Has God Been Quiet for 2000 Years?

No, God has not been quiet. He has given us his word to study, which is far more than any previous generation had when God was "speaking" ... so to speak. Don't underestimate the Word of God in its power to speak and change lives. God doesn't have to speak audibly.

 

Most people probably don't mean it literally when they say God spoke to them. It does raise all sorts of issues concerning continuing revelation.

Just in case, however, I like to let people who hear the voice of God know that whatever God has said to them does not necessarily obligate me in any way.

I know of a church that was considering buying a piece of property. A prominent member came forward one evening and advised everyone that God had told him they should buy the property. Not only that, God had told him they should pay the owner much more than the asking price.

I would have been very impressed had he said, "God told me to sell my motorhome so we can pay the extra" but that didn't happen. God's voice to him obligated a lot of other people. That sounds very much like a prophet.

 

My answer is No.

 

I often meet people who tell me that during times of great stress in their life they heard the voice of God telling them, He was with them and watching over them. I also meet people who share that when they ask Christ to be Lord and Savior they sometimes hear the voice of God welcoming them, and telling them the road will be long, and may not be easy, but He will be with them always.

I never doubt these people.

After all, the world thought Noah was nuts. The world thought Moses was nuts. The world thought John the Baptist was nuts. The world thought Paul was nuts.

 

All of whom lived in a time of special revelation. We do not live in that time. All we need to do is witness people like David Kouresh, Jim Jones, Oral Roberts, and Benny Hinn to see through the idea that we should never doubt people.

 

God is not quiet, his mouthpieces are here

 

The Revelation of God [The Bible] is closed. God the Holy Spirit may help His people understand that Revelation if they diligently study it but He certainly does not speak to anyone in an audible voice.

 

I'm throwing a wrench into things here as I'm reading an old book about the topic.

So what about a calling?

I frequently hear the statement "The LORD called me into the ministry."
Is this not a spiritual way of saying that God spoke to them?
Is there a personal will of God for each person?
Rob

 

He'll start talking again when people start listening to what He said the first time. The Bible was written 2000+ years ago and you know how it is...nobody writes letters anymore.

 

Statements about the topic have been made and most are based on biblical principles, but since no one has listed any scriptures, here are some that deal with the topic.

Jude explicitly affirms that the Gospel system, called “the faith” (cf. Gal. 1:23; 1 Tim. 5:8), was “once for all delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). The expression “once for all” translates the Greek term hapax, which means “once for all time.” It is used “of what is so done as to be of perpetual validity and never need repetition” (J.H. Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 54). There is no need, therefore, for on-going, direct communication from God.

Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2has in these last days spoken to us by His Son

And Heb 2:3...spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

The word has been spoken and confirmed. There is no need for God to speak and confirm it again.

II Pet 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, - If He has given us all things, we don't need any further revelation.

II Tim 3:16-17, All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. - If the scripture makes us compete and thoroughly equipped, we have every thing we need.

 

There are a lot of things I can not explain in this world. If somebody says that God spoke to them in an audible voice who am I to say they are liars. God has spoken from heaven with an audible voice in the past and if God chose to He could do it again. The standard should not be, “Do these people sound nuts?” but, “Is what they are saying contrary to the word of God?”

I think this is similar to the tongues controversy. If someone tells me that they have spoken in tongues who am I to say they are liars. Tongues happened in the Bible and if God chose to he could use them again. But, the standard should be, the tongues in agreement with the Biblical record? Was there an interpreter there to explain what was said? Did they speak one at a time? If their “tongues” did not fit the Biblical model then they are either lying or they are mistaken (two very different things).

If God chose to spoke to someone in an audible voice anything he would tell them would be in agreement with the word he has already given. If what they are saying is a “new revelation” and contradicts the Bible. Well then they are either lying or mistaken.