In our study of the Word we
are told to test the things that differ, and in the next several lessons we
will be looking at the ways in which God has spoken, the messengers He has
used, and the various messages suited to the different ages. It is reasonable
to assume that the Creator would not leave the creature in ignorance of his
Maker, but there need be no assumption because the Scriptures plainly declare
that from the very beginning, and in every age, God has revealed Himself and
communicated with mankind. He has ever been desirous that men should know Him.
The knowledge of God is the goal of redemption and all prophecy anticipates the
day when the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth and when all shall know
Him from the least to the greatest.
God has spoken again and again but men have closed their eyes to the truth and stopped their ears to the divine message. In Romans 1: I 8-21 the ancient world is seen. That world was the antediluvian world and also the world thereafter which ended in the judgment at Babel. Verse 18 reads: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." It is to be noted here that they had the truth, and the ungodliness that kindled God's anger was not the ungodliness of ignorance but the ungodliness of a conscious and deliberate suppression of revealed truth. The next verse shows this to be the case. "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them." The knowledge of God was manifest in them. God had shewed it unto them, and they not only had the witness of His words but the witness of His works as well. Before going any further, however, we need to be reminded that we should not apply these passages exclusively to the world of old. God is still speaking today and the present world, by and large, turns a deaf ear to His words and even attempts to hold down the truth lest others should hear.
Even if God had not spoken in other ways, which He had, His everlasting power and deity are clearly seen in His creation. "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." The psalmist had this in view when he wrote: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard" (Psalm 19: 1-3). Creation bears a mighty testimony to all men everywhere. It says clearly and plainly that there is a Creator, and this Creator is God, and as God is then to be worshipped and served. This is the everlasting gospel mentioned in the Revelation which is simply that God is the Creator. "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; '" and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Revelation 14:67). In Isaiah 40:26 we are challenged to lift up Our eyes on high, to view the starry heavens, to consider the vastness and the intricacy of the universe. In doing so the question comes to mind; how did all this happen? Did it just come together by chance? Common sense precludes the answer to that question. We must say that behind it all is One who is infinite in wisdom and power, and we are introduced to Him in the 28th verse as "the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth. "
When God put Our first parents in the garden prepared for them He did not leave them uninformed. He told them they were to be fruitful, to multiply, and to replenish the earth. They were, under God, to have dominion Over the restored creation. They were to be trained under the paternal care of their Maker to godliness and usefulness. What precious fellowship they must have had with the Lord as He oft came to converse with them. We do not know how long this state of Edenic innocence continued but the record seems to indicate it was brief. Sad to say they listened to Satan's lies and sinned and fell, but even after their sin God did not abandon them. He came seeking them and finding them. Then, instead of the death of the sinners, which was deserved, it was the death of an innocent substitute, no doubt a lamb. "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). Instead of the death of the sinners there was the death of a substitute, and now they were cleansed and clothed. What a beautiful picture. As sinners we deserved the wages of sin, which is death, but the Lord Jesus Christ died in Our place. Trusting Him we are cleansed from every spot and stain by the precious blood of the Lamb of God shed on the cross of Calvary, and we are clothed in the garments of salvation, the robe of God's righteousness in Christ.
The IIth chapter of Hebrews is God's hall of fame. In it are seen great champions of faith, both men and women, noble characters all. The word "faith" is mentioned twenty-four times, and since faith comes by hearing theWord of God, it is proof that God has been speaking. In the opening verses (4-7) we are introduced to three great men of faith. The first is Abel and we read: "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." When the first creature was put to death so that Adam and Eve might be clothed it was probably then that God infonned man that henceforth approach to Him and acceptance must be on the basis of blood shed and a life laid dOwn. Believing, Abel carne in the God-ordained way arld was accepted. Here is faith's Worship and also faith's witness, for "he being dead yet speaketh." The next one mentioned is Enoch and we read: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Enoch lived in a wicked and ungodly age. Told of the judgment that was to come he began to walk with God in separation from the surrounding sin. Here is faith's walk, which was pleasing to God, and in him also we see faith's witness for Jude tells us that Enoch was a prophet and warned of the judgment that was to be visited on the ungodly. The third man of faith was Noah and the record states: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Made aware of the coming judgment, and given God's blueprint, he began building the great judgment-proof ark. This is faith's work and again is faith's witness, for while working Noah was witnessing as a preacher of righteousness. In all of this are lessons for us. By faith we are to be worshiping, walking, working, witnessing, and waiting for the realization of our blessed hope. It is to be noted also from these heroes of faith that man was not left uninformed: God was speaking and man was without excuse.
In times past God spoke to men in many different ways. With Abraham His friend He spoke face to face, as in Genesis 17: 1 when He appeared to Abraham, introducing Himself as Almighty God (EI Shaddai). The same was true with Moses. We read: "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (Exodus 33: 11). He also spoke to Moses out of the burning bush and to Balaam by means of a dumb animal. He spoke to others in dreams, or visions, and sometimes by angels. In this present dispensation of the grace of God there is no longer any need for Him to speak in this fragmentary manner. We now have the completed Word of God containing all we need to know, and all believers have the Holy Spirit indwelling them to be their teacher and to lead and guide them into all truth. What a treasure we have in this Book, the Bible, the Word of the Living God. The psalmist said, "Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" (Psalm 138:2) and if God has thus magnified His Word we ought to do likewise. We need to read it, study it, hide it in our hearts, walk in obedience to it, and make it known to others. As we read and study the Word it is God speaking to us, and as we pray it is us speaking to God. There should ever be this two-way street.
During Israel's long history God was speaking to the Hebrew fathers by the prophets (Hebrews I: I). Referring to this it is written: "And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place" (2 Chronicles 36: 15). This long line of prophets and messengers stretched from Moses to John Baptist. Some may think the only task of the prophet was to predict future events. This was far from the truth; his main business was to foretell, to tell forth the Word of Jehovah, rather than to foretell.
The prophet's work was opposite that of the priest. Whereas the priest spoke to God on behalf of man, the prophet spoke to man on behalf of God. He was God's spokesman. Really, the ministry of these prophets was twofold. First it had to do with the people's spiritual condition, oft charging them with their sin and idolatry and calling on them to repent and turn back to Jehovah, and warning them of the judgments which would be their due if they persisted in their wickedness. Then secondly they reminded the people of God's faithfulness in Israel's past history and of the promised blessings which would eventually come to the nation on the basis of God's covenant with them. Also, as in all the Scriptures, the great burden of the prophetic writings had to do with the person of God's Son, the Messiah and coming King of Israel. The Apostle Peter wrote that Israel's prophets "testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (I Peter I: 11). In other words they prophesied of two great events, which were the two advents of Christ; His first coming to suffer and die in putting away the sin of the world, and His second coming in power and glory to reign over the nations. This was brought out in the Lord's words to the two disciples on the Emmaus road. He said, "0 fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken; ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory" (Luke 24:25-26). Christ will enter into His glory when He returns to establish His kingdom on earth; when He will be enthroned and when the government will be upon His shoulder. Peter spoke of this prophesied kingdom with its attendant blessings as "the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began" (Acts 3:21). Praise His name, that day is coming, when our blessed Lord Jesus will have His rightful place.
Major Whittle refers to this in his hymn:
Our Lord is now rejected, and by the world disowned,
By the many still neglected, and by the few enthroned;
But soon He '// come in glory, the hour is drawing nigh,
For the crowning day is coming by and by.
Another subject dealt with by Israel's prophets had to do with the brief period of time preceding Christ's coming to establish His kingdom. This is the time of Jacob's trouble, referred to by the Lord as the Great Tribulation. When God discontinued His dealings with Israel and began calling out the members of the Church, the Body of Christ, then and there the prophetic clock was stopped. When the Church has beencompleted and removed from this earthly scene by way of the Rapture the prophetic clock will begin ticking again. God will be working again with Israel, Abraham's seed, and He begins by bringing them into and through the worst time of trouble they have ever experienced. "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:7). This is the time of kingdom preparation and Jacob (Israel) is being prepared for the prominent role they will have in that kingdom as head over the nations. God says, "I will bring them through the fire, and refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried" (Zechariah 13:9). With their dross removed the Lord promises "it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, 0 house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing" (Zechariah 8: 13). All of God's purposes for the earth are to be worked out through Israel, and this time of Jacob's trouble is Satan's final effort to exterminate the Israeli and defeat the purpose of God. It will be a day of wrath; the wrath of Satan and Antichrist directed against God's covenant people, while at the same time the wrath of God visited on their enemies. God says: "And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee" (Jeremiah 1:19). Zephaniah refers to this day of trouble as "a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (1: 15) but shortly afterward they will hear the cry: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee" (Isaiah 60: 1 ). Israel will be saved out of that day of wrath, even as the three Hebrews were saved out of the fiery furnace. The Body of Christ, however, will not be saved out of, but saved from that fearsome time, for they will never enter into it. Members of Christ's Body are waiting for their Head from heaven, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come. "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (l Thessalonians 5:9).
In rightly dividing the Word of truth it is needful to distinguish between that which was prophesied and that which was not prophesied, or kept secret. As already stated the prophets spoke of the two comings of Christ. They spoke of His first coming to suffer and His second coming to be glorified, but they did not know that between the two comings there would be a dispensation of grace that has already lasted almost two thousand years. This was a secret known only to God. Not only did the Old Testament prophets know nothing of this but even when the Lord was here as Israel's King, offering the kingdom to them, He did not make this secret known. When Israel persisted in their rejection of Him,both before and after His death and resurrection, God turned away from that nation, called out a new apostle and made the secret known to him. That was the Apostle Paul. The truth concerning this present dispensation and God's purposes in it was revealed to and through Paul and this truth is found only in his inspired writings. The prophets and others before Paul knew nothing about the Church, sinners saved by grace alone, baptized into Christ and made members of His Body. Paul wrote: "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward; how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery ... which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men" (Ephesians 3:2-5). Paul wrote again concerning the Church: "whereof! am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints" (Colossians 1 :25-26). One looks in vain to find any reference to the Church in the prophetic writings. The Church was a mystery (secret) until revealed through the Apostle Paul.
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