THE BIBLE, A DIVINE REVELATION

The direct proof that the Bible is a Divine

revelation
 Bible claims to be a Divine revelation,The Word of God.
 Old Testament (Is. 30: 9; 34: 16; Ps. 1: 2; Dan. 10: 21)
 The New Testament (Heb. 6: 5; 2 Tim. 3: 15-17; Rom. 3: 2; 1 Pet. 4: 11; Luke 11: 28;
Heb. 4: 12; 2 Tim. 2: 15; Jas. 1: 18).
 With such a claim its Old Testament part, for a period of about 3,550 years.
 And in its Old Testament and New Testament parts it has stood before the Jewish
and Gentile world for approximately 1,900 years, with the claim of being a Divine
revelation, and has been accepted as such by many billions of Christian people.
 A book that has made such a claim for so many centuries, and that has by moral
suasion, as against force, convinced billions of people that its pertinent claim is true,
certainly comes to us with at least strong enough credentials to merit a serious
examination of the question, Is this claim true?
The method of giving the Divine revelation
 The method of giving the Divine revelation is reasonable in harmony with the order
of human history, which proves that great movements and influential results have
been initiated, not by the multitudes, nor by the average run of mankind, but by
specially endowed and fitted outstanding characters among mankind.
 E.g., the fact that it claims in its Old Testament part to have been given through
various agents, i.e., outstanding men like Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, the major
and minor prophets, scholars like Ezra, executives like Nehemiah, and that it claims in
its New Testament part to have been given by outstanding men like Jesus, Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter and Jude
 This is seen to be the case when the history of religion, state, nobility, capital, labor,
art, literature, science, invention, education, philosophy, medicine, law, militarism, etc.,
is studied.
 Again, the fact that the Bible was given in its several parts at various times is in
harmony with the course that all outstanding more or less finished attainments in
each general sphere of human activity mentioned in the last sentence have taken.
The method of giving the Divine revelation
 In harmony with the same law of human progress in productivity is the further fact
that the Bible was given in divers portions as well as in different times (Heb. 1: 1, 2).
 In harmony with the same law is another fact, that the separate features of the
Divine revelation were given progressively, the earlier features being the more
simple, and the later being the more intricate.
 Finally, in harmony with the course followed in preserving the knowledge of
preceding generations for the benefit of subsequent generations, i.e., to reduce
them to writing, the Divine revelation comes to us in writing; otherwise the
revelation to be handed on to coming generations would have to be given anew at
least each second or third generation.
 This disposes of the objection sometimes made to the Bible as a book religion. Thus
we see that the method of the Divine revelation, instead of being unreasonable, is
highly reasonable, and thus naturally appeals to our acceptance of it as such. This
book religion can certify itself, if its contents and accompaniments can be proved to
be worthy of truth and acceptance.
The method of giving the Divine revelation
 The experiences of the deepest thinkers and most saintly characters during the Gospel Age
add strength to the claim that the Bible is deserving of an examination as to whether it is a
Divine revelation.
 As examples of deepest thinkers who delved down into the deepest recesses of human
thought in their search for religious truth, and who found it in the Bible alone as the Divine
revelation, we may cite as outstanding examples the following:
• Saul of Tarsus (died, 67 A. D.), • Abelard (1142), • Francis Bacon (1626),
• Apollos of Alexandria (about • Thomas Aquinas (1274), • John Gerhard (1637),
• Robert Grossetete (1253),
75 A. D.), • Roger Bacon (1294),
• Pascal (1662),
• Irenaeus (200), • Marsiglio (about 1343), • Leibnitz (1716),
• Tertullian of Carthage • John Wyclif (1384), • Isaac Newton (1727),
(between 220 and 240), • John Wessel (1489), • Kant (1804),
• Origen (254), • Balthasar Hubmaier (1528), • Pasteur (1895),
• Arius of Alexandria (366), • Zwingli (1531), • Agassiz (1910),
• Oecolampadius (1531),
• Augustine (430), • Luther (1546),
• Russell (1916),
• Melanchthon (1560), • Milliken,
• Calvin (1564), • Einstein (1955)
The method of giving the Divine revelation
 Even more convincing on the Bible's worthiness of study as to whether it is the Divine revelation is the fact
that those who became the saintliest characters have made of it such a study, and who thereby became
convinced that it was such, found it to be the means of transforming their characters into God-and Christ-
likeness.
 We will instance some of these:
 John (died about 100),  Peter of Bruys (1126),  Arndt (1621),  Spener (1705),  Thomas Campbell
(about 1847),
 Polycarp (165),  Henry of Lausanne (1149),  Paul Gerhardt (1676),  Guyon (1717),
 Miller (1849),
 Ulfilas, Converter of the
Goths (381),
 Arnold of Brescia (1155),  Bunyan (1688),  Quesnel (1719),  John Edgar (1910),
 St. Patrick (about 465),  Peter Waldo (about 1215),  George Fox (1690),  Franke (1727),  Benjamin Barton
Louis IX (1270), (1916), etc.
 Bede (735),   Richard Baxter  Bengel (1752),
 Claudius of Turin (839),  Tauler (1361), (1691),  Fletcher (1785),
 Louis the Pious (840),  Huss (1415),  Charles and
 Alfred the Great (901),  Kempis (1471), John Wesley
(1788, 1791),
 Savonarola (1498),

 Many mentioned above in our first list as among the deepest of human thinkers also had saintly
characters, like those in our second list.
The method of giving the Divine revelation
 We will mention as last, but greatest of all as a deep
thinker, a saintly character and, additionally, a practical
worker, Jesus Christ, who studied the Old Testament
revelation, and who gave the New Testament revelation,
partly in person and partly through others.
 So great and good a cloud of witnesses should make us
study the Bible as to whether it is a Divine revelation.
 But not alone has this been done by the deepest thinkers, and most saintly
characters. Others of humankind in all stations, walks and activities of life
have done so. Artists, educators, scientists, statesmen, inventors, kings,
presidents, legislators, nobles, authors, labor leaders, philosophers, judges,
physicians, lawyers, military leaders, capitalists, etc., have made it their study.
 It has been light to the ignorant, comfort to the mourners, relief to the
afflicted, strength to the weak, inspiration to the hopeless, joy to the meek,
stay to the humble, wealth to the poor, peace to the troubled, guide to the
perplexed, wisdom to the simple, knowledge to the unlearned, help to the
helpless, uplift to the degraded, forgiveness to the sinful, victory to the
tempted and encourager to the dying.
 In parts it is so shallow that a figurative child can wade in it, and in parts so
deep that a figurative whale can dive to his utmost ability and not reach its
bottom.
 It has been the greatest literary influence in the world; yea, its influence on mankind
has been and is greater than that of all other books combined.
 It has favorably influenced and elevated the greatest nations of earth; it has made
them such from barbarous, degraded and weak nations; it has banished slavery,
eradicated some and curbed other vices, reformed barbarous and cruel habits, laws,
and customs, made saints of the just, righteous people of sinners, developed the
highest civilization erected by man; it has ennobled man, elevated woman and given
the child its fond place in the home, as well as has set forth the highest ideals for
husband and wife.
 As the salt of the earth it has been a seasoning, nourishing and preserving factor in
human society, as can be seen from the contrast between society in Christendom
and society in heathendom, which has been elevated from its former depths of
degradation in direct proportion to its having yielded to the influence of the Bible.
THE BIBLE, A DIVINE REVELATION
1. ITS NEED, 10. MIRACLES.
2. INTERNAL PROOFS. 11. PROPHECY.
3. ITS PLAN. 12. EXPERIENCE.
4. WISDOM, POWER, JUSTICE AND 13. PRODUCTS.
LOVE PERMEATE THE PLAN. 14. CIVILIZER
5. THE ATTRIBUTES OF ITS GOD. 15. THE GREAT PYRAMID.
6. CHRIST'S CHARACTER, OFFICES 16. ANALOGOUS TO COURSE AND
AND NATURES. CONSTITUTION OF NATURE.
7. PERMISSION OF EVIL. 17. THE HEAVENS DECLARE GOD'S
8. THE RANSOM. PLAN.
9. THE BIBLE'S EXCELLENCIES. 18. PALESTINE DECLARES GOD'S
PLAN.
 Internal Evidences
 External evidences
 Internaloexternal Evidences (a combination of above
two).
Internal Evidences
1. ITS PLAN.
2. THE MARVELOUS AND REASONABLE CHARACTER
OF GOD THAT IT REVEALS.
3. CHRIST'S CHARACTER, OFFICES AND NATURES.
4. PERMISSION OF EVIL.
5. THE RANSOM.
6. THE BIBLE'S EXCELLENCIES.
Its Plan - The plan of salvation revealed in the Bible
 When it is considered in its general outlines and in its specific details, it commends
itself most strongly as of Divine origin; for one short of perfect wisdom, power,
justice and love could not have originated it.
 God's plan is framed to meet the condition of fallen and dying man. All the
pertinent facts of experience and observation are to the effect that man is a fallen
and dying creature. It is to save the willing of the race that God's plan is framed.
 This plan has proceeded along the lines of Dispensations and Ages.
 It is not completed in any one of these Dispensations or Ages, but it develops
various of its features in each of them and comes to a completion only as they are
entirely completed.
 Evidently it was not God's intention during first and second Dispensation to save the
race or even to attempt it, otherwise He would have done these two things, and that
successfully, since He assures us that all His purposes shall come to pass.
Its Plan - The plan of salvation revealed in the Bible
 In the first Dispensation: (from the fall to the flood)
There were several purposes realized and therefore attempted in the unfolding of
God's plan:
 (1) to prove to men and angels that angels, who were then given charge of the race as
teachers, symbolic stars, shining the light of Truth in the night of sin on-the sinners' dark
pathway, that they might try to uplift them, are unable to save fallen and dying man;
 (2) to test the angels, while having such a charge, as to whether they would prove loyal to
God amid the trialsome experiences attendant upon such a charge;
 (3) to manifest as such those angels who would prove true and those angels who would
prove untrue in the trial;
 (4) to let the then living race learn by experience the bad nature and terrible effects of sin;
 (5) to set aside the then prevailing order of affairs ("the world that then was")—the angels
as such symbolic stars and the antediluvian communistic form of society, by the flood,
because of the unprofitableness of that order of affairs.
Its Plan - The plan of salvation revealed in the Bible
 In the second Dispensation: (End of Flood to Christ’s Second Advent)
 God’s design during this Dispensation with mankind in general:
 (1) to prove to men and angels that fallen and dying men left to their own unaided powers
could not only not lift themselves back to the original perfection, but that they would
increasingly deprave themselves;
 (2) to permit the fallen angels to demonstrate their hearts' intentions as respects sin and
righteousness amid evil surroundings such as they themselves would largely create and
mould;
 (3) to separate the penitent from the impenitent fallen angels in order that in the third
World the former might demonstrate whether they would be fit for a restoration to
God's favor in everlasting life;
 (4) to permit men to have further experiences with evil, that thereby they may better
learn its bad nature and terrible effects; and
 (5) to destroy the perverted order of affairs in the second World, and thus destroy all evil
institutions among mankind in the time of trouble with which the second World ends.
Its Plan - The plan of salvation revealed in the Bible
 In the third world (after the destruction of the present order of affairs)
 The third World will have as its symbolic heavens Jesus and His faithful followers—the
symbolic sun of righteousness, the shiners of the knowledge of Divine Truth upon the children
of men, and as its earth a perfect sinless social order, which will gradually be developed during
its first Age.
 Thus there will be in the World to come new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
will be established. And after a final trial of the human family and the penitent angels, which
will result in giving everlasting life to the faithful of these and eternal extinction to the
unfaithful of these, together with Satan and the impenitent angels, the faithful will in the new
heavens and new earth everlastingly reflect credit upon God and Christ amid perfect and
sinless conditions.
 Thus the completed plan for men and angels will prove that the angels could not uplift the
fallen race nor give it life, that man by his unaided powers could not accomplish these results,
but that God by His way and Agents could and would.