Study 5 – Natural Knowledge And Revealed Knowledge – II
“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6)
—Continuation from last study.
REFLECTIONS ON BIBLICAL WORDS FOR “REVELATION”
The Hebrew word that is translated “revelation,” “vision,” or a comparable word in Proverbs 29:18, depending on the Bible version, is chazown. This word can also mean “oracle” or “divine communication.” Chazown refers to a fresh revelation from God that declare what He is saying and doing now. Different from biblical doctrine or knowledge gained from reading the Scriptures or hearing bible teachings, this communication is rhema, a “now” word from God. It is the manna that God provides for today – not for yesterday or for tomorrow. There will be another fresh revelation tomorrow that will keep us from moving forward so that we don’t lose our direction or advancement. This is the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Without chazown, the people “cast if restraint” (NKJV, NIV), they are “uncontrolled” (NCV), they are “demoralized” (NAB), they “perish” (KJV). They are lost, lacking destiny. What does this mean for us? We are currently living in times of darkness, confusion, and insecurity. Now, more than ever, we need God’s fresh revelation.
In the New Testament, the word “revelation” is translated from the Greek word apokalypsis, which mean to “reveal,” “remove the covering,” “discover,” or “manifest something that was hidden.” Revealed knowledge comes directly or indirectly from God’s Holy Spirit to the spirit of a person, not to the person’s mind or senses. Again, it cannot be researched in a book or in any other source of information. And it does not require time to learn, because it is given instantly; it manifests in the blink of an eye.
Part IV: Man’s Knowledge Versus God’s Knowledge
Even those who love God and desire to live for Him can still have a tendency to rely too much on natural knowledge, rather than walk in the light of His revealed knowledge. We don’t need to have rejected the knowledge of god to experience some of the consequences of a lack of revealed knowledge. Let us therefore continue to explore what the Bible says about natural knowledge versus spiritual knowledge.
- (a) What does the book of Proverbs warn us not to do? (Proverbs 3:5b, 7a)
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(b) In contrast, what are we encouraged to do? (Proverbs 3:5a, 6a)
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(c) What will the Lord do for us if we follow His instructions? (Verse 6b)
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- Why do we need to be careful about following a path that seems right to us , from a natural or carnal point of view, while ignoring God’s ways? (Proverbs 14:12b)
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- (a) How did the apostle Paul describe the wisdom of this world? Complete the following:
1 Corinthians 3:19a: “The wisdom of this world is __________________________________ ______________ _______________.”
(b) What does the Lord know about the thoughts of those who are wise according to worldly wisdom? (Verse 20b)
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- (a) What comparison does the Lord use to convey the degree to which His thoughts and ways are higher than ours? (Isaiah 55:9a)
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(b) What question does God pose to people who are determined to spend their lives on earthly pursuits that are ultimately shallow and empty (Verse 2a)
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(c) What does God tell us to do in order to “eat what is good”? Complete the following:
Isaiah 55:2b: “___________________ _____________________ ________ _____________, and eat what is good.”
- When we incline our ears to God and come to Him, what will be the result for our souls? (Verse 3a)
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- What must a wicked, unrighteous person do in conjunction with returning to the Lord? (Verse 7a)
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The main purpose of revelation is to lead to a supernatural experience in God’s presence so that we can be transformed.
- God has made known to us through the Scriptures many of His thoughts and ways.
- How were the Scriptures given? (2 Timothy 3:16a)
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- What is the origin of scriptural prophecy? (2 Peter 1:21b)
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- By what route did scriptural prophecy not come about? (Verse 21a)
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Part V: Revealed Knowledge
In addition to His written WORD, God speaks to the heart of each believer through the Holy Spirit, and, as we have seen, He gives “now” words for today, or fresh revelation. Let us explore various avenues through which God has communicated fresh words of prophecy, starting with the revelation of Jesus Christ – the complete revelation and manifestation of the glory of the Father.
- (a) After Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah, what did Jesus tell him about how this knowledge had been revealed to him? (Matthew 16:17b)
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(b) What had not revealed this knowledge to Peter (Verse 17a)
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- What were some important means through which God bore witness to Jesus’ deity and ministry, as well as to the revelation Jesus brought to the world from the Father? (Hebrews 2:4)
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Miracles are outside the mental, sensorial, or natural realm of knowledge, and science cannot explain them.
- (a) In what way did Paul express that God is able to establish believers in their faith? Complete the following:
Romans 16:25-26a: “[God] is able to establish you according to ____________ ___________________ ___________ ____________ _______________________________ ________ __________________ ___________________, according to the _____________________________ ________ ______________ ______________________ kept secret since the world began but now has been ________________ _________________________….”
(b) The revelation that Gentiles, as well as Jews, could be fellow heirs with Christ and members of His body was not fully disclosed to God’s people in the ages prior to Christ’s coming. Through what avenue did Paul say this truth had been made known by God? Complete the following:
Ephesians 3:5b: “… it has now been ___________________________ _________ _____________ ________________________ to His holy ___________________________ and _____________________________.”
REFLECTIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCRIPTURE AND REVELATION
The Scriptures do not change. They are the foundation of our belief and practice. However, apostles and prophets are still needed to establish churches, teach and strengthen believers, and give fresh revelation of the ways in which God is working in the present generation. We must realize that true revelation does not negate foundational biblical doctrine, or vice versa. A balance can be restored if we understand and incorporate both sound doctrine and fresh revelation in the church as we grow spiritually. By nature, apostles have plans, designs, and projects from God that edify the church, advance the kingdom, and impact their surrounding communities. They have been given the spiritual map that will guide us, showing us the way to accomplish things. Prophets express what God is saying and doing at the moment (see Amos 3:7); they also see and speak of the future and of the mysteries of God. Unless the prophetic ministry is operating in the church, people who long to connect with the supernatural may turn to counterfeit forms of spirituality, such as the occult. Today, many people lack direction, vision, and genuine prophetic revelation from God. This is the reason He is restoring to the church the ministries of the apostle and prophet. The ultimate goal is to see people walk in truth and not be destroyed. When apostles and prophets are able to carry out their functions, the other three roles of the fivefold ministry (pastors, evangelists, and teachers) also function as they were meant to: the pastor takes care of the flock, the evangelist wins people for Jesus, and the teacher instructs the church—and all, as one, gather in the harvest of souls.
- Besides the special roles of apostle and prophet (see Ephesians 4:11–12), there are four gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to certain believers, at His discretion, so that they may receive revelation from God to convey to His people. To discover these four gifts, complete the following:
1 Corinthians 12:8, 10: “…for to one is given __________ ___________ ______ ____________________ through the Spirit, to another __________ ___________ ______ _________________________ through the same Spirit,…to another the working of miracles, to another __________________, …to another different kinds of tongues, to another __________ _____________________________ ________ ____________________.”
Key Definition: Revelation is a fragment of divine knowledge that was not previously known by the person receiving it. For example, a “word of knowledge” (1 Corinthians 12:8) is a small portion of the total knowledge of God, given by the Holy Spirit in an instant.
- (a) Paul told the Corinthians that they should “pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 14:1). What did he say they should especially desire? (Verse 1)
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(b) What does the person who prophesies “speak…to men”? (Verse 3)
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Leaders without revelation or fresh knowledge from God for their ministries will become irrelevant.
- Besides the gift of prophecy mentioned in the below verse, what other means of receiving and communicating revelation does God bestow on His people through the Holy Spirit? Complete the following:
Joel 2:28: “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall _____________ ________________, your young men shall __________ ________________.”
- What did Jesus say the Holy Spirit, or the “Spirit of truth,” would do for His followers? (John 16:13)
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- What statement by Jesus reinforces the difference between man’s natural intellect and ability and God’s thoughts and supernatural ability, which He conveys to us through revelation? (Luke 18:27)
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Revelation erases the borders of the impossible
Conclusion
Revelation is spiritual knowledge about God and His ways that comes into our spirits for the purpose of moving us forward in His will and in our relationship with Him. It is a window from time into eternity and from eternity into time, bringing God’s perspective to us human beings.
God’s revelation always demands change on our part. We might not always understand the revelation we receive, but we do not have to understand it to obey it. All we have to do is receive it. Let us remember that, in earlier times, the prophets would announce messages from God that they did not always understand. And yet, they were obedient to declare them, and that which they declared came to pass—or will come to pass—in the Lord’s time.
Ultimately, when we learn how to receive, walk in, and manifest God’s revelation, we will not only have a deeper understanding of God and a more intimate relationship with Him, but we will also see healings, miracles, signs, wonders, and demonstrations of the power of God that bless His people and reveal His glory to the world.
Prayer of Activation
Father of glory, in the name of Jesus, we ask You to forgive us for having conformed to religion, legalism, and empty traditions. Release upon us a hunger and thirst for Your kingdom and glory. Use us as vessels of clay, chosen to manifest Your glory as we live our lives. Impart the fire of Your presence to us, right now, so we will never again be passive Christians but active and bold ones. We commit to make ourselves available to You, to surrender our bodies as living sacrifices, and to obey Your Word. We want to be a part of the remnant You are raising to manifest Your glory in these last days. We receive everything we have asked for, right now, as we go out into a lost world in the name and power of Jesus. Amen!
Action Steps
- No matter what “impossible” situation you are facing, replace your natural thoughts with God’s Word. Write down verses and passages that apply to your situation and review them daily, committing to memory as many as possible.
- Similarly, ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your attention any negative, defeating thoughts as you go about your day. Then, as He reminds you, replace these thoughts with praise to God for His love, help, and strength
