of the Messianic age, Mt 11:3-5, 12:28; Luke 13:16, part of His Messianic work. In Christ a divine δυναμις appears, which is stronger than all the consuming and destructive power of sin. He attacks this power, not only in the periphery, by curing illnesses and diseases and performing all kinds of miracles; but He penetrates into its center, breaks it and conquers it. His incarnation and satisfaction, His resurrection and ascension are the great acts of God's redemption.
They are the fundamental restoration of the kingdom of glory. These acts of salvation are not just means to reveal something, but they are the revelation of God Himself. The miracle here becomes history, and history itself is a miracle. The person and work of Christ is the central revelation of God; all other revelation is grouped around it.
But also after Jesus' passing, his miracle power continues in the disciples, Mt. 10; Mk. 16:18; Luke 8. And not only in the Acts are