God’s Voice: Understanding Biblical Revelation Today
By Elizabeth Prata
A man I follow on X asked “Do you think God still uses visions and dreams today? Even if it’s non-normative?“
I answered “No. The scripture as given is sufficient. He speaks through His Gospel, not direct revelation at this time. Heb 1:1-2. Rev 22:18-19, 2 Tim 3:14-17, 2 Pet 1:19. There is nothing that a vision or dream could say to us directly that would be better truth than what is already written.“
Another lady piped in and replied to me that SHE hears His voice. “He reveals things directly to me and to many other Christians. The Bible tells us “my sheep hear my voice.“
This verse is a vastly misunderstood and overused excuse for people who do not think the Bible is enough to cling to as a defense for their voice-hearing activities.
I said, “You’re not an actual sheep, so you’re not actually hearing God’s voice. Interpret both sides of the verse the same. Heb 1:1-2a says, ‘God has spoken to us in His Son’ which means the Bible. More here, please watch 18 minutes of truth why you’re not hearing Him.“
And I linked to Justin Peters’ wonderful video series titled Inigo Montoya Series. The series, Peters wrote, “dives deep into the world of commonly misinterpreted scriptures, carefully unraveling misconceptions and providing clear, biblically grounded explanations.” The pertinent entry I’d linked to was My Sheep Hear My Voice.
She replied, “I’m not going to watch a video. I read the Bible. And I have a relationship with Jesus.“
Maybe it’s just me. But if someone said I’m doing something that is against the Bible, or, if I’m following someone who teaches falsely, I’d investigate. I’d consider the advice. Jesus is too important to reject the possibility out of hand. But in discernment work, too often that is exactly what I’ve found that people do.
Hers was a typical reply. The person defending a false notion or a false teaching never reads the verse or the link and comes back to address it in the conversation. We must reason together over scriptures, it is the only common ground we have for truth (IF the person is saved it would be common ground, if not, then they need scriptural truth anyway.) Always bring the Bible verses into the conversation as quickly as possible.
So I told her that “I’d gently suggest that the Bible warns constantly about the dangers of deception. You may indeed have a relationship with Jesus, OR you may have a relationship with an entity that is pretending to be Jesus, who as you claim “reveals things to you” outside of the Bible. Mat7:21-23“.
Her reply, “You probably shouldn’t assume that about people you don’t know.”
Again, ignoring the verse that has been offered, not using verses in her rely, and making an accusation flung back within seconds is par for the course in discernment conversations. Prayerful conversation seems to be out of fashion. Careful consideration of the scriptures seems out of fashion.
I’d replied (and I’m not including the entire conversation here), “I am not assuming anything about your salvation, and in fact I’ve already said you may be saved or you may not be, I said watch out because deception is warned of constantly in the Bible. Matt 7:21-23 is real. God is not speaking to you. 😦 You’re being deceived if you think so…
There were a few more replies, one which misused a verse in Jeremiah and a statement that said she doesn’t want a relationship with a “silent and powerless God”. It is sad to see that she believes if God is not speaking directly to her that God is ‘silent and powerless.’
Posting Justin Peters’ famous quote seen below only elicited a terse reply “That’s a false teaching.”
This lady has a podcast. It’s with her husband. It’s fairly new and thankfully does not have a lot of followers yet. But this is the thing. Discernment is more important than ever as opportunities for us to be deceived abound. Opportunities also abound for us to damage our witness either by promoting false doctrines or false teachers, or by our behavior in our defense of the truth. You have to know when a conversation has run its course and when to bow out, and that moment hopefully occurs before I get angry or sarcastic or fling an ad hominem accusation of my own.
Continuationists are wrong, but as to the person who believes the miracle gifts continue, it isn’t usually a salvation issue. (It can become one later, though). But the unteachable attitude is unbiblical. The accusations also are not warranted. The youngster (and she was young) declaring with full confidence “‘ustin Peters’ quote is false teaching’ or as she stated flatly later “You are absolutely wrong” is sad to see.
We speak the truth, in love. We gently bring people along,
The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, 2 Timothy 2:24.
I do a lot online and I need to remember these admonitions also. Be kind, be firm but loving, don’t take things personally. When the conversation becomes pointless or you’ve shared scripture that has been rejected, move on.
Leave the presence of a fool,
Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
Proverbs 14:7
The successful pursuit of wisdom presupposes at least earnestness and reverence. The scoffer shuts himself out from the capacity of recognizing truth. ~Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Go from the presence of a foolish man—when the time comes that you see you can do him no good; for “evil communications corrupt good manners.” Thus Samuel “came no more to see Saul,” when he saw that remonstrances were unavailing with him, though he continued to “mourn” for him, remembering from what high estate he had fallen. ~Ellicott’s Commentary
