Cagle Grams: The purpose of revelation

James H. Cagle

Guest Columnist

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1, 2 KJV).

W. T. Conner states, “All religions hold the idea that somehow God (or the gods) reveals himself to man. The idea of revelation of some kind and in some way is organic to the idea of religion. Revelation in the Christian sense is that self-disclosure of God in Christ which makes it possible for man to know God and to live a life of fellowship with Him.”

The aim of revelation by God is fellowship with man. The first Adam had fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden before he sinned and died spiritually, and ever since man has been separated from God. Jesus Christ, the last Adam, went to Calvary and paid the price for restoring that fellowship. Now, through faith in Him, we are accepted and reunited with God.

God made man with the capacity to receive His revelation and respond to it in obedience and experience His fellowship. In other words, man can know God, his creator, and by adhering to His Word know he is walking in agreement with Him (Amos 3:3). Proof that this fellowship is being enjoyed is God’s blessings, holiness of life, power for service, and greater understanding of His revelation.

The Bible (KJV), which is referred to as “special revelation,” is the product of revelation. God spoke to men individually, and they pinned down what He said, and all their writings collectively produced our Bible. We read our Bible in order to know God.

There is “general revelation” in which the power of God is shown in the material world He created (Psalm 19). But general revelation is too vague to reveal the more unique and intrinsic elements of God’s person and character, and His salvation plan for sinful man.

Jesus Christ is the final and perfect revelation of God — “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus is the “express image (perfect representation) of his (God’s) person” (Hebrews 1:3).

Nature was used as a medium in revealing God, but it did not reveal Him well enough, so God used the medium of words to reveal Himself more perfectly.

Man has a physical identity, but this identity is vague as far as portraying who he really is. But through the medium of words he communicates to others his inner man, and they come to know him more perfectly. And if they like what they see, they seek his fellowship.

God revealed Himself to us because He is seeking our fellowship.