Bibliology: The Revelation of God

Introduction

The doctrine of the Scripture - the 66 canonical books of the Bible - belongs to God’s special revelation. This is a subject we are going to address in tonight’s study. The importance of this study is indicated by the Bible, which is the basis of Christian belief and conduct, as well as the special means by which God makes Himself and His will known to mankind. One’s belief about the Bible fashions one’s view of God and the Christian faith.

However, before we dive into Bibliology, it is prudent that we first consider God's revelation, a subject more connected to Theology proper.

If God had not revealed Himself to humanity, there would be nothing that we could know or say of Him. But, in His grace, He condescended to communicate truth about Himself, the universe, and mankind that could not be known in any other way. He did and is doing this through His works and words.

In doing theology, then, we don’t need to worry about our inadequacies. Not because we ourselves are adequate to the task but because our hope of success rests not in ourselves but in God’s willingness to make himself known to those who seek Him (Heb. 11:6). And God has done so in a number of ways!

-Holsteen. Exploring Christian Theology : Volume 1: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God (p. 26). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

God’s Self-Revelation is NECESSARY

Let’s start with this fact. God transcends the entire universe. As such, He is inaccessible to all those He created unless He reveals Himself to them.

Psalm 97:9 KJV 1900

9 For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods.

Psalm 113:4–6 KJV 1900

4 The Lord is high above all nations, And his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, Who dwelleth on high, 6 Who humbleth himself to behold The things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

Additionally, the very nature and state of humanity require God to reveal Himself if men are to know and worship Him. Let’s consider, for a moment, our need for divine revelation.

Humanity’s Nature

We are dependent creatures by nature. A reality that stands in contrast to God, who is the self-existent Creator and infinitely greater and higher than mankind. For this reason, we, unaided and left on our own, cannot see God.

1 Timothy 6:16 KJV 1900

16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

We are utterly incapable of finding Him by our searching.

Job 23:3–9 KJV 1900

3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! 4 I would order my cause before him, And fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me. 6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. 7 There the righteous might dispute with him; So should I be delivered for ever from my judge. 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; And backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

Furthermore, we cannot read the thoughts of God.

Isaiah 55:8 KJV 1900

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

The only way to discern God’s will so that we might obey Him is to reveal Himself to us. Before his sinful fall, man required God’s revelation of God’s will to obey.

Genesis 2:16–17 KJV 1900

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Consequently, our codependency requires God’s divine revelation.

A second reason God revealed Himself to men is...

Humanity’s State

By this, I mean I am referring again to man’s moral condition. Our fall and subsequent sinful condition intensified our need for divine revelation, especially concerning salvation.

2 Timothy 3:15 KJV 1900

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Knowing our fallen state, God took the initiative to reveal Himself to us.

Luke 19:10 KJV 1900

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Genesis 3:8–9 KJV 1900

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Due to our fallen condition, our spiritual perception has been blinded by Satan and sin.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 KJV 1900

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV 1900

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Moreover, our minds are possessed by fanciful ideas that are nourished by Satan’s lies and protected by humanistic assumptions.

Romans 1:21–25 KJV 1900

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Romans 1:28 KJV 1900

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV 1900

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

The reality is that unsaved people suppress God’s truth.

Romans 1:18 KJV 1900

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Each person born into this world is already in rebellion against God and has no desire for Him in their life.

John 3:19–20 KJV 1900

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

John 5:40 KJV 1900

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

John 12:37 KJV 1900

37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

The great news is this. Our spiritually corrupt and immoral state did not keep God from doing His divine work in the hearts of those who would believe in Him. We who are saved have within us the desire and ability to understand God’s revelation and profit from it.

1 Corinthians 2:9–12 KJV 1900

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

For this reason, we should strive to learn all we can about our God and respond to this truth in a manner that glorifies Him.

One last thought about understanding God’s revelation before we move on is this: The order of understanding God’s revelation is FAITH first and then understanding. It is NOT understanding and then FAITH.

Romans 10:17 KJV 1900

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Ephesians 2:8 KJV 1900

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

God’s Self-Revelation is Twofold

There are two kinds, or forms, of divine revelation: General and Special.

General Divine Revelation

Romans 1:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Psalm 19:1 KJV 1900

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork.

General revelation, as understood from these verses, is the method God employs to communicate with all people continuously through His works. Clearly, the earth and the universe point to God's existence. Consequently, humanity is without excuse for failing to acknowledge God's truth, seek Him, and render Him basic honor and service.

Acts 17:23–29 KJV 1900

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

General Divine Revelation is Limited

General revelation is not in itself adequate to meet people’s spiritual needs. This stands in contrast to man’s teaching of “natural religion.” "Natural religion" refers to a system of belief or philosophy that emphasizes knowledge of God or a divine being derived from nature, reason, and human experience rather than from divine revelation or sacred texts. General revelation does not reveal God’s will for men, particularly how they can become rightly related to the Creator and please Him. Please understand the general revelation is not defective. It certainly fulfills God’s purpose in making known His existence to all people and showing their need to seek after the Creator. However, general revelation does not show people everything they should know about God and the universe. It says nothing about salvation for sinners or His will for His people.

General Divine Revelation is Effective

It is effective in that all people are without excuse for their refusing to respond favorably to God’s clear manifestation of Himself by the things He has made. Read Romans 1:18-20

Romans 1:18–20 KJV 1900

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Man’s favorable response to God’s general divine revelation should include fearing God, making an effort to seek God out, and communicating with God.

Sadly, however, what God has clearly revealed in creation has become obscure to us. Here the problem lies not with that revelation but with our grasp of it. By behaving badly, humanity—like those who scorch their eyes by staring at the sun—has become blinded to what God has made known. Such behavior, characterized by a refusal to trust and obey God, is what the Bible refers to as sin.

-Holsteen. Exploring Christian Theology : Volume 1: Revelation, Scripture, and the Triune God (pp. 26-27). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

If men do not make that minimal but crucial acknowledgment, but rather turn away and offer some other explanation, then God is just if He rejects them and does not offer more truth. The rejection of what is revealed in general revelation is sufficient to condemn justly. But this does not imply that the acceptance of general revelation is sufficient to effect eternal salvation. It is not, simply because there is no revelation of the atoning death of God’s Son.

If a concerned student goes to his fellow student who needs one thousand dollars for tuition and offers with genuine loving concern ten dollars (which is all he has), and if his ten dollar bill is thrown scornfully on the floor with a mocking “What good will that pittance do me?” what further obligation does the student have to provide additional help to his fellow student? If he should suddenly be able to give the entire one thousand dollars, would anyone charge him with injustice if he gave it to another needy student? Accepting a ten dollar gift will not “save” the person who needs one thousand dollars; but rejecting it will condemn him. We must not forget that the majority of people who have ever lived have rejected the revelation of God through nature, and that rejection has come with scorn and deliberate substitution of their own gods. They have condemned themselves, and when God rejects them, He does so justly.

-Ryrie, Charles Caldwell . Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (pp. 37-38). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Special Divine Revelation

In addition to general divine revelation, God, in His great grace and mercy, also has communicated Himself to me through special divine revelation. By this, we mean that action by which God makes Himself known to people by some communication with them through personal manifestation and/or words. Special divine revelation completes general divine revelation. It accomplishes this by providing additional information about God and the universe, making God’s will for humanity known, and revealing salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Means of Special Divine Revelation

During the Old Testament

Throughout the early part of man’s history, God often spoke to people directly by voice alone, by theophany (a visible manifestation of God’s presence), by dreams, and by wakeful visions. Here are some examples from the Old Testament.

Genesis 13:14 KJV 1900

14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

Genesis 16:7–14 KJV 1900

7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Genesis 28:12–13 KJV 1900

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Genesis 46:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. 3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: 4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Later on, God utilized angels and even other human agents. The human agents were the holy prophets, the high priests of Israel, and certain wise men. As for the high priests, they received mainly “yes” or “no” answers through the Urim and Thummin. In the Old Testament, the high priest wore a breastplate. It was a square piece of beautiful material folded in half and open at the top like a pouch. It was adorned with twelve precious stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Inside the breastplate was the Urim and Thummin. They were two precious stones used in the same manner as casting lots. Casting the Urim and Thummim determined God’s will.

Exodus 28:30 KJV 1900

30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

1 Samuel 28:6 KJV 1900

6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

As for wise men, we know that men such as Solomon and Daniel had the gift of prophecy even though they were not prophets by vocation. All the people God used to make known His special revelation did so under divine inspiration.

2 Peter 1:21 KJV 1900

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.

During the New Testament

It was through the Lord Jesus Christ that God revealed Himself uniquely.

Hebrews 1:1–2 KJV 1900

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;

John 1:1 KJV 1900

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 KJV 1900

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:18 KJV 1900

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.

1 Timothy 3:16 KJV 1900

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Unlike the temporary theophanies of the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ was a permanent incarnation of God the Son. He assumed a complete, sinless human nature. In doing so, He revealed the Father by His holy character and moral excellence, by His actions, by His words, and by His emotions. Although He was personally distinct from the Father, Jesus’ life and ministry so manifested the Father that to see Him was to see the Father.

John 14:9 KJV 1900

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Christ was indeed the Revelator of the Father.

Matthew 11:27 KJV 1900

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

John 1:18 KJV 1900

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.

Another way that God revealed Himself during New Testament times was through dreams and visions just as He did throughout the Old Testament.

Matthew 1:20 KJV 1900

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 22:17–18 KJV 1900

17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

Additionally, God used angels in the New Testament. However, more impactful to us today is the fact that God used the apostles who penned the words of the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 2:10–13 KJV 1900

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Today

God continues to reveal Himself even today. However, unlike the methods used in the past, God is using His written word, the Bible. Since the closing of the New Testament canon, a subject we will explore later, God has not given any additional special revelation. There is no need for further special revelation since the Bible is sufficient for our belief and conduct in this present dispensation.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 KJV 1900

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Additionally, the warnings of Revelation 22 indicate that what we have today is complete.

Revelation 22:18–19 KJV 1900

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

We must remember that every religious or spiritual experience must be tested by Scripture to determine spirituality and genuineness. These experiences are of God only as they conform to what the Bible teaches about their nature, content, and effect. Additionally, all literature that professes to be God’s revelation must be judged by the canonicity tests determined by the canonical books of the Bible. We will discuss these canonicity tests later as well. The point is this. With the Bible in our hands and the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we, as believers, can examine any alleged divine, special revelation and discern whether or not it is from God.

The Aspects of Special Divine Revelation

God’s special revelation has active and passive traits determined by its context. Actively, it communicates to mankind the truth about Himself.

1 Corinthians 2:9–12 KJV 1900

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Passively, it is the truth about Himself that He communicates.

Revelation 1:1 KJV 1900

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

The Sufficiency of Special Divine Revelation

Special divine revelation complements general divine revelation. Special divine revelation completes God’s self-disclosure by providing the truth that He would have people know and that general divine revelation does not supply. Special divine revelation declares God’s gracious provision of salvation through Jesus. It also provides the truth that His people need for their beliefs and conduct. Moreover, special divine revelation thoroughly explains God’s person and works and man’s existence and world. The fantastic thing about divine revelation is God has not told us everything. However, He has revealed what we need to know to obey Him and anticipate a future with Him.

John 14:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The Effectiveness of Special Divine Revelation

It effectively allows us to know and understand salvation.

2 Timothy 3:15 KJV 1900

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

It also effectively communicates God’s instructions to us.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 KJV 1900

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

It effectively works at sanctifying each believer in their daily life.

John 15:3 KJV 1900

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Ephesians 5:25–26 KJV 1900

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

It effectively helps us please God.

Hebrews 11:5–6 KJV 1900

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2 Timothy 4:6–8 KJV 1900

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

The Reality of Special Divine Revelation

Unfortunately, just like many others things about God, there is an all out assault against the reality of special divine revelation. Some teach a false doctrine which denies the possibility of divine revelation in words. Those who teach such false teaching hold that God’s revelation cannot be expressed in human words or be inerrantly recorded by fallible men. They argue that God’s revelation is non-verbal and existential, consisting of what one experiences in a personal, indescribable encounter with a Supreme being.

Several religious groups and traditions emphasize experiential divine revelation or apophatic theology. Here's an overview:

Experiential Divine Revelation:

Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity:

These groups often emphasize personal experiences of the Holy Spirit, including speaking in tongues, healing, prophecy, and other spiritual gifts as direct, experiential encounters with God.

Quakers (Society of Friends):

Quakers believe in the "Inner Light" or the direct revelation of God to every person. Their worship services often involve silent waiting for the direct experience of God's presence and guidance.

Mystical Traditions within Christianity:

Such as:

Hesychasm in Eastern Orthodoxy, which involves contemplation and the Jesus Prayer to experience God directly.

Christian Mystics like St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Meister Eckhart, who wrote about the soul's direct experience of the divine.

Sufism (Islamic Mysticism):

Sufis seek a personal, experiential knowledge of God through practices like dhikr (remembrance of God), meditation, and dancing, aiming for direct union or nearness to God.

Hinduism:

Various forms of Bhakti yoga (devotional practices) aim for direct experience of the divine through love and devotion. Practices like mantra chanting, meditation, and ecstatic dance can lead to experiential revelation.

Buddhism:

While not traditionally focused on a personal deity, the enlightenment or satori in Zen Buddhism, or the direct experience of emptiness in Mahayana Buddhism, can be seen as forms of experiential revelation.

Apophatic Theology:

Eastern Orthodox Christianity:

Apophatic theology is central here, especially through the works of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, who emphasized knowing God by what He is not. The practice of hesychasm also involves apophatic contemplation.

Some Schools of Roman Catholic Mysticism:

Figures like St. John of the Cross with his "Dark Night of the Soul" and Meister Eckhart, who spoke of the "God beyond God," represent apophatic approaches within Catholicism.

Neoplatonism:

While not strictly a religious group, Neoplatonism has influenced many religious traditions, including Christianity, with its apophatic approach to understanding the One (the highest principle).

Jewish Mysticism (Kabbalah):

Particularly in the teachings of Ein Sof (the Infinite), where God is described in terms of what He is not, emphasizing the transcendence and unknowability of God beyond human comprehension.

Islamic Mysticism (Sufism):

Some Sufi thinkers, like Ibn Arabi, use apophatic language to describe the ineffable nature of God, often referring to God as beyond all qualities that can be ascribed by the human mind.

Buddhist Philosophy:

Especially in the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism, which uses the via negativa to argue for the emptiness (Śūnyatā) of all phenomena, suggesting that ultimate reality transcends all conceptual description.

Such teaching ignores the work of the Holy Spirit in inspiration - His control in securing an inerrant, verbal record of God’s special revelation through fallible men. It is an attack on 2 Peter 1:21

2 Peter 1:21 KJV 1900

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.

It also ignores Hebrews 1:1-2

Hebrews 1:1–2 KJV 1900

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;

Both passages clearly state that God used men as the instruments by which He has revealed Himself. God’s special revelation is real. The Bible and history testify and affirm this fact. God has been pleased to reveal Himself by His works and His words. Without this, there would be no way of knowing He exists and what He is.