Top Bible Prophecy #7 The New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Previous Top Bible Prophecies and today's Top Bible Prophecy
We have been viewing what I term "Top Bible Prophecies" periodically throughout the past few months.  This series is designed to acquaint the reader with scriptures that deal with major themes of God's prophetic program.  I have included both the blog date entries and top prophecies we have looked at in the listing below:
1. Genesis 3:15 The Seed Promise 4/12

2. Genesis 12 God's Covenant with Abraham 4/18 and 4/19

3. Deuteronomy 30 The Promised Land 5/1

4. 2 Samuel 7:8-16 A Shepherd and a King 5/2

5. Psalm 110 5/24 and 5/25

6. Isaiah 53 The Lamb of God 5/29a

If the reader desires to view the entire series, just type in "Top Bible Prophecies" in the search browser on this blog site, and all six of the posts should appear in their chronological sequence.     

In continuing on with our study, we come to what will be the foundational passage of both the future of Israel and our current New Testaments: Jeremiah 31:31-34.  In this passage (as well as several others scattered throughout the Old Testament Prophets), mention is made to what the Bible calls "The New Covenant".  Thankfully there is ample scripture in the New Testament that explains what is meant by this term and prophecy and why it is important for Christian understanding today.

Hebrews 8-10 is the divine commentary on Jeremiah 31:31-34 serves to explain the similarities and differences of the Old and New Covenants
Whenever you turn to Hebrews 8, you are treated to a Divine commentary on the meaning and significance of the New Covenant articulated in Jeremiah 31 and other Old Testament passages.  In Hebrews 8:1-5 we see a summary section of Hebrews 1-7 that explains the author's purpose in presenting the superiority of Jesus Christ as the believer's Eternal High Priest.  After the summary of Hebrews 8:1-5, we see these words in 8:6 - "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises."  Those three underlined words serve to give the reader an outline of the remainder of Hebrews 8:7-10:25 in explaining the similarities and differences between what is called the "first" or Old Covenant and the "second" or New Covenant:

1. The New Covenant exceeds the Old due to a better ministry.  8:7-9:10

2. The New Covenant exceeds the Old due to a better Mediator. 9:11-10:18

3. The New Covenant exceeds the Old due to better promises. 10:19-25

The main point of the discussion about the Old and New Covenants

The conversation about the Old and New Covenants can be described as having to do with the ability to live the Godly life being commanded by God to His people.  The "Old Covenant" was given to the descendants of Abraham under Moses' administration in Exodus 19:5-24:8 as a temporary system for the people of Israel to use in their lives following their Exodus and salvation.  Though God revealed righteous principles to live by to His people, there was never any power promised through the Mosaic covenant revealed at Sinai.  Although the people stated their confidence in Exodus 19:8 "all that the Lord has spoken, we will do!", yet it was clear that the Old Covenant could not produce the needed power for Godly living.  Only after 40 days of time had passed, we find the people bowing themselves to a golden calf while Moses is on top of Mt. Sinai in Exodus 32.   

Like Noah, like Abraham and all the Genesis patriarchs, the nation of Israel was still saved by grace alone through faith alone - a truth that is spelled out in Exodus 19:1-4.  However as God began to reveal the Law of God from 19:4 onward, it was designed not to impart righteousness, but demand it.  The design of the Old Covenant was to show the people their continual need for God's grace. God knew when He had revealed the Law that there was going to need to be a New Covenant.  The Old Covenant parallels in function the original covenant of works given to Adam and Eve in the Garden that was broken by their disobedience.  Just as they needed God's second provision of the graceful covenant of Genesis 3:15-21, Israel would need a New Covenant due to their breakage of the Covenant at Sinai.   

Comparing the Old and New Covenants as seen in Hebrews 8:7-13: Power for Godly Living

As I noted earlier, the whole discussion about Old versus New Covenant has to do with the need to live the Godly life being demanded of the believer by God. As you read Hebrews 8:7-13, and particularly 8:10-13, you discover the following comparisons between the Old and New Covenant systems:

1. New Power for Living.  Hebrews 8:10a

The Old Covenant demanded godliness, but only the New Covenant can give the power to live the Godly life.

2. New Way of Knowing (God).  Hebrews 8:10b-11

In the Old Covenant God was unapproachable, however in the New Covenant God is relational.  In the Old Covenant the people could only know about God from a distance, in contrast the New Covenant the people can know God.

3. New Forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 8:12

In the Old Covenant system sin is shown as sin, whereas in the New Covenant sin is forgiven.

4. New Change of life.  Hebrews 8:13

The Old Covenant has no ability to bring about the necessary change of heart.  All the Old Covenant could do was demand change and point to the grace of God.  In the New Covenant change is expected, since the power of the Holy Spirit comes to indwell the heart at saving faith and begins the progressive, transforming work of sanctification.  

Final thoughts on the New Covenant Prophecy

We must remember that the original prophecy of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31-34 was given to Israel with the expectation of fulfillment in the future.  The only thing God did not reveal was in what manner he was going to begin the fulfillment.  The New Covenant's point was and is to bridge the promises of God to Abraham to the fulfillment of those promises in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ's first coming inaugurated the New Covenant era and promises to be experienced by grace-called believers in this age.  The church's current spiritual foretaste of the New Covenant blessings is based upon the guaranteed completion of it in Israel in the future.  Because of this prophecy, we in this age foretaste New Covenant blessings through the Gospel: power for Godly living, knowing God, forgiveness of sins and change.  

2 John 1-4 The Truth that empowers the Christian Walk

2 John 1:1 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth.

In yesterday's post we undertook the effort to explain from the scriptures what John meant by the term "walking".  At the end of the post we discovered from scripture that walking with the Lord has to do with the manner, the motives, the means and the main purpose of Christian living: the pleasure and glory of God in Jesus Christ. In today's post we want to understand from John's second letter what enables a Christian to maintain the Christian walk.

The Truth of God's Word empowers the Christian walk
The key verse of 2 John is verse 4 - "I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father."  Whenever John speaks of the truth, he is referring to the words of scripture. (Psalm 19:7-13; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)  Biblical truth is the concrete of the Christian walk. What is it about Biblical truth that prompts John to highlight it's significance five times in just four verses?  The following observations will demonstrate why Biblical truth alone can enable Christian's to consistently walk with the Lord.  God's truth in these verses has the following six traits:

1. Eternal Truth  2 John 1,2b
These people to whom John wrote to are  referred to as "the chosen lady".  God's act of "electing" His people unto salvation is described in roughly 100 places in God's Word.  Only God could plan salvation wherein there is no contradiction between His Sovereign Grace and human responsibility to believe.  Ephesians 1:4-5 describes God's electing of His people is based entirely upon His Choice to love each believer, whom He saw in Christ in His mind, before the foundation of the world.  The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 explains God's electing purpose of grace: "Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end."  The truth upon which the Christian bases their Christian walk extends back into eternity past.  John then writes in 2 John 2 of how this same truth is that "which abides in us and will be with us forever".  Therefore the truth upon which the believer basis their continued walk of faith is not only rooted in Eternity past, but also Eternity future.  

2. Loving Truth  2 John 1
The Christian is able to walk with the Lord due to eternal truth, but notice also another trait of this truth: it is a lovable truth.  John states that the people to whom he writes are those "whom I love in the truth".  Should not the truth of God's Word impact us in such a way as to stir us up unto love and good deeds? Only with one another, gathered together around the truth of God's Word, can we walk in such a way as to promote love for the truth and within it. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

3. Knowable Truth 2 John 1
By being eternal truth and loving truth, the truth of God that enables the Christian to consistently walk with God grants knowledge of God - i.e it is knowable truth.  To "know the truth" as stated by God refers to knowing it be first hand experience.  The only way you and I can know God is through His Word and the increasing awareness of the Holy Spirit's indwelling power and Presence in our lives.  To "know" God isn't merely head knowledge, but also heart knowledge as well.  Both the head and heart are necessary to "know" the truth.

4. Abiding Truth 2 John 2
This fourth trait of the truth that motivates the Christian walk gives the believer continual power to live.  The fact that the truth of God is that which "abides" or "sticks with us" indicates what is needed to walk with God.  Every morning I try to have oatmeal for breakfast, because I know that oatmeal will "stick with me" until lunch. Candy won't do it nor cake, but wholesome food.  God's Word alone is sufficient as God's truth, since it is about the Savior Jesus Christ Who is The Truth.

5. Christ's Truth 2 John 3
The reason why the truth of God is necessary for the Christian's walk is due to the source from whence it comes - Jesus Christ.  It is He, in conjunction with God the Father, Who dispenses by His Spirit the necessary strength for Godly living "in truth and love".  

6. Livable Truth 2 John 4
Because John's readers were relying upon eternal, loving, knowable, abiding and Christ sourced truth, they thus were able to live the Christian life.  The truth of the Christian life is that with Spirit's power and His truth, the Christian can walk it out.  No wonder John wrote: "I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father." 

2 John - Explaining what it means to walk with God

2 John 1:4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 


The audience and theme of 2 John: The Christian Walk
As with the other seven letters designated "The General Epistles", 2 John is written not so much to a specific person but more so to a "general" group of Christians.  John starts out this little letter by identifying his readers collectively as "The Elect Lady and her children".  Although commentators are divided as to whether John is writing to an individual or to a church, I tend for various reasons to favor the latter interpretation. 1

If we were to assign one theme to 2 John, it would be the theme of "The Christian Walk". Being that 2 John is the second shortest book in the Bible, we can more easily see why this theme of "The Christian Walk" fits the book in just two verses:

2 John 1:4  I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 

2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

This concept of "walking with God" is so important that it merits explanation.  The remainder of today's post will attempt to explain what it means to "walk with God" and why John was so thrilled to find this church doing so.

Explaining what it means to "walk with God"
John is so thrilled over this church, the "chosen elect lady", to be "walking in the truth". Why? All New Testament doctrines have at least one concrete example in the Old Testament to help us picture the teaching.  Whenever you survey the subject of "walking with God", you find a goldmine of truth in the 50 or so places that the idea is mentioned.  Some of the more noteworthy examples are:

1. Genesis 5:24 "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." This is the Bible's first mention of a man "walking with God".  In Genesis 3:8 we see God coming down to Eden to "walk", indicating that His desire had been and still is to walk with man, even though fallen man apart from His grace had hid from Him.  Only when God begins to walk with man will man in turn walk with Him.  For 300 years Enoch walked with God, and then was snatched away by God so as to avoid death.  

2. Genesis 6:9 We see Noah walking with God in righteousness

3. Genesis 17:1 Abraham's walk with God meant He relied upon the righteousness of God

4. Leviticus 26:12 spells out the fact that walking with God means I walk with God and He with me

5. Joshua 22:5 states: "Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 

6. Psalm 23:4 has the Holy Spirit saying through David: "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." (KJV)

7. Isaiah 40:31 the Holy Ghost speaks: "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

The New Testament continues on with this theme of "walking" with an even greater emphasis on the manner and character of one's Christian life...

1. Galatians 5:16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."

2. Ephesians 4:1 "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called."

3. 1 John 2:6 "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."

Then of course we see the final mention of "walk" in the Bible as picturing the saints of God living in eternity and conducting their existence around the light of God's glory in Jesus Christ shining in the New Jerusalem.  We read the same author, the Apostle John, writing these words in Revelation 21:24 - "The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it."

In sum, walking with the Lord has to do with the manner, the motives, the means and the main purpose of Christian living: the pleasure and glory of God in Jesus Christ.  There is to be "onward" and "upward" movement in the Christian life as they strive to "walk with God".  Whenever you and I are walking with God, we are fulfilling God's design and desire: to be a people who walk with Him and He with us. (Genesis 3:8; 2 Samuel 7:7)

This amazing truth of "walking with God" is why John is so thrilled to not only find individual believers, but an entire church "walking with God" in love of the truth.  May you and I be so characterized as having a very visible Christian walk with the Lord.  

End Notes:                             

1. The Jamieson-Faussett-Brown Commentary notes: "As Peter in Babylon had sent the salutations of the elect Church in the then Parthian (see above on Clement of Alexandria) Babylon to her elect sister in Asia, so John, the metropolitan president of the elect Church in Asia, writes to the elect lady, that is, Church, in Babylon."   The just quoted commentary cross-references Peter's remarks in 1 Peter 5:13 which reads -  "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark." We know also too that the Apostle Paul refers to churches as God's elect people in Ephesians 1:4-5 and Colossians 3:12, further lending support to the notion that John is most likely writing to a church, rather than an individual.  John himself speaks elsewhere of church members being likened unto "children" in 1 John 2:12-14.   

A Poem - Jesus Christ God and Man

Philippians 2:8-11 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Today's post is a poem based off of Philippians 2:8-11.  The point of the poem is to honor Jesus Christ as He has always existed as God with the Father and the Spirit, and how He humbled Himself by the virgin conception/birth to live as a human being.  

Jesus Christ - God and man

In Eternity He shared glory and Deity

With the Father and Spirit in One Trinity

He chose with the Father to become a man

The Spirit would aid in executing the plan

Mary the virgin was the vessel to be

Wherein the miracle of Deity united with humanity

As God the galaxies were held by His Might

As babe His hands clung to his mother tight

As God he formed the first man by His hand

As man his hands were to be pierced per the Father's plan

As God He made galaxies, planets and life

As man he was laid in a manger in the midst of strife

As God He knew all that ever would be

He limited Himself to become sinless humanity

He was the source of salvation as the Redeeming God

As Man He died to pay with innocent blood

As God He had no beginning nor ending of life

As perfect man He resurrected to provide eternal life

He with Father and Spirit, One Perfect Deity 

As man He ascended in glorified humanity

By grace through faith sinners see Him as God

United to humanity, by faith in His blood

When He returns, he will still be God and sinless man

The King of Kings, Jesus Christ, Fully God and Perfect Man

God's Nature, Roles and Identity in relationship with creation

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"

Yesterday we explored in depth the meaning of Genesis 1:1 and the implications it has for communicating a Christian worldview of creation.  In today's post I want to look at God's Nature, Roles and Identity as explained through the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.  Doctrinal statements are useful tools used by Christian churches for communicating Biblical truth for the sake of evangelism and discipleship.  Though doctrinal statements like the BFM 2000 are far from the unique authority held by the Bible, nevertheless such statements can provide a guide for teaching, preaching and understanding Christian essentials.  The BFM 2000's statements about the Biblical doctrine of creation functions in the background of it's direct statements on God's Nature, Roles and Identity.   It is hoped from this brief exploration that the reader will see why the Biblical doctrine of creation is so vital to the understanding of the Christian faith.  

1. God's nature in relationship to His creation
The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM 2000) states the following about God's nature: There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being..."  When you look at the BFM 2000 statement, you are gaining a summary of God's nature.  Anytime we speak of someone's nature, we are referring to the way in which that being expresses their existence.  The idea of God's nature answers the question: what is God like. The BFM 2000 highlights some characteristics of God's nature:  

God in His nature is....
A. Intelligent. God is able to plan out creation, history and the end thereof. God's intelligence also includes Him exercising His Sovereignty through means such as responsible creatures, events and situations. Divine Intelligence, not chance, governs the cosmos, life and human affairs.  Ecclesiastes 3:15; Romans 11:33-36; Ephesians 1:11

B. He is spiritual, not material.  This point is important, since we see that matter is neither eternal nor pre-existent - contrary to evolutionary models of origins.    Isaiah 44:8; John 4:24

C. Personal, not impersonal.  That is, God is not a force, nor an it, but Personal, totally contrasting belief systems and eastern religions like Hinduism. Furthermore, God has the ability to intervene in the affairs of His creation and has done so chiefly through the incarnation of the Son Jeremiah 23:24; Acts 17:24-27

2. God's roles in relationship to creation flow naturally from the kind of God He is.
The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 begins with a description of God's nature, and then proceeds next to the roles He alone can perform due to His nature: the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God's nature tells you what kind of God the God of the Bible is, and the following roles describe some of the main things God alone can do.  Each of the below roles reminds us that God is not only above His creation (transcendent), but He is also very involved with His creation (immanent). Jeremiah 23:24; Isaiah 57:15; John 3:16; Acts 17:24-25; Hebrews 1:1-2; Revelation 21:16-22 

God in His roles functions as...
A. The Creator, meaning then that God is Uncreated, the only Being who fits into that category.  There is God and then there is everything else. Isaiah 43:10; 1 Corinthians 8:6

B. The Redeemer, pointing to the fact that God is about the business of redeeming fallen men and creation.  Salvation is from God, not man.  Jonah 2:9; Isaiah 43:11; Romans 11:36

C. The Preserver.  Preserving the physical creation is what He has been doing since He ceased creating on the sixth day.  Psalm 104:28-29; Romans 8:21-25

D. The Ruler of the Universe, which points to the truth of He having a Kingdom that is universal in its scope and redemptive in focus. Daniel 2:44-45; 4:34-36; Matthew 6:13; Revelation 11:15

Having seen God's nature (what kind of God God is) as the One God that is Intelligent, Spiritual and Personal; as well as God's roles in what He can do as Creator, Redeemer, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe, the BFM 2000 presents to us a third idea, namely God's Identity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  As one Bible scholar has noted, God is One "What" and Three "Who's".  

3. God's Identity as Father, Son and Spirit in creating all that is seen and unseen
This One Eternal God of scripture is identified as three Who's: Father, Son and Spirit.  We only discover God's Three-fold identity in scripture, while seeing the kind of God He is (i.e His nature) in both scripture and creation.  The BFM 2000 gives the following summary of the doctrine of the Trinity: The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. The BFM 2000 then explains how each Person of the Trinity, sharing in the One Divine Nature described above, created all things...

A. God the Father Planned all things.  The BFM 2000 states: God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise. 
This first identification of God as Father reveals that the Father is the Planner, the Architect of all Creation.  Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6; Romans 11:36

B. God the Son Structures all things.  The BFM 2000 notes: Christ is the eternal Son of God.  
 Whenever you consider all that was said about the nature of God at the beginning of today's post, and understand that God is first of all identified as Father, then you understand that the Person of the Son being Eternal assumes the same characteristics and roles as the Father.  What distinguishes the Father and the Son in the act of creating all things is that the Father sanctioned or planned creation, whereas the Son structures or makes real the creation thought of in the Father's mind.   Compare John 1:1-3; Romans 9:5; 1 Corinthians 8:6


C. The Holy Spirit brings life to all things.  The BFM 2000 notes the following:-The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. 
By stating the Holy Spirit to be fully Divine means that He shares in the same Divine nature that is ascribed to the Father and shared by the Son.  Without the Trinity, God has no identity nor reality.  In being Triune, God is self-contained and independent of His creation, not relying upon the creation to complete His identity nor existence.  In regards to creation, the Father planned it, the Son put structure and reality to it and the Spirit is the One Who places life within it.  Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104; Acts 5:4-5; Hebrews 9:5  

A Christian worldview of origins from Genesis 1:1

בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ.  Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1 translated: God created in the beginning the heavens and the earth.

What you see above is the text of Genesis 1:1 as it looks in the original Hebrew text.  Hebrew is written from right to left and is a beautiful language.   Our interest in today's blog is to understand what this one verse of the Bible as to say about the nature and scope of our universe.  In scripture there are roughly 60 passages that discuss the origin of the universe, life and humanity from One all powerful, all-knowing God, with Genesis 1:1 being the first.  The above English translation is an attempt to give you the reader what the Hebrew text is actually saying, and in what order it is saying it.  What this one verse tells us gives us the nuts and bolts needed to communicate the Christian worldview of an understanding of the Universe.  Therefore we will briefly look at the verse to unfold its meaning, followed by some observations from actual Christian Astronomers on the significance of holding to a Christian world-view of creation.

Genesis 1:1 - a Closer look

1. "God", אֱלֹהִ֑ים = Intelligent Origin of the universe.  This Hebrew word is pronounced "El-o-heem" and is a compound plural, meaning that God is One God Who is plural in His identity.  This could very well hint at what would be later on revealed in the Bible as His Triune identity: One God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

2. "created", בָּרָ֣א = The universe came from nothing from this Intelligent God.

The Hebrew word is "ba-ra" and refers to a process whereby the Creator makes all things out on non-prexisting material.  To say that the universe is a "creation" implies "The Creator".  Other models of origins make the universe to be a cosmic "accident" that emerged from some kind of eternally pre-existing fluctuation in the sub-atomic realm.  With God, there are no accidents or random events.  He needed nothing.  He spoke and what was formerly non-existence became existent. (Psalm 33:6) The term "creation" includes the idea of intention, purpose and planning.  

3. "in the beginning", בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית = Time was created by God.  God created the flow of time itself, what physicists often refer to as "time's arrow".  Movement from past to present to future was set by God. That Hebrew word "bay-ro-sheeth" speaks of God creating time and setting it forth. This is what distinguishes creation from Him.  For God, He sees the end from the beginning.  All other created things experience time as the flow from past, to now, to the unknown (for them) future.

Thus far we have three terms to communicate a Christian worldview of the origin of the universe: Intelligent Origin, Creation and beginning of time.  Let consider the fourth idea in Genesis 1:1, 

4. "The heavens", אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם =Heavens in the original Hebrew is a plural word, "sha-mim", with that "im" ending telling us that there is more than one.  We know from the  remainder of scripture that there are at least four "domains" called heaven: The sky, the physical universe, the abode of God's concentrated presence and then what will be "the new Heavens" as seen in Revelation 21:1.  The physical universe (2nd heaven) is described in 17 spots in the Bible as having been "stretched out", meaning that God's process of forming the cosmos included some sort of expansion of the cosmos itself.  At bare minimum we can say that in this category, the idea of "space" is included.  According to Einstein, space is a stretchable, membrane-like sheet wherein all the planets and stars are situated.  God would had embedded in His creation of the heavens the four fundamental forces of gravity, the strong nuclear force in atoms, the weak force responsible for nuclear decay and electro-magnetism that is behind all forms of radiation and the holding together of the elements.  

5. "and the earth",וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ  1= The planet earth is representative of the physical matter in the universe. Matter of course is the physical "stuff" of the universe.  I find it interesting that contrary to secular theories of origins which propose matter as the origin of all things, the Biblical model has matter being created.  It only makes sense that God would formulate the laws and equations He would use to govern matter in the space He formed to place the matter therein.  

So then we have five categories: Intelligent origin, creation, beginning of time, space and matter.  

Why a Biblical worldview of creation as taken from Genesis 1:1 matters

Dr. Jason Lisle, a creationist (one who believes that the universe and life recently came about as a result of God creating all things) and a professionally trained astronomer, writes these words:2 If we build our thinking on the Bible, the inspired word of the God of the universe, then we have a correct foundation of ran accurate worldview.  Only the biblical worldview can provide a basis for logical thought and scientific inquiry which is self-consistent, makes sense of the scientific evidence and provides an absolute moral standard."

Dr. Lisle then lists four assumptions that flow from a biblical worldview like the one articulated from Genesis 1:1-

1. I exist because God made me. (Psalm 139:14)

2. There is a reality because God created it.  (Genesis 1:1)

3. God created my senses so that I might be able to probe and master the reality He created. (Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 94:9)

4. There are laws of logic which we can use. (Isaiah 1:18)3

Implications of a Christian worldview of origins and why one does not have to abandon scripture in order to do science

In reading over Dr. Lisle's observations, it is very clear that many of the assumptions used in modern scientific inquiry are borrowed from the Christian worldview: an objective, measurable, "out there" reality; laws of logic and reason that can understand such a reality; the notion of there being a pattern and order to what we see and even the idea of the universe having a beginning.  

At stake in the attempt to understand the origin, nature and end of the creation and universe is not the evidence, but the interpretation of the evidence.  Many would try to tell you that science is necessary to re-interpret the Bible and that our understanding of creation needs to change along with the latest scientific discoveries.  However we must remember that when a scientist proposes an idea (hypothesis) and even demonstrates its validity after several tests and experiments (theory), science at best can only say we still may never have conclusive and comprehensive knowledge of a given matter, since new evidence is always forthcoming.  

Another Christian and professional astronomer, Dr. Danny Faulkner, writes these words:4 "One thing we have learned from our study of cosmology (the study of the origin and end of the universe) is that it is a rapidly changing thing.  Over the years many ideas have seemingly been beyond dispute only later to be discarded.  An understanding of Genesis that was tied to any of these ideas would had been discredited long ago.  Are we so arrogant to think that only our generation has finally learned the ultimate nature of the universe? Those who would link Genesis to the big bang should carefully consider the caution offered here.  When the big-bang theory is scrapped, what is to become of Genesis if we have wrapped it in the big-bang theory? Science is a tentative, changing enterprise, but the Bible is forever true."

Endnotes:__________________

1. The Hebrew phrase "vay eth ha-aretz"

2. Dr. Jason Lisle.  Taking Back Astronomy. Master Books. 2006. Page 111.

3. Dr. Jason Lisle.  Taking Back Astronomy. Master Books. 2006. Page 111.

4. Dr. Danny Faulkner.  Universe by Design.  Master Books. 2004. Page 112

General, Full and Special Revelation

Revelation 1:16 "In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength."

Bible teachers for centuries have used three categories to describe how God communicates His will and existence to human beings: general revelation, Fullness of revelation and special revelation.  The above passage demonstrates all three categories: it uses the sun, which is part of God's general revelation.  Second, the sun is used to illustrate the more profound and Supreme Fullness of Revelation - Jesus Christ.  Then thirdly, the verse itself is part of God's special revelation - the Bible.  In today's post we will aim to briefly define each of these terms and discover how God has ordained all three of them to work and function together in the revelation of His work of salvation and wonder of glory.

1. General Revelation: Information about God, made available to everyone in general
In the above picture you are seeing the picture of the sun as it appeared yesterday to scientists operating the "Solar Dynamics Observatory" that is in current orbit around the sun.  The sun itself is quite a fascinating object in our solar system.  For one thing, the volume of the sun is big enough to hold 1100 earths.  The sun itself is a million miles in diameter, compared to our planet earth which is roughly 7500 miles in diameter.  The energy output of the sun in one second could light a city like New York for 500,000 years.  At a distance of 93 million miles, the energy we receive from the sun is billions of times smaller than the energy emitted from its surface.  The sun is a huge thermo-nuclear ball that is constantly converting Hydrogen into Helium.  

Now why is any of this information pertinent? Because the sun is part of what we call God's general revelation about Himself.  Psalm 19:4b-6 states about our universe - "...In them He has placed a tent for the sun, (5) Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. (6) Its rising is from end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat." Romans 1:20 states - "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."  The sun is but one star in an ocean of an estimated 200 billion stars populating our Milky Way Galaxy, which in turn is but one galaxy in an ocean of over an estimated 100 billion galaxies strung across the visible universe.  Unless we conclude that the universe was created to display the glory of God, there is no other explanation for its size, complexity and displays of power.  

Revelation 1:16 uses the lesser glory, lesser general revelation of the shining of the sun to illustrate the Fullness of revelation - Jesus Christ.  

2. Fullness of Revelation - Jesus Christ, The Incarnation of God revealed as Savior and Lord
John's whole point in the book of Revelation is to reveal, unveil the Person and glory of Jesus Christ.  We see Jesus Christ and His Church (1-3); Jesus Christ and His throne (4-5); Jesus Christ and History (6-18); Jesus Christ and His Coming Reign (19-20) and Jesus Christ in Eternity (21-22).  The Holy Spirit states in Hebrews 1:1-2 "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."  1 Timothy 3:16 in the KJV reads -  "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."  

To say that Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God as God in human flesh (incarnation meaning of course "in the flesh") leads to two other exclusive truth claims of Christianity: that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation and that the Bible alone has specifically revealed Him. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 summarizes the doctrinal truth of Jesus Christ as the fulness of Divine Revelation: Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Jesus Christ is the apex of Divine revelation since He is the Source and Object of it.  All of creation points to Him, since all of creation is upheld and held together by His power. (Colossians 1:16-17).  As theologian Abraham Kuyper once stated - "there is not one square inch of creation that Christ does not proclaim "mine"! 

So with general revelation being information about God in creation and Jesus Christ being the Incarnation of God in human flesh, where do we go to find out specific information about Jesus Christ, creation and salvation? This leads us to our third category: The special revelation of the Bible.

3. Special Revelation - Specific information from God in words, specifically revealing Jesus Christ, salvation and creation's purpose
General revelation is "general" in the sense that all people have access to it and can discern information about God.  However, general revelation is "non-saving", meaning that it by itself cannot lead to salvation.  In order for salvation to occur, there must be the presence of God's Special revelation - the Bible, which reveals the fullness of revelation - Jesus Christ.  Psalm 19:7 tells us - "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." 1 Peter 1:23 communicates - "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God."  

How General, Special and Fullness of Revelation work together while still being distinguished
The Bible is "special revelation" because of the fact it is the "specific" source the Holy Spirit uses to communicate God's will and saving purposes.  Romans 10:17 reminds us that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."  In terms of how general revelation and special revelation work together, if a person will but agree with what general revelation is telling them about God, then the Spirit will send a missionary or believer to communicate the scriptures and the Spirit through the scriptures can in turn bring them to saving faith in Lord. (Acts 17:22-34; Romans 10:8-10; James 1:18).  However if a person rejects the "lesser light" of general revelation, then they have demonstrated their persistence in unbelief and thus will not be receptive to special revelation of the fullness of revelation Jesus Christ - hence leaving them without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20)  

Think of an illustration of a darkened room.  In darkness, my eyes are completely adjusted.  However if you suddenly were to turn on the lights, the light would sting and cause pain. I may conclude I do not want you to turn on the lights.  However let's say you brought in the dim light of a night-light.  After seeing the benefits of the night-light, I would then be open to further light.  You then come and turn on the overhead lights, prompting me in turn to come to you and trust you, since a lighted room is far better than a darkened one.   

Only in the specific confines of the Bible do we come to know the fullness of Revelation - Jesus Christ.  The Books of Mormonism and the Koran do not contain any information whatsoever about the fullness of revelation Jesus Christ - since they are nothing but religious reflections and opinions of unbelieving, unconverted men.  The Jesus of Mormonism and the Koran is not the same as the Jesus of revealed scripture. This is yet another reason we term the Bible "special revelation", since it alone reveals who Christ is, God's saving purposes in Him and His glory to be revealed at Christ's return. 

May God be glorified as we enjoy the information we receive about Him from general revelation, explore the Truth of His will in the Inspired special revelation of His Word and embrace the fullness of revelation of the Incarnate God, Jesus Christ, that we derive from the Bible's pages.