Calvinism and continued Revelation

[Biblicist]

How do Calvinists view Revelation; does God still reveal himself to mankind now that the Canon of Scripture has been closed?

 

[AMR]

From the WCF:

II. VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men.(m) Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word: (n) and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.(o)

m. 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Gal. 1:8,9; 2 Thess. 2:2.
n. Jn. 6:45; 1 Cor. 2:9-12.
o. 1 Cor. 11:13,14; 1 Cor. 14:26,40.

 

[Biblicist]

AMR,

Thanks for the reply.
I would assume that the WCF precludes the use of prophecy? How does it view prayer which is revelation from God through the Spirit to man; is this covered elsewhere?

Barry

 

[AMR]

AMR,

Thanks for the reply.
I would assume that the WCF precludes the use of prophecy? How does it view prayer which is revelation from God through the Spirit to man; is this covered elsewhere?

Barry

Barry,

The WCF Chapter XXI reads in part:

III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship,(f) is by God required of all men: (g) and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son,(h) by the help of his Spirit,(i) according to his will,(k) with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance;(l) and, if vocal, in a known tongue.(m)

f. Phil.4:6.
g. Ps.65:2.
h. Jn.14:13,14; 1 Pet.2:5.
i. Rom.8:26.
k. 1 Jn.5:14.
l. Ps.47:7; Eccl.5:1,2; Heb.12:28; Gen.18:27; Jas.5:16; 1:6,7; Mk.11:24; Mt.6:12,14,15; Col.4:2; Eph.6:18.
m. 1 Cor.14:14.

IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful;(n) and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter: (o) but not for the dead,(p) nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.(q)

n. 1 Jn.5:14.
o. 1 Tim.2:1,2; Jn.17:20; 2 Sam.7:29; Ruth 4:12.
p. 2 Sam.12:21-23 with Lk.16:25,26; Rev.14:13.
q. 1 Jn.5:16.​

No prophecy is expected. God has spoken, and "revelation" is to be found in what He has written in Scripture, containing all that God has to say for our rule of faith and life.

I become very worried when people start saying, "the Lord spoke to me today" or "I don't do anything unless the Lord tells me to do it", etc., as if God is actually directly speaking to someone (Murray speaks to this directly--see below). God does not provide special revelation outside of his Word now that the foundation of our faith is laid in it by the prophets and apostles in His Word. Furthermore, God has told us not to seek "signs and wonders."

Rather than seeking the Lord to give us direct revelation, we should be content with God’s provision in His word (our only infallible rule of practice and faith) to guide us as to what is his will for our lives, what He commands us and expects of us concerning Him, and to know how great the love of Christ is to us.

Murray writes in The Guidance of the Holy Spirit:

“The moment we desire or expect or think that a state of our consciousness is the effect of a direct intimation of us of the Holy Spirit’s will, or consists in such an intimation and is therefore in the category of special direction from him, then we have given way to the notion of special, direct, detached communication from the Holy Spirit. And this, in respect of its nature, belongs to the same category as belief in special revelation.”​

Some will claim they had a vision about God's will or a burden about this or that, when what they really mean is that they had some "impression". If that impression is Scripturally sound, I think it proper to say the impression was a nudge by the Holy Spirit, just as Paul was "provoked within him" (Acts 17:16).