Characteristics of revelation

Article 2 of this dogmatic constitution brings out the important characteristics of God's offer of life and love. It points out most clearly, first of all, that the initiative in this offer comes from God: "God chose to reveal Himself...". God makes the first move, takes the first step to share life and love with us－and this for no other reason than divine "goodness and wisdom". We can, perhaps, imagine God to be so delighted with existence and life as to decide to share these with creation. Revelation is a deliberate choice of God. This important aspect of the Judaeo-Christian Tradition suggests a passion within God for human beings. It differs from philosophy, which begins with a human question about the possibility, existence and activity of a transcendent being which could answer human longing. Revelation assumes that God's question is primary; it comes first and subsequently is followed by a human answer. Revelation is not an act of human seeking, but of being sought after. God's initiative of relating precedes the human counterpart of the relationship. As one Jewish poem puts it :

Lord, where shall I find Thee?

High and hidden in Thy place ;

And where shall I not find Thee?

The world is full of Thy glory.

I have sought Thy nearness ;

With all my heart have I called Thee ;

And going out to meet Thee

I found Thee coming toward me.

If God's offer of life and love is God's decision and not at all dependent on human merit, revelation must be further characterized as unconditional. Its only foundation and reason is God's gracious goodness. In accord with this understanding is the inclusiveness of such revelation: the offer is extended to all regardless of position, condition or situation. No one is excluded a priori. As unconditional, God's offer is firm and never revoked or withdrawn no matter how we respond to it. Precisely because this initiative does not depend on us, it is totally dependable. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases", says the Book of Lamentations in witness to God's faithfulness towards us. "God's mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning" (Lam. 3:22-23). Such witness of our Tradition is most consoling, for we know that, regardless of what happens to us and no matter how far we stray from the right path, God will never abandon us. On the contrary, God will always offer forgiveness, as Jesus' parable of the merciful father assures us (cf. Lk. 15:11-24). Love, which manifests itself as forgiveness in sinful situations, is never withdrawn at any time. This may be foolishness when measured by human standards, but God is much more concerned with what happens to us and what we do to one another than about the divine reputation.

The unconditional offer of life and love has still another characteristic in the document. Revelation, according to Dei Verbum, happens in history. History is the setting of human experiences and it is there that salvation is proffered. Interestingly, Vatican II did not choose between "revelation" and "salvation" in this document. It simply employed the terms interchangeably. Articles 2, 3 and 4 shuttle back and forth between the two terms. As far as the Council was concerned, the history of salvation is the history of revelation and vice-versa. By mentioning history, the Council wanted to convey the conviction that the offer of life and love (salvation) happens in and through ordinary human experiences. Salvation is truly experienced, albeit provisionally and fragmentarily, in ordinary human situations. It is not to be sought in a so-called "supernatural sphere" above the "natural realm" of earthly, secular life in society. In a very real sense, there is no salvation outside the world (Schillebeeckx). God is truly at work in the ordinary. That is what is extraordinary about revelation. What we call the history of salvation is really our own particular human histories as communities of people in and through which God's offer of life and love is experienced. Just as Israel had its own history of salvation, so also every Christian community in a given culture and society will have its unique history of salvation.

Article 4 of Dei Verbum concerns itself with the Christological character of revelation. For Christians, Jesus is the decisive and definitive offer of life and love from God. He "speaks the words of God (Jn. 3:34), and completes the work of salvation which his Father gave him to do (cf. Jn. 5:36; 17:4)". It was he who "perfected revelation". In Jesus we are assured in faith that God's will is the total well-being of persons and of peoples, the fullness of life. Jesus' life, ministry, passion, death and resurrection point decisively to what God wills to effect in our world : life, and its fullness. It cannot be otherwise, for to experience Jesus is to experience the God who is Life (cf. Jn. 14:9). Because of this, we have come to know who God is for us in and through Jesus. Indeed, in Jesus we have really seen the face of God. When seen in and through the person of Jesus, God's face is one of amazing goodness and humanness. God is a caring God who looks after people and who compassionately champions the cause of their well-being.