2. Biblical Concepts of Revelation

For the writers of the Old Testament, "apart from some quite limited concessions, there is no stage at which God is not known."5 The writers of the Hebrew Scriptures plainly presuppose the knowledge of God and their main concern is how the Israelites as the chosen people of God should accept and respond to the divine messages. In the revelation through creation (Ps. 19:1, 8:3-4), the response is one of wonder and humbleness, as echoed by Paul in Rom 1:19-20 with the emphasis that God has made Himself known through the cosmos whose very existence requires an explanation outside of itself. God's character and God's purpose for creation have been made obvious through the creation of the cosmos and all living entities including humankind. Linked to the revelation through creation is the revelation through providence. God's providential care for His creation, particularly human beings, clearly demonstrates the goodness of the Sustainer (Lev 26:4, Ps 147:9, Jer 5:24). In the New Testament, the narratives of "the birds of the air" and "the lilies of the field" (Mt 6:25-32) are gratifying illustrations of God's character and God's provision for human needs. The revelation through history is a particular form of God's care for human beings. The classic example is the liberation of the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. In this significant religious event of the ancient Hebrews, God participates in human history simply because He is concerned about them (Ex 3:7). For Paul, Jesus' death and resurrection is the new exodus that liberates the whole humankind from the bondage of sin (Rom 8:1-3, Eph 1:7).

In addition to the laws governing the workings of the cosmos, there are moral laws given to human beings. The revelation through moral laws is emphasized throughout the Old Testament. The laws of God are written in the heart of every person (Deut 30:11-14) and the observation of these laws constitutes the basic element for the covenant between God and His people (Jer 31:33). Paul also speaks of the importance and the true meaning of the laws in great detail (Rom 2:12-27, 7: 1-13, 13: 8-10, Gal 3:10-24; cf. Jas 2:8-12). In fact, the laws can also be seen as the expression of the wisdom from God.

Literature reflects the enthusiastic search for divine wisdom6 and Paul stresses that human wisdom is unable to comprehend divine wisdom (1 Cor 1:17-25), which can nevertheless be revealed to us through the Spirit (1 Cor 2:6-13). For the Hebrews, one way of revelation of the divine wisdom is through the inspired words of the prophets7. In addition, the Israelites and early Christians also received divine messages through dreams and visions8. Although the word revelation is not used in the Old Testament, its concep, which leads to the apocalyptic literature, is clear and deeply diffused in the mind of the biblical writers.

It should be noted that the different types of revelation in the Old Testament have certain characteristics. Firstly, God is always the initiator of revelation and human beings could be called at any time and place chosen by God. Secondly, revelation is an interpersonal event and it is signified by the covenant between God and His people in the Old Testament. Thirdly, the word of God is usually emphasized in revelation, and the Israelites have to listen to it with their heart. Fourthly, the promise of revelation is God's salvation as well as the fullness of life. All of these Jewish concepts of revelation are in harmony with those ideas in the New Testaments that focus on the person of Jesus Christ. For the early Christians, Jesus Christ is the climax of all revelation as well as the key to understanding all forms of revelation.

The New Testament authors make it clear that Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament (Lk 4:16-23, Jn 19:24, 28, 36-37), particularly as the Messiah who carries out his saving mission through his own suffering (Mk 8:31, Acts 17:3, 1 Pet 1:11). In addition, Paul also identifies Jesus with the Wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:18-25) and the Creator of all creation (Col 1:15-21). In the Apocalypse of John, Jesus is the central figure in the course of cosmic history and is vividly depicted as "the Alpha and Omega who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (Rev 1:8). The traditional Jewish conception of revelation is therefore consistent with the early Christian conception. Both of them acknowledge the revelation of God in creation, in providence, in the laws and in the traditions of wisdom and prophecy. In other words, the Christian idea of revelation is embedded in and evolved from the Jewish Scripture. Nevertheless, for the Christians, Jesus is the continuation and summit of revelation, removing the veil and making what is revealed more lucid and definitive (2 Cor 3:14).