Question:

Why has the Lord been silent the last 2000 or so years and not more involved with us?  I realize the Holy Spirit is at the helm so to speak since Pentecost…but it would be refreshing to actually have the Lord with us without the veil hiding Him at this time.  Like the bible states we yearn for Him to the point it almost emotionally hurts not to be able to embrace Him as the apostles did.

Answer:

The history of God’s people is that he has spoken to them at certain times and remained “silent” at others.  For the majority of their history, God did not send new revelation to his people–for example about 1800-1430 BC and again about 1350-1050 BC and again 450BC-25AD.  Most of the time, God assumed that people would listen to the revelation he had always given them.  In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the rich man is in Hades and asks that he have the opportunity to go back and tell his brothers.  He is told that if they do not listen to the scriptures already revealed, they would not listen even if told directly.  God says that the scripture is sufficient.   You may not feel that way, emotionally, and I understand that, but God says it is sufficient for us.

In Hebrews 1:1-3 we are told that in the past God spoke to us at various times and in various ways, but in these last times God is speaking to us through Jesus (and, presumably, his apostles).  He is no longer giving us new revelation because we do not need it.  We have the completed New Testament which is sufficient for us (2 Tim 3:16).  Jesus told his disciples in John 14 and 16 that when he went away he would send the Holy Spirit to live in us as a comforter and Counselor.  In fact, he told the disciples that it was better for them that he leave, because to have the Holy Spirit living in us is better by far than to have Jesus living with us.   I would agree that it would be pretty exciting to have Jesus hanging out with us, but considering that there are more than seven billion people living on the earth in more than two hundred different countries, it would be pretty hard for Jesus to spend all that much time with us as individuals!!!  Like Jesus said, it is better to have the Holy Spirit living in us than it would be to have Jesus living near us.  It would be impossible to improve on having God actually living in us.

I disagree that we have a “veil” hiding Jesus from us at this time.  In fact, the Bible teaches that in Christ the veil has been removed (2 Corinthians 3:16).  We now see him face to face.  My suggestion is that you embrace the Holy Spirit who lives in you and be thankful for the intimate relationship with God you have through him living in you, and for the blessing of having God speak to you through his Word.  I do not mean to deny your emotions, but that you should do your best to embrace God’s  soluyion to your felt need.

John Oakes