In Chapter 9 the author begins by saying that the Bible is a “Progressive revelation” as the message therein is revealed little by little. He, however, says that he prefers to call it a “Cumulative revelation” rather than a “Progressive revelation” as message from God is revealed to us layer by layer and should not be understood in terms of being “primitive/ancient” vs “progressive”. The Author has been emphasizing in previous chapters as well that the Old and the New Testaments should both be studied in order to truly comprehend the message of God. The Author says that the whole truth was not even shared with the Prophets who delivered their part of the messages, building up the information through different times and ages.
Talking about the entity of God he says that the Old Testament mentions “One God” whereas in the New Testament we learn of “God the Holy Trinity” however if we observe closely we see that when Moses asked his people to believe in One God he did not employ the term “Yahid” which means one but chose the term “Ehad” which means one that comprises entities. Hence the message of “God the Holy Trinity” exists in the Old Testament as well.
The Author goes on to say that God has also been referred to as “Yahweh, Lord of Hosts” which implies exactly the same meaning.
The Author says that in the Old Testament we observe the presence of angels who bring the message of God but alongside we see the mention of the “Angel of God” who is independent in his own right and appears as a man instead of our depiction of winged angels. The “Angel of God” as per the Author, is Jesus Christ, the second entity of the Holy Trinity.
The Author has quoted several references from the Old Testament where we see the presence of the Holy Spirit that touches lives in a Divine way.
The Word and Wisdom of God also appear as a force through which God created the earth and heavens.
Finally in the New Testament the incognito powers are revealed as ONE however believing that the Old Testament did not mention the presence of these as One entity would be wrong. The “God of Hosts” in the Old Testament gives testimony to the fact that God reveals knowledge to us in a gradual manner but the facts remain the same in the Old and New Testaments.
Important Lessons Learnt:
- God revealed the truth in a consistent and gradual manner.
- There is nothing in the New Testament that is new; we find references to every topic in the Old Testament, all we have to do is understand it.
- God has been working around us with the same entities from the beginning of time; the Word, Wisdom, Angel of God and the Holy Spirit combine to complete “God”. He is One but is a “Host” to entities that work with Him in unison for fulfilling His commands.
Conclusion:
Chapter 9 has revealed to me that The Old Testament prepares ground for all truth that God continues to reveal in a steady manner. Since childhood I have been learning about “Holy Trinity” and the way it works in our lives. I can personally testify that I have been divinely touched by the Holy Spirit many times.
