By Pastor Danny Isom
The secret things belong to the Lord our God,
but the things revealed
belong to us
and to our sons forever,
that we may observe all the words of this
law.
(Deut. 29:29)
but the things revealed
belong to us
and to our sons forever,
that we may observe all the words of this
law.
(Deut. 29:29)
As the Preacher has
already told us, “There is nothing new
under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9) So why should we be surprised that yet another person has been the exclusive
recipient of yet another “secret”
from God and, for the first time in the history of the world, is making it
known to us? For some reason, instead of writing it down in one of the original
languages of the Bible and making it freely available to all like the original
Prophets of old, this time around God chose to have it printed in English and
sold for $16.99 ($9.00 on the Kindle). For a fee, the “prophet” will come and
speak about it. False teaching disguised as “revelation” like Jonathan Cahn’s The Harbinger have been around
since handwriting was invented and such
will, no doubt, persist until the Lord returns. Please do not buy it or even
bother reading a friend’s copy; why should you take away time from your
personal meditation in Scripture, the only true
source of revelation? But such things keep coming up, so I keep going back to
the above verse.
already told us, “There is nothing new
under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9) So why should we be surprised that yet another person has been the exclusive
recipient of yet another “secret”
from God and, for the first time in the history of the world, is making it
known to us? For some reason, instead of writing it down in one of the original
languages of the Bible and making it freely available to all like the original
Prophets of old, this time around God chose to have it printed in English and
sold for $16.99 ($9.00 on the Kindle). For a fee, the “prophet” will come and
speak about it. False teaching disguised as “revelation” like Jonathan Cahn’s The Harbinger have been around
since handwriting was invented and such
will, no doubt, persist until the Lord returns. Please do not buy it or even
bother reading a friend’s copy; why should you take away time from your
personal meditation in Scripture, the only true
source of revelation? But such things keep coming up, so I keep going back to
the above verse.
- Fact 1: God has not revealed everything to us, nor will He.
- Fact 2: He has already revealed everything we need to know in His Word. There is
no room for new books in The Book. - Fact 3: If we cannot be obedient to what has
already been revealed, there is no “new” or further revelation coming.
In addition to
outright false teachers and false prophets who teach error, there are also
those who, “…speak a vision of their own
imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord.”
(Jer. 23:16b) In either case, it is to be rejected just the same.
outright false teachers and false prophets who teach error, there are also
those who, “…speak a vision of their own
imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord.”
(Jer. 23:16b) In either case, it is to be rejected just the same.
The sad thing is
that I cannot even report this to be the most egregious attempt to deceive the
Elect in this age-old genre of claiming something never-before-revealed. There
seems to be a whole “Bible codes” industry built on individuals and movements
who purport to be the first ones in history whom God allowed to figure out
these “secrets.” On the most shallow, surface level of this nonsense, why does
it not bother anyone with a grade school education that the Lord has allowed
all of the apostles, pastors and scholars throughout the whole of history up
this point to have miscalculated, mistranslated, or just plain mishandled the
Word except these chosen few whom God waited until now to reveal it to? Why is
it that we so rarely see these “gifted” individuals living like a true apostle or prophet, much less a
faithful rank-and-file believer? Why does God choose for them to personally
profit so greatly from this particular revelation when this was anything but
the case for those through whom the true, written Word of God was previously
given? (Prophets from biblical times must be jealous of profits in modern
times—pun intended.) Why should I even attempt a scriptural response when the
argument is won and lost without ever leaving the arena of common sense?
that I cannot even report this to be the most egregious attempt to deceive the
Elect in this age-old genre of claiming something never-before-revealed. There
seems to be a whole “Bible codes” industry built on individuals and movements
who purport to be the first ones in history whom God allowed to figure out
these “secrets.” On the most shallow, surface level of this nonsense, why does
it not bother anyone with a grade school education that the Lord has allowed
all of the apostles, pastors and scholars throughout the whole of history up
this point to have miscalculated, mistranslated, or just plain mishandled the
Word except these chosen few whom God waited until now to reveal it to? Why is
it that we so rarely see these “gifted” individuals living like a true apostle or prophet, much less a
faithful rank-and-file believer? Why does God choose for them to personally
profit so greatly from this particular revelation when this was anything but
the case for those through whom the true, written Word of God was previously
given? (Prophets from biblical times must be jealous of profits in modern
times—pun intended.) Why should I even attempt a scriptural response when the
argument is won and lost without ever leaving the arena of common sense?
For the uninitiated,
the name of the last book of the Bible, in Greek, is “Apokalypsis.” It describes an unveiling, something that becomes
clearer and clearer as you get nearer to it, and the veil which you can already
partially see through is finally lifted out of the way. The truth is that if we
would just trust the timing and direction of the Holy Spirit through Whom we
obtain the only guidance that can explain God’s Word, there are no remaining
“secrets.” At present we can already see the outline of them all, so it is
really a case of God’s timing as to when we will be brought close enough and
the veil fully removed so that what has been there all along comes into our
clear, earthly view. Such are not “secret” things, but a test of faith to see
if we will obey all that we have already been given while we wait for His
timing when it comes to the rest. Beware of those who claim they are the only
ones who can explain what is behind the curtain, especially if it costs $16.99.
the name of the last book of the Bible, in Greek, is “Apokalypsis.” It describes an unveiling, something that becomes
clearer and clearer as you get nearer to it, and the veil which you can already
partially see through is finally lifted out of the way. The truth is that if we
would just trust the timing and direction of the Holy Spirit through Whom we
obtain the only guidance that can explain God’s Word, there are no remaining
“secrets.” At present we can already see the outline of them all, so it is
really a case of God’s timing as to when we will be brought close enough and
the veil fully removed so that what has been there all along comes into our
clear, earthly view. Such are not “secret” things, but a test of faith to see
if we will obey all that we have already been given while we wait for His
timing when it comes to the rest. Beware of those who claim they are the only
ones who can explain what is behind the curtain, especially if it costs $16.99.
But I have to say
that it amazes me how poor the so-called “Christian” con-artists and
counterfeiters are at their work! We could never find an unbelieving con-man or
counterfeiter producing obvious imitations and cheap knock-offs that would not
fool anyone. They have much more pride in their work than the Christian
con-artists! The professional thief at least does their homework, pays
attention to all the tiniest details and makes it the most difficult possible
to see any difference between the fake and authentic. At least their fake diamond is so good, only the
most well-equipped and knowledgeable expert can tell the difference so that
they really do fool the mark. All Christian con-artists seem to need to do is
produce something sparkly and pretty which only they would have the audacity to call a “diamond,” and there is no end of takers who are fooled! They do
not have to make any effort whatsoever beyond simply calling it a “diamond”
and, unlike a wiser person of the world, their marks simply take their word for
it. Unlike the world’s counterfeits, it is so obviously something of little
resemblance to the real thing that it should never have fooled anyone to begin
with.
that it amazes me how poor the so-called “Christian” con-artists and
counterfeiters are at their work! We could never find an unbelieving con-man or
counterfeiter producing obvious imitations and cheap knock-offs that would not
fool anyone. They have much more pride in their work than the Christian
con-artists! The professional thief at least does their homework, pays
attention to all the tiniest details and makes it the most difficult possible
to see any difference between the fake and authentic. At least their fake diamond is so good, only the
most well-equipped and knowledgeable expert can tell the difference so that
they really do fool the mark. All Christian con-artists seem to need to do is
produce something sparkly and pretty which only they would have the audacity to call a “diamond,” and there is no end of takers who are fooled! They do
not have to make any effort whatsoever beyond simply calling it a “diamond”
and, unlike a wiser person of the world, their marks simply take their word for
it. Unlike the world’s counterfeits, it is so obviously something of little
resemblance to the real thing that it should never have fooled anyone to begin
with.
One would think that
these charlatans would spend at least a little
time studying how an authentic, biblical prophet lives, speaks and acts. Or
that they would carefully craft their wares to be as indistinguishable as
possible from the authentic. Or that they would try to imitate the original
right down to the worn out sandals. Why is it that Christians will accept an
obvious imitation which any non-believer with bad eyesight and a poor sense of
smell would recognize in ten seconds? Why is it that every modern-day false
prophet fills the exact mold Jesus identified as producing something obviously
false?
these charlatans would spend at least a little
time studying how an authentic, biblical prophet lives, speaks and acts. Or
that they would carefully craft their wares to be as indistinguishable as
possible from the authentic. Or that they would try to imitate the original
right down to the worn out sandals. Why is it that Christians will accept an
obvious imitation which any non-believer with bad eyesight and a poor sense of
smell would recognize in ten seconds? Why is it that every modern-day false
prophet fills the exact mold Jesus identified as producing something obviously
false?
But what did you go out to see? A man
dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!
(Matthew 11:8)
dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!
(Matthew 11:8)
How did John’s
appearance and stature reveal he was anything but someone who called a king’s
palace a home? He first and foremost looked and lived the part.
appearance and stature reveal he was anything but someone who called a king’s
palace a home? He first and foremost looked and lived the part.
Now John himself had a garment of
camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and
wild honey. (Matthew 3:4)
camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and
wild honey. (Matthew 3:4)
And what was John’s
accompanying message? What did he say
to do about the impending arrival of the Messiah, the greatest literal
“revelation” of all time?
accompanying message? What did he say
to do about the impending arrival of the Messiah, the greatest literal
“revelation” of all time?
Therefore bear fruit in keeping with
repentance; (Matthew 3:8)
repentance; (Matthew 3:8)
Everyone then, just as today, knew that the
Messiah was coming soon. The real prophet did not reveal a new “secret,” did
not dazzle them with something only he had, but called them back to the most
basic thing they knew all along because it had been drilled over and over again
through all the previous prophets and God’s Word predicting His arrival: repent
of sin and put the Word of God as already given into practice so you will be able
to handle the coming revelation.
Messiah was coming soon. The real prophet did not reveal a new “secret,” did
not dazzle them with something only he had, but called them back to the most
basic thing they knew all along because it had been drilled over and over again
through all the previous prophets and God’s Word predicting His arrival: repent
of sin and put the Word of God as already given into practice so you will be able
to handle the coming revelation.
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed
belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this
law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this
law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
And what is even
more incredible is that the Messiah DOES
come, the Messiah fulfills more than three hundred twenty prophecies in the Old
Testament, and the vast majority completely miss the “revelation” of the
Messiah’s first coming! Why? Instead of doing what John said, they kept
following and seeking after those who dangled something else in front of them. How much more authentic can it get than to
have the Messiah, in person, right there in front of you and instead giddily
run after the cheap, sparkly imitation that “looks pretty” over there? No, the
problem then is the same as it is now: a lack of obedience to what God has
already revealed, a population that
can be deceived because they are not prepared for something “new” because they
never truly believed the “old.”
more incredible is that the Messiah DOES
come, the Messiah fulfills more than three hundred twenty prophecies in the Old
Testament, and the vast majority completely miss the “revelation” of the
Messiah’s first coming! Why? Instead of doing what John said, they kept
following and seeking after those who dangled something else in front of them. How much more authentic can it get than to
have the Messiah, in person, right there in front of you and instead giddily
run after the cheap, sparkly imitation that “looks pretty” over there? No, the
problem then is the same as it is now: a lack of obedience to what God has
already revealed, a population that
can be deceived because they are not prepared for something “new” because they
never truly believed the “old.”
Do I believe that
there are “deeper” truths to be gleaned from the Word than are obvious at first
glance? Of course, but there is a basic rule of interpretation which tells us
when the line has been crossed from “exegesis”—drawing out of Scripture what is
there, and “eisegesis”—reading something into Scripture that was never there to
begin with: Scripture never
contradicts Scripture.
there are “deeper” truths to be gleaned from the Word than are obvious at first
glance? Of course, but there is a basic rule of interpretation which tells us
when the line has been crossed from “exegesis”—drawing out of Scripture what is
there, and “eisegesis”—reading something into Scripture that was never there to
begin with: Scripture never
contradicts Scripture.
I have seen people
use Gematria, where the letters of the Greek or Hebrew alphabet are assigned a
number, to show that the Messiah to come was going to literally be named
“Jesus.” If that is true, it is not actually something “new” or in conflict
with the rest of Scripture, is it? Scripture confirms that the Messiah is
indeed named “Jesus.” Within Scripture is a rich texture of patterns,
allegories, parables and typology, all of which never form the basis for doctrine, but in every
instance is confirmed elsewhere in Scripture by what is plainly stated. The
“deeper” things reflect and provide a better understanding of the basic things.
If someone offers something that cannot be confirmed and supported by
Scripture, run far, my friend… run fast.
use Gematria, where the letters of the Greek or Hebrew alphabet are assigned a
number, to show that the Messiah to come was going to literally be named
“Jesus.” If that is true, it is not actually something “new” or in conflict
with the rest of Scripture, is it? Scripture confirms that the Messiah is
indeed named “Jesus.” Within Scripture is a rich texture of patterns,
allegories, parables and typology, all of which never form the basis for doctrine, but in every
instance is confirmed elsewhere in Scripture by what is plainly stated. The
“deeper” things reflect and provide a better understanding of the basic things.
If someone offers something that cannot be confirmed and supported by
Scripture, run far, my friend… run fast.
How does a real
prophet handle God’s prophetic Word? Look at the guy through whom more
“secrets” were revealed in the Old Testament than any other. No one has left us
more Old Testament prophetic puzzles than Daniel. How did he handle the
recognition of God’s revelation in his time?
prophet handle God’s prophetic Word? Look at the guy through whom more
“secrets” were revealed in the Old Testament than any other. No one has left us
more Old Testament prophetic puzzles than Daniel. How did he handle the
recognition of God’s revelation in his time?
In the first year of Darius the son of
Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the
Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I,
Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was
revealed as the word of the Lord
to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem,
namely, seventy years. So I gave my
attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with
fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord
my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome
God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep
His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and
rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. (Daniel
9:1-5)
Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the
Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I,
Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was
revealed as the word of the Lord
to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem,
namely, seventy years. So I gave my
attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with
fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord
my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome
God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep
His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and
rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. (Daniel
9:1-5)
Daniel is searching
the Word which God has already given!
Daniel, someone renowned for personal faithfulness to God’s Word, discovers
something no one else seems to be aware of which is inside the Word which God has already given! What does he do with
this “secret”? Daniel begins by addressing the core issue of repentance of sin
and obedience to the Word—that which has already
been made known. He knows they are not going to get the greater fulfillment to
come if they do not get what has already been revealed.
the Word which God has already given!
Daniel, someone renowned for personal faithfulness to God’s Word, discovers
something no one else seems to be aware of which is inside the Word which God has already given! What does he do with
this “secret”? Daniel begins by addressing the core issue of repentance of sin
and obedience to the Word—that which has already
been made known. He knows they are not going to get the greater fulfillment to
come if they do not get what has already been revealed.
When faced with the
imminent and inevitable fulfillment of God’s prophetic Word, a true prophet first and foremost
addresses the shortfall in living according to what God’s people should already
know. Daniel did not know how God would specifically fulfill the prophecies in
Jeremiah, but he knew that it would be missed in whatever form it took by God’s
people if they did not repent and start living according to the Word already given to them. In other words,
because people were not living according to the Word of God as already given,
they were incapable of seeing what was about
to be revealed in the prophetic Word of God! God is not going to reveal a
“secret” to someone who is unwilling to obey the plain truth already provided.
In fact, when Daniel was given an actual secret, he was told to keep it secret until God Himself would
reveal it at God’s appointed time. (Dan. 8:26-27)
imminent and inevitable fulfillment of God’s prophetic Word, a true prophet first and foremost
addresses the shortfall in living according to what God’s people should already
know. Daniel did not know how God would specifically fulfill the prophecies in
Jeremiah, but he knew that it would be missed in whatever form it took by God’s
people if they did not repent and start living according to the Word already given to them. In other words,
because people were not living according to the Word of God as already given,
they were incapable of seeing what was about
to be revealed in the prophetic Word of God! God is not going to reveal a
“secret” to someone who is unwilling to obey the plain truth already provided.
In fact, when Daniel was given an actual secret, he was told to keep it secret until God Himself would
reveal it at God’s appointed time. (Dan. 8:26-27)
Now here is an
interesting supporting “revelation” from Scripture when it comes the unveiling
of God’s secrets. What would happen if God DID
make one of His secrets known? How would we know for sure that this was
authentically taking place?
interesting supporting “revelation” from Scripture when it comes the unveiling
of God’s secrets. What would happen if God DID
make one of His secrets known? How would we know for sure that this was
authentically taking place?
The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
And He will make
them know His covenant. (Psalm 25:14)
them know His covenant. (Psalm 25:14)
It will only come to
those who are obediently putting His Word into practice for the purpose of
their further putting His Word into
practice! Biblically speaking, “those who
fear Him” is defined as someone who is intimately acquainted and so reveres
the Lord that it is visibly proven by their obedience to His Word. This verse
does not contradict the one previously quoted from Deuteronomy, but establishes
what we know not only about every biblical prophet’s ministry, but every sign
and wonder recorded and still to come: it is always about obedience to the greater message of the Word. The
Psalmist tells us that the end result is the deepest and most complete working
of God’s Word, to “know His covenant.”
This is the term which expresses having entered into a personal relationship
with God based on the mutual terms of His Word. Authentic secrets from the Lord
confirm His Word for those already in
a right and obedient relationship in the most profound ways so that it has the
greatest effect to reinforce obedience to His Word!
those who are obediently putting His Word into practice for the purpose of
their further putting His Word into
practice! Biblically speaking, “those who
fear Him” is defined as someone who is intimately acquainted and so reveres
the Lord that it is visibly proven by their obedience to His Word. This verse
does not contradict the one previously quoted from Deuteronomy, but establishes
what we know not only about every biblical prophet’s ministry, but every sign
and wonder recorded and still to come: it is always about obedience to the greater message of the Word. The
Psalmist tells us that the end result is the deepest and most complete working
of God’s Word, to “know His covenant.”
This is the term which expresses having entered into a personal relationship
with God based on the mutual terms of His Word. Authentic secrets from the Lord
confirm His Word for those already in
a right and obedient relationship in the most profound ways so that it has the
greatest effect to reinforce obedience to His Word!
- We know some “secrets” to be bogus because God
does not reveal secrets to someone living a life apart from His Word. - We know some “secrets” to be bogus because they
are not supported by nor conform to God’s already provided Word. - We know some “secrets” to be bogus because they
try to introduce something “new” that cannot be found in God’s written Word. - We know some “secrets” to be bogus because they
are so general, we do not know what to actually do with the information.
But we ultimately
know to automatically reject anyone
using the term “secret” without delving very deeply. Why?
know to automatically reject anyone
using the term “secret” without delving very deeply. Why?
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed
belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this
law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this
law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
I have not spoken
in secret, In some dark land;
I did not say to
the offspring of Jacob
the offspring of Jacob
‘Seek Me in a waste place’;
I, the Lord, speak righteousness,
Declaring things
that are upright. (Isaiah 45:19)
that are upright. (Isaiah 45:19)
What is here
articulated through Isaiah in the Old Testament is expanded upon by Christ
Himself:
articulated through Isaiah in the Old Testament is expanded upon by Christ
Himself:
Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly
to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the
Jews come together; and I spoke
nothing in secret. (John 18:20)
to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the
Jews come together; and I spoke
nothing in secret. (John 18:20)
Paul tells us that
even when God reveals a mystery, it is verified by God’s Word and those through
whom His written Word was given, and that such is always freely and publicly
revealed to the entire world and has as its ultimate purpose faithfulness to
God’s Word:
even when God reveals a mystery, it is verified by God’s Word and those through
whom His written Word was given, and that such is always freely and publicly
revealed to the entire world and has as its ultimate purpose faithfulness to
God’s Word:
Now to Him who is able to establish you
according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has
been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the
Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God,
has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans
16:25-27)
according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has
been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the
Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God,
has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans
16:25-27)
What is, has, and
most certainly will come many more times in the form of those claiming to
reveal something “secret” is probably best explained by Peter for what it
really is:
most certainly will come many more times in the form of those claiming to
reveal something “secret” is probably best explained by Peter for what it
really is:
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there
will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly
introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought
them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their
sensuality, and because of them the
way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you
with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their
destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly
introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought
them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their
sensuality, and because of them the
way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you
with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their
destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
Too many are so
easily deceived because they spend absolutely no time in the Word, usually
because to do so would mean having to address the persistent issues of personal
sin in their life. They do not know what God’s Word says, so they allow someone
else to define it for them. It is like buying a diamond without ever actually
knowing what a real diamond looks or feels like, so why not just take the
salesman’s word for it? But for those of us who strive to attain to being a
Wise Virgin (Mt. 25:1-13) who remain committed to His Word in spite of the
lateness of the hour, we have already been provided everything we authentically and literally need from Genesis 1:1 to
Revelation 22:21. Everything else is an obvious and pale imitation.
easily deceived because they spend absolutely no time in the Word, usually
because to do so would mean having to address the persistent issues of personal
sin in their life. They do not know what God’s Word says, so they allow someone
else to define it for them. It is like buying a diamond without ever actually
knowing what a real diamond looks or feels like, so why not just take the
salesman’s word for it? But for those of us who strive to attain to being a
Wise Virgin (Mt. 25:1-13) who remain committed to His Word in spite of the
lateness of the hour, we have already been provided everything we authentically and literally need from Genesis 1:1 to
Revelation 22:21. Everything else is an obvious and pale imitation.
Republished with permission of the author. Original published HERE.