Heb 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

 

The Concept of Logos

• What is Logos?
   

• Logos is actually a Greek Concept which came into the Christian thought as a result of hellenistic influence. However the the basic concept was inherent in the Kaballistic concept of Keter, the Crown. It is usually translated as "the Word". But its meaning is more comprehensive. At the fundamental level it is the ultimate essence of God which is Potential, Inexpressible, Incomprehensible, Inaudible. The Indian counterpart is Nirguna Brahman - a God beyond human understanding and description.

• At the second level we have Logos expressing itself : the expressed God. Since God as long as He remains a potential He is incomprehensible. But when God expresses himself we understand God. In Greek "logos" means both the incomprehensive and the comprehensible. In the Indian concept it is denoted by Saguna Brahman - the Om - the audible Word, the Trinity. In the Kaballistic concept the expressed image of God is Keter which is the primal emanation of God from the void.

How can man the finite being know God?

Obviously God being beyond human dimension, man cannot know unless God enters into the human dimensions. The first human dimension is the material world. We live in it.

The first comprehensible expression of God to man is in creation:

Rom. 1: 19 - 23 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Here we see God in his creative aspect. We see his majesty and glory. The inherent laws of the universe is the proof of the plan and purposes of God .

The second comprehensible expression of God was through History:

God works out his plan through history and God shows forth his nature through the lives of people - individually, communally, nationally and through mankind as a whole. It is not through the history of the Hebrew nation alone, but through all nations. It is not through the lives of Abraham and Issac and Jacob alone but through all people everywhere at all times. God is at work even today. He reveals himself to each person individually, through the communities, tribes, nations and kinds. It so happens that we are fortunate that we have detailed dealings of God to Israel in writing. But the other nations are no different. God reacts depending on every man's response to God.

The third comprehensible expression of God was through the prophets:

Prophets in the Bible were not primarily foretellers or fortune tellers. Prophets addressed immediate social situations. He looks to the future most often it is to warn: "if you act like this God's punishment will come." This is because there is an inviolable moral code of God which predicts a consequence. Looking into the moral climate of the nation Prophets were able to see what lies ahead in their spirits. They touched into higher dimensions which are kabbalistically termed as the World of Formation, the World of Creation and the World of Emanation - in two dimensional view into the World of Spirits.

They were predictors and readers of omen, but not fortune tellers or necromancers nor astrologers. In Hebrew there are two words for the Prophet: nabi (forth teller) and Ro'eh or Hozeh the seers(who sees consequences)

Prophets were often found in groups  (as School of Prophets) they lived together (2 Kings 4.38; 6.1ff.) and shared in activities which encouraged theectasy which made them more receptive to the word of God (e.g. 1 Sam 10). Members of these groups were known as  sons of Prophet. The title was  handed down from disciple to disciple (as shown in the mantle of Elijah) as a parampara.

2 Pe. 1: 20-2:1 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1John 4:1). The test is again against the objective standards of Moses and Jesus. Moses and the Prophets corroborated Jesus. Now every new revelation must be in consonance with the revealed Jesus.

The fourth comprehensible expression of God was through the written word:

As the history and experience of people are written they form the written word showing the nature of God.
 

The connection between the Word of God and the Prophets of God.

"We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2Peter 1:19-21).
The Word of God that we affirm to be the very substance of our Christian experience, initially came through the prophets.

The test of whether or not a prophet is a True Prophet is based only upon how consistent they are to the Word of God.

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).

Prophecy should be consistent with Scripture because

"Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).

We may misunderstand Scripture or a prophecy, but that does not diminish the value of that Scripture or prophecy.

The fifth comprehensible expression of God was through the Incarnation:

This is a person to person communication.
"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).

1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Why was the incarnation better than the prophets and the written word, because it is the most direct communication - spirit to spirit, person to person.

The sixth comprehensible expression of God was through morning star:

The logos, the Written Word, and the Rhema

Colossians 3:16 Let the word [logos] of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.

John 15:7 If you abide in Me and My words [rhema] abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

Ephesians 6:17 And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word [rhema] of God,

When we examine the "WORD" in the Bible, we find that LOGOS and RHEMA are the 2 words used, and that there are 3 aspects of the Word that we must consider.

1. We have Jesus, the Word, - John 1:1, 14;

2. the Bible, the Word, - II Timothy 3:15-16;

3. and we have the realized word . John 10:27.

The word most used is LOGOS and refers to Jesus as being the Word, and the Bible as being the written Word. But these are still external realities. There is still a further direct revelation needed from all these into each individual.

The RHEMA Word is the realized word. This is the word that God that speaks directly to us and we get it in the spirit and lives it. This is when Jesus is reborn within us. This first experience is what we actually call "being born again". But this is not the end, but only the beginning. As we live the life in Spirit we are transformed into the image of Jesus. This process is an on going process. The revelation never ceases.

The Scriptures and the Church and Fellowship are only the means to this. They are important only as a lamp so that this morning star can rise in our hearts and go on into brilliance.

2 Pe. 1: 16- 19 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.