This morning our sermon comes again from the text that we looked at last week which is in the fourth chapter of the book of Proverbs. If you would please turn with me there to Proverbs chapter 4 verse 7. Proverbs chapter 4 verse 7 where we read these words, Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Now, as I was preaching from this text last week, I found that there was just too much material in my notes to go over at one time, so I decided to split it up. Last time we spoke mostly about the words of this text, to understand the sense of them, the meaning of the words, and the various phrases in the text, so that we truly were getting at what the Lord God, even God the Holy Spirit, was revealing to us in these words. Secondly, I wanted to make an application upon these words, even to have a full sermon taken up in the application. And the application I was thinking of was, when we read, Get Wisdom, Get Understanding, how do we apply that when we're looking for direction from the Lord in our lives? Perhaps a more common way to say this is, what is the will of God for my life? But once again, as I was looking at this sermon, even as late as this morning, I realized I have too much material to fit into one more sermon. So, since Bill has said that I can take these weeks, I've decided to split it up yet again in two. And so, this then, Lord willing, will be the second of three parts of a sermon. on this text, and the second and third sermons will be just about this application of knowing God's will for your life. How do we get that wisdom? How do we get that understanding from the Lord for direction and guidance in our life? And so, next week Lord willing, I'd like to talk about what are three ways which are not the right ways to seek wisdom, the Lord's wisdom and understanding for direction in our lives, and then talk about three ways that are the true and proper ways of seeking God's wisdom for our lives. But before I can go there, today, I'm afraid I'm compelled to bring up a controversial issue. And as I thought about it, I thought, there's really no way I can avoid this, because When you talk about seeking God's wisdom and His understanding, a very obvious question pops up in our minds, and that is, well, where do we go to get God's wisdom and to get God's understanding? Where do we find God's wisdom? Where do we seek it? And so, I thought I would devote today to the question about whether or not we are to understand God's wisdom as being given in the Word of God, in the Scripture, in the Bible, or whether or not it may be that in addition to other things, in addition to other special revelations from the Lord outside of the Bible. And so I want to talk about that, and that I say is this point of controversy that we have in the church today. So what I want to do is talk under two heads, and I want to look at the Scripture so that we can walk away saying, this is the doctrine or the teaching of the Scripture. And the two things I want to look at is first, what is the biblical understanding of signs and wonders? And secondly, the question, has God ceased in giving special revelation. Those two things. So first, let's look at an understanding, let's try to gain an understanding from the Word of God on signs and wonders. Signs and wonders How do we see them being presented to us in the Scripture? Well, for starters, let's consider the text that we already looked at this morning, that we read through Judges chapter 6. And I thought this would be a good place to look at, because in it we have that well-known place of Gideon putting out the fleece to see if it's God's will for him to go up against the Midianites or not. And so, this was a way by which Gideon wanted to seek God's will. So let's just take a look at what the biblical perspective is of that, as Gideon looks for signs and wonders to know God's will in his life. Now, for starters, actually even before we get to the fleece, there was another sign that was given from the Lord in our passage here in Judges 6. And so let's just look a bit, starting, say, in verse 13. Let's look at the words of Gideon as a response to this angel of the Lord. In verse 13, Gideon says, O my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?" So first, his initial response to the angel is a complaint. And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of saying, did not the Lord bring us from Egypt? So where are all those miraculous signs and wonders, Gideon asks, like was once done by the Lord in Egypt, or to his fathers. that came up out of Egypt. And he goes on to say, now the Lord has forsaken us. And the Lord, in verse 14, looked upon him and said, Go in this might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have not I sent thee? So the Lord is saying, I've already told you once now, at this point, that you will be the deliverer, as the book of Judges has throughout the book, many different deliverers for the people of Israel as they are oppressed by other peoples because God gives them over to that oppression, because God's people turns away from the Lord's commandments. And you see that throughout the book of Judges. And so here the Lord is telling Gideon, now you will be the deliverer for Israel from the Midianites. And so what does Gideon do? He makes a request to this angel of the Lord and says, can you just stay here a moment? I'm going to go in the house, I'll be right back. And he goes in, he prepares a kid, it's like a kid of say, a goat, and some unleavened cakes. And then the angel instructs him, he comes back out with these things, and the angel instructs him to put it on the stone, and then fire comes out of the stone and consumes the flesh of the kid and the unleavened cakes. And so this was a sign to Gideon that what the Lord was telling you, that yes, I want you to be the deliverer of the Israelites against the Midianites, is true. And so that was the purpose here, that the Lord was accommodating Gideon, even in his wanting faith. Perhaps his faith wasn't as it should have been. And so the Lord accommodated that in his great mercy and condescension and granted him this sign. And that was the purpose of the sign, to confirm to him that yes, this is what he should do. But then what happens? Well, let's jump to the end of the passage, and we have the very same thing all over again. I'm reading in verse 36, "...and Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said..." Gideon admits that he had said it, but still, Gideon wasn't satisfied, was he? He says, "...if you will save Israel by my hand, then behold, verse 37, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor, and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it will be dry upon all the earth at the side, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. So, it's really kind of funny, isn't it, because on one hand Gideon admits that you have said this, but on the other hand he says, well, show me this sign, and then, if this sign comes true, comes to pass, then I'll know that that's what you want me to do. Even though he's already admitted that the Lord has said that that's what he should do. And so what does the Lord do? Does the Lord admonish him? No, because the Lord is infinitely merciful and kind and good. And so in the Lord's condescension, He goes along with this test, this sign that Gideon has set out. And so we read in verse 38, And it was so for he, that is Gideon, rose up early in the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece a bowl full of water. So not only did the Lord respond to this test that Gideon wanted to make, but He did it quite fully, quite clearly, that Gideon could wring out a full bowl of water from this fleece that was wet by the dew. And then what happens? Verse 39, And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, Perhaps he says that for good reason here. It seems like he's continuing to try the Lord's patience. But he says, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and thou wilt speak but this once. Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. So now, Gideon asks the Lord to have yet another test, another sign And it's the reverse. And so now he's asking the Lord that instead of the fleece being completely wet, the fleece would be perfectly dry. And that all the dew would be around the earth, around the fleece, but not in the fleece. And then what does God do? God is merciful and condescending even to our little faith. And in verse 40, And God did so that night. God did what Gideon requested. This is the third sign now that Gideon has requested from the Lord. For it was dry upon the fleece only and there was dew on all the ground. So the Lord answered the request of Gideon and showed him just according to the test that Gideon requested. And why was this done? Gideon himself says why he wanted it done. In order that he may know indeed that God wanted him to be a deliverer for the Israelites against the Midianites. So that was the purpose of these signs. So what was the Lord's attitude? He complied. He condescended. But I ask you, do you see in this passage a recommendation for us for seeking signs from the Lord and telling us what we should do with our lives? It seems to me that the import is the very opposite. Isn't it? Here we have Gideon, who's told multiple times what he should do, and yet he said, well, if you just give me the sign, then I'll really know that what you said is true. And he does it three times. And that was the purpose and function of the fleece. And how many times do we hear, even today in our churches, about putting out the fleece? It's become a metaphor, an expression, based upon the text that we're just looking at. And what's the idea? The idea is that you test the Lord, you put out a sign that if the Lord would do this or that thing, then you're confirmed in what you think you should do, what you think is the Lord's will in this matter, that matter, whatever it may be. But again, what is the context? It doesn't seem to be indicating that here in Judges 6 where we find the source of that expression, putting out the fleece, does it? Now, as I just finished the first reference, I realized that, you know, I cut this sermon out three times and I probably still won't finish it, even what I have here for the second part. But let's just see how far we can get along. Let's continue to see other places in the scripture that I tell you teach the same doctrine about signs and wonders. For example, in John chapter 4, Jesus said unto them, except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe, the Lord Jesus Christ says. And this is again a point of frustration, if you will, on the Lord's part, that people have such little faith and are so hard to come to believe. And so he says, except you see signs and wonders you will not believe." So he's compelled then to do signs and wonders so that you will believe. Similarly, in Matthew chapter 16 verse 4, the Lord says, and this is quite a stinging text, "...an evil and an adulterous generation seeks after a sign." This is now in Matthew, I've come to another place. We were looking at John. This is now Matthew 16, verse 4. An evil and an adulterous generation seeks after a sign. So then, what is the Lord's view of a sign? Yes, Craig? Matthew 16, verse 4. And let me just leave it there for now and move on to some other things, but I want to at least leave you with the impression that, well, maybe seeking signs and wonders to know God's will is not exactly the orientation we have in Scripture. So let's look further, though. What is, then, the purpose of signs and wonders? I think, again, of the other passage we read this morning from 1 John, this will give you a framework which I think would be helpful in understanding other places. 1 John, chapter 1. just in the first three verses, "...that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life." Who is John speaking of here? Who is the Word of Life? Verse 2, "...for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." Who is that? It's the Lord Jesus Christ. And so what's he saying in verse 1? He's saying, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, that is, we've heard the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, which we have seen with our own eyes, we have seen Him, we have looked upon, our hands have handled, we live with this man for three years. We have known him, we have seen him, we've heard him speak, We have touched Him, we know that He was real. This is our own personal experience. And then verse 3, that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. This encapsulates the apostolic ministry. This encapsulates the role of the gospel. What this means is these men were chosen by the Lord to have seen and heard and handled, as it says, the Word of God, that is, the Logos from Heaven, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that they can testify to us that that was a true experience that they had. That Jesus, the Jesus that they speak about, when they say to us in the Gospels, Jesus said this and he did that and so on, they are, in verse 3 he's saying, this is what we declare unto you. So this is the Gospel. In other words, These men had a first-hand experience with the Lord Jesus Christ, and now their role is to testify of that experience. And what is then our place in the history of the Gospel Age is to receive their testimony. Because you know what? We didn't walk with the Lord when He was here in the earth, did we? We didn't physically with our ears hear Him at the Sermon on the Mount. We didn't see Him. We didn't eat with Him. We didn't touch Him. Why? Because we didn't live at that time. But these men did. And so the Gospel says we knew this Lord Jesus Christ and what we are saying about Him is true. This is our testimony. Believe us so that you can join in fellowship with us. That's what it says in verse 3. so that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son. So that's the scheme, as it were, of the Lord in bringing the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing the gospel, the apostles, on first-hand experience these things and then they testify, their testimonies are written down for us so that we may believe those things, so that we may enter into that same fellowship that they had with the Father and with the Lord Jesus Christ. So that is the broader context. And so, because it is important that these men believed that Jesus was who he was, we read also in the Gospel of John, in chapter 20, in that place about Thomas, sometimes referred to as Doubting Thomas, he was like like a scientist, as it were, that Thomas had an empirical epistemology. In other words, he wasn't going to believe it unless he could see it, right? And so, what does the Lord Jesus Christ do? This is after the Lord is resurrected, and he appears to the other apostles, and Thomas now is there, whereas Thomas wasn't with them before. And the Lord Jesus says to Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands, reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing." And then Thomas responded, my Lord and my God, so Thomas believed. But how does the Lord respond? This is really interesting. The Lord responds to Thomas' profession of faith, which was a true profession. But the Lord responds to Thomas in this way, Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed. And guess who those people are? It's you and me. We haven't put our hands to the side of the Lord Jesus Christ, have we? No, but Thomas has, and so now he can testify that Jesus Christ truly is that Savior which was prophesied from old, and now, based on his and the other apostles' testimony, we can believe the same Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can have that same fellowship, as John says in the Epistle, with Him. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 2. It says, How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, who was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? Confirmed unto us by them that heard him. God also bearing the witness, how? It says, both with signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. So again, what is the purpose and role here of signs and wonders and miraculous gifts? It says here in the Word of God in Hebrews chapter 2, it's to bear witness. How can you neglect such a great salvation by this Lord who is confirmed unto us that God bore witness with signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost." So, what is the purpose and role of signs and wonders and miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost? According to the scripture here, it is a confirmation that the Lord Jesus Christ is who He says He is. It's so that the people in His day would believe, so that they would have a testimony to us so that we could believe. so that we can enter into that same fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ that they have. Acts chapter 2 verse 22. You men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved to God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. Here's another text in scripture that says, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved to God among you. by miracles and wonders and signs. That is how the Lord Jesus Christ was approved in the midst of them. That is, by these miraculous works, signs and wonders, it was evident that the Lord Jesus Christ was the one who was sent by the Heavenly Father. We have that same understanding and testimony from Nicodemus when he comes to see the Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in that well-known passage in chapter 3 of the Gospel of John. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The saint came to Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him. So there, Nicodemus understands the same role and function of signs and wonders. He confesses to the Lord Jesus Christ that Jesus cannot do these things unless he's from God. So it's a testimony as to who Jesus is. Another case in the Gospels. John the Baptist. He's the one that said, Behold the Lamb of God. around the time that the Lord was baptized by him. But later on in John's life, he was in prison, wasn't he, for speaking the Word of God. And what happens when he's in prison? I'm sure we would be subject to the same things if we were put in prison. He had some doubts. And so, he sends some messengers to the Lord Jesus Christ to ask the Lord, are you the one that is to come or should we expect another? And Jesus' response is quite interesting. He merely says, go tell John what? I'm reading now Matthew chapter 11. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk and the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Do you see? Jesus is answering the question of whether or not he is the Messiah by pointing to the great miraculous works that he's doing among them. And indeed, these very words are borrowed from perhaps two different places in the book of Isaiah in prophesying about the Messiah. and Jesus is identifying himself as the Messiah by using these words. But what are these things? These are those miraculous works, signs, and wonders that the Lord performed that testifies to who Jesus is. I'll just give you this last text here on this point, which I think, again, is very telling. It's from the Lord himself. In John chapter 10, He says, if I do the works of my Father, though you believe me not, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in Him. Isn't that interesting? So the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, and again, this is an accommodation to our little faith. If you don't believe in me, then believe in me because of my works, because of all these miraculous things that you see being done, because they testify to who I am, that I am that One that was sent from the Heavenly Father. That is the purpose of Signs and Wonders, to corroborate who Jesus is and His Word, the revelation. Jesus Himself, as we pointed out last week, is that Logos, as John in the Gospel, in the first chapter, makes that metaphor. John says that in the beginning was the Word, the Greek there is Logos, and later he shows that the Word there, metaphorically he's speaking of, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is that revelation of the Heavenly Father, And the fact that He is that One coming from the Father is corroborated by these miraculous signs and wonders, and that's their purpose. Okay, I had no idea when I started. So, let's go to the second head, and that is whether or not the Scripture has been closed. First, I want to bring up a text which I think is unjustly used by people who agree with my position to say that the canon of the scripture is closed. And you may have heard people speaking about this. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, we find this language. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, that when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." And so what they argue is that when it says, when the perfect shall come, it's referring to the completion of the Bible. And so they argue that this is saying that prophecy will be done away with because the perfect comes, the closing of the canon, perfect in the sense of completion, the scripture will be completed and so prophecy will vanish away. But I think that that's unjust to the text because if you look just a little further on, the Apostle says, when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face, Now I know in part, but then I shall know even as also I am known." What does it mean when he says, then we will see face to face? This is a common expression I believe referring to our time in eternity in heaven. We will be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Last week again we pointed out, remember that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the grave in His body. It was a bodily resurrection. And so even now as I speak, the Lord is risen in His resurrected body. So, the Lord has a physical presence as well as a spiritual one. And we are not in His physical presence now, because physically He is in heaven. But one day, in heaven, we will see Him face-to-face. So I believe the text here, when it says, when the perfect is to come, is to say, the consummation of all things in glory and in eternity, that is the completion that's being referred to, because it says, now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face-to-face. Because the Word of God here in the Scripture is not everything that is known of God or that is true. It's only those things which the Lord was pleased to reveal to us. But when we come into Heaven, we will see him face-to-face and our knowledge will be full. We will no longer need the Bible in heaven because this knowledge is in part, this is a partial knowledge, relative to what our knowledge will be in heaven in eternity. That's the sense, I think, of that text. So, I don't think it's speaking about the closing of the canon. But, I do believe that the scripture, nonetheless, teaches that the canon is closed. And for starters, we can look at Hebrews again in chapter one, the opening verses of Hebrews. We read, God, who at sundry times and diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he hath made the worlds. So there's two points of contrast I want to highlight here. You have, in the old times, God spoke in sundry times, various times, in diverse manners, unto the fathers. But now, in the last days, we are spoken to by the Son. So you have this contrast in terms of time. the second point of time is described as the last days. In other words, this is the end. These are the last days in which we live because from the perspective of Scripture, when the Lord Jesus Christ came, that was the beginning of the consummation of all things. And so we are now in the last days. The other point of contrast is that He spoke in times past by the prophets but now by the Son, that is, by the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, I think if you put these things together, we see that Jesus is that revelation from the Heavenly Father that's now given to us in the last days, as opposed to what was given to us in the old time by the prophets. And if we look again to another verse in the same general passage which we've already looked at, and that's in Hebrews chapter 2, it says that, again, that the Lord was confirmed unto them by the bearing witness of these signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. So, I think the doctrine here, if you look at this passage, is to say that the role of these signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost, the purpose and function was achieved in testifying as to who Christ is, and now Christ is the one, in contrast to the prophets of old, who is revealing things to us in the last days. Now, if that is not sufficient, let's look at a couple more places. In Daniel chapter 9, verse 24, we have a prophecy, and this may be a little bit obscure because it's prophetical language, but I think it clearly says that in the apostolic age, that God's special revelation would come to a close. We read in chapter 9 of Daniel, verse 24, 70 weeks are determined upon my people and upon my holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. So, of course, I'm not going to go at length into the context of this prophetical passage in Daniel, but I think without even doing that, you can see just from this one verse that the time that is spoken of is the time, the same time, as the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, because it says that There will be a finish to transgression, there will be an end of sins, there will be reconciliation made for iniquity to bring in everlasting righteousness. Well, when is that done? And also, if you go further on, it talks about the Messiah being cut off from the people, which I think are words conveying the crucifixion. So, if this is the time of this prophecy, within these other things it also says it's the time that there will be a sealing up of vision and prophecy. And it only makes sense because if the Lord came as that great prophet in the last days, then all of prophecy and vision is sealed up now in that apostolic age of when the Lord was here, when He was that revelation from the Heavenly Father in the last days, in contrast to the prophecies of the old time. And here in the Word of God we read that at this same period of time there will be a sealing up of vision and prophecy. Another argument comes from the end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation, in the last chapter, chapter 22, verses 18-19. We read, For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. I agree that this has particular reference to the book of Revelation, because I think that's the import of these words here. But I'm not alone in thinking that it also has a broader sense. I'll just read for you from Matthew Poole's commentary. He says, Divines, that's an older term for theologians, generally do further extend the sense of these two verses, considering this as the last portion of the Holy Scripture, not only placed last in our Bibles, but revealed and written last. So not only is the Book of Revelation placed in the order of our books, in our Bible, last, But it was also dated as the last writing, the last inscripturated writing that we have in the Bible. And in that last revelation from the Lord, we have these words that I've just read, that we are not to add to it, nor take away from it. And then one other final argument I'll make that the Scripture is closed, and that we should not seek for more special revelation or extra revelation from the Lord outside of the Scripture, is perhaps a more practical note, and that is what we already saw last week from 2 Timothy chapter 3. Second Timothy, chapter 3, in the last two verses, very well-known place, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God in this profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And we talked about this last week, but I think it's inescapable that we see here a teaching from the Scripture itself as to the sufficiency of Scripture. It says, all Scripture all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, so that the man of God may be perfect, and as we said last week, the word there has the idea of complete, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. It says not some good works or a few good works that the Scripture is what we need, but for all good works. And Calvin says on this point, Perfect means here a blameless person, one in whom there is nothing defective, for he asserts absolutely that the Scripture is sufficient for perfection. And then listen to this warning from Calvin. Accordingly, he who is not satisfied with Scripture desires to be wiser than is either proper or desirable. The Word of God here says that the Scripture is sufficient to make us perfect, complete, for all of our good works. And Calvin warns us that if you're not content with that sufficiency of Scripture, then you're not being proper. Rather, you're desiring to be wiser than what is either proper or desirable. We should not think that we can be wiser in God, and God says the scripture is sufficient for all good works to make us complete. And so, I argue that the canon is closed. So, I'll leave you just with some concluding thoughts, maybe just some rhetorical thoughts for you to consider if you're not still persuaded on this point. And that is, if God has closed the scripture, if this is all of that special revelation which the Lord has for us in our lives, then if we were to look for guidance outside of the Bible, doesn't that compromise the authority of the Scripture for our lives? It's like the quote that I have in the bulletin, where it says, Why not the illumination of Scripture coupled with new revelations of the Spirit? Simply because if you declare a need for both, you have implied the insufficiency of the One. Also, if God has spoken to you in a word of special revelation as He spoke to the Apostles and the Prophets of old and so on, then here's a question for your consideration. Why is not the revelation you received in the Bible? If you truly received a special revelation from the Lord, wouldn't it have equal authority with anything that's here in the Scripture? If truly it was from God's Holy Spirit. And then lastly, and I tie this back to the orientation of our text, get wisdom, get understanding. With all of your getting, get wisdom. Even if you don't want to hold to a strict, sensationist perspective, that is, if you don't want to strictly hold that the special revelation from the Lord has ceased, would you not admit that it's not the ordinary and common way in which God would lead us? Now, there are some people, even in very conservative Reform circles, that say that, for example, when the Church was under persecution in Scotland in the late 1700s, it's known as a period of Church history called the Killing Times, because the persecution was so heavy. There are some Orthodox men that would say that the Lord did give special revelation to people in his church at that time, some prophecy because of the need of the church in dire circumstances and the persecution. And so without placing a judgment on that opinion, I'm saying that even if you would hold to a position like that, those were very unusual times of intense, heavy persecution of the church. That is not the extraordinary and common way, at the least. It's not the common way, rather, and the normal way that God would reveal his word to us.