Dear Refiner's Fire...

You have taught the Bible is a progressive revelation of God. However, humanity stopped adding new parts to the Bible a long time ago, so has God stopped revealing himself? If not, and humans are still inspired to write the words of God, then how do we know what is an inspired word and what is not?

Also, a friend of mine said he believes the Bible is not the only inspired word of God - which at first I grimaced and thought, no, the Bible is the only inspired word of God, but then I began wondering why that would be - Why would the Bible be the only inspired word?

Sincerely, Bill W.

Our Response....

We, at The Refiner's Fire believe in the progressive revelation of God over the years of the Bible. In other words, the average person (excluding Moses, Daniel, etc) knew more about the attributes and character of God in Moses' time than they did in Abraham's time due God's revelation of Himself in the Mosaic Covenant. The average person knew more about the attributes and character of God in Paul's time than in Moses' time due to God's revelation of Himself in the New Covenant. Each progressive covenant reveals more of the Person of God. (The main covenants being the Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic and the New.) We believe that if God instituted a newer covenant than the New Covenant, that covenant would reveal more about Him that we can possibly know today. If a newer covenant is to be given by God, He has not revealed that to us in the Scripture (like He revealed the coming of the New Covenant in Yeshua to the prophet Jeremiah).

The important point concerning the New Covenant and the reason that we believe that it is the last covenant that God will institute before the World to Come is instituted, is based upon the passage in the opening verses of Hebrews. ¹ In days gone by, God spoke in ‘many and varied ways to the Fathers through the prophets. ² But now, in these days, he has spoken to us through his Son, to whom he has given ownership of everything and through whom he created the universe. ³ This Son is the radiance of the Sh'khinah, the very expression of God’s essence, upholding all that exists by his powerful word; and after he had, through himself, made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

If these verses are true, then I don't see how much more of God that we can understand since Messiah is the "radiance of the Sh'khinah (presence of His glory), the very expression of God's essence". I just don't believe that God's revelation of Himself will get any plainer than this until we actually see Him face to face.

There are many people (Mormons included, as well as Islam) who believe that they have an additional revelation of God that has come after the New Covenant. If this is so, then the revelation of God that are contained in them has to be greater than the revelation of God that we can see in Yeshua. I don't believe that there is any greater revelation. Also, if there are additional revelations of God then they must agree with the Bible point for point, for God will not disagree with Himself.

So, can God speak additional revelation today? God can do anything He wants to.

Will God speak additional revelation today? We believe that the Person of Yeshua is the fullest and last complete revelation of God that mankind will receive until He comes again.

God Bless, Rick