According to the Bible, God is there, and He has not been silent. He has made Himself known to us. That act and process is called “revelation,” a word meaning to unveil or uncover what was previously hidden, and making known what had been secret. Theologically speaking it refers to God’s deliberate disclosure of His plans, His character, and Himself.
There are two types of revelation. The first is what we call general revelation in which God has made Himself known to all mankind everywhere. Paul explains, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God,” (Romans 1:19–20).
General revelation is God’s witness to His own existence. This witness is given through creation, as we just read in Romans 1:19–20 in Psalm 19:1–2, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.”
History is also a witness to God’s existence. (See Acts 17:22–31, especially verse 26.) “From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.”
Humanity is a witness to God’s existence because human beings are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27). Even those who haven’t read the Bible or heard of Jesus, “demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right,” (Romans 2:15). The magnificence of the human body is perhaps the best evidence of general revelation on earth. The entire human body—its cardiovascular system, the bone structure, the respiratory system, the muscles, the nervous system including its centre in the brain—reveals an infinite God.
We also know of God’s existence through His providential acts. “In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts,” (Acts 14:16–17).
Humanity is to reflect on these witnesses to God’s existence and conclude that God is our great Creator, that we are to seek Him, and we are accountable to Him (Romans 2:1).
Although God’s existence is made known in these ways, general revelation does not reveal God’s character and personality (Acts 17:23). It can neither tell us about the love and grace of God nor of His perfect holiness. Furthermore, creation does not tell us of God’s plan of salvation or how people may procure that salvation.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:13–14)
This brings us to the second type of revelation. We call it special revelation. By special revelation, we mean God’s manifestation of Himself to particular people at definite times and places, enabling those people to enter into a redemptive relationship with him.
The nature of this mode of revelation is that it consists primarily of words. The author of Hebrews reminds us that God has made Himself known by speaking long ago to the fathers in the prophets and in many ways, and in these last days has spoken to us in His Son (Hebrews 1:1–2).
There are three elements to special revelation: specific times, specific modes, and specific persons. Later, still dealing with this special revelation that reveals our “great salvation,” the author of Hebrews says, “so what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose” (Hebrews 2:3–4).
Again, we see the same elements: a specific mode (special revelation embodied in words), at a specific time (during the life of Christ and the apostles), and in specific persons (those who heard the Lord and His apostles whose teaching or words were confirmed by signs and wonders). This was precisely in keeping with Christ’s own words in John 16:12–15. Special revelation involves a narrower focus than general revelation and is restricted to Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. Of course, all that is known of Christ is through the Scriptures. Therefore, it can be said that special revelation is restricted to the Scriptures.
Why do people need special revelation? Special revelation is needed because of our blind and sinful condition caused by the fall as recorded in Genesis 3—a blindness made even stronger by the blinding activity of Satan (Ephesians 4:17–19; 2 Corinthians 4:4). This necessitated the need for special revelation so God could reveal Himself and His plan of salvation that people in turn might be reconciled from their condition of alienation and restored to fellowship with God.
Humanity also needs special revelation for two other important reasons. First, so people correctly interpret the truths revealed in general revelation, and second, because these general truths are very limited. As is obvious from the many religions of the world, people consistently misinterpret what they can learn from creation or providence. Therefore, people desperately need God’s special and supernatural revelation.
Special revelation centres on Jesus Christ. He is the Word because He is the complete revelation of the Father (John 1:1). He reveals what the Father is like (John 1:18). He reveals the Father’s compassion (John 5:36–37) and that the Father gives eternal life through the Son (John 6:63; 14:10). He determines who will know the Father (Matthew 11:27) and to know Jesus is to know the Father (John 14:9).
The Bible serves as the most inclusive of all the avenues of special revelation for it encompasses the other avenues of special revelation such as visions and dreams or speaking prophets. Plus, though special revelation centres in the person of Christ, all that can be known about Jesus Christ is known through the Bible. In a very real way, it is true that special revelation is restricted solely to the Bible. Scripture reveals all the doctrine, rebuke, correction and guidance that is needed for godly living (2 Timothy 3:16–17). It reveals all that God has chosen to reveal to people through human authors directed by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
God took the initiative to reveal Himself to humanity through general and special revelation (Hebrews 1:1). The most complete and understandable self-disclosures are through the propositions of Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:6–16). The revealed and written Word of God is unique in that it is the only revelation of God that is complete and that so clearly declares humanity’s sinfulness and God's provision of the Saviour.
