5. Special Revelation. (The manner of Revelation).
5. Special Revelation.
(The manner of Revelation).
The inadequacy of general revelation brings into sharp focus the necessity of special revelation. However, this necessity must be properly understood.
It does not imply, nor is it intended, that God is obliged or compelled, either by His essence or by external circumstances, to reveal Himself in a special manner. For all revelation, and especially that which comes to us in Christ and through the Scriptures, is an act of God's grace—a free and open gift, a testament to His undeserved and manifold forfeited favor. The necessity for special revelation only arises if it is inseparably connected with the purpose God Himself has determined for His creation. If it is God's will to restore creation marred by sin, to recreate mankind in His image, and to allow them to live with Him forever in heavenly bliss, then special revelation is indeed necessary. For this grand purpose, general revelation is wholly inadequate.
Yet, it is not merely this ultimate goal that necessitates a special revelation. For if we recognize and acknowledge the insufficiency of general revelation to fulfill the divine purpose for the world and mankind, we owe this understanding to special revelation itself. By our natural inclinations, we are prone to believe that we and our virtues, the world and its treasures, are sufficient for our salvation.
Pagan religions are no exception to this rule but rather confirm it.
They all claim and appeal to a special revelation supposedly received
through priests, soothsayers, oracles, and similar mediums. This fact indirectly provides strong evidence that no one is satisfied with general revelation alone and that everyone feels an inherent need for a more detailed revelation of God than what nature and history provide. However, these so-called special revelations, to which Paganism appeals, clearly show that man, having lost his fellowship with God, no longer comprehends His revelation in nature either. In seeking and groping after God, man follows his own paths, which lead him further from the knowledge of the truth and deeper into the service of idolatry and iniquity (Romans 1:20-32).
Thus, the special revelation of God is necessary for us to correctly understand His general revelation in nature and history, in heart and mind. It is through special revelation that we can purify the true contents of general revelation from all kinds of human errors and learn to value it correctly. In the light of Scripture, we come to realize that general revelation holds rich significance for the entirety of human life. Yet, despite its abundance, it remains insufficient and inadequate for the attainment of mankind's true destiny.
Although, for the sake of clarity and order, we have first discussed general revelation and exposed its inadequacy before proceeding to special revelation, this should not be understood to mean that in the preceding discussion we set aside special revelation and ignored its content. On the contrary, this special revelation has already guided us and illuminated our path throughout our research.
We are not engaging in an ostensibly unbiased investigation to determine which special revelation is necessary and where it can be found. We do not join the doubters of our day in examining all the
different religions to ask whether they offer the special revelation of God that our hearts need. The fact that we have come to recognize false religions as false, to discern idolatry, divination, witchcraft, unbelief, and superstition—whether coarse or refined—as sin, error, and falsehood, we owe entirely to the special revelation given to us in Christ. To set aside this special revelation, or even to temporarily and methodically disregard it, would be to extinguish the light that shines upon us. It would prove that we preferred darkness over light, and that our thoughts and deliberations could not endure the light (John
3:19-21).
Moreover, general revelation can, to a certain extent, make us realize the need and necessity of special revelation. It can also provide strong reasons for the possibility of such a revelation. For if one rejects materialism and pantheism and thereby affirms the existence of a personal God who created the world, endowed man with an immortal soul, destined him for eternal bliss, and who maintains and governs all things through His providence, then there is no principled reason to dispute the possibility of special revelation.
Creation itself is a revelation, a wholly supernatural, wondrous revelation. Whoever accepts creation acknowledges, in principle, the possibility of all subsequent revelation, even to the point of the Incarnation. However, whatever general revelation may contribute regarding the necessity and possibility of special revelation, it cannot attest to its reality, for that rests solely on the free gift of God. The reality of special revelation can only be recognized in its own existence. It is perceived and acknowledged in its own light.
This special revelation, wherein God first spoke to us through the prophets and then through the Son (Hebrews 1:1), and which we
recognize and accept not through reasoning and evidence but through childlike faith, is closely related to general revelation but is nevertheless essentially distinct from it. This difference, briefly indicated before but now needing fuller development, is especially evident in the manner of its occurrence, the content it conveys, and the goal it aims to achieve.
The manner in which special revelation occurs, the subject of this discourse, is not uniform but varies according to the means employed by God. Thus, it is described by various terms: appearing, revealing, discovering, making known, proclaiming, teaching, and so forth. Among these, the term "speaking" draws particular attention.
The Holy Scriptures use the same word for the works of God in creation and providence. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light (Genesis 1:3). He made the heavens by His word, and all their host by the breath of His mouth (Psalm 33:6). He speaks, and it comes to be; He commands, and it stands firm (Psalm 33:9). The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, speaks in the thunder, breaks the cedars, makes the wilderness tremble, and rebukes and destroys the enemies (Psalm 29:3-9, 104:7; Isaiah 30:31, 66:6).
All this work of God in creation and providence can be called speech because God is a personal, conscious, and thinking being who brings all things into existence by the word of His power, thus imparting thoughts into the creatures, which mankind, created in His image and likeness, can read and understand. Indeed, God has something to say to mankind through His works.
There is relatively little disagreement regarding the concept of God speaking through the works of His hands. Many, who are unaware of
a special revelation, still readily speak of a revelation of God in creation. However, there remains a significant divergence among them. Some perceive this revelation predominantly in nature, others in history with its eminent figures, and still others prefer to find it in the history of religions with its spiritual personalities. Some emphasize the revelation that comes to humanity externally, through nature and history; others place greater importance on that which occurs within man himself, in his heart or conscience. Increasingly, the idea is taking hold that Revelation and religion are closely related and intimately connected, even that both share the same content and are merely two aspects of the same reality. Revelation is viewed as the divine moment and religion as the human response in the relationship between God and man. God reveals Himself to the extent that one possesses religion, and man has religion to the extent that God reveals Himself to him.
However, this view is fundamentally rooted in pantheism, which equates God with man, and thus also revelation with religion. Those who adhere to it can no longer genuinely speak of the revelation of God, not even in nature and history, in the world and in humanity.
For revelation, properly understood, presupposes, as we noted earlier, that God is aware and knows Himself, and that He can therefore, at His pleasure, communicate knowledge of Himself to His creatures.
From the pantheistic perspective, however, the personhood, self-consciousness, and self-knowledge, and thus also the rational will in God, are denied. God is nothing more than the essence, the power of and in all things. There can, therefore, be no question here of a revelation of God in the true sense, at best only of an unconscious, unwilling appearance or action of God. This does not introduce thoughts, conceptions, or knowledge of God into the
consciousness of man but at best only arouses in man's heart attitudes, inclinations, or conditions of a certain mood, which are then interpreted and expressed by that man entirely independently and freely, according to his civilization and development. In fact, religion in mankind and in the individual man then becomes a process by which God becomes aware of Himself and learns to know
Himself. God does not reveal Himself to man or speak to him; rather, it is man who reveals God to himself.
Thus, when this pantheistic school still uses terms like 'revelation' and 'God's speech,' it does not derive them from its own worldview, in which they no longer fit, but from another, namely the worldview of Scripture, and it uses them in a distorted sense. Scripture, however, already calls general revelation a speaking of God because it proceeds from the assumption that God truly has something to say and says it through that revelation to His creatures. Thus, it maintains the distinction between God and man, between Revelation and religion. For if God has His own thought and knows Himself, and if He has expressed that thought to a greater or lesser degree in His works, then the possibility remains that man, because of his darkened mind, may misunderstand God's thoughts and be thwarted in his deliberations. In this case, religion is so little the other side of Revelation that it becomes, rather, a guilty and erroneous interpretation of it.
Because Scripture interprets God's general revelation as it does, and can call it, in the defined sense, a speaking of God, it keeps the way open for yet another and more real speaking of God in His special revelation. All Scripture reveals God as a being who is fully conscious, who can think and therefore speak. The question in Psalm
94:9, "Does He who planted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see?" can, according to the meaning and the intent of the Holy Spirit, be completed with these others: Could He who knows
Himself perfectly not communicate knowledge of Himself to the creatures? He who disputes this possibility not only denies the God of regeneration but also the God of creation and providence, as Scripture recognizes Him; just as he who understands God's speech in general revelation in the proper sense, in the sense of Scripture, loses the right to raise fundamental objections to God's speech in special revelation. For God can reveal Himself in a special way because He does so in a general way. He can speak in an actual sense because He can do so in a metaphorical sense. He can be the Resurrector because He is the Creator of all things.
The great difference between God's speaking in general revelation and His speaking in special revelation lies in the method and directness of communication. In the realm of general revelation, God leaves it to man to discern His thoughts from the works of His hands.
Man must interpret the divine instructions embedded in the natural world, such as those imparted to the farmer in Isaiah 28:26. Here, the farmer is taught by God not through spoken words, but through the natural order of air, soil, time, and place. This instruction is indirect and requires careful observation and interpretation, leaving man susceptible to error. However, when the farmer eventually comprehends these teachings, it is ultimately attributed to God's wonderful counsel and mighty deeds.
In contrast, special revelation involves God directly conveying His thoughts and will to humanity, making His message clear and unmistakable.
The great distinction between God's speaking in general revelation and His speaking in special revelation is in the manner of communication. In the former, God leaves it to man to derive His thoughts from the works of His hands, whereas in the latter, He expresses these thoughts directly, offering them to man and impressing them upon his consciousness. As Isaiah 28:26 illustrates,
God instructs and teaches the farmer not through literal words but through the natural arrangements of air, soil, time, and place. The farmer must diligently learn these natural laws to grasp the divine instruction embedded within them. Although prone to error, when the farmer finally understands, it is due to God's wondrous counsel and mighty deeds.
In general revelation, this practical teaching suffices for its intended purpose. God uses it to awaken mankind to seek Him, as Acts 17:27 declares, so that they may seek Him and find Him. If they do not find
Him, they are without excuse, as Romans 1:20 states. In special revelation, however, God seeks man and explicitly reveals who He is.
He does not leave it to man to deduce His nature from a collection of facts; rather, He declares plainly, "Here I am, and this is who I am."
In special revelation, God uses facts from nature and history, often miracles, to disclose His various attributes. These facts are not mere appendages but integral to Revelation, always accompanied by God's own word.
They are framed by divine speech—preceded, accompanied, and followed by it. The central focus of special revelation is the person and work of Christ, who is foretold and described in the Old Testament and explained in the New Testament.
Thus, special revelation emanates from Christ and is inseparably linked to the Scriptures, the Word of God.
Therefore, special revelation can be more aptly described as divine speech than general revelation. Hebrews 1:1-2 encapsulates God's revelation through the prophets and the Son as 'speaking,' emphasizing that this revelation was progressive, occurring in various acts over time, and delivered in diverse ways and forms.
In numerous scriptural instances (e.g., Gen. 2:16, 18, 4:6 ff, 6:13 ff, 12:7, 13:14), it is simply stated that the Lord appeared, spoke, or commanded, without detailing the method. However, other passages provide insight into the manner of revelation, allowing us to discern between two types of means employed by God.
The first type of revelation encompasses all those means which possess an objective, figurative character, through which God manifests and speaks to humanity externally. Thus, God often appeared to Abraham, Moses, and the people of Israel on Mount
Sinai, above the Tabernacle, and in the Holy of Holies, in clouds of smoke and fire as symbols of His presence (Genesis 15:17, Exodus
3:2, 13:21, 19:9, 33:9, Leviticus 16:2). Furthermore, He conveyed His will through angels (Genesis 18:2, 32:1, Daniel 8:13, Zechariah 1:9,
Matthew 1:20), and especially through the Angel of the Covenant, who bore the name of the Lord (Exodus 23:21). Additionally, to make
His will known, He frequently used providence (Proverbs 16:33) and the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30). Sometimes, He spoke with an audible voice (Exodus 19:9, Deuteronomy 4:33, 5:26, Matthew
3:17, 2 Peter 1:17) or inscribed His law on the tablets of testimony (Exodus 31:18, 32:16).
Miracles, which hold a prominent and extensive place in Scripture, also belong to this group of means of revelation. Presently, however,
they face fierce opposition from all sides. Defending the miracles of Scripture against those who have utterly rejected its worldview is a futile endeavor. If God does not exist, as atheism and materialism claim, or if He is indistinguishable from the world, as pantheism suggests, or if He withdrew from the world after Creation and left it to operate autonomously, as deism asserts, then miracles are indeed impossible. If the impossibility of miracles is presupposed, their reality is dismissed without debate.
However, Scripture presents a different conception of God, the world, and their interrelationship. First, it teaches that God is a conscious, willing, and omnipotent being, who brought the entire world into existence with all its powers and laws, yet has not exhausted His full power therein. He retains and possesses an infinite fullness of life and power. Nothing is too marvelous for Him
(Genesis 18:14); with Him, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
Second, Scripture does not view the world as a monolithic whole, possessing a uniform essence and substance. Instead, it understands the world as an organism, wherein each member, though part of the whole, is endowed with distinct powers and vocations. The world accommodates diverse beings, each sustained and governed by the same divine power, yet differing in nature. The world contains matter and spirit, soul and body, heaven and earth, inorganic and organic entities, lifeless and living beings, sentient and rational creatures, minerals, plants, animals, humans, and angels. Within humanity, there is a distinction between head and heart, reason and conscience, mind and will, thoughts and actions. These diverse realms within the one world are founded on different forces and operate according to different laws. Everything is interconnected,
akin to the members of a body, yet each part holds its unique place and role within the whole.
Third, Scripture teaches that although God and the world are distinct, they are never separate. God possesses an independent existence in Himself, yet He is not detached from the world. In Him, we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is not merely the Creator who initiated all things, but He remains the sustainer, possessor, King, and Lord, constantly upholding and renewing everything by His omnipotent and omnipresent power. Thus, everything, not only at its inception but also in its ongoing existence, finds its primary cause in God. The secondary causes through which God operates vary, but the primary cause of all creation is always
God and God alone.
When we align our thoughts with Scripture and stand firmly on the foundation of theism, all grounds for doubting the possibility of miracles vanish. For, according to this view, everything that occurs in nature and history is an act of God, and thus, in a sense, a miracle.
The so-called miracles are merely special demonstrations of the same divine power that operates in all things. This power works in diverse ways, through various means (second causes), according to different laws, and consequently with different outcomes. It has been aptly noted that for a stone, it is a miracle that a plant grows; for a plant, it is a miracle that an animal moves; for an animal, it is a miracle that a human being thinks; and thus, for a human being, it is a miracle that God raises the dead. If God, with His omnipresent and omnipotent power, works through all creatures as His instruments, how could He not work in other ways and through other means than those familiar to us from the ordinary course of nature and history?
Miracles, therefore, are not violations of the laws of nature. Scripture fully acknowledges these laws, even though it does not explicitly enumerate or formulate them; for according to Scripture, the order of the entire creation is established in God's covenant with Noah
(Genesis 8:22). Just as humanity, through intellect and will, subdues the earth and controls nature, so God has the power to make this created world serve the execution of His counsel. The miracles testify that the Lord is God, not the world.
This would have been self-evident to man if he had not fallen. Then, he would have known and acknowledged God through all the works of His hands. Without delving into whether miracles would have occurred without sin, it suffices to note that they would have had a different character and purpose. The miracles recorded in Scripture are characterized by their distinct nature and purpose.
In the Old Testament, miracles serve the dual purposes of judgment and salvation. The flood destroys a godless generation while preserving Noah and his family in the ark. The miracles surrounding
Moses and Joshua—the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Law at Sinai, and the conquest of Canaan—aim to judge God's enemies and secure a dwelling place for His people in the Promised Land. The miracles associated with Elijah, particularly during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, aim to counteract paganism and reaffirm the worship of Jehovah, culminating in the decisive showdown on Mount Carmel between Jehovah and Baal.
All these Old Testament miracles share the common goal of executing negative judgment on the nations while creating and preserving a space within Israel for the continued revelation of God.
They serve to ensure that, amidst all idolatry and image worship, Jehovah, the God of the covenant, is recognized and acknowledged as the true God: "See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand" (Deuteronomy 32:39, 4:35,
Isaiah 45:5, 18, 22). When this goal is achieved, the full revelation begins in the person of Christ.
The person of Christ Himself is a miracle—in His origin, essence, words, and works, He is the miracle of world history. Accordingly, the miracles He performs are of a unique nature. During His earthly life, He performs miracles that demonstrate His power over nature
(e.g., turning water into wine, miraculous feedings, calming the storm, walking on water). He also performs miracles that show His power over the consequences of sin, such as diseases and infirmities, and miracles that reveal His authority over sin itself, including the forgiveness of sins, exorcisms, and the defeat of Satan's dominion.
In these three categories of miracles, the uniqueness of Christ's person is already evident. Except for a few exceptions, such as the cursing of the fig tree, all of Jesus' miracles are miracles of salvation.
He did not come to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17). In these miracles, He acts as Prophet, Priest, and King, doing the works that the Father has shown Him and commissioned Him to do (John
4:34, 5:36, 9:4).
Yet more profoundly, the person of Christ is revealed in the miracles that are not merely performed by Him but are inherent in and through Him. These miracles unveil His very essence. His supernatural conception, miraculous life, sacrificial death,
resurrection, ascension, and exaltation at the right hand of God are miracles of salvation. These events powerfully attest to His supreme authority over sin and all its ramifications, over Satan and his entire dominion. Moreover, they manifest even more compellingly that this authority is a saving, redemptive power, destined to achieve ultimate triumph in the new heaven and new earth.
The miracles wrought by the first witnesses in the apostolic age should be understood as acts of the exalted Christ, as seen in Acts 3:6 and 4:10. These miracles were necessary to confirm that Jesus, though rejected, crucified, and presumed dead, was indeed alive and possessed all authority in heaven and on earth. The miracles of the Old Testament demonstrated that Jehovah is God and there is no other beside Him. The miracles of the New Testament reveal that Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom the Jews crucified, has been raised by God and exalted at His right hand as Prince and Savior (Acts 4:10,
5:30-31). Once this goal is accomplished, and a congregation that believes and confesses this revelation is established, the visible outward miracles cease. However, the spiritual miracles of regeneration and conversion persist within the congregation until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, and all Israel is saved. At the end of time, according to the testimony of Holy Scripture, there will be the miracles of the future: the appearing of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment, and the creation of a new heaven and earth.
The entire scope of revelation points towards the restoration of fallen humanity, the re-creation of the world, and the recognition of God as God by all creatures. All miracles are integral to this revelation. They are not extraneous elements, nor arbitrary appendages to revelation;
rather, they are a necessary and indispensable part of it. They themselves are revelation. In both word and deed, God makes
Himself known to humanity with all His virtues and perfections.
In addition to the objective and external means of revelation, there exists a second series of forms and methods which God employs.
These involve all means that possess a subjective character, which are not external but internal to man, through which God speaks not from without but from within.
Foremost among these is the unique revelation given to Moses, the Mediator of the Old Testament. This revelation is described as one where the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11).
Moses occupied a wholly unique place in the Old Testament, elevated above all the prophets. God communicated with him not through visions or obscure words, but directly, mouth to mouth. Moses did not see the Lord in a vision but beheld His likeness, His form—not His essence or face, but the afterglow of the divine glory that passed before his eyes (Numbers 12:8, Exodus 33:18-23).
Among these means of divine revelation, we also find dreams, as noted in Numbers 12:6 and Deuteronomy 13:1-6; and visions, a state in which the physical eye is closed to the external world, and the eye of the soul is opened to the perception of divine matters, Numbers
12:6, Deuteronomy 13:1-6. Preeminent among these is the inspiration or the intervention of God's Spirit within human consciousness, as recorded in Numbers 11:25-29, 2 Samuel 23:2,
Matthew 16:17, Acts 8:29, 1 Corinthians 2:12, and 2 Peter 1:21. This mode of revelation, where the Spirit intervenes within human
consciousness, appears multiple times in the Old Testament, though it is consistently depicted as the Spirit descending from above and momentarily influencing the prophet. In the New Testament, however, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, inspiration becomes not only more frequent as a form of revelation but also assumes a more organic and enduring character.
These two types of means of revelation can be encapsulated under the terms manifestation and inspiration. It is essential to recognize that the content of manifestation includes not only deeds but also thoughts and words. Furthermore, it should be noted that the inspiration referenced here differs from the activity of the Holy Spirit received by prophets and apostles when recording revelation
(theopneustion of the Scriptures) and from the internal enlightenment granted to all believers.
Study Questions for Reflections 1. What is the primary necessity for special revelation, and how does it complement general revelation?
Reflect on why general revelation is inadequate for salvation and how special revelation fulfills God's purpose for humanity.
2. How does special revelation demonstrate the grace and undeserved favor of God?
Consider how God's free and unmerited favor is evident in His act of revealing Himself through special revelation, particularly in Christ and Scripture.
3. In what ways does special revelation help us correctly interpret and value general revelation?
Reflect on how special revelation clarifies and enhances our understanding of God's general revelation in nature and history.
4. What role does faith play in recognizing and accepting special revelation?
Discuss the importance of childlike faith in perceiving and acknowledging special revelation as the true communication of God's will.
5. How does the manner of communication differ between general and special revelation?
Explore the differences in how God reveals Himself through the natural world (general revelation) versus direct communication and miracles (special revelation).
6. Why is the person and work of Christ central to special revelation?
Reflect on how Christ is the ultimate revelation of God and how His life, death, and resurrection serve as the focal point of special revelation.
7. What is the significance of miracles in the context of special revelation?
Consider the role of miracles as demonstrations of God's power and authority, and how they serve to confirm His message and purposes in both the Old and New Testaments.