The Washington herald., 1918-02-17
FROM GOD TO MAN.
Divine Communication in the Current Age
Revelation, Past, Present and Future.
by DIR. JAMES 4. TALMAGE,
lie Twelve. Church of Jesus Christ. o
Salt Lake City, Utah.

WE BELIEVE ALL THAT GOD
HAS REVEALED. ALL THAT HE
DOES NOW REVEAL, AND WE BE-
LIEYE THAT HE WILL YET RE-
VEAL MANY GREAT AND IMPoR-
TANT THINGS PERTAINING TO
THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (Articles
Of Faith. No. 81.
Revelation, direct and personal from
God to men, Is the dominant theme
of Scripture. Expunge from the BioIe
all record OF actual revelation and
reference thereto and what remains
Nothing more than a variety Of his
torical sketches, chronicles, genealog-
ical data, some chapters Of ethical
value, a few poetical rhapsodies'
proverbs, and allegories.
Every believer In the authenticity OF
the Holy Bible acknowledges that God
literally spake to Adam. Enoch, Noah.
Abraham, Jacob. and Moses, and that
specific revelation was given to Israel
during the time of the Judges, and on
to David and Solomon, thence to John
who was the immediate forerunner or
the Messiah. The actuality Of Divine
revelation through duly constituted
prophets, seers, and revelatprs, has
been so generally accepted throughout
the ages, and is so abundantly at
tested, that by all rules OF argument
and debate the burden OF proof nat
urally and properly falls upon him
who denies.
Continued revelation OF the Divine
will and purpose is in harmony with
the spirit of the times. In no phase
of human effort and advancement
save only that OF the souls salvation
do men venture to assert or even think
that we have learned all there Is to
learn. What Of a college professor. IN
chemistry, geology, or astronomy, VINO
would confine his students to the
coming of books that tell of early dis
coveries, with the dictum that nothing
remains to be discovered. instead OF
guiding them in laboratory and field.
and in the searching Of the outer
deep with telescope and spectroscope'
with the confident hope Of finding new
truths?
Revelation is Gods means OF COM
munication with His children, and we
deny the consistent and Interchangeable
character OF Deity when we say that
God has revealed Himself to man. but
cannot or will not do so again Is II
reasonable to hold that in one age
the Church of Christ was blessed, en-
lightened, and guided by direct revela-
ton and that at another time the
Church Is to be left to itself, sustained
only by the dead letter Of earlier
days? The living Church must be In
vital communication with its Divine
Head. WHERE THERE is NO
VISION. THE PEOPLE PERISH"
prov. 2s:10; and SURELY THE
LORD GOD WILL DO NOTHING,
BUT HE REVEALETH HIS SECRET
UNTO HIS SERVANTS THE
PROPHETS" (Amos 3:7)
The Christ Himself was p revelator'
through whom the Fathers will was
made known to man. Notwithstanding
His personal authority as Jehovah,
God though He had been, was, and
Is, while He lived as a Man among
men Jesus Christ declared His work
to be that Of One greater than Him.
self, from whom He had been sent.
and by whom He was instructed and
directed. Note His words: FOR !
HAVE NOT SPOKEN OF MYSELF;
BUT THE FATHER WHICH SENT
ME, HE GAVE ME A COMMAND
MENT. WHAT SHOULD SAY. AND
WHAT I SHOULD SPEAK. AND
KNOW THAT HIS COMMANDMENT
is LIFE EVERLASTING: WHAT
SoEvER / SPEAK THEREFORE,, !,
EVEN AS THE FATHER SAID UN-
TO ME. so SPEAK" John 12:4s-5o).
Further: THE WORDS THAT ]
SPEAK UNTO YOU I SPEAK NOT
OF MYSELF: BUT THE FATHER
THAT DwELLETH IN ME, HE
DoETH THE WORKS AND
AS THE FATHER GAVE ME COM
MANDMENT. EVEN so DO."'
John 1410, 31.)
The recreant and unbelieving Jews
rejected their Lord because He came
to them with new revelation. Had
they not Moses and the prophets?
What more could they need7 They
openly boasted I'VE are Moses dis
ciples." and added I'VE know that God
spake unto Moses; as for this fellow.
we know not from whence he is
CJohn s:2s-zs.) Those who deny the
possibility Of present day revelation