What all of us have missed - A lesson on revealed truth

Welcome to thewordunderstood.com. Nine times out of ten the issues I write about are because they are topics of conversation in my life. Although my main focus on various subject matter covered in online articles attempts to be specific in nature; simply discussing one topic can bleed over into others and therefore does not attempt to describe every and all mentioned doctrines thoroughly and in detail. If you have questions or comments you can always contact us via our website "contact us" and we’ll be happy to answer any and all questions as soon as possible.

The misunderstandings…

I have come to realize through many conversations with Non-Christians, Christians and so called Christians that there is one fundamental misunderstanding and commonality between them all. This commonality stretches to all denominations and faiths within Christendom, including myself and in fact stretches through the annals of time back to the beginnings of the recorded bible. The commonality I speak of that covers so much of the bible and Christendom is the inability to keep up with the revealed truth of God also known as revelation or “progressive revelation”.

Revealed truth…

This revealed truth is known as “revelation”. To simply define the revealing of truth I will use Isaiah 28:9-13.

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

The point here is not necessarily the context of the passage, whom it’s too, what’s its interpretation is or even to explain its doctrinal and spiritual implications on your life but to simply demonstrate the meaning of “revealed truth”. Teaching, the coercion of understanding doctrine and revealing of truth comes from God in many ways. Typically it’s progressively over time, “here a little, and there a little”. You can also reference I Corinthians 13:8-13, the context of which is knowledge and understanding, waiting for that complete knowledge to come. Also reference II Corinthians 12:1 where Paul says he will come to revelations and visions. This simply means he hasn’t recieved all his revelation at once; they were a progressive set of revelations and visions; again, “…here a little, and there a little”.

Technicalities…

The word “doctrine” in Isaiah verse 9 is Strong’s reference number 8052 and according to Vines dictionary means “revelation; something heard” and as Vines states appears 27 times. When looking the reference up in the Englishman’s Concordance I find 29 references. Regardless of how many references there are, the word is translated from Hebrew to English in our Old Testament as “report, the tidings, that tidings, tidings, the fame, a rumor, a report, report, our report, news, doctrine, (and) mentioned”. Revelation in this context is spoken revelation, spoken word, reports, and tidings. These tidings have obviously been written down too!!!

Forms of revelation and some definitions…

There are many forms of revelation. In bible school, your personal study, a bible study or your local assemblies you may have learned of a few. Generally people teach that there are two basic forms of Revelation. Those two forms are General Revelation and Specific Revelation. General Revelation is a reference to revealed truth about God through nature and His creation. It is known by many names, general revelation, natural revelation and universal revelation. No matter what you call it, it’s an indirect method of communication from God. Conversely special revelation typically refers to that direct act of God making his will known. God revealing and making his will known by some means of direct communication. Concerning revelation you see an indirect act and a direct act of God. Moreover, God has directly communicated in any number of ways to mankind as well as indirectly. He has communicated through visions, clouds, men, angels, burning bushes, animals and a plethora of other means including in person, of course lets not forget judgments like plagues, fire from heaven, death angels, etc. Indirect communication has come via His creation, the heavens, the earth, nature as well as the universes seemingly rhythmic existence in addition to various visible and invisible thrones, dominions, principalities and powers (see Romans 1:18-21, Colossians 1:16). With this; I’m sure there is no argument as most denominations are clear on what revelation is and what types there are. Volumes explaining every detail possible have been written about "revelation" and I by no means have explained everything possible!

Just like Paul…

Now that a general understanding of revelation is understood we can move on to what everyone misses or has missed about that particular subject. Revealed truth also known henceforth as revelation can be better understood if one accepts the fact that revelation is progressive in nature. Most people call it “progressive revelation”. To reiterate what “progressive” revelation is; it is the revealing of truth over a period of time. Because this truth is being revealed over a period of time not all of the truth may be known at any one given point until the truth is completely revealed. The apostle Paul spoke of this exact problem. In 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 the apostle Paul describes his inability to see all of God’s revealed truth.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

This passage is not discussing “Christ” and His second coming. “…that which is perfect…” is not a description of Christ but rather a description of completed revelation. My brief case for that fact lies in two points really. 1- Christ is not referred to as “that” anywhere in scripture, Luke mentions “that holy thing” in chapter 1:35 however the word “holy” isn’t the same word as “perfect” in I Corinthians 13 and 2- “perfect” here means of full age and completeness. Thus, “of full age” lines up with the context of growing up from a child and becoming a man - in knowledge. Also notice the context, for we know in part. What will happen when a full or complete knowledge has come? The partial or incomplete knowledge is done away with, or as Paul explains, “For now we see through a glass, darkly…”, “…now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”. When is the “…but then…”? The then is when the full or completed knowledge or revelation, the completed revealed truth of God comes. I believe it to be the final written revelation contained in the bible or final manuscript written in Paul’s day (see Colossians 1:25). I Corinthians 14:6 states that if Paul comes to the Corinthians speaking in tongues what shall it profit them, “…except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?”. Verse 8 of I Corinthians 13 quoted above discusses that exact thing! Where there be “prophecies, tongues, or knowledge” they shall “fail, cease, vanish away”, i.e. be done with, be done away with, the lack of understanding will be replaced with a full understanding. When those things vanish away our full knowledge will have come and we will see or know clearly.

Completed revelation also varies depending on where you find yourself in scripture. An example that emphasizes this point is found in the book of Acts.
In Acts 8:26-39, the eunuch asks Philip who he’s reading about or just whom this prophet of God is speaking of?

26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

As none should argue the prophet who penned the words quoted above and then read by the eunuch didn’t know or understand exactly what he was writing just as the eunuch didn’t understand what was written. The very prophet who wrote it couldn’t fully understand the revelation given to him by God, he “saw through the glass darkly” so to speak. To say anyone was "looking forward" to Jesus would not be an accurate statement since even after he was dead and gone people still didn't understand! As demonstrated here, someone in Christ’s own day couldn’t comprehend whom the prophet was speaking about. The eunuch had to have Philip who did understand the revelation explain it to him. That revelation couldn’t be clearly understood until after the crucifixion of Christ. Isaiah the prophet at the time of writing that prophecy down was as the apostle Paul was in I Corinthians. He couldn’t see clearly, nothing was focused, they were looking through the glass darkly and couldn't comprehend the end. There were vague general understandings but nothing specific. The fact is that Isaiah 53:7-8 has only been comprehendible for the last 2000 years and is a great thing to notice. This demonstrates the progressiveness of revelation. Not only was a truth about Christ revealed to Isaiah, but it was revealed to other writers. The Psalms are filled with interwoven truth about Christ, little details here and there about the coming of the Messiah and what was to take place. Truth about Christ was revealed progressively in the Old Testament over thousands of years, here a little and there a little. The fact of whether we understand it is really irrelevant however, the demonstration that it was “progressively” revealed or revealed over time stands firm.

The point…

What if you were a contemporary of the apostles? I often hear people say, “Wouldn’t it have been great to know Jesus” or “wouldn’t it have been great to be alive when Jesus was alive”? I typically answer both yes and no. Yes - because, knowing what I know now, then, would be of great benefit to myself and others and no – because at the time I wouldn’t know then what I know now and I more than likely would have been in the group to crucify Him. Does this sound like double talk? This is exactly my point. Can we understand progressively revealed truth? What revelation and truth must we keep up with or understand? Do we currently know it all? Has truth ceased to be revealed? What are the consequences for not keeping up with the revealed truth of God? When God says something like don’t eat meat but says eat meat somewhere else is that a contradiction? Many more questions could be asked about progressive revelation and the importance of understanding it since it is such a foundational truth to understanding the things of God. In my opinion, understanding the principle of progressive revelation are among the top 5 things a Christian should both know and understand and is fundamental to understanding anything in the Bible.

The answers and a brief example…

The answers to all those questions and more can be answered by one statement. Know and learn to recognize the progressiveness of truth and revelation in Gods word and you’ll be on your way to having a better understanding of the scripture; in brief - Rightly Divide and interpret your Bible literally. Because I have many Seventh Day Adventist friends the fact that they observe Old Testament law is no secret, particularly the top 10 list also know as the Ten Commandments which not only they attempt to observe but many other denominations as well. Moreover, their denomination is often seen as having one particular pet doctrine that they focus on, even Seventh Day Adventists joke about it. The doctrine of Sabbath day observance.

Exodus 20:8-11 (also found in Deut 5) says someone somewhere at some time should remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Although there are many examples of progressive revelation I chose this one simply because of it’s presence in my life and because that doctrine sticks out like a sore thumb as having a seeming contradiction in the Bible. In a book I have outlining 27 fundamental things Seventh Day Adventists believe the portion on the Sabbath is only 8 pages but is packed with facts about the Sabbath. The book is called “Seventh-day Adventists Believe…; A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines; written by the General Conference Ministerial Association, ISBN 0-8280-0466-8. I don’t happen to disagree with their teaching about the Sabbath merely their teaching that we must observe it in our present day. Seventh Day Adventists fail to recognize the progressive nature of revelation and the fact that revealed truth can modify or change previously revealed truth. That is to say, what I said then, doesn’t apply to now. What I said to them, doesn’t apply to you. What I said then is now modified by what I say now. Does this sound like more double talk?

Dispensationalism, administrations and right division…

Ever wonder why Paul says in Col 2:16-17,

“16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”?

How can no man judge you in respect of these things if these things are to be observed and said to be observed in the Old Testament and as some would say is a moral law to be obeyed? How can no man judge you in respect of these things if these things have been given by God and practiced for thousands of years? It is because God says through Paul that no man can judge me, you, nor anyone else who doesn’t observe these things. In fact no where else outside of Paul will you find a teaching such as this with the exception of a brief teaching / admonishment by Christ in Matthew 12:1-8. The previous revealed truth was nothing but observance of holydays, dietary laws, new moons and Sabbaths with a ton of other miscellaneous observances. It’s a doctrine that is contrary to the doctrine taught anywhere else in scripture. Romans 14 discusses how the rules of engagement concerning a few things in the Law have changed and no longer apply with the revealing of Pauline truth such as eating meat, observing days, etc. Romans 14:2 in particular states that “…one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs”. Paul states in I Tim 4:4 that “…every creature of God is good, and nothing to be reffused if it be received with thanksgiving…”. The advent of Pauline revelation brings a new truth to the forefront where a believer is not to follow some past revealed truth, Sabbath keeping and eating observances are modified by new revelation. No longer are there observances of days, weeks and years or dietary regulations of clean and unclean foods. A believer who lives today or in Paul’s day must decide for themselves which revealed truth to observe. They must come to an understanding that they are in one of two categories. Those who missed the further revelation of God to Paul and the truth found in his message or those who have not missed the further revelation of God to Paul and the truth found in his message. Those who continue to teach the importance of past revealed truth pertaining to holyday observances and those who recognize the current contradictory importance of revealed truth brought to us via Paul where we are not obligated to such observances or deeds. Those who teach the Law or those who have progressed to the teaching of Grace revealed by Paul. Some denominations and individuals teach a muddled form of doctrine where Law is mixed with Grace. That an individual’s ultimate salvation depends on what they do rather than on what God has done for them through Christ. Some teach doctrine; a past doctrine that doesn’t apply to the present revealed truth revealed by God and is in contrast to it unmixable although they try to mix it up and their doctrine ends up in confusion.

To conclude…

Most everyone at some point including myself have not recognized the importance of progressive revelation and it in fact has caused us grief in one way or another. Up to this point, you may have been reading the Bible as one huge conglomeration of teachings, principles, truths, and revelation that was intended to be understood as speaking directly to you in every instance. Perhaps you’ve been burdened by miscellaneous Old Testament Law observances or you’ve been burdened by the seeming contradictions in God’s word where God says one thing then seemingly says another contradictory thing. All this can typically be cleared up with an understanding of “right division” found in the King James Bible and New King James Bible in II Timothy 2:15 (NIV, Good News, Living Bible, or other Bible’s don’t have the term “…rightly dividing the word of truth” contained in them). You need Dispensational Bible study with an understanding of the progressive nature of God’s revealed truth. Dividing out what is and isn’t for you. Dividing out what God said to one group of individuals but said something entirely different to another group of individuals. Following the progression of God’s revealed will from one point in the Bible to another and noticing when things shift and change. With one fundamental principle you can begin to unlock and understand the Bible much clearer. Understand “Progressive Revelation” and you’ll begin to understand your Bible. You can then progress to a whole new level of understanding.

Homework…

If you wish to do homework on the subject I encourage you to study “water baptism”. Again, this doctrine is found in the Old Testament with the ceremonial washing (see Exodus 40). It is then picked up in The Gospels with John, Christ, The Apostles, and moves into Acts with Peter. It ultimately ends up in Paul’s hands where the baptism of the Spirit is the overwhelming matter and water has found it’s worth diminished ultimately drying up. In fact, if you choose to study the matter, the method of baptism changes as well as the after effects. This is another great demonstration of the progression of revelation and the progressiveness of God and how in fact things in the program of God change depending on where you find yourself in His word.

For a nice chart and explanation of baptism in the bookf of Acts see Bullingers chart which I've mentioned in other studies, page 135. If you'd like we can email it to you as I've come to notice the electronic version of this does not have the chart I recommend seeing.

How To Enjoy The Bible

RW - Bible Student
Edited 9/12/06 for misc. wording errors and content

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