Phase 1: The Garden of Eden ( Gen 1:26; 2:17 ) God’s policies were minimal and simple: ( 1 ) have children, ( 2 ) rule the world, and ( 3 ) don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Phase 2: The Old World ( Gen 4:26; 5:22 ) People invoked the name of God. Enoch walked with God, but over time, wickedness and violence spread like a plague resulting in the great reset of Noah’s flood.
Phase 3: The New World ( Gen 9:1-11; 11:6-9 ) God initiated three changes in policy: ( 1 ) humans could now eat meat, ( 2 ) no more global floods, and ( 3 ) capital punishment for murderers. Sadly, humanity rebelled with the result that God confused the languages.
Phase 4: Covenant with Abraham ( Gen 12:1-3 ) After Abraham trusted God, God committed to him and his descendants to be their God, bless them, and give them a land.
Phase 5: Covenant with Israel ( Exod 20:1-17 ) After rescuing Israel from Egypt, God gave Moses laws to write down. In the 40th year, God provided updates and new laws ( Exod 21:2 vs. Deut 15:12-14, 17 ).
Phase 6: New Covenant ( Luke 22:19-20; Jer 31:31-32; Psalm 110:4; Heb 8:13; 7:11- 12, 22; Gal 3:23-26 ) Jesus brought new instruction. His death ratified a new covenant, that opened up a new relationship on the basis of faith not ancestry.
Phase 7: The Kingdom of God ( Dan 7; Rev 21-22 ) When Christ returns, he will resurrect the faithful, establish God’s kingdom on earth, and usher in an age of enduring peace, justice, and love
I really enjoyed this church sermon on Progressive Revelation. Did you state you will be having a course or class on this? I am interested in this.
Hey Cindy,
I’m going to be teaching a class, starting in January about theology. Progressive revelation will be one of the sessions. If you want to know more about this topic, search for “biblical theology,” and you’ll find books and videos that speak of tracing a doctrine or practice through the biblical timeline.