In looking over the field of mysterious sayings contained in the Bible, as well as the mystery which enshrouds many phases of human history, we are consoled by the promise of the Savior: "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known." (Luke xii:2; Matthew x:26; Mark iv:22.) In this connection we may cite the fact that men by learning do not see the truth alike, they do not harmonize on the fundamental principles of the Gospel. As an example, they cannot, unaided by revelation, tell the origin, history and destiny of the American Indians.
Isaiah, over 200 years before the advent of the Messiah, foresaw the spiritual ignorance of the last days and how that condition would be overcome by the light of revelation. He prophesied as follows: "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." (Isa. xxix:13, 14.) By reading the context it is evident that the prophecy refers to a time later than the first coming of the Savior, and that the prediction never could be verified without direct revelation from heaven.
Paul, writing to the Hebrews, calls attention to the great truth that the method of the Lord in leading His people from the beginning has been by revelation. He says: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son." (Heb. i:1, 2.) Jesus said in St. John xvii:3: "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." Paul says in I Cor. xii:3. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost."
When Peter received a knowledge of the divinity and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior said unto him: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven." It required a revelation for Peter to receive that testimony. How could any one receive that knowledge without revelation from God? The Jews saw Jesus, witnessed His wondrous miracles of healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, unstopping the ears of the deaf and even raising the dead, but all that was not sufficient. They read the ancient prophecies, pointing to the birth and nativity, the birthplace, life, ministry and martyrdom of the Messiah. Yet were they blind, with eyes to see; deaf, with ears to hear, and without understanding. No reason can be assigned for the ignorance of the masses and the enlightenment of the humble fishermen other than that the former depended upon the learning of men; the latter had received a revelation from God.
To place the necessity of revelation beyond question as to obtaining a knowledge of God, we quote the statement of Jesus to His disciples: "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." (Luke x:22.) Compare this plain, unmistakable testimony of Jesus with the assertions of modern divines, who claim that the canon of Scripture is full and that we do not need divine revelation as it was given to men in ancient days. The position of the latter simply contradicts the plainest teachings of Holy Writ. If it required revelation 2,000 years ago to know that Jesus was the Christ, nothing short of revelation from heaven will secure that knowledge now. Notice, too, the remarkable fact that notwithstanding all the personal experience of the apostles through their association with the Savior, He commanded them to "tarry ye at Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." (Luke, chapter 24.)
Another phase of the subject is this, that men claim that which is written in the Scriptures is sufficient. This view simply makes uninspired men the judge of what is and what is not essential as to all the writings of the apostles and prophets of the Lord Jesus. This is an unwarrantable assumption, condemned by the Scripture; for John says, concerning that which he had written in the Book of Revelation: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book; and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Rev. xxii:18, 19.)
This does not deny God the privilege of adding more revelation, as it is an undisputed fact that the Gospel according to St. John was written subsequent to the Apocalypse; but it is a decree of divine displeasure upon any man who shall add to or take from the revelations of the Almighty. In the face of this decree, history informs us that councils of the Roman Church sat in judgment upon the writings of the apostles, and received only that which, in the light of their human wisdom, was acceptable to them. Notwithstanding this fact, the various factions of Christendom are essaying to build upon the foundation of what has come down to them through the channel of unauthorized councils of men. May we not ask with perfect propriety, is not that which was rejected or lost just as valuable as much of that which has been handed down to us?
As proof that writings of the disciples of Jesus have been lost to the world, I would call special attention to several passages of the Scripture. The writings of the New Testament are from eight authors—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James and Jude. Luke says: "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of these things which are most surely believed among us." (Luke i:1.) While there is no definite proof in this statement as to how many had written their testimonies concerning the Messiah, it is evident they were not few, but many. That there was opportunity and material upon which to write respecting this glorious subject, the life and ministry of Jesus, is very apparent from the last verse of the twenty-first chapter of St. John, as follows: "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written, every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." With such a statement, it is to be wondered at that the world who believed in the Redeemer should rest contented with the narrow view that we have all that is important.
We have in the New Testament what is called I Cor. and II Cor., written to the Saints in Corinth by the apostle Paul. In I Cor. chapter v:9, we have this: "I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators." This must have been previous to the one in which this occurs, and yet such an epistle is not found in our New Testament. In Col. iv:16, Paul says: "And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea." This refers to an epistle from Paul to the Colossians, written from Laodicea, but which is not found in the canon of Scripture as we have it. In II Tim., chapter iv:13, Paul requests Timothy to bring him certain parchments; what they contained we know not. Jude says: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these things, saying: 'Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints.'" How delightful it would be to read the predictions and teachings of that great prophet Enoch, the man who walked and talked with God 365 years, "and was not, for God took him." Only a few verses in the Old and New Testament are all we have in the canon of Scripture respecting Enoch and his city. What a glorious flood of light will dawn upon the world when the writings of Enoch are revealed! In the Old Testament may be found references to about thirty books written by the Jewish scribes and prophets, but which have been lost to the world, rejected and cast aside by uninspired, unauthorized councils of men.
Suppose that all that is necessary so far as explanation of doctrine is concerned is contained in the New Testament, we are then confronted with man's inability to understand what has been revealed without the light of revelation to guide the human mind in understanding and applying the truth. As proof of this I will cite the testimony of Paul: "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. * * * But 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." (I Cor. ii:11, 14.) Jesus said to Nicodemus: "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (St. John iii:3.) "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost." (I Cor. xii:3.) The truth of these sacred sayings is verified by the history of the world, which has languished in darkness without revelation, as shown by previous quotations.