In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard.
Since the fall of man, God’s Presence seems to have become out of the reach of men. He is hidden, as it were, behind the veil from the sight of men. Therefore the natural man cannot see him. As it is written in the epistles of Paul the apostle: “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” God, and the things of God, is visible only to the spiritual eyes. The learned men of the world cannot find Him through research. They cannot see God through their telescopes. His word, His eternal plan and purpose are hidden from the eyes and sight of men and can only be seen by those to whom the Holy Spirit would reveal them.
Have you ever wondered why the Lord Jesus taught mostly in parables? In fact, this subject prompted His disciples to ask a similar question:
“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”
He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Mat 13:10,13).
The answer the Lord gave to the disciples here is in line with the statement above when He rejoiced in the Spirit and thanked the Father. We must understand that God purposely disguised His word in parables so that only those with “eyes that can see” will see. He taught in parables so that those listening would hear but not understand–except those to whom the Father unveils the word. The Old Testament is full of the plans and purposes of God but are coded in types and symbols in such a way that the princes of this world could not and cannot understand the secrets. For if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The entire Bible is full of the revelation of Jesus Christ: all the 66 books speak of Him and reveal Him.
In the passage above, the Lord Jesus said that God had hidden His word, His secrets and counsel, from the wise of this world, but had revealed them unto babes and that no one could know the Father unless the Son revealed Him. No one can know the Son unless the Holy Ghost reveals Him to the person. Revelation is an unveiling. The message here is that the gospel is founded on the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is not by “flesh and blood” knowledge but by the revelation of the Spirit.
The Church is built on the revelation of Jesus Christ. The whole Bible is based on revelation. Your salvation is by the revelation of Jesus Christ. No man can say Jesus is the Christ unless by the revelation of the Holy Ghost. Not by natural knowledge, not by flesh and blood knowledge, but by the Spirit. The Church of Jesus Christ, the “Called-Out Ones” or the “ecclesia” is founded and built on the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is what the Lord was saying in the great message presented in Matt 16:15-19:
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (petros), and upon this rock (petra) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Lord told Peter that he is blessed, not just for knowing who He is, but for the way in which he came to know who He is. How did Peter know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God? It was revealed to him by the Heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus contrasts “flesh and blood” or sense knowledge with the Truth, which is revealed by the Spirit of God.
The Lord continued: “That thou art Peter (petros), and upon this rock (petra) I will build my church.” Here the Lord Jesus said to him, thou art Peter; the Greek word used here is “petros,” meaning a piece of small rock. Then He said upon this rock (petra); the greek work used here is “petra,” meaning “a bulk of massive rock,” will I build my Church. The Lord Jesus was not saying He would build His Church on the small piece of rock called Peter, but on the massive rock of divine revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The Church is built on the revelation of Jesus Christ and every member of His body–including Peter–is a living-stone, with Christ himself being the Chief Corner Stone.
The Lord will not reveal Himself to the world at large because the world in general will not receive Him. So, He establishes the Ecclesia, the Called-Out Ones, that form His assembly on earth and are composed of those who have been given the Revelation of Jesus Christ. These Called-Out Ones are His witnesses. They bear witness to the revelation of Jesus Christ, which they have “seen and heard.” That which they have “seen and heard” becomes their testimony and this is the Testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy. Indeed, God has purposely hidden the knowledge of Jesus Christ in a mystery and will only grant it to individuals by way of revelation once they have humbled themselves as babes.
A man can hear the preaching of the gospel a thousand times and it will mean
nothing to him until the Holy Ghost impacts that word into his spirit and reveals the truth to him. As the Lord said: “no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.” It is the Holy Spirit that opens the inner eyes of men and women so they can see the things of God.
Remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus. As they were walking along discussing the sad events of the past few days, the Lord joined them, “but their eyes were holden that they should not know him” (Luke 24:16). As He walked with them in the way, He expounded the Scripture to them concerning Himself. As they came near the village where they were going, he acted as though he was going on further but they persuaded Him to stay with them. While he was at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it in pieces, and gave it to them. And immediately “their eyes were opened, and they knew who he was.” The Lord Jesus walked with them and spoke to them all the way to Emmaus but they did not recognize him until there was an unveiling of the Son of God.
What shall we, who are called-out for His name, do to grow in the revelation of our Lord?
In the first book of Samuel, discussed in the previous chapter, the Holy Spirit wrote an important message for us in this regard. The message is to enable us see the way to receive from God, even in times of famine, when there is scarcity of the true revelation of Jesus Christ. The first verse gives us a clear picture of the state of Israel, the type of the people of God on the earth.
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision (1Sam 3:1).
At this time Israel had no king, they had no prophet, and Eli was their priest. He was a good priest in the days of his ministry. However, at this time he has become old and his eyes were dim. His sons Phinehas and Hophni, who were occupying the priests’ office in his stead, were wicked and corrupt to say the very least.
The Scripture called them the sons of Belial. Eli’s main fault was that he did not restrain “his sons in the ministry” and honored them more that he honored Jehovah. It was so bad that their evil practices, which were done in the temple of God and concerning the sacrifices of God, influenced and corrupted the people. It was so bad that the glory of God departed from Israel and Ichabod was written on her gates. This is the setting of the first verse written above which says that the “Word of God was scarce (precious)” in those days and there was no open vision or revelation.
But there was a young lad in the temple. What was he doing? The first verse told us that this child, named Samuel, was in the temple ministering unto the Lord. At this time he was just a little child who knew nothing about the “voice of God,” but he waited on his ministry, living in the presence of God continually. There was no outside experience from others for him to draw from as far as the Word of the Lord is concerned because, as the verse tells us–the Word of the LORD was scarce in those days.
However, as the young child ministered unto the Lord in the temple in Shiloh, the Lord God called the child. This should immediately remind you of a New Testament passage confirmation of the above message in the Acts of the Apostles. The Scripture states that:
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them (Act 13:1-2).
As these anointed servants ministered unto the Lord in fasting and prayers, the Holy Ghost began to reveal God’s plan and purpose to them. They did not come together to have a prophets and teachers’ conference, but to minister to the Lord and as they ministered to Him. He began to minister to them.
Two different Greek words were used in I Samuel 3 and in the Acts passage and I feel it’s important to check out their meanings in the original, as used by the Holy Spirit. The word “ministered” used in I Samuel 3 means to “wait on”, “to attend to” and “to serve” as a worshipper does; and comes from the Greek word “sharath.” The Greek word used in the book of Acts is “leitourgeo“, from which the English word “liturgy” was derived. Here it also means worship; however, in addition, the meaning incorporates public worship of God by His anointed servants in obedience to the pattern laid down in His word and in His Holy temple. It means the performance of priestly functions. The word is only accurately used in connection with the temple since that was the only valid place a priest could perform his functions. In Acts 13 we see the word used to describe the Church in Antioch and the former was used to describe the temple of God in Shiloh.
What does this mean? Clearly this: that we are the priests of the Most High God and that we should minister and wait upon him in these “tabernacles not made with hands”; and, as we minister unto Him in His temple, which is our body, He will reveal Himself to us. He will speak to us as He did to Samuel and to those prophets and teachers in Antioch.
Let’s know this for certain: until we have ministered to God, we cannot be effective in ministering to humanity. This is the only way we’ll become able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter but of the Spirit; “for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life.”
This is the picture we see in the Old Testament priesthood. The priest, as we know, is one who ministers to God on the behalf of man, and then blesses man on the behalf of God. Aaron, the High priest, is an example. He was chosen by God, anointed and consecrated for the priestly office. He had access to God through his election, consecration of the priesthood and the blood of lambs. On the Day of Atonement, after carefully going through all of the many cleansing rituals, he went behind the 2nd veil into the Holy of Holies with the blood and his hands full of incense. He offered the incense with the golden censer on the golden altar before the Ark of the Covenant.
As the smoke of the incense rises from the golden altar and covers the mercy seat, which is upon the Ark of the Covenant, God would begin to speak to him from within the glory cloud covering the mercy seat upon the Ark of the Covenant. Here God would reveal Himself to his people. The High Priest receives from this throne room pardon for the people, blessings for the coming year, and all that Jehovah had purposed to reveal to His people. After this the High priest would go out to minister to these children of Abraham, who are all waiting outside for the priest to bring them forgiveness, blessings, and revelation from the throne of Jehovah, their blood covenant God.
The ministry of a priest is to minister to God first, and then with the grace and anointing acquired from His presence, bless humanity.
As a priest ministers to God and waits upon Him, he begins to know more of God’s ways and character and he himself is being transformed to be like Him. God reveals Himself more and more to him and he becomes more acquainted with God and with God’s voice. He is then able to minister to man with love and compassion, as Jesus ministered. He becomes a worship-servant of God, and also a neighbor to suffering humanity. This is not like the philanthropist of the world system, but like Christ with the true Love of God from above and from within. The Scripture tells in Matthew that “Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick… God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy ghost and with power, and He went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil.”
Compassion moved Him to heal the sick, to feed the hungry, to raise the dead, and to have great concern when He saw multitudes of fainting humanity scattered and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. We clearly see in Scriptures that compassion moved Him many times to heal. That word compassion, used in those Scriptural passages concerning Him, is the highest form of love: the God-kind of Love which we will grow in as we minister to the LORD in His holy temple.
Let’s return to the third chapter of Samuel. As we read in the beginning of the chapter, we understand that a true revelation from the Lord was rare in those days in Israel. We see the child Samuel ministering to the Lord in the temple, and the Lord calling the young child. However, because there were no open visions in those days, and revelation was rare, he did not at first recognize the voice of God. The seventh verse tells us:
“Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.”
So he went to Eli to inquire if he was the one calling him and it took Eli himself the third iteration before he perceived that it was God calling the child. “Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.”
The message here is this: that we begin with no revelation, and we end with the Lord revealing Himself to someone. We begin with a child, and end with a prophet. What God is saying here is that we also can start as a child, not knowing how to hear from God, but become one to whom God would constantly reveal His Word. The last verse of this third chapter tells us more about this:
“And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.”
Let’s ask an important question here. What is the foundation upon which this close relationship between God and Samuel was built? How did it start? “The child Samuel ministered to the Lord.” Who is the friend of God? Who knows God? Who hears from God? Who speaks for Him? It is that person who ministers to Him, who seeks His face, who is consecrated and set apart unto Him, who is aligned with His desire, and who seeks His satisfaction.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O God of Jacob (Psalm 24).
One who seeks His face and ministers to God receives blessings from Him; one major blessing is the revelation of Jesus Christ from the Spirit. No wonder the Lord Jesus told Peter, “BLESSED art thou Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” The greatest blessing comes to us through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
This church age in which we live is comparable to I Samuel 3. A genuine word from God is scarce. Don’t get this wrong, there is an abundance of words, sermons, talks, and even prophecies today, but a genuine word from God is rare. But there is a “Samuel Company” in the making today, ministering to God in the court of Eli. The child is not part of Eli’s priesthood but one that’s devoted unto the Lord; for Eli is old, fat, and blind, operating as always, and his “sons in the ministry” standing in the office of the priests are complacently ministering to themselves, ignorant of the “Ichabod” sign stamped on their gates.
What is the meaning of this? This signifies that most of us are not ministering to the Lord but for ourselves. It is My ministry, My cathedral, My television show, and My big crusades and everyone is coming to see Me, for I have built it all through my ingenuity.
But there is “one child” who is ministering to the Lord in the Temple of the Most High – and it is to that unrecognized child that the Lord will make Himself known. The “Samuel Company” ministers continually to God in the temple and are developing a close relationship with God; for there is no revelation apart from relationship.
Daniel the prophet was a classic example of a man of God who knew the importance of a close relationship with God. You noticed the title that Angel Gabriel called Daniel each of the times he brought him a message from the throne. Three times, the angel Gabriel called him “a man greatly beloved.” Daniel was one man full of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, probably second to no other beside the Lord Jesus.
We must ask: what made Daniel so special? Why was he so “greatly beloved” to God that He revealed all those secrets to him? Why? Could it be his unparalleled consecration and commitment to God or his consistency in fellowship and communion with Him? He purposed in his heart never to defile himself and would not compromise on anything that concerned the worship of his God.
Daniel prophesied that in the last days, which are these days in which we live, knowledge will increase. Both natural and revelation knowledge will increase in abundance. We are without doubt seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy. However, there many be who seek to have the knowledge of the Holy One but search for it in the realm of “flesh and blood” and with lives that are not set apart for God. Of these ones, Paul the apostle prophesied that they are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The knowledge of the Truth can only come through the revelation of Jesus Christ” and this revelation will only come to them that commune with him and none of the wicked shall understand but they that know their God shall be strong and do exploits.
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand (Dan 12:4, 10).