It is common to hear people who claim that God is giving them revelation and signs today to misapply the Scriptures.  Some explain that God uses “sign language” in the form of dreams, visions, fleeces, open and closed doors, people’s conversations, our circumstances (Henry Blackaby’s emphasis), and internal peace.  They will take passages out of context, and quote Scripture that has nothing to do with the point that they are making. But, according to the popular view of God’s revelation outside the Word, context is of no importance. In fact, some mock the idea that we need to keep passages in context when giving their meaning.  The reason is that they take Scriptures out of context, frequently. It is not important to know the intention of the original author. What’s important to many is the impression that is being created on the reader. The true paradigm that I am picking up on from those who hold similar views is that we all need to be alert to see signs all around us that God is telling us something. Once again, let’s be clear that some, like Priscilla Shirer, specifically explain that the Scriptures are not sufficient.  At least she’s consistent. I have been writing and speaking on this for some time that the view is in contradiction to 2 Thessalonians 3:16 which teaches the Scriptures are all-sufficient. Modern-day revelation advocates cannot accept this and still promote their views. In the last several years, many of them are finally coming forward to admit that the Scriptures are not all-sufficient. She explains that we have the Bible to consult for guidance and elaborates with this quote:
“You cannot just open it at random and take verses out of context just to affirm your own choices. You genuinely want to hear from God. You want to know whether the recent circumstances you’ve noticed around you are more than mere coincidence, or whether the comments you heard someone make to you might truly be a signal of God’s will and direction” (Discerning the Voice of God, 20).
She admits that one should not take verses out of context but also believes we can read God’s direction from circumstances and signs. According to her, if we are sensing internal stirrings, the external signs are confirmations that we are probably being given divine direction and need to be open to it. The process is as follows: (1) You receive some internal unction — That’s the Holy Spirit speaking to you. But, it could be a lie or a message of Satan.  So, you have to test it. (2) You receive confirmation from without that this is the leading of the Holy Spirit. This confirmation of outward signs can come in the form of repeated hearing of a scripture, personal circumstances, or other people. This is God’s way of repeating himself to make sure we get the message (See Discerning the Voice of God, Priscilla Shirer, 78-79). The problem with this view is the idea that God is working and trying to get our attention and sometimes we just don’t hear him.  Notice in one quote on page 82 that she speaks of the “persistent, internal inklings matched by external confirmation is often the way God directs believers into his will.” This persistent speaking is understood to be words, phrases, and topics that appear with regular frequency.
The God that I know doesn’t keep trying to speak to us and direct us.  He has spoken and we are accountable as to what we do with that revelation.  There is no model in the Bible to support the reading of non-miraculous signs as a method of revelation. No examples can be found trying to figure out God’s will by waiting around for clues from our personal circumstances. Miracles were performed as proof that a message was from God, but there were no non-miraculous signs that led disciples to do a certain thing. Further, when God spoke, it was clear and unmistakable at that very instance.  There was no compilation of ongoing signs that finally gets through to disciples.
As already noted in previous blogs, this method of reading signs for internal confirmation is feeding a subjective impression. Focusing on how we feel places our own imaginations as a divine source of revelation. This, my dear friends, is about as dangerous as any teaching that is publically known. What is worse than elevating our own imagination above the written Word (cf. Prov. 3:5-6)?
The worse consequence of pressing this method of revelation on the hearts of men and women is the production of an elaborate and complicated system of interpretation that is nowhere taught in Scripture.  Satan is having a heyday as the proponents of this view have closed their eyes and ears to revealed truth and have chosen to believe lies. For them, the only way to ensure that they are not lies is by learning to read the signs, to tune in to God’s frequency.  John never mentions this when warning Christians to test the spirits to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1).  You test them by comparing what they say with what has been revealed.