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Theology

God's Special Revelation

This article explains what is God's special revelation, the means of special revelation, its purpose, and its content.

Pedro Cheung

Pedro Cheung

— 2 min read
God's Special Revelation
Spurgeon Library

4.1 What is special revelation?[1]

God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Heb 1:1–3)

  • Special revelation discloses God's plan of redemption.
  • It is found primarily (though not exclusively) in sacred Scripture.
  • Not everyone in the world has the opportunity to receive special revelation.

The Bible is the book of the revelatio specialis, and is in the last analysis the only principium cognoscendi externum of theology. It is therefore to this source that we also turn for our knowledge of special revelation. (Berkhof, Intro to ST, 133)

4.2 What is epistemology?[2]

  • Epistemology is a subdivision of philosophy. It is the science of knowing, and it analyzes the ways in which we are able to acquire knowledge.
  • Rational approach to knowledge where humans learn primarily through the mind.
  • Empirical approach to knowledge through the five senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
  • Christianity is based ultimately on knowledge that comes to us from God Himself.

4.3 What are some means (modes) of special revelation?

  1. Theophanies: clouds of fire and smoke, "the Angel of the LORD," and the incarnation of the Son of God.
  2. Verbal Communication: audible voice and in human language.
  3. Visual Revelation: dreams and visions.
  4. Prophecy: God’s communication of his thoughts to human beings.
  5. Miracles (Deut 4:32–35; Ps 106:8; John 2:11; 5:36; 10:37–38; Acts 4:10)
  6. Providential Revelation: Use of the Urim and Thummim, casting of lots, and other ordinary, natural processes.

4.4 What is the purpose and goal of special revelation?

The purpose and goal of special revelation is God’s own trinitarian glory, his delight in himself. The aim of revelation is to re-create humanity after the image of God, to establish the kingdom of God on earth, to redeem the world from the power of sin, and thus to glorify the name of the Lord in all his creatures. With the completion of Christ’s work, his Word is also completed (Heb. 1:1–4); strictly speaking, we look for no further revelation. (Bavinck, 96)

4.5 What are the contents of special revelation?[3]

  • It is a historical revelation.
  • It is both word and fact-revelation.
  • It is a soteriological revelation. Special revelation is a revelation of salvation and aims at the redemption of the entire man, both in his being and in his consciousness.

"Scripture is needed as a guide and teacher for anyone who would come to God the Creator." (Calvin, Institutes, I.6)

  1. Sproul, R. C. Everyone’s a Theologian: An Introduction to Systematic Theology (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2014), 20. ↩︎

  2. Sproul, 20–21. ↩︎

  3. Berkhof, L. Introductory Volume to Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1932), 136–137. ↩︎

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