A 06 - Direct Testimony from Heaven

CHAPTER 6.DIRECT TESTIMONY FROM HEAVEN

THERE are several instances recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures, in which Jehovah, by a public acknowledgment, recognized certain persons as his servants. Thus, when the Israelites were at mount Sinai, God made, in their view, a public and awful manifestation of his presence and glory on the top of that mountain, and thus recognized, in the strongest possible manner, the mission of Moses. Exodus 19:1-25. Thus also at mount Carmel, there was a visible and public recognition on the part of Jehovah, that Elijah was a true prophet, and that his ministry was directed by the will of heaven. 1 Kings 18:1-46. There are also many other cases, in which God was pleased directly to interpose in the attestation of his truth.

It is not wonderful then, that testimony of this kind should be vouchsafed to Jesus, if he were indeed the Messiah. There are three instances of this sort recorded by the Evangelists. The first occurred at his baptism: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him; and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.

And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16; Matthew 3:17. This recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, was of the most public nature.

Thousands of Jews were spectators of the baptism of Jesus; and this extraordinary manifestation was made in their presence. Bloomfield supposes that the opening of the heavens here spoken of, was “a preternatural light” which accompanied the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus; and that the allusion to the dove, does not suppose a natural dove, or the Spirit in shape of a dove; but refers to “the gentle and hovering manner,” in which this extraordinary light rested upon Jesus. 1 The person spoken of as hearing the voice, is no doubt John. It was to assure his mind in the clearest manner possible, of the person of the Messiah, that this extraordinary manifestation was given: But, whether we suppose the voice to have been intelligible only to John, or to have been understood at once by the spectators, still the miracle remains unimpaired, and the actual and heavenly attestation to Jesus, as the Son of God, continues an authenticated and well established fact. The second instance of this kind occurred when Jesus was spending a night in devotion, with three of his disciples, on one of the mountains of Galilee, by many supposed to be Tabor, by others, one of the peaks of Hermon. Sometime during the night, probably near morning, when the disciples were sleeping, a cloud of extraordinary glory covered the top of the mountain. Such was its brightness, that the disciples seem to have been awaked by it. Luke 9:32. When thus aroused, they beheld not only the glorious cloud, but three glorious forms before them. Their Master had in the meantime, entirely changed his appearance, becoming so luminous and bright, that they could scarcely gaze upon him. Besides him, there were Moses and Elias, whose countenances were also overcast with the brightest glory. The disciples, amazed at the extraordinary scene, and experiencing a peculiar delight at the unusual glory before them, desired to dwell upon the top of the mountain. But while they were thus ravished and captivated with the heavenly glory they were permitted to behold, a voice issued from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Matthew 17:1-27.

Such was the extraordinary splendor of this scene, and such its testimony to the Messiahship of Jesus, that we find the apostle Peter, who was one of the spectators, alluding to it long afterwards, as proof of this very fact. “For, says he, we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his Majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’ And this voice which came from heaven, we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.” 2 Peter 1:16-18.

Here then are three credible witnesses, Peter, James, and John, who were eye-witnesses of this glorious display, and who actually heard the voice from heaven, recognizing Jesus as the Christ. And so universally was the truth of this vision believed among the early Christians, that Matthew, Mark, and Luke, have each of them inserted it in his history of Jesus. The last instance of such divine and heavenly attestation to the Messiahship of Jesus is recorded by John. Jesus had just uttered the prayer, “Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it; and will glorify it again. The people therefore that stood by, said it thundered. Others said, an angel spake unto him.” John 7:28; John 7:29.

Doddridge paraphrases the passage thus, “Then at that very instant, while he was speaking, there came a voice from heaven which said, I have both already glorified it by the whole of thy ministry thus far; and I will glorify it again in a more signal manner, by what yet remains before thee. The multitude, therefore, who stood by and heard it, though not all in a manner equally distinct, were perfectly astonished at the awful sound; and some among them said it thundered, while others, who were nearer, said that an angel spake to him from heaven. But Jesus answered and said to his disciples, who stood near and distinctly heard it, This voice from heaven came not chiefly for my sake but for yours, that you may not be offended at the treatment I shall meet with, and quit your hope in me, on account of any of the sufferings that are coming upon me.” Here, then, are three distinct and important instances in which the Lord Jehovah, by an audible voice from heaven, bore witness to the peculiar character of Jesus. He acknowledged him on the banks of the Jordan before assembled multitudes; he acknowledged him in a yet more glorious manner on the top of Tabor, or of Hermon; and he acknowledged him, near the close of his ministry, in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, and in the presence of many spectators and witnesses. If then the ancient Jew, who witnessed the Divine recognition of Moses and of Elijah, entertained no doubt that God spake by them, with what just pretense can the modern Jew, or the unbeliever, deny the testimony which proves even from heaven itself, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God? Nor can the evidence above alluded to, be evaded, by supposing that either these voices from heaven were the inventions of the Evangelists, or the auricular illusions of the original witnesses. The Evangelists, if not inspired, were at least honest historians. No one can read their statements, especially in connection with each other, and not perceive every possible mark of historical fidelity. But if honest, they have stated these facts only upon what they considered adequate testimony. That they were competent judges of such testimony, no one can doubt, who considers, either their relation to the original parties, or the general accuracy in their various narrations. They evidently state, therefore, what was generally believed in their day to have taken place. Nor can we suppose the original witnesses to have been deceived. The words uttered were entirely intelligible; they were heard by several, if not by many persons; and these persons were men of the highest character, men who taught the purest doctrines, who lived the most exemplary lives, and some of whom sealed their testimony with their blood. How is it possible for so many men, of such irreproachable character, on so many occasions, to have been deceived? Surely the hypothesis which admits such deception, must not only disprove all similar communications mentioned in the Old Testament, but must also deny that the ear is a safe guide in all matters of hearing and sound. The evidence then cannot be set aside by either supposition. It must, therefore, be true. But if true, then has Jehovah announced from heaven, by an audible voice, and at three different times, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.