Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology), or in the theological conception, making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication with the divine, "which could not be known apart from the unveiling" (Goswiller 1987 p. In Christian eschatology, the Last Judgment or Day of the Lord is the judgment by God of every human who ever lived Divinity and divine (sometimes 'the Divinity' or 'the Divine' are broadly applied but loosely defined terms used variously within different faiths and belief systems — 3).

In monotheistic religions, revelation is the process, or act of making divine knowledge understood, often through direct ontological realization which transcends the human state and reaches into the divine intellect. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos In Philosophy, ontology (from the Greek, genitive: of being (part

Revelation in a religious sense can originate from God, a deity, or their agents such as an angel, and discloses a willed outcome, principles, behaviors, laws and doctrines, although the realized principle can also be interpreted as the realizing principle. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition

Most religions have religious texts viewed as sacred and revealed by the Divine, the monotheistic religions viewing them as the "Word of God". SACRED was a Cubesat built by the Student Satellite Program of the University of Arizona.

Contents 1 Scriptural hermeneutics 2 Divine revelation in Judaism 2.1 The origin of the Torah and prophecy 2.1.1 The Torah and Oral Law 2.1.2 The Prophets 3 Divine revelation in Christianity 3.1 Scriptural canon of Christianity 3.2 Basis on the divine origin of the Bible 3.3 Biblical theology 3.4 Systematic theology 3.5 Different Christian views of revelation 3.6 Current controversies and criticisms 3.7 Scriptural canon of the Messianic 'Judaism' 4 Divine revelation in Islam 4.1 Similarities between the Qur'ān and the Bible 5 Divine revelation in the Bahá'í Faith 6 Latter Day Saint concept of revelation 6.1 Joseph Smith, Jr. 7 Divine revelation in the Jehovah's Witnesses concept 8 Existentialism 9 Visitation 10 Caveats and criticism 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

Scriptural hermeneutics

Main articles: Biblical hermeneutics, Pesher, and Tafsir

Throughout religious history, some scholars and students of religious texts have sought to mine the wealth of their meanings, by developing a variety of different systems of hermeneutics. Biblical hermeneutics refers to methods of interpreting the Bible. Pesher (pl pesharim) is a Hebrew word meaning "interpretation" in the sense of "solution" Tafsir ( Arabic: تفسير, tafsīr, "interpretation" is the Arabic word for Exegesis Hermeneutics may be described as the development and study of Theories of the interpretation and understanding of texts Philosophical hermeneutics, in particular, can be seen as a development of scriptural hermeneutics, providing a theoretical backing for various interpretive projects. Thus, philosophical hermeneutics and scriptural hermeneutics can be seen as mutually reinforcing concepts.

Rabbi Ishmael of the Amoraic era of Judaism interpreted laws from the Torah through 13 hermeneutic principles. Ishmael ben Elisha (90-135 CE commonly known as Rabbi Ishmael, Hebrew: רבי ישמעאל) was a Tanna of the first and second Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to This is the first appearance of hermeneutics in the World, through the exegetic interpretation of Biblical texts.

Biblical hermeneutics refers to methods of interpreting the Bible. Biblical hermeneutics is part of the broader hermeneutical question, relates to the problem of how one is to understand Holy Scripture. By definition, this is a theological act, ie. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective part of the discourse of a faith-community. This does not mean that it is of no relevance to those who do not consider themselves to be part of that community, but rather that it is an issue that arises out of the particular needs of that community.

Therefore, one ought to differentiate between Christian and Jewish Biblical hermeneutics: although there is an overlap between the two (and some form of dialogs), since they share part of their scriptures, they do arise out of different faith traditions and thus developed their own notion of hermeneutics. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings

It must also be stressed that theological differences within these faith communities preclude any 'definitive' statement on Biblical hermeneutics.

Pesher is a Hebrew word meaning "interpretation" in the sense of a "solution". It became known from one group of texts, numbering some hundreds, among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1000 documents including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven Caves The pesharim (plural of Pesher) take a book of the Hebrew Bible, often from the prophets, such as Habakkuk, Nahum, or from the Psalms, quote it phrase by phrase, and after each quotation insert an interpretation, preceded by "its Pesher is". The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 Minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. The book of Nahum is a book in the Bible 's Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included

A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير) tafsīr, also transliterated tafseer, Arabic "interpretation"), sharing the same etymology with Hebrew "pesher" is Qur'anic exegesis or commentary. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Transliteration is the practice of Transcribing a Word or text written in one Writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Exegesis (from the Greek 'to lead out' involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a Holy Someone who writes tafsir is a mufassir ( (Arabic: مفسر) mufassir, plural (Arabic: مفسرون) mufassirūn). Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language

Divine revelation in Judaism

The origin of the Torah and prophecy

Main article: Jewish principles of faith

The Torah and Oral Law

Rabbinic Judaism, and contemporary Orthodox Judaism, hold that the Torah (Pentateuch) extant today is essentially the same one that the whole of the Jewish people received on Mount Sinai, from God, upon their Exodus from Egypt. Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to For other places named Mount Sinai see Mount Sinai (disambiguation Mount Sinai (Arabic طور سيناء, Hebrew הר סיני also ^[1] Beliefs that God gave a "Torah of truth" to Moses (and the rest of the people), that Moses was the greatest of the prophets, and that the Law given to Moses will never be changed, are three of the Thirteen Principles of Faith of Orthodox Judaism according to Maimonides. Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and Maimonides explains: "We do not know exactly how the Torah was transmitted to Moses. But when it was transmitted, Moses merely wrote it down like a secretary taking dictation. . . . (Thus) every verse in the Torah is equally holy, as they all originate from God, and are all part of God's Torah, which is perfect, holy and true. "

Orthodox Judaism believes that in addition to the written Torah, God also revealed to Moses a set of oral teachings, called the Oral Torah. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the oral Torah, oral Law, or oral tradition ( is the oral tradition received in conjunction with the written Torah In addition to this revealed law, Jewish law contains decrees and enactments made by prophets, rabbis, and sages over the course of Jewish history. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law Haredi Judaism tends to regard even rabbinic decrees as being of divine origin or divinely inspired, while Modern Orthodox Judaism tends to regard them as being more potentially subject to human error, although due to the Biblical verse "Do not stray from their words" ("Deuteronomy 17:11) it is still accepted as binding law. Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox or Modern Orthodoxy) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance

Not only did God reveal himself to Moses and the entire Israelite nation he brought out from Egypt (numbering approximately 3 million), but it is asserted, in no uncertain terms, that God did not reveal himself in any manner as claimed by Christianity, Islam or any other religion. Judaism puts forth an argument that can be seen in the following parable:

A king with twin princes dies without ever having revealed who it was that would take his place, and the king's counselors and ministers do not know who to choose. Both princes are campaigning for the position, pointing out the flaws of the other and doing their best to secure the throne. One day, one of the princes calls a meeting of his late father's court and tells tells them the following: "I have very solemn news. Last night, my father came to me in a dream and told me that I am supposed to become king. " The chief minister responds: "Dear prince, I am sure I speak for everyone when I say that it is wonderful that you had the opportunity to connect with your father's spirit and I hope it was a moving experience for you. However, I must say that we cannot honor your father's wishes as you have expressed them -- for if he really wanted you to become king, he should have come in a dream to all of us, not to you. "

Judaism's claim to divine revelation is distinct from that of Christianity and Islam. In particular, Judaism's claim to divine revelation on a national level removes the faith, hope and belief that exists so openly in other religions, replacing it instead with conviction from experience.

Conservative Judaism tends to regard both the Torah and the Oral law as not directly revealed. Conservative Judaism (also known as Masorti Judaism in Israel and Europe) is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out The Conservative approach tends to regard the Torah as compiled by redactors in a manner similar to the Documentary Hypothesis. However, Conservative Jews tend to regard the authors of the Torah as divinely inspired and many regard at least portions of it as originating with Moses. Positions can vary from the position of Joel Roth, following David Weiss HaLivni, that while the Torah originally given to Moses on Mount Sinai became corrupted or lost and had to be recompiled later by redactors, the recompiled Torah is nonetheless regarded as fully Divine and legally authoritative, to the position of Gordon Tucker that the Torah, while Divinely inspired, is a largely human document containing significant elements of human error, and should be regarded as the beginning of an ongoing process which is continuing today. Joel Roth is a prominent American Rabbi in the Rabbinical Assembly, which is the rabbinical body of Conservative Judaism. David Weiss Halivni (1927- is an American Israeli world-acclaimed scholar in the domain of Jewish Sciences and professor of Talmud,born Gordon Tucker is a prominent Rabbi, with a reputation as both a political and a theological liberal in Conservative Judaism. Conservative Judaism also tends to regard the Oral Law as a whole as divinely inspired but subject to human error.

Reform and Reconstructionist Jews also tend to accept the Documentary Hypothesis for the origin of the Torah, and tend to view all of the Oral law as an entirely human creation. Accordingly, Progressive Judaism, Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, believe that the Torah is not entirely a direct revelation from God, but is a document written by human ancestors, carrying human understanding and experience, and seeking to answer the question: 'What does God require of us?'. Progressive Judaism is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan (1881 – 1983 They believe that, though it contains many 'core-truths' about God and humanity, it is also time bound, sexist, primitive, and, sometimes, simply wrong. They believe that God's will is revealed through the interaction of humanity and God throughout history, and so, in that sense, Torah is an important part, but only a part, of an ongoing revelation.

The Prophets

The Nevi'im, the books of the Prophets, are considered divine and true. Nevi'im (נְבִיאִים "Prophets" is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, between the This does not imply that the books of the prophets are always read literally. Jewish tradition has always held that prophets used metaphors and analogies. There exists a wide range of commentaries explaining and elucidating those verses consisting of metaphor.

Rabbinic Judaism regards Moses as the greatest of the prophets, and this view is one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith of traditional Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism ( Hebrew: " Yehadut Rabanit " - יהדות רבנית is the mainstream religious system of post- diaspora Although Jews and religious leaders share a core of monotheistic principles Judaism has no formal statement of principles of faith such as a Creed or Catechism Consistent with the view that revelation to Moses was generally clearer than revelation to other prophets, Orthodox views of revelation to prophets other than Moses have included a range of perspectives as to directness. For example, Maimonides in The Guide for the Perplexed said that accounts of revelation in the Nevi'im were not always as literal as in the Torah and that some prophetic accounts reflect allegories rather than literal commands or predictions. Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and This page refers to the 12th century book by Maimonides For the 1977 book by E Nevi'im (נְבִיאִים "Prophets" is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, between the term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to

Conservative Rabbi and philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), author of a number of works on prophecy, offered a view of the nature of revelation as a process rather than an event. Conservative Judaism (also known as Masorti Judaism in Israel and Europe) is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Jewish philosophy refers to the conjunction between serious study of philosophy and Jewish theology Abraham Joshua Heschel ( January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972) was a Warsaw-born American Rabbi and one of the leading In his work God in Search of Man, he discussed the experience of being a prophet. In his book Prophetic Inspiration After the Prophets: Maimonides and Others, Heschel references to continued prophetic inspiration in Jewish Rabbinic Literature following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and into medieval and even Modern times. Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense can mean the entire spectrum of Rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history Etymology The Hebrew name given in Scripture for the building is Beit HaMikdash or "The Holy House" and only the Temple in Jerusalem is referred to by this name He wrote that

To convey what the prophets experienced, the Bible could either use terms of descriptions or terms of indication. Any description of the act of revelation in empirical categories would have produced a caricature. That is why all the Bible does is to state that revelation happened. How it happened is something they could only convey in words that are evocative and suggestive. "^[2]

Divine revelation in Christianity

Scriptural canon of Christianity

Main article: Bible

Christianity regards the Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament, as authoritative: written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance Some Christians believe that the Bible is inerrant. ^[3] Protestants believe that the scriptures contain all revealed truth necessary for salvation (See Sola scriptura). Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating ^[4]

The Old Testament contains the entire Jewish Tanakh, though in the Christian canon the books are ordered differently and some books of the Tanakh are divided into several books by the Christian canon. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is The Catholic and Orthodox canons include the Hebrew Jewish canon and other books (from the Septuagint Greek Jewish canon) which Catholics call Deuterocanonical, while Protestants consider them Apocrypha. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". " Deuterocanonical books " is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages The biblical apocrypha (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος meaning hidden) are books published in an edition of the Bible whose canonicity ^[5]

The first four books of the New Testament are the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), which recount the life and teachings of Jesus. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel Content Authorship The gospel itself is anonymous but as early as Papias in the early 2nd century a text was attributed to Mark, a cousin The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The first three are often called synoptic because of the amount of material they share. The synoptic gospels are the first three Gospels of the New Testament in the Christian Bible. The rest of the New Testament consists of a sequel to Luke's Gospel, the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the very early history of the Church, a collection of letters from early Christian leaders to congregations or individuals, the Pauline and General epistles, and the apocalyptic Book of Revelation. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. The Pauline epistles, Epistles of Paul, or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen New Testament books which have the name Paul (Παῦλος as the first General epistles (also called Catholic Epistles) are books in the New Testament in the form of letters The Book of Revelation, also called Revelation to John, Apocalypse of John ( pronounced, from the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰωάννου ^[5]

Basis on the divine origin of the Bible

In a number of passages the Bible claims divine inspiration for itself. Besides the direct accounts of written revelation, such as Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, the Prophets of the Old Testament frequently claimed that their message was divine by the formula "Thus says the LORD" (for example, 1 Kgs 12:22–24; 1 Chr 17:3–4; Jer 35:13; Ezek 2:4; Zech 7:9; etc. The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that according to Judeo-Christian tradition were authored by God and given ). In the New Testament, Jesus treats the Old Testament as authoritative and says it "cannot be broken" (John 10:34–36). Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) 2 Timothy 3:16 says: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness", and the Second Epistle of Peter claims that "no prophecy of Scripture . The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three Pastoral Epistles, traditionally attributed to Saint Paul, and is part of the canonical New Testament The Second Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament of the Bible, traditionally ascribed to Saint Peter, but in modern times widely regarded as . . was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet 1:20–21). That epistle also claims divine authority for the Apostles (3:2) and includes Paul's letters as being counted with the Scriptures (3:16). In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e

Biblical theology

Main article: Biblical theology

Biblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing himself to Man following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament. Biblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God Biblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument It particularly focuses on the epochs of the writings in order to understand how each part of it ultimately points forward to fulfillment in the life mission of Jesus Christ.

Biblical theology is sometimes called the "history of special revelation" since it deals with the unfolding and expanding nature of revelation as history progresses through the Bible.

An important note that should be made in relation to the concept of progressive revelation is that the Christian Biblical concept differs from the Islamic understanding in which successive revelations of God might annul former revelations — correcting where past communities distorted revealed truths, abrogating laws no longer deemed suitable for the revelatory community, and affirming the central core truth of God's monotheistic nature, the fact of human accountability before God on the Final Day. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Christian model within Biblical theology sees the concept of progressive revelation as progressive revelation of new truth which supports, expands and stands upon former revelations of God's truth like brick laying. This progressive revelation ultimately climaxes in Christ, and ends with the New Testament Acts of the Apostles under the direction of the Holy Spirit awaiting the second coming of Christ. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance

Systematic theology

Main article: Systematic theology

Systematic theology is the attempt to formulate a coherent philosophy which is applicable to the component parts of a given faith's system of belief. Systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly rational and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs Systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly rational and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs Inherent to a system of theological thought is that a method is developed, one which can be applied both broadly and particularly. While a systematic theology must take into account the sacred texts of its faith, it also looks to history, philosophy, science, and ethics to produce as full a view and as versatile a philosophical approach as possible.

Significant systematic theologians are:

Thomas Aquinas, Roman Catholic, who believed in two types of revelation from God: general revelation and special revelation. General revelation occurs through observation of the created order. Such observations can logically lead to important conclusions, such as the existence of God.

Though one may deduce the existence of God and some of God's attributes through general revelation, certain specifics may be known only through special revelation. In Aquinas's view, special revelation is equivalent to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The major theological components of Christianity, such as the Trinity and the Incarnation, are revealed in the teachings of the Church and the Scriptures and may not otherwise be deduced.

Special revelation and natural revelation are complementary rather than contradictory in nature.

Karl Barth, Reformed (1886-1968), who tries to recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in theology from its putative loss in liberalism. Karl Barth ( May 10, 1886 &ndash December 10, 1968) (pronounced "bart" a Swiss Reformed theologian was one The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных His argument follows from the idea that God is the object of God’s own self-knowledge, and revelation in the Bible means the self-unveiling to humanity of the God who cannot be discovered by humanity simply through its own efforts. Note here that the Bible is not The Revelation; rather, it points to revelation. In Barth's theology, he emphasizes again and again that human concepts can never be considered as identical to God's revelation. In this aspect, Scripture is also written human language, expressing human concepts. It cannot be considered as identical to God's revelation. However, in His freedom and love, God truly reveals Himself through human language and concepts. Thus he claims that Christ is truly presented in Scripture and the preaching of the church.

Different Christian views of revelation

Main article: Christianity

Christianity continued from Judaism a belief in the existence of a single omnipotent God who created and sustains the universe. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Omnipotence ( Omni Potens: "all Power " is unlimited power The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy Against this background belief in the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit was expressed as the doctrine of the Holy Trinity,^[6] which considers that the three persons of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) share a single Divine substance. Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Ousia () is the Ancient Greek noun formed on the feminine present participle of ( to be) it is analogous to the English participle This substance is not considered divided, in the sense that each person has a third of the substance; rather, each person is considered to have the whole substance. The distinction lies in their relations, the Father being unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeding. ^[7] The "begetting" does not refer to Mary's conceiving Jesus, but to a divine begetting before Creation. Creation according to Genesis refers to the Hebrew narrative of the creation of the heavens and the earth as told in chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis

Christians were willing to die for their faith because of 3 key ideas that can be noted from their own writings. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth One: their belief that Jesus was resurrected, two: religious experience, and three: fuller understanding of Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) This article concerns itself with Jesus Christ Christian, Islamic and other religious interpretations of resurrection in general Religious Experience (also known as a spiritual, Sacred, or mystical experience is an altered state of consciousness where an In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon.

Central to the doctrines of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches is Apostolic Succession, the belief that the bishops are the spiritual successors of the original twelve apostles, through the historically unbroken chain of consecration (see: Holy Orders). The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. The New Testament contains warnings against teachings considered to be only masquerading as Christianity,^[8] and shows how reference was made to the leaders of the Church to decide what was true doctrine. ^[9] The Catholic Church teaches that it is the continuation of those who remained faithful to the apostolic and episcopal leadership and rejected false teachings.

Whereas Catholics and Eastern Orthodox look to synods, and the Catholics also to the Pope, for authority, Protestants, a wide branch of Christian believers look to the Bible for authority. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Protestants characterize the dogma concerning the Pope as Christ's representative head of the Church on earth, the concept of meritorious works, and the Catholic idea of a treasury of the merits of saints, as a denial that Christ is the only mediator between God and man: Solus Christus (Christ alone). God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Solus Christus ( Latin: "Christ alone" sometimes referred to in the Ablative case as Solo Christo ("by Christ alone" Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed "

Protestants believe that the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church obscure the teachings of the Bible by convoluting it with church history and doctrine: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone). Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating

Christians believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures,^[10] and that his active participation in a believer's life (even to the extent of "indwelling", or in a certain sense taking up residence within, the believer) is essential to living a Christian life. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself ^[11] In Catholic, Orthodox, and some Anglican theology, this indwelling in received through the sacrament called Confirmation or, in the East, Chrismation. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for Chrismation is the name given in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches as well as in the Assyrian Church of the East Most Protestants believe that the Spirit indwells a new believer at the time of salvation. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Pentecostal and charismatic Protestants believe the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience separate from other experiences like conversion. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism The term charismatic movement describes the adoption from the early twentieth century onwards of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians — specifically According to the New Testament, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience sent by Jesus Christ. Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity or a change from one religious identity to another

Pentecostalism is an American offshoot of Methodism. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations The doctrine of charismatic gifts is a well-known feature of Pentecostalism. Charismatic gifts are extra-normal abilities that are transmitted from the divine to individuals. These gifts include glossolalia (speaking in tongues), healing ability, and prophesy. Glossolalia is commonly called "speaking in tongues" For other uses of "speaking in tongues" see Speaking in Tongues (disambiguation. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means Such gifts are bestowed upon Pentecostals at baptism, and are a fixture of Pentecostal church services. The ecstatic receipt of charismatic gifts can be accompanied by a loss of motor control, giving Pentecostals the nickname "Holy Rollers. Holy Roller is a term in American English used to describe Pentecostal Christian churchgoers "

The charismatic movement adopted the Pentecostal doctrines of charismatic gifts: speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. The term charismatic movement describes the adoption from the early twentieth century onwards of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians — specifically Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means Many charismatic Christians have gone on to form separate churches and denominations.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sets itself apart from most other faiths claiming salvation through Jesus Christ in regards to revelation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known This church, also known as the Mormons, believes that their founder, Joseph Smith Jr., was called directly by God the Father and his son Jesus Christ to restore the church that Christ established on the earth during his life and ministry. TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon The church has claimed constant revelation by the leaders and members of the church ever since that occasion. The Latter-day Saints take as their doctrine that revelation continues to flow from heaven to the church's leaders, and that the president of the church receives revelation directly from God for the direction of the Church. Each member of the Latter-day Saints is also confirmed a member of the church following baptism and given the "gift of the Holy Ghost" by which each member is encouraged to develop a personal relationship with that divine being and receive personal revelation for their own direction and that of their family.

Current controversies and criticisms

Main article: Criticism of Christianity

See also: Criticism of the Bible

There are many controversies surrounding Christianity as to its influences and history. Throughout the History of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians This article is about criticisms which are made against the Bible as a source of information or ethical guidance

• A few writers propose that Jesus is a myth,^[12] though historians generally agree that Jesus existed and have aimed at reconstructing the historical Jesus. The historicity of Jesus concerns the historical authenticity of Jesus of Nazareth. The historical Jesus is Jesus of Nazareth as reconstructed by historians using Historical methods These historical methods use critical
• Some writers consider Paul to be the founding figure of Christianity as opposed to Jesus, pointing to the extent of his writings and the scope of his missionary work. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and ^[13] See also Pauline Christianity. Pauline Christianity is a term used to refer to a branch of Early Christianity associated with the beliefs and doctrines espoused by Paul the Apostle through
• The Australian scholar Barbara Thiering claims that by use of the pesher technique the symbolic images in Revelation are actually real dates and real people in attendance at the Church services that give a full account of the history of the Christian Church from its Judaeo-Christian/Essene roots to the actual measurements of the Vatican church in Rome spanning the years of 1 AD to 114 AD. Barbara Thiering (born 1930 is an Australian writer In books and journal articles she has attempted to challenge Christian orthodoxy, drawing on claimed new evidence Pesher (pl pesharim) is a Hebrew word meaning "interpretation" in the sense of "solution" Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian, sometimes written as Judæo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held The Essenes were strictly speaking a Jewish religious group that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Some of those in attendance are Jesus having survived the crucifixion and his descendants: Jesus Justus, Jesus III and Jesus IV and Bernice, the queen of Judea, “dressed in scarlet and purple, sitting on the scarlet Beast”, whose exploits are also described, who in a similar way to Cleopatra seduced and almost married the Roman emperor Titus, hero of the First_Jewish-Roman_War, destroyer of Jerusalem. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) For other uses of the name Jesus see Jesus (disambiguation. Jesus Justus or Iesous ho legomenos Ioustos (in Greek Berenice of Cilicia, also known as Julia Berenice and sometimes spelled Bernice (28 AD &ndash ? was a Jewish client queen of the Roman Empire Cleopatra VII Philopator (in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; January 69 BC &ndash 30 BC was a Hellenistic ruler of Egypt Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Titus ( December 30 39 &ndash September 13 81) was a Roman Emperor who The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD It was a decisive event in the First Jewish-Roman War, followed by the fall of Masada in 73
• Members of the Jesus Seminar, and other Biblical scholars, have argued that the historical Jesus never claimed to be divine. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as They also reject the historicity of the empty tomb and thus a bodily resurrection, and several other events narrated in the gospels. They assert that Gospel accounts describing these things are probably literary fabrications. ^[14] However a more scholarly and respected movement known as the Modern Quest for the Historical Jesus has been the forefront of attempting salvage the image of the historical Jesus in our modern society.
• Adherents of Judaism generally believe that followers of Christianity misinterpret passages from the Old Testament, or Tanakh. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is (See also Christianity and Judaism. This article discusses the traditional views of the two religions and may not be applicable all adherents of each )
• Muslims believe that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is incompatible with monotheism, and they reject the Christian teaching that Jesus is the Son of God, though they affirm the virgin birth (as the son of Mary alone) and view him as a prophet preceding Muhammad. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Parthenogenesis (from the Greek παρθένος parthenos, "virgin" + γένεσις genesis, "creation" is an asexual form IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics ^[15] The Qur'an also uses the title "Messiah", though with a different meaning. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran ^[16][17] Muslims also dispute the historical occurrence of the crucifixion of Jesus. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging ^[18]

Scriptural canon of the Messianic 'Judaism'

Main article: Messianic Judaism

Messianic believers (who some Jews do not consider to be Jewish since they accept Jesus as the Messiah, who in dominant Jewish understanding has not yet arrived) commonly hold the Tanakh to be divinely inspired. Messianic Judaism is a Christian movement that emphasizes the Jewish roots of the Christian religion See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is The Tanakh includes the Torah (first five books of Moses), Nevi'im (the Prophets) and Ketuvim (the Writings). The Apostolic Writings (or New Testament) are often considered to also be divinely inspired. Many hold them to be equal in authority to the Tanakh, but this is not universal and can vary from individual to individual even within the same synagogue or Torah study. Some Messianic believers are most often troubled by the writings of Paul (whom they often call Rabbi Sha'ul) and may reject his writings, hold them in less esteem than those of the Gospel writers, or even reject him. Often, the emphasis is on the idea that the Tanakh is the only scripture the Early Church had and that, except for the recorded words of Jesus, the Apostolic Writings were meant as inspired commentary on the Tanakh.

Canon:

1. Torah [תורה] meaning one or all of: "The Law"; "Teaching"; "Instruction". term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to Also called the Chumash [חומש] meaning: "The five"; "The five books of Moses". It is the "Pentateuch". term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to
2. Nevi'im [נביאים] meaning: "Prophets"
3. Ketuvim [כתובים] meaning "Writings" or "Hagiographa". Nevi'im (נְבִיאִים "Prophets" is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, between the Ketuvim (כְּתוּבִים "writings" is the third and final section of the Tanakh ( Hebrew Bible) after Torah and Nevi'im
4. Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
5. Acts
6. General epistles of James, Peter, Paul and of the author of Hebrews
7. Revelation

Divine revelation in Islam

Main article: Islam

See also: Muhammad, and Qur'an

Divine revelation plays a very important role in the Muslim faith. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, While religious books of most faiths acknowledge their human author's contribution to the divine text, the Qur'an claims to have been revealed word by word and letter by letter. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran The Qur'an is therefore, no doubt, a milestone in the development of revelation literature, and its authenticity is not seriously questioned. Islam knows different forms and degrees of divine revelation. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. See for example. ^[19]

Muslims believe that God revealed his final message to humanity through Muhammad ibn Abdullah (c. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Aun and Muhammad were the sons of Abdullah ibn Ja'far and Zaynab binte Ali. 570 - July 6, 632) via the angel Gabriel. Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل ^[20] Muhammad is considered to have been God's final prophet, the "Seal of the Prophets". Seal of the Prophets ( ar خاتم اﻟﻨﺒﻴﻴﻦ Khatim-an-Nabiyyin) is a title given to Muhammad by a verse in the Qur'an. The revelations Muhammad preached form the holy book of Islam, the Qur'an. The Qur'an is believed to be the flawless final revelation of God to humanity, valid until the day of the Resurrection. In Islam, Yawm al-Qiyāmah "the Day of Resurrection" (يوم القيامة or Yawm ad-Din "the Day of Faith" (يوم الدين is God's final

Muslims hold that the message of Islam - submission to the will of the one God - is the same as the message preached by all the messengers sent by God to humanity since Adam. See also Adam and Eve Adam ( Hebrew: אָדָם was according to a literal interpretation of Genesis, the first man created by From an Islamic point of view, Islam is the oldest of the monotheistic religions because it represents both the original and the final revelation of God to Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics ^[21][22] Members of all sects of Islam believe that the Qur'an codifies the direct words of God.

According to Islamic traditions, Muhammad began receiving revelations from God (Arabic: ألله Allah) from the age of 40, delivered through the angel Gabriel over the last 23 years of his life. In Islam, God is believed to be the only real supreme being all-powerful and all knowing Creator Sustainer Ordainer and Judge of the universe Islam puts a heavy emphasis Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' The content of these revelations, known as the Qur'an,^[23] was memorized and recorded by his followers and compiled into a single volume shortly after his death. The Qur'an, along with the details of Muhammad’s life as recounted by his biographers and his contemporaries, forms the basis of Islamic theology. In Islam, the Ṣaḥābah (الصحابة "Companions" were the companions of the Islamic prophet Muḥammad. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Within Islam, he is considered the last and most important prophet of God. Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets ^[24] Muslims do not regard him as the founder of a new religion but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham and other prophets whose messages had become misinterpreted or corrupted over time (only misinterpreted according to some^[25]). For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Tahrif ( Arabic: ar تحريف "corruption forgery" the stem-II verbal noun of the consonantal root, "to make oblique" ^{[26][27][28][29][30]}

Similarities between the Qur'ān and the Bible

Main article: Biblical narratives and the Qur'an

The Qur'ān retells stories of many of the people and events recounted in Jewish and Christian sacred books (Tanakh, Bible) and devotional literature (Apocrypha, Midrash), although it differs in many details. The Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to over fifty people also found in the Bible, typically in the same or similar The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Midrash ( Hebrew: מדרש plural midrashim, lit "to repeat" is a Hebrew term referring to the not exact but comparative ( homiletic Adam, Enoch, Noah, Heber, Shelah, Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Jethro, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Aaron, Moses, Zechariah, Jesus, and John the Baptist are mentioned in the Qur'an as prophets of God (see Prophets of Islam). Adam (אָדָם ʼĀḏām, "dust man mankind" آدم; Ge'ez: አዳ and Eve (חַוָּה Ḥawwā, "living Enoch ( Hebrew:; Tiberian: Ḥănōḵ, Standard: Ḥanokh, Ashkenazi, Jiddish: jHenosch Noah (or Noe, Noach;; Nūḥ; Arabic: نوح; "Rest") was according to the Bible, the tenth and last of According to the Bible, Shelah / Shela ( was the youngest brother among Judah 's first three sons and was born at Chezib. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: According to the Bible and the Quran, Lot ( Arabic: لوط, Lūṭ |; "Hidden covered" was the Nephew Ishmael ( Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Standard Yišmaʿel Tiberian Yišmāʿêl Arabic: إسماعيل According to the Hebrew Bible, Isaac ( Hebrew: Yitzchak יִצְחָק, Standard Yiẓḥaq Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard   Yaʿaqov Tiberian   Yaʿăqōḇ; Joseph or Yosef (יוֹסֵ Standard Yosef Tiberian Yôsēp̄, يوسف Yusuf; "He Jobe (/'dʒoʊb/; Arabic: أَيُّوبٌ,) is a character in the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible, as well as a prophet Jethro can refer to People In the Bible Jethro (Bible, the father-in-law of Moses Fictional characters David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC Elisha ( Greek el Ελισσαίος Elisaios) is a Biblical prophet According to the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh / Old Testament) and Qur'an, Jonah (; Arabic: يونس, Yunus or This article is about Aaron the Levite in the Hebrew Bible, the Qu'ran, and other sources Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Zechariah (Hebrew prophet -->In the Bible, Zechariah Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets Muslims believe the common elements or resemblances between the Bible and other Jewish and Christian writings and Islamic dispensations is due to the common divine source, and that the Christian or Jewish texts were authentic divine revelations given to prophets. According to the Qur'ān

"It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong). 3:3 "

Muslims claim that those texts were neglected or corrupted (tahrif) by the Jews and Christians and have been replaced by God's final and perfect revelation, which is the Qur'ān. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Tahrif ( Arabic: ar تحريف "corruption forgery" the stem-II verbal noun of the consonantal root, "to make oblique" PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth ^[31] Many Jews and Christians believe that the biblical archaeological record refutes this assertion, because the Dead Sea Scrolls (the Tanakh and other Jewish writings which predate the origin of the Qur'an) have been fully translated,^[32] validating the authenticity of the Greek Septuagint. The Dead Sea Scrolls consist of roughly 1000 documents including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven Caves The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the ^[33]

Christianity and Islam make different claims about the truth, so both world views cannot both be true. Allah, as defined by Muslims and the second person of the Trinity have mutually exclusive characteristics and therefore Allah and the Christian God can not be the same entity. According to Christian doctrine God’s nature defines, among other things, the concepts of love, perfection, truth, reason, and good. He can not lie or deceive because it goes against His nature. He can not be unreasonable because doing so would be against His nature. The same can not be said of Allah. Allah does not have a nature according to which he must act; he is Absolute will. Roman Catholicism claims that both Gods are the same despite the overwhelming evidence.

Divine revelation in the Bahá'í Faith

Main article: Bahá'í literature

Following the progression and spread of literacy in human history, the Central Figures of the Bahá'í Faith were in a position in the 1800s to receive thousands of written enquiries, and to thus write thousands of responses, hundreds of which amount to whole and proper books, while many are the shorter texts, as letters. Bahá'í literature, like much Religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms including scripture and inspiration interpretation history and biography The following list sets down the name of each member of the Bahá'í Faith who is the subject of a Wikipedia article The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Additionally survey publications have attempted to broadly review important themes across many dozens of individual texts (see listings in articles below). In addition to the practicality of literacy however, the Bahá'í faith has large works which were divinely revealed in a very short time, as in a night, or a few days. ^[34] Additionally, because many of the works were first recorded by an amanuensis,^[35] most were submitted for approval and had corrections added - another milestone in that the final text was personally approved by the revelator.

Bahá'u'lláh would occasionally write the words of revelation down himself, but normally the revelation was dictated to his amanuensis, who sometimes recorded it in what has been called 'revelation writing', a shorthand script written with extreme speed owing to the rapidity of the utterance of the words. Afterwards, Bahá'u'lláh revised and approved these drafts. These 'revelation drafts' and many other transcriptions of the writings of Bahá'u'lláh's, circa 17,000 items, some of which are in his own handwriting, are kept in the International Bahá'í Archives in Haifa, Israel. The Bahá'í World Centre buildings are buildings that are part of the Bahá'í World Centre in Israel. Haifa (חֵיפָה; حَيْفَا) is the largest City in Northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country with For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. ^[36][37]

For extended comments on the divine revelation of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, and `Abdu'l-Bahá see Number of tablets revealed by Bahá'u'lláh by Robert Stockman and Juan Cole and Numbers and Classifications of Sacred Writings texts by Universal House of Justice. Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad ( ( October 20, 1819 – July 9, 1850) was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Bahá'u'lláh ( ba-haa-ol-laa "Glory of God" ( November 12, 1817 – May 29, 1892) born Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Nuri ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ( ar عبد البهاء &lrm (23 May 1844 - 28 November 1921 born `Abbás Effendí, was the son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the For the building see the Seat of the Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Second-hand notes of the words of the Central Figures of the Bahá'í faith are termed pilgrim notes and have little status. ^[38] See also Horace Holley's preface of The Bahá'í Revelation, including Selections from the Bahá'í Holy Writings and Talks by `Abdu'l-Bahá.

Latter Day Saint concept of revelation

Main article: Revelation (Latter Day Saints)

See also: Prophet, seer, and revelator

The Latter Day Saint concept of revelation includes the belief that revelation from God is available to all those who earnestly seek it with the intent of doing good. Latter Day Saints teach that the Latter Day Saint movement began with a Revelation from God (see History of the Latter Day Saint movement) Prophet seer and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency A Latter The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and some other Latter Day Saint denominations claim to be led by revelation from God to a living prophet, who receives God’s word just as Abraham, Moses, Peter, and other ancient prophets and apostles did. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known A Latter Prophet seer and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e It also teaches that everyone is entitled to personal revelation with respect to his or her stewardship. Stewardship is personal responsibility for taking care of another person's property or financial affairs or in religious orders taking care of finances Thus, parents may receive inspiration from God in raising their families, individuals can receive divine inspiration to help them meet personal challenges, church officers may receive revelation for those whom they serve, and so forth. The important consequence of this is that each person may receive confirmation that particular doctrines taught by a prophet are true, as well as gain divine insight in using those truths for their own benefit and eternal progress. In the church, personal revelation is expected and encouraged, and many converts believe that personal revelation from God was instrumental in their conversion. ^[39] Joseph F. Smith, the sixth president of the LDS Church, summarized this church's belief concerning revelation by saying, "We believe. Joseph Fielding Smith Sr ( November 13, 1838 &ndash November 19, 1918) was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known . . in the principle of direct revelation from God to man. "^[40] (Smith, 362)

Latter-day Saints believe in an open scriptural canon, and in addition to the Bible and the Book of Mormon, have books of scripture containing the revelations of modern-day prophets such as the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. A Latter Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the The Pearl of Great Price is part of the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church see also Mormonism) and some

Church leaders (from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) have taught during the Church's General Conferences that conference talks which are ". In the Latter Day Saint movement, the quorum of the Twelve (also known as the council of the Twelve, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Council In the Latter Day Saint movement, a general conference is a meeting for all members of the church for conducting general church business and instruction . . [spoken as] moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture. . . ". ^[41] In addition, many Mormons believe that ancient prophets in other regions of the world received revelations that resulted in additional scriptures that have been lost and may, one day, be forthcoming. Hence, the belief in continuing revelation (i. e. , an open canon).

Joseph Smith, Jr.

Main article: Joseph Smith, Jr.

Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader who founded the Latter Day Saint movement, a restorationist movement giving rise to Mormonism. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Year 1805 ( MDCCCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and Mormonism is a term used to describe the religious, ideological and cultural elements of certain branches of the Latter Day Saint movement Smith's followers declared him to be the first latter-day prophet, whose mission was to restore the original Christianity, said to have been lost after a Great Apostasy. End time, End times, or End of days are the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to allege a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, or especially of Catholicism This restoration included publication of the Book of Mormon and other new scripture to supplement the Bible, and the establishment of the Church of Christ. The Book of Mormon is a Sacred text of the churches in the Latter Day Saint movement. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin See also Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (disambiguation The Church of Christ, later called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was the As leader of this religion, he was also an important political and military leader in the American West. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost

During his adult life—from the time he began translating the Book of Mormon in 1827 until his death in 1844—Smith introduced a large number of religious teachings. Although a number of his teachings are similar to doctrines circulating during his lifetime, several are unique to Latter Day Saint denominations.

Nearly all Smith's teachings had some root in the King James Version of the Bible, or his interpretation or elaboration of it. However, he believed in other scripture, and that in some instances, the Bible was translated incorrectly or incompletely. ^[42] Thus, he "restored" temples, orders of priesthood, and other elements of the Bible that he believed had been wrongly abandoned by mainstream Christianity as part of a Great Apostasy. In the In the Latter Day Saint movement, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority of God including the authority to act as a leader in the church and to perform

In many cases, Smith's doctrines or interpretations of the Bible, as well as his own claimed revelations, placed him at odds with mainstream Christianity. For example, Smith rejected mainstream Christianity's long-standing formulation of the Trinity as recorded in the 4th century Nicene Creed. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of

Joseph Smith taught that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate personages, with Heavenly Father and Jesus having physical bodies^[43] of "flesh and bone," while the Holy Ghost has only a spiritual body. In many religions the supreme Deity ( God) is given the title and attributions of Father. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance He also taught that God is the Heavenly Father of all mankind and that mankind is made in His express image.

Smith's claim to be a prophet of God has led to much controversy. Smith was a polarizing figure in his time, and he continues to be a focus of controversy between his millions of followers—most of whom revere him as a prophet with the same authority as prophets of the standard Christian canon—and opponents of Mormonism, who think him to have been either delusional or fraudulent. Mormonism is a term used to describe the religious, ideological and cultural elements of certain branches of the Latter Day Saint movement A delusion is commonly defined as a fixed False Belief and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false fanciful or derived from Deception In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual

Divine revelation in the Jehovah's Witnesses concept

Main article: Jehovah's Witnesses

The publishing arm of Jehovah's Witnesses, known as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania engages in extensive publication work. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, a Not-for-profit organization headquartered in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, In addition to their two magazines -'The Watchtower' and 'Awake!'- they also publish many brochures, tracts and books including the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures ( NWT) is a modern-language translation of the Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses, published in

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is a translation of the Protestant canon. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious This Bible is distinct in its extensive use of the name Jehovah, an English version of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton, also replacing the Greek word for "Lord" over 200 times in the New Testament. See also Yahweh Tetragrammaton (from the Greek, meaning ' of four letters' (tetra "four" + gramma (gen The translators have opted to remain anonymous but others have identified them as being prominent leaders of the movement. ^[44]

Frederick William Franz became the leading theologian, and is believed to have been the principal translator of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Frederick William Franz ( September 12 1893 – December 22 1992) served as President of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective ^[45] Also produced were a Greek-English New Testament interlinear (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures) and a Bible dictionary (Aid to Bible Understanding). Aid to Bible Understanding was the first doctrinal and biblical Encyclopedia of Jehovah's Witnesses. ^[46]

Main article: Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses

Existentialism

In the 20th century, religious existentialists proposed that revelation held no content in of itself; rather, they hold that God inspired people with His presence by coming into contact with them. The beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the Bible teachings of its founder Charles Taze Russell and his successors Joseph Franklin In this view the Bible is a human response that records how we responded to God. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin

Revelation or information from a supernatural source is of much lesser importance in some other religious traditions. It is not of great importance in the Asian religions Taoism, and Confucianism but similarities have been noted between the Abrahamic view of revelation and the Buddhist principle of Enlightenment. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Bodhi (बोधि is both the Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English as "enlightenment

Paul Johannes Tillich (1886–1965) was a theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Paul Johannes Tillich ( August 20, 1886 &ndash October 22, 1965) was a German - American theologian and Christian Tillich was, along with contemporary Karl Barth, one of the more influential Protestant theologians of the twentieth century.

Tillich's approach to Protestant theology was highly systematic. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. He sought to correlate culture and faith such that "faith need not be unacceptable to contemporary culture and contemporary culture need not be unacceptable to faith". Consequently, Tillich's orientation is apologetic, seeking to make concrete theological answers that are applicable to ordinary daily life. This contributed to his popularity because it made him easily accessible to lay readers. In a broader perspective, revelation is understood as the fountainhead of religion. Tillich sought to reconcile revelation and reason by arguing that revelation never runs counter to reason (affirming Thomas Aquinas who said that faith is eminently rational), but both poles of the subjective human experience are complementary.

Tillich's radical departure from traditional Christian theology is his view of Christ. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " According to Tillich, Christ is the "New Being", who rectifies in himself the alienation between essence and existence. Essence fully shows itself within Christ, but Christ is also a finite man. This indicates, for Tillich, a revolution in the very nature of being. The gap is healed and essence can now be found within existence. Thus for Tillich, Christ is not God per se in himself, but Christ is the revelation of God. Whereas traditional Christianity regards Christ as wholly man and wholly God, Tillich believed that Christ was the emblem of the highest goal of man, what God wants men to become. Thus to be a Christian is to make oneself progressively "Christ-like", a very possible goal in Tillich's eyes. In other words, Christ is not God in the traditional sense, but reveals the essence inherent in all existence, including mine and your own. Thus Christ is not different from you or me except insofar as he fully reveals God within his own finitude, something you and I can also do in principle.

"God does not exist. He is being itself beyond essence and existence. Therefore to argue that God exists is to deny him. "^[47]

Visitation

An experience of presence or communication between the recently deceased and their spouse or progeny is called visitation. This experience may be interpreted by some persons as revealing the will of God. Such experiences are deemed normative and not pathological according to the DSM IV (Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' ( DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association It is the story of the end of time when Jesus comes to collect his followers and take them to heaven^[48]. Christians interpret these experiences as necromancy, a practice which is forbidden in the Old Testament(Deuteronomy 18:10-12), King Saul’s attempt at necromancy resulted in his final condemnation (1 Samuel 28). ].

Caveats and criticism

In the Age of Reason, Thomas Paine maintained that revelation can only be considered valid for the original recipient and when subsequently communicated by the recipient to a second person it ceases to be a revelation but rather becomes a hearsay second hand account, and consequently they are not obliged to believe it. 17th century philosophy in the Western world is generally regarded as being the start of Modern philosophy, and a departure from the medieval approach Thomas Paine (January 29 1737 &ndash June 8 1809 was an English Pamphleteer, Revolutionary, radical, Inventor, and Intellectual

See also

• Apaurusheyatva, shruti: revelation in Hinduism
• Prophet
• Inspiration
• Biblical inspiration
• God helmet
• Temporal lobe epilepsy
• Theology
• Prophecy
• Charismatic movement
• Occam's Razor
• Synchronicity
• Óðr
• oracle
• Revelation (The Urantia Book)
• Prophet, seer, and revelator
• Epistemology
• Bible

References

• The Newsletter of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) at Brigham Young University Insights! volume 25 | 2005, Number 4, p. The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies ( FARMS) is an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Mormon historical scholarship 5

External links

• The Mysteries of Revelation
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Apocalypse
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Revelation (Book of)
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Book of Revelation
• Somniloquy Revelation: Book of Willard
• Suggested chronological depiction of Revelation
• Christian revelation about God the Father
• The Pesher of Christ: “Decoding the Book of Revelation by Dr. Barbara_Thiering. Barbara Thiering (born 1930 is an Australian writer In books and journal articles she has attempted to challenge Christian orthodoxy, drawing on claimed new evidence

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