How Does God Speak to Men Today?
How Does God Speak to Men Today?
How God Speaks To Us Today
If you are expecting for God to reveal Himself to you as He did to Samuel (1 Sam. 3), you are highly likely to be continually disappointed.
However, God reveals Himself to men however He chooses. We must have open ears and open eyes so we can hear from Him and see Him.
God may choose to speak to someone through a dream or a vision. We have the record of Jesus appearing personally before people after His resurrection. There are people that are alive today that report being visited by Jesus. Of course this can still happen. Just because Jesus has not appeared to you does not mean that He hasn't appeared to anybody else!
God's Revelation refers to the ways in which God has chosen to disclose Himself, His Word and His will to humanity. This concept is foundational to understanding the nature of God, His purposes, and His interactions with the world. Revelation is generally categorized into two types: general revelation and special revelation.
How God Spoke People In The Past
Heb. 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
I certainly cannot tell you that God can't do something, but I can tell you, according to the Scriptures that we have, that I think He won't do something. None of us can put god into a box. God is going to do what he wants to do. Period!
God spoke directly to men through spirit beings (angels).
The Scripture records several times when God spoke to men directly, however He always used some agent to represent Himself.
He spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden, He spoke to Abraham and Sarah and others. (Read the book of Genesis.)
Ex. 33:11-23
[11] And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
[12] And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
[13] Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
[14] And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
[15] And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
[16] For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
[17] And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
[18] And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
[19] And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
[20] And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
[21] And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
[22] And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
[23] And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
God spoke through dreams.
He spoke to joseph through dreams. He spoke to Daniel this way as well as Nebuchadnezzar. He spoke to solomon through a dream, too.
God spoke through writing.
He spoke to Belshazzar the king this way. Jesus Christ Himself used writing in the sand once.
God spoke through a still small voice.
1 Ki. 19:10-16
[10] And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
[11] And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
[12] And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
[13] And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
[14] And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
[15] And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
[16] And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
God DOES NOT Speak to Us TO Give Us NEW REVELATION
To begin with, please first take a few moments to review revelation and inspiration and illumination, and make sure you understand the difference between each.
God is not going to speak to you in a way to where there needs to be more Scriptures added to the canon that we already have! These type of prophesyings are complete. They were completed with the end of the apostolic era, which ended on or about 70 AD.
Matt. 23:27-36
[27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
[29] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
[30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
[31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
[32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
[33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
[34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
[35] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
[36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
1 Cor. 13:1-13
[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
[2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
[3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
[4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
[5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
[7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
[8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
[10] But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
[11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
[12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
[13] And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
2 Pet. 1:13-21
[13] Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
[14] Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
[15] Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
[16] For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
[17] For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
[18] And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
[19] We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
[20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
[21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
God Speaks to Us through the Scriptures
Heb. 1:1-2
[1] God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
[2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
In the past, God revealed Himself through prophets. John the Baptist was the last of the prophets, unless you consider Jesus, the Great Prophet like Moses, the Son of God.
Scribes and priests would write down the words of the prophets and that's how we get the Scriptures.
God Speaks to Us by His Holy Spirit
This is the primary way God speaks today and is vitally connected to hearing or reading God's Word.
When you read or hear the Scriptures, and you have confidence that what you are reading or hearing is truth, that is the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart. He is speaking to you.
When you are watching and/or hearing someone preach or teach God's Word, and you experience an awareness of its truth, that is the work of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart.
When you are observing any of the wonders of the creation that is about you, and your heart is filled with gratitude for god and his goodness and power, that is the work of the holy spirit in your heart.
God Speaks to Us through His People
In this new covenant time, the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit lives within the bodies of every genuine believer in Jesus Christ. People can know God and Jesus Christ through His people.
Rom. 5:1-5
[1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
[2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
[3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
[4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
[5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The love that exists in the family of God is largely because we are loving God when we are loving one another.
Jesus Christ reveals Himself in the most profound and personal way through His followers.
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