The Secret

June 3, 2020 (Wednesday)

 

    For those who may wonder, I’m not commenting on racism in America because I don’t understand it. My suspicion is most of the reporting and voices we hear are a selected narrative designed to give only one side of the story. My opinion is that racism is unacceptable in any and all forms. What is happening is sad and deplorable. Within the church, racial lines are eliminated and racial differences celebrated, according to the Bible. If that’s not happening, then we are not the church.

    The point of the first six seals comes down to Revelation 9:20 – 21 (see yesterday’s post). Humanity will NOT repent (change mind and behavior). The pressure increases but hearts only harden. Punishment or correction does NOT bring change, repentance, or reformation. At this point the world clings to worshiping demons and idols. (A demon, in the Bible, is a fallen angel. An idol is a substitute for God.) Yet people stick to the worship of the false gods. They do not turn from murders, sorceries (spells and drugs), sexual immorality, and stealing. Jesus said the final days would have similar qualities as the days of Noah. “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.” [Genesis 6:5 NLT]

    God does not tell “all.” The only thoughts we can know are revealed by God.  There are two types of revelation, general and special. First, “general revelation” involves what can be observed and what can be deduced or known intuitively.

Observed:

• “Ever since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—God’s eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through the things God has made. So humans are without excuse” [Romans 1:20 NIV].
• “Heaven is declaring God’s glory; the sky is proclaiming his handiwork. One day gushes the news to the next, and one night informs another what needs to be known. Of course, there’s no speech, no words— their voices can’t be heard— but their sound extends throughout the world; their words reach the ends of the earth” [Psalm 19:1 – 4 NIV].

Deduced/intuitive:

• “Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt and do evil things; not one of them does anything good” [Psalm 14:1 NIV].
• “God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts, without enabling them to discover what God has done from beginning to end” [Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV].

    The second type of revelation is called “special revelation.” Special revelation has three sources: the Bible, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

• Bible: “In the past, God spoke through the prophets to our ancestors in many times and many ways” [Hebrews 1:1 NIV].
• Jesus: “In these final days, though, he spoke to us through a Son. God made his Son the heir of everything and created the world through him” [Hebrews 1:2 NIV].
• Holy Spirit: “However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come” [John 16:13 NIV].

    God does NOT tell us everything. John tells us, “When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and don’t write it down” [Revelation 10:4 NIV].

    John is invited to heaven to view what was to come from Jesus’ perspective.  He records what he sees, as it is happening.  To John this is historical, to us it yet to happen (assuming a “futurist” reading).

    For whatever reason we are not told; John is prohibited from writing down the seven thunders.  From this we see God demonstrating His control over information, the understanding of information, and the application of that information. Either this information would be something misused, completely misunderstood, or too clear. Either way there are two images from the Old Testament.  Daniel is told to “seal up” the information given to him. Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll.

    God has secrets. God has knowledge we would misuse, if we understood them. There is one secret we are to know: “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” [Colossians 1:27 NLT]