021 - Revelation Knowledge

In the Christian realm there are two kinds of knowledge which we can have. One (which we have all
been caught up with at some time or other) is the knowledge we gain from learning ~ learning about
God, learning about the Bible, learning the “do’s” and “don’ts” of Christianity. This is a knowledge
which “puffs up”: “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies” (1 Corinthians 8:1-2, NKJV). It is
interesting to note that men of the Bible who trusted in this knowledge were “hindrances” to the work
of God.

 Moses tried to carry out the plan of God with his natural learning, but failed, committing murder in the process. Only when God revealed Himself by a miracle in the burning bush did Moses get the God Knowledge (which comes by revelation) that was needed to fulfil the Word of God through his life (Acts 7:22-34).

Nicodemus was a rabbi (a teacher), yet he could not understand the ways and words of Jesus. It was the miracles of Jesus that gave him the knowledge that Jesus was of God. He said to Jesus: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:1-2). Jesus told him he had to be born-again! He (Nicodemus) was in the wrong realm of knowledge ~ but the miracles of Jesus had set him seeking and had given him Revelation Knowledge that God was with Christ. Nicodemus was a master in Israel . . . so he had plenty of the knowledge which comes from, and by learning. But he did not know too much about the knowledge realm that Jesus was ministering in. Jesus asked him: “Are you a teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness” (John 3:10-11). Natural knowledge has “a form of godliness, but no power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5), whereas Revelation Knowledge comes from above and confirms itself by signs, wonders and miracles. 

The Apostle Paul was taught according to the perfect manner of the law, yet he persecuted unto death the saints of Jesus!! The Lord Jesus worked a miracle of grace in him. He was blind for three days (yet during that time he saw a vision). He was healed and filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 9). He was called to preach the Gospel and was endued with God Knowledge for the purpose of making Christ known (Acts 22) ~ for no one can know Jesus Christ except by a revelation of the Holy Spirit! Paul declared this: “But I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood . . . “ (Galatians 1:11-16).  Paul very clearly told us he got His Gospel byrevelation ~ the revelation of Jesus Christ! And that, my friend, is the same knowledge we must have if we want to accompIish anything in the Kingdom of God and of eternal value.

 There are four different ways we receive Revelation Knowledge or God Knowledge that I want to place before you in this Faith Message.

1.    REVELATION KNOWLEDGE COMES BY REVELATION OF THE FATHER

In Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus asked His disciples: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus told Peter he was blessed, for flesh and blood (natural sources) had not revealed it to him, but he had a revelation from the Father in Heaven.

·        It takes Revelation Knowledge from the Father to make us to know Who Jesus is!!

 In John 6:44-45 Jesus told us that those who come to Him are “taught by God”: “No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.”

•   Have you learned from the Father yet?

•   If you have you will come to Jesus!

Just a little thought to add to these two Scriptures: that Jesus told Peter it was upon this rock (the revelation from the Father Who Jesus is) that He would build His Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Revelation Knowledge causes us to know, and makes us stand against all the wiles of the enemy ~ as long as we abide in that realm of knowledge. Peter soon learned (when he  moved out of that realm) that you get into trouble (see Matthew 16:21-23).

When the Holy Spirit comes into our life He brings with Him Revelation Knowledge of the Father and the Son (Jesus Christ): “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20). The context of this statement is Jesus teaching on the coming of the Holy Spirit Comforter Who would be sent to us after He went back to Heaven. Jesus went and the Holy Spirit came!

•   The Holy Spirit causes us to know Jesus’ position in the Father, our position in Christ, and His in us. That is Revelation Knowledge!

 No man can make you or me to know that. Consider this portion of Scripture: But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).

 As we can see, there is a very different level of knowledge between that of the Holy Spirit and that which is from man. Natural man is unable to grasp or understand Revelation Knowledge. It is a “God thing”; that which comes only from God the Holy Spirit. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). This is a Biblical principle. “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John 2:27). The anointing is always in the Holy Spirit Who lives in us! As we abide (“remain”) in Him, He will teach us the things of God.

3.    REVELATION KNOWLEDGE COMES THROUGH THE ANOINTED PREACHING OF GOD’S WORD

“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is  the God Who commanded light to shine out of darkness, Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:1-7).

Notice that “the god of this age” (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that the light (revelation) of the Gospel does not shine in their hearts and give them the Revelation Knowledge of the glory of God that is found in Jesus Christ! The devil is fighting to keep people away from the anointed preaching of the Gospel, because once Revelation Knowledge gets into a person they are changed! They are empowered with GOD KNOWLEDGE!  The battle today is over knowledge ~ man’s wisdom verses Revelation Knowledge!

 In John 4 we have a good illustration of Revelation Knowledge coming to the Samaritans through the words of Jesus. Firstly, Jesus told a woman she had had five husbands, and living de-facto with a sixth, after she had told Him she had no husband. The effect thisRevelation Knowledge had on the woman caused her to go and tell her people, “Come see a Man, Who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (v.28-30). Many believed on Jesus as a result of her testimony. In verses 41-42 the people who did not believe on Jesus because of the woman’s testimony ~ but were stirred enough to go and listen to Jesus for themselves ~ they believed the Word which Jesus spoke to them. They then returned to the woman and said: “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” They received the revelation of Who Jesus was (and is), through the preaching of the Gospel (Good News of Jesus). Yet it was the woman’s testimony/preaching that activated them to go and hear Jesus for themselves!

4.    REVELATION KNOWLEDGE COMES THROUGH THE WORKING OF MIRACLES

The working of miracles brings Revelation Knowledge of the power of God. Jesus said in John 10:37-38, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” It was the working of miracles that set Nicodemus seeking the Lord. When God called Moses, He told him that He was going to deliver His people from the land of bondage in a way that the people would know that He was the Lord their God (Exodus 6:1-7). The Egyptians would know too (Exodus 7:1-6). In the days of Joshua, God worked with him in a way that the people knew that God was with Joshua, as He was with Moses. When it came to the time for them to cross over Jordan, Joshua spoke to the children of Israel and said: “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the . . . ites” (Joshua 3:9-10). They witnessed signs, wonders and miracles!

The prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to call down fire from Heaven. They tried without success all day. When Elijah’s turn came he prayed: “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” (1 Kings 18:36-39). Through the signs and miracles the people received Revelation Knowledge of the Lord Himself!

•  Revelation Knowledge comes through the working of miracles.

•   Nicodemus knew Jesus was of God because of the miracles.

• ·  Right throughout the Scriptures you will find that Revelation Knowledge and the working of miracles go hand in hand. 

“The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32). If you and I are not seeing the hand of God in our lives and ministries, then it is because we are “operating” in the wrong realm of knowledge. We must know God ~ not just know about Him. “And this is life eternal, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Jesus Christ knows His sheep and His sheep know Him (John 10:14-15, 27). It is God’s New Covenant Promise that we KNOW the Lord! It comes by Revelation Knowledge (Jeremiah 31:33-34). We are exhorted to seek this knowledge: “My son, if you receive My Words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:1-6).

We should seek this knowledge, because believe me, this Revelation Knowledge which comes from the Father, the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the Gospel, and by the working of miracles, is the most valuable and precious treasure we can possess this side of eternity ~ Revelation Knowledge lasts throughout time and into all eternity!

“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us  by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth” (2 Peter 1:1-12). 

What an amazing portion of Scripture! Look again at it and meditate upon what is ours through receiving the Revelation Knowledge of God.

•    It gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness!

•    It makes us partakers of the Divine Nature of God!

Revelation Knowledge comes through the exceeding great and precious promises ~ the Miracle Book, the Word of God, inspired by miracle-working Holy Spirit power! Praise the Lord! It does not come by staring at the TV set, but by walking with the Living God. The Apostle Paul desired that we be filled with this knowledge of God’s will for us: “. . . that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy . . .” (Colossians 1:9-11; Ephesians 1:13-23). 

What knowledge! ~ but Oh, my friend, God wants you and me to be filled with it. Much more could be written on this subject, but there is sufficient here for each of to meditate upon, and to seek, more of the Revelation Knowledge of God for our lives. May God bless and grant you more and more of His Revelation Knowledge.