Doctrine of Revelation Flashcards
What has to happen in order for human beings to understand or perceive an eternal, infinite God?
God must reveal Himself to us
What does the word “reveal” mean?
1) to make known through divine inspiration, 2) to make (something secret or hidden) publicly or generally known
What is the doctrine of revelation?
It is the belief that God makes Himself known to humankind in tangible ways
God has revealed Himself to us in a way that is
sufficient_ but _selective__.
What is general revelation?
How God has generally made Himself known to humanity
What are two main ways that God generally reveals Himself to human beings?
Nature and a person’s conscience
How does a person experience what Ecclesiastes 3:11 refers to? How can that lead someone toward God? What happens when someone doesn’t seek God?
A person experiences a void, as if something is missing; it feels like a longing for something more. This can cause someone to seek God, or it can cause someone to endlessly search for the wrong things in an effort to fill the void.
What does nature reveal to us about the existence of God?
The complexity, beauty, and order of nature infers that there is a Designer/Creator
If we did not come about through accidental forces of evolution, why does it matter that God created human beings?
If people are created in God’s image for a purpose, then we aren’t the ones who decide who or what has value; God does
What is microevolution?
Change within a kind/species
What is macroevolution?
Change from one species to another
What two components are part of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution?
- Common descent, 2. Natural selection
- Miller-Urey experiment,
but they used the wrong gases to imitate the early atmosphere;
Darwin’s Tree of Life,
but the Cambrian explosion indicates that there were multiple ancestor fossils and not just a few that morphed into many;
Homology,
but just because there are similar structures across many organisms doesn’t mean they evolved, it could just as easily point to a Designer;
Haeckel’s Embryos,
but the drawings were faked and they are not that similar in real life
What is special revelation?
Ways that God reveals Himself to people that are miraculous and specific
Why isn’t general revelation enough? What’s important about special revelation?
Special revelation is how we know God’s character; general revelation makes us accountable for seeking God, but without special revelation we don’t who God is
List five ways that God reveals Himself that are classified as special revelation:
theophanies (& Christophanies), dreams, visions, Jesus, and the Bible
What is a theophany? Give one example of a theophany or Christophany:
an appearance of God to people in advance of Jesus; it was perceptible to the senses and revealed God’s character, examples include Genesis 12 & 18 when God appears to Abram/Abraham; Genesis 32 when Jacob wrestles with God; Exodus 3 when God appears to Moses in the burning bush; Exodus 19 when God appears as a cloud or thunder and lightning
Give an example from the Bible of God revealing Himself in some way to someone in a dream:
Genesis 28:12-16 (Jacob’s ladder), 1 Kings 3:5 (Solomon), Daniel 2 (Nebuchadnezzar’s dream)
Give an example of a vision from God in the Bible:
Gen 15 (to Abram), Daniel 7 (four beasts), Ezekiel 8 (to Ezekiel)
Provide a Scripture reference that explains that Jesus is God’s special revelation to us:
John 1:14, John 1:18, Col 1:15
What is extraordinary about the Bible considering that it is a collection of _66__ books, authored by _40__ people, written over a period of 1500 years, and divided into two testaments?
It has one unified theme and plot
What does the Bible say about itself in respect to it being a special revelation?
It refers to itself as the Word of God 394 times, Jesus quoted Scripture as authority
What outside evidence do we have that the Bible is the inspired word of God?
Many prophecies found in the Bible have been fulfilled
What does it mean that the books of the Bible are inspired by God?
God spoke through the authors using their own style and voice to communicate exactly what He wanted to say
What is the most important thing that you personally learned through this unit?
Think about it :)
