Reading the Old Testament, we soon become aware that revelation from God was sparse and intermittent as far as His people were concerned. After Jesus lived on earth and returned to His Father, things immediately changed as He sent His Holy Spirit to be our paraclete – our helper – the one who comes alongside.

The Book of the Acts of the Apostles could well be called the Book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit, and even a quick study of Acts uncovers that with the exception of Chapter 17, all other chapters contain extensive and numerous examples of, or reference to, supernatural revelation. What is interesting and must be borne in mind when reading Acts, is that is it a book of factual records regarding how the first century Christians actually lived, rather than a theory of how they ought to have lived. Communication with God was the norm, not the exception, and the means and methods which God employed were varied. Right at the beginning of Acts we see how the stage is set, when in Acts 1:11 two angels approach the disciples saying “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into the heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, will come in the way you have seen Him going into Heaven.” The Book of Acts starts in the supernatural and continues there; the supernatural and communication with God is normal for all.

What this means for the Church today is that Jesus make it clear that His Church will be built on His revelations, not on programmes and plans devised by man. Acts 1 and 2 are full of instances which support this thought, to the point where it is even possible to argue that Acts 1 and 2 make it clear that apart from supernatural revelation, the Church cannot possible fulfill its redemptive earthly mission.

But what is this spiritual revelation mentioned above? Simply put, it is the secret things of God which He has chosen to make known to us. In other words, God reveals to us that which we could not have otherwise known though natural means.

A good example of this is in Galatians 2:1-2 in which Paul explains (defends) the reasons for the decisions he has made in the choices he has made in His ministry for Jesus saying:

“Then through fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation. And I put before them the gospel which I proclaim in the nations, but privately to those seeming to be pillars, lest I run, or I ran, into vanity.”

We see here Paul using the term or word “revelation” (κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν) as the initial reason for his action. Paul only shares that it was by revelation, and deems that sufficient for his audience; he did not elaborate on how the revelation, the rhema Word of God was received, through visions, dreams or visitations etc. What was important for the Galatians to know was that it was God’s will he went to Jerusalem and took Barnabas and Titus with him, saying: “I went up by revelation.” If God has not specifically told him, he would not have otherwise known to do so.

So confident was Paul that God would communicate to even the most lowly Christians, he wrote in his epistle to the Philippians 3:15 saying to the whole church there:

“Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be of this mind. And if in anything you are otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you.”

Paul expected God to communicate to them and with them as and when they needed revelation.

In the early Church, God the Father poured out His Holy Spirit as needed, but in Acts 2:17-18 God tells us:

“And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And in those days I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves and My slave women, and they shall prophesy.”

Similarly, the hand of God the Father is declared in Acts 10:38 as it is explained “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all those who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with Him.”

By the days and times of Book of Acts, however, things had changed and God the Father was revealing Himself through The Holy Spirit, Jesus and Angels. We will now look at the biblical support for this claim.

Revelations through the Holy Spirit:

Clearly the Holy Spirit speaks to individuals giving them personal directions:

Acts 8:29 “Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot.”< Acts 10:19-20 “And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you. Therefore arise and go down and go with them without doubting, for I have sent them.”

Many in the early Church were so aligned, or in-tune, with the Holy Spirit, they could describe the Spirit’s leading:

Acts 15:287 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary things …”

The Holy Spirit also speaks directly to whole Churches, giving, for example, changes to missionary plans:

Acts 13:2 “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, So, then, separate Barnabas and Saul to Me for the work to which I have called them.”

The Holy Spirit can block missionary plans which are not in His sovereign will:

Acts 16:6-7 “And coming through the Phrygian and the Galatian region; and by the Holy Spirit being forbidden to speak the Word in Asia; having come to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia. But the Spirit did not allow them.”

The Holy Spirit may direct or redirect and change our plans without explanation:

Acts 20:22 “And now, behold, I am going bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall happen to me there …”

The Holy Spirit may warn:

Acts 20:23 “except that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.”

The Holy Spirit may control our words or speak through us, being “filled with the Spirit”:

Acts 4:8 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders of Israel …”
Acts 11:28 “And one of them named Agabus stood up and signified by the Spirit that there should be great famine over the world (which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar).”
Acts 21:4 “And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days; who said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.”

The Holy Spirit may removed us from one place to another, instantaneously:

Acts 8:39 “And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing.”

Revelations through Jesus:

Jesus reveals Himself to Stephen at the time of his stoning – and it may be argued that Stephen’s testimony initiated the stoning, surely at lease, making it a certainty.

Acts 7:55 “But being full of the Holy Spirit, looking up intently into Heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

The revelation of Jesus to Paul on the road to Damascus is such a pivotal point in the story of Christendom, that it is repeated three times in the Book of Acts: Acts 9:3-6, Acts 22:6-16 and Acts 26:9-16.

Jesus gave a revelation for Paul (Saul) to Ananias in Acts 9:10-16 to prepare him for his Apostleship for God.

Jesus gave revealed to directions Paul:

Acts 18:9-11 “And the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, Do not be afraid, but speak, and be not silent. For I am with you, and no one shall set on you to hurt you, for I have many people in this city. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them.”

Jesus gave revealed word of comfort to Paul:

Acts 22:17-21 “And it happened to me, I returning to Jerusalem and praying in the temple, I became in an ecstasy. And I saw Him say to me, Hurry and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me. And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and beating those who believed on You throughout the synagogues. And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was poured out, I also was standing by and consenting to his death, and holding the garments of those who killed him. And He said to me, Go, for I will send you far away to the nations.“

Jesus gave revealed word of encouragement to Paul:

Acts 23:11 “And the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified of Me in Jerusalem, so you also must bear witness at Rome.”

In these words of Acts 22:17-21 the words Jesus reveals are more than just comfort, for they also tell Paul that He, Jesus, has special plans for him which are not necessarily the same plans and ideas which Paul has. Thus Jesus gives Paul protection, as in this passage there is a warning to Paul “they will not receive your testimony concerning Me,” and there is an command to Paul “Go, for I will send you far away..” At the same time, however, Jesus reveals to Paul the solution to the predicament and a change of direction in his ministry: “I will send you far away to the nations [to the Gentiles].”

Jesus also works to open the hearts of those whom He wishes. As Acts 16:14 says “And a certain woman named Lydia heard us, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God; whose heart the Lord opened, so that she attended to the things which were spoken by Paul.” Indeed, nowhere in scripture does it say that anyone came to Christ by their own choice or their own efforts. Rather, like Lydia, they all had their hearts opened by Jesus.

Revelations through Angels:

There are few actual references to Angels in the New Testament, but when they do occur, they are focused and effective to support and serve.

Perhaps the most well known angelic references come in the form of their opening jails and setting inmates free:

Acts 5:19-20 “But the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night and brought them out, and said, Go! Stand and speak all the words of this Life to the people in the temple.”
Acts 12:7-11 “And behold! An angel of the Lord stood by, and a light shone in the building. And striking Peter’s side, he raised him up, saying, Rise up quickly! And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, Gird yourself and put on your sandals. And he did so. And he says to him, Throw your robe around you and follow me.
And he went out and followed him. And he did not know that this happening through the angel was true, but thought he saw a vision.
When they were past the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord. And they went out and passed on through one street. And immediately the angel departed from him.
And having come to himself, Peter said, Now I know surely that the Lord has sent His angel and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.”

Angels revealed specific instructions to Philip:

Acts 8:26 “And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south, on the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is a deserted place.”

Angels revealed specific instructions to Cornelius:

Acts 10:4-6 “And he was gazing at him, and becoming terrified, he said, What is it, lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your merciful deeds have come up for a memorial before God.
And now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose last name is Peter. He is staying with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He will tell you what you must do.”

During a severe storm and pending shipwreck, Angels revealed to Paul the plans which the Lord has for him, and in that revealed that not only would he be saved, but all with him:

Acts 27:23-24 “For tonight an angel of God stood beside me, whose I am and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul! You must stand before Caesar. And behold! God has given you all those who sail with you.”

Today:

Do we receive the same levels of revelation today as the early Church did via the Holy Spirit, Jesus and Angels? I am certain that it is indeed the case. However, I believe that we receive in proportion to our faith. If we do not expect, the Lord will likely fulfill that expectation, for as Jesus, in Revelation 3:16 says of lukewarm Christians, “because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

Paul had a passion for Christ and it is recorded in the Bible:

First Corinthians 9:23 “And this I do for the sake of the gospel … “

Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

All the Christian I know of who have a passion for the Lord, and those whom I have read about, all have testimonies which reveal the hand of God on their lives and a continual revelation from God into their lives. But this is not unexpected for as we read above, in Acts 2:17-18 God tells us:

“And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And in those days I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves and My slave women, and they shall prophesy.”

Brothers and Sisters, whether you like it or not, we are in the Last Days and God’s children can see visions, dream dreams and prophesy, just like Jesus said we could and would. Remember what Numbers 23:19 says about God:

“God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”

God has spoken and His logos Words are available in His Holy Bible for all who will but read and understand them. God speaks today and His rhema Words are available to all who will but listen to Him, be it through the Holy Spirit, Jesus, Angels or any one of His agents. Just listen to His still small voice, for He is telling you, Jesus will soon return.

But to fear God is to hear God. This is His word from Psalm 25:14 which says:

“The secret of Jehovah is with those who fear Him; and He will show them His covenant.”

If you do not fear God, you will never hear Him.

Amen and Amen.