OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY

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OLD TESTAMENTTHEOLOGY
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REVELATION Before the Fall

• There was Revelation in Creation
• Manifestation of Creator/Creature relationship,
  Gen. 11
• Manifestation of attributes of Creator thru
  creation (Cf. Rom. 120/Ps. 191-6)
• Manifestation of unity between word and creation,
  Ps. 19 Ps. 336
• Revelation of man as image of God, Gen. 126,7
• Revelation in spoken word indicates Gods plan
  and purpose
• Revelation in spoken word indicates Gods power
  which brings about all that occursgt

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REVELATION Before the Fall

• There was Revelation in Man/Woman
• Man/woman are revelation of God (image bearer)
• This is a special application of above, viz.,
  revelation in creation
• Man (generic) is distinct as image-bearer
• Man Image of God (NOT, Image of God in Man)
• The glory of God visible in reflected way, Ps. 8
  (results in Doxology)
• Self knowledge is impossible without knowledge of
  Godgt 

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REVELATION Before the Fall

• There was Revelation in Words
• Revelation was not exhausted in creation
• Revelation in words was a correlative to
  revelation in nature a supernatural
  self-disclosure
• These words were not simply a part of the created
  order rather, they were spoken into the created
  order
• Thus, in addition to general revelation (creation
  and providence, etc.) there is special revelation
  (A. Kuyper, Principles of Sacred Theology,
  special principle, 368ff)
• Special revelation cannot be explained in terms
  of forces within creation it is a result of the
  immediate action of God (just as regeneration is
  not part of ordinary providence, but is the
  immediate act of God)gt

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REVELATION Before the Fall

• Revelation in Words, cont.
• Genesis 216,17, indicates the necessity of
  spoken revelation (verbal) directly to man
• It was the imparting of knowledge otherwise not
  knowable
• This was direct biblical fellowship, par
  excellence, (see Vos, Biblical Theology, 28)
• Revelation was given to Adam
• As a public person, L.C., Q. 22
• As representative of human race his destiny
  becomes oursgt

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REVELATION Before the Fall

• Revelation in Words, cont.
• The character of Word Revelation was
• Objective direct revelation was identifiable in
  human experience it was clearly distinguished
  from the words of Adam
• Adams word did not become Word of God
• The Word was not a witness to revelation, but was
  revelation (contra Barth)
• There was no confusion between the Words of God
  and the deeds of God GOD SPEAKS, ACTS,
  INTERPRETSgt

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REVELATION The Fall to Mt. Sinai

• CONTINUITY
• There is a deposit of revelation, the deposit of
  faith given in a book
• Redemption will lead to the restoration of the
  paradise situation restoration of direct
  continuitygt

• DISCONTINUITY
• Fellowship between God and man was broken it is
  restored in Jesus Christ, but only in part
• A lack of direct contact results in God using
  prophets and apostles as intermediaries between
  God and mangt

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REVELATION The Fall to Mt. Sinai

• Revelation and the Preceding Period
• Man was prohibited from eating in the garden
  under penalty of death in the very place where
  life began and life was to be sustained, Gen. 29
• Man, the image-bearer, continues but does so in
  a living death. Grace is the only basis for
  continued existence
• Death intervenes where once there had only been
  life
• The announcement of mans continued existence,
  Gen. 315, is a revelation of Gods grace (i.e.,
  God was faithful to his purpose in creating)gt

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REVELATION The Fall to Mt. Sinai

• This is a revelation of Gods kindness to all
  Common Grace
• Common Grace provides the backdrop for redemptive
  grace
• Acts 1417, God is not without a witness man
  still image-bearer of God, Gen. 96, James 39
• Nature, subjected to the curse, reveals the wrath
  of God (Rom. 820-22)gt

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REVELATION The Fall to Mt. Sinai

• Mankind reveals curse of sin, Rom. 117-32 and
  is bound to misinterpret revelation in nature
• Mankinds opposition to God is ethical, not
  metaphysical. Scots Confession 2,3 39 Articles
  9 Canons of Synod of Dordt, 31 Irish
  Articles, 22,23 WCF 42 and 62
• Common Grace restrains this ethical antithesis
  total depravity is restrained, although, in
  principle the antithesis is absolute. C. Van Til,
  Common Grace, 196gt

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REVELATION The Fall to Mt. Sinai

• The Distinction in Revelation
• After the fall, revelation becomes redemptive in
  nature
• Genesis 315 is the first intimation of the
  defeat of Satan. Cf. Rom. 16 20
• In spite of the curse, God will give life life
  in the midst of deathgt

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REVELATION The Fall to Mt. Sinai

• Modes of Revelation during the Patriarchal Period
  (Vos, BT, 69-76)
• God speaks in indefinite manner, e.g., Abram,
  Gen. 124
• God appears to men (Gen. 127) and theophanies
  occur (Gen. 1517)
• Dreams and visions, Gen. 2812, 462
• The most important and characteristic form of
  revelation in the patriarchal period, the Angel
  of the Lord. Gen. 167 -Vosgt

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REVELATION The Fall to Mt. Sinai

• The form of revelation from simple declarations
  that God had spoken to a more or less
  circumstantial description of the form, Vos, BT,
  69
• Revelation, while increasing in frequency, at
  the same time becomes more restricted and
  guarded in its mode of communication. Vos, BT,
  69
• The unfolding of the covenantal scheme begins
  with the first mention of the Covenant of Grace
  (Gen. 315), the formal institution of the
  Covenant of Grace (Gen. 121-3), and the
  restatement of the creation covenant as a basis
  for the redemptive covenant (Gen. 99-17). WCF
  73-6gt

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REVELATION Sinai Thru Malachi

• Mosaic Period Forms of Revelation to Moses (Vos,
  BT, 105ff)
• God was revealed in the Pillar of Cloud/Fire, Ex.
  1321,22 the Shekinah glory or the glory of the
  presence of the Lord, his dwelling
• God is revealed in the Angel of the Lord.
• God is revealed as The Name, Ex. 2321
• God is revealed as the Presence, or Face, Ex.
  3314 cf. Isa. 639
• The Ultimate design of all Gods converse with
  man is that he may make his abode with his
  people. Vos, BT, 106gt

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REVELATION Sinai Thru Malachi

• Deliverance from Egypt reveals the Nature of
  Redemption (further illustrated by entering into
  and conquering the land of Canaan)
• Redemption portrayed as deliverance from an
  objective realm of sin and evil
• The Hebrews likewise were delivered from
  subjective, inward spiritual degradation and sin
• The Exodus was a display of Gods omnipotence
• It was a demonstration of the sovereign Grace of
  God
• Deliverance in conjunction with covenant name,
  YHWH
• Revelation given in Types and Ceremonies (Cf.
  Col. 216,17 WCF 75)gt

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REVELATION Sinai Thru Malachi

• The Process of Inscripturation begins (Ex.
  243,4 cf. also 3118, the finger of God)
• In the context of Covenant, berith, Ex. 24
• With the establishment of the theocracy
• In the form of Torah
• Inscripturation is
• Given after establishment of berith with Abraham
• In accordance with promise and grace, cf. Deut.
  77-9
• Occurs after gracious redemption from Egypt
• Begins after enjoying the blessings of the
  Covenant (e.g., the presence of the Lord in the
  cloud)gt

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REVELATION Sinai Thru Malachi

• Seer, Roeh, and Chozeh, both refer to passive
  aspect of the prophets work, i.e., receiving
  revelation (I Sam. 99, II Sam. 241 Vos, BT,
  197)
• Prophet, Nabhi, refers to the active function of
  speaking the message (Ex. 416, 71 Jer. 15,6)
  thus, Nabhi was understood as an appointed
  regular speaker for a divine superior, whose
  speech carries the authority of the latter. Vos,
  BT, 192gt

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REVELATION Sinai Thru Malachi

• Prophetism
• It was connected with the use of sacred music, I
  Sam. 105-11
• It was the result of Gods Spirit coming upon a
  man
• In some instances, it involved the loss of
  self-control, although not a suspension of the
  rational processes, I Cor. 1432
• Sometimes, the experience produced ecstatic
  utterances, mannerismsgt

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REVELATION Sinai Thru Malachi

• Prophetism
• A ministry to the kings and kingdom of Israel,
  Vos, BT, 186.
• The word was the instrument of their activity
• Dual focus
• Retrospective- repentance for Israels sin
• Future- prophesying concerning coming things
• Two periods
• From Samuel to mid 8th century- repentance
• From mid-8th century to Malachi- regenerationgt

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REVELATION Sinai Thru Malachi

• The constant testimony of the O.T. writers is to
  the fact that their words are the words of the
  Lord. Therefore none of the prophets opened his
  mouth unless the Lord has anticipated his words.
  Hence it comes that these expressions are so
  often found among them the word of the Lord
  the burden of the Lord Thus saith the Lord
  The mouth of the Lord has spoken. John Calvin,
  ICR, IV,8,iii. Thus saith the Lord appears
  over 2,000 times in Scripture, according to James
  M. Boice, Standing on the Rock, 57gt

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OLD TESTAMENTTHEOLOGY