TALKING WITH GOD

Includes Excerpts And Concepts From An Article by Jack Wellman

[Ex 33:7-11]:

(Ex 33:7 NASB) "Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

(Ex 33:8 NASB) And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent.

(Ex 33:9 NASB) Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.

(Ex 33:10 NASB) When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.

(Ex 33:11 NASB) Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent."

Scripture portrays a number of literal conversations between God and individual(s) as a specific, often unique event with specific person(s) and God Himself in view. These portrayals do not imply the availability of literal conversations with God with all mankind or even a portion of mankind other than those specific person(s) that are portrayed in Scripture. The number of times that Scripture reports of God speaking to an individual are miniscule compared to communications from God to humanity through means other than a literal conversation such as the one between Moses and God which was stipulated as "face to face." The individuals throughout history which have experienced "face to face" conversations with God have evidently been chosen for a specific mission such as Moses was in the above reference; Abraham, (cf. Gen 22:1-18); Paul, (cf. Acts 9); etc. In each of the cases the message to the individual contained revelation not heretofore specifically contained in Scripture, and later becoming part of Scripture. Since no further new revelations will be made available from God until this age is over and done with, ; then there will be not be new revelation coming from God to the believer of this age until this age is over and done with. Hence any revelation from God must be corroborated specifically in Scripture for any believer in order to verify that revelation as true and from God.

Since Scripture does not stipulate that talking with God in a face to face manner such as is portrayed in Ex 33:11 quoted above, is available to all mankind, or specific groups of individuals such as believers; or as one of the spiritual gifts given to every or a select number of believers in general as a spiritual gift; then this is evidently limited to the decision of God alone for His purposes and in accordance with Scripture. Therefore it is not to be contradicted by someone's personal experience. So it is evident that it is not available to anyone except under those limited conditions, and will certainly not be new revelation until this age is over and done with.

[Compare John 9:29 NASB]:

"We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, [Jesus Who had just restored a man's sight] we do not know where He is from."

Even the religious leaders of Jesus day knew “that God spoke to Moses, [in a unique manner] but we do not know where this man is from” (John 9:29), meaning of course, Jesus Christ. They had right in front of them God of very God in Jesus Christ, and yet they refused to acknowledge Him as God. They would have loved to speak with God directly but didn’t realize that they had already been doing so, despite the miracles that testified Who He was. How hard their hearts were.

[2 Chr 7:14]:

(2 Chr 7:14 NASB) "and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

God will hear us when we humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked / sinful ways. Such was the prayer of Solomon when he took over as king after King David’s death. Solomon understood that God will resist those who are proud and pour out His grace only on the humble (James 4:6). Only then will God “hear from heaven and forgive [our] sin and heal [our] land” but not before such a time. But notice that a literal face to face conversation is not in view here.

[Heb 1:1-5]:

(Heb 1:1 NASB) "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

(Heb 1:2 NASB) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

(Heb 1:3 NASB) And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

(Heb 1:4 NASB) having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

(Heb 1:5 NASB) For to which of the angels did He ever say, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You?" And again, "I will be a Father to Him and He shall be a Son to Me?"

Notice that a literal speaking of God is not in view; albeit God's Son appeared in Perfect Humanity Who in fact did speak to people face to face many times in the first century.

When I hear people proclaim that “God spoke to me and you are supposed to do this or that,” I question their authenticity because God already does speak to us directly, but it’s by His written Word, the Bible without having to proclaim it out loud in an audible voice in ones native language, etc. Why would God use a third party to try to tell me something that is already revealed in Scripture? This would be like me calling my friend and then telling him to give my other friend a message. Why wouldn’t I just speak with my friend directly instead of using someone else? God has spoken to us through the prophets and authors of the Bible. It is all we need.

[Heb 4:16]:

(Heb 4:16 NASB) "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

When we come to God for prayer, we don’t have any reason to fear. In fact, we can come to the Father at the “throne of grace’ with complete confidence knowing that we can find mercy there “and find grace in to help in time of need.” If we understood the fact that God is eager to hear our prayers, we might come more often and do so with complete confidence. That’s what the author of  Hebrews is trying to tell us. He is not trying to tell us that we are to expect to hear the actual voice of God speaking to us outside of Scripture.

[Jn 15:14-15]:

(Jn 15:14 NASB) "You are My friends if you do what I command you.

Jn 15:15 NASB) No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."

Many people would love to hear the voice of God but we already have God’s voice recorded in the Holy Bible. Jesus’ words are the words of God since He is God (John 1:1-2). There is no mystery to it or any special things we need to do. Just let God speak to you as you read Scripture and read Jesus’ words. He is your friend if you do what He says as He puts it; “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14).

[Amos 3:7-8]:

(Amos 3:7 NASB) "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.

(Amos 3:8 NASB) A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?"

Amos the Prophet tells us what I just wrote about. Why would God use a man or a woman to communicate through some self-proclaimed prophecy when God has promised to do nothing without first revealing them to “his servants the prophet?” This gives no hint that God will speak through other prophets in the latter days because He has already revealed once and for all everything we need to know (Heb 1:1), unfortunately, as in Jude’s day, so also today there are “certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4) but I notice them. Do you?

[Nu 12:8]:

(Nu 12:8 NASB) "With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?"

Furthermore, words in sentences often convey a message of communication which is figurative and not a literal face to face speaking / talking one with another:

[Jn 10:16]:

"And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd."

[John 10:2]:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

Are those that follow Jesus individual human beings or sheep? And are they being portrayed as literally following Him on a hillside in Judea in the first century to the exclusion of all other scenarios that are not literal? And are those individuals who hear Jesus’ voice conversant and within audible range with the language that He is speaking while in His Humanity? Or are His words figurative, and not conveying a literal face to face communication in Greek or Aramaic? Or are they alive and following Him during His first century ministry? For this to make sense must it be figurative.

[Jeremiah 33:3]:

"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."

[John 8:47]:
Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

Since the words of God’s Word are not always spoken so that one might literally hear them; but more often than not read in silence; then these passages must also be figurative.

[Isaiah 30:21]:

"And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."

[John 14:26]:

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

[John 16:13]:

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things  that are to come."

These verses are figurative because more often than not an individual becomes aware in his mind of certain messages which he has learned in a number of ways that direct him to go this way or that, or say this or that, etc. whether from God or based on something he learned, read about or previously heard.

Furthermore, thoughts often come to mind which are frequently conveyed within the mind in sentences that are in ones own manner of speaking – literally in ones own native language, even in ones own accent and tone, and tenor of voice in that native language.

Finally, the thoughts are not going to go beyond what Scripture has to offer us; for that would be new revelation which adds to the content of the Word of God which will not be added to until the end of the age when Christ comes again.

[Luke 11:28]:

"But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!' ”

The English word “hear” may often convey the meaning of “understand,” and not a literal hearing of words which one has spoken to another, especially if as in the case of Lk 11:28 above, one simply reads words from God’s Word without reading them out loud.

[Psalm 32:8-9]:

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you."

Being instructed and taught may be from silently reading it, not requiring a literal face to face conversation with God.

[Romans 8:14]:

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."

[Hebrews 2:1]:

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

Being taught / led by the Holy Spirit does not require hearing an audible message. Neither does having something brought to ones remembrance require literally hearing spoken words.

[1 Kings 19:11-13]:

"And he said, 'Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.' And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?' ”

[Galatians 3:5]:

"Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith -"

[Psalm 5:3]: 

"O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch."

[James 1:22]:
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

[Revelation 3:20]: 

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

[Isaiah 30:19-22]: 

"For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, 'Be gone!' "

[Psalm 85:8]: 

"Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly."

[Isaiah 55:3]: 

"Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David."

[Genesis 3:8]:

"And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."

[1 John 5:14]:

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."

[Acts 16:6-10]: 

"And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.' And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them."

[Hebrews 3:15]: 

"As it is said, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.' "

[John 14:21]:

"Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

[1 John 1:7]: 

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

[Acts 22:14]: 

"And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;"

[Luke 8:18]:

"Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

[Psalm 29:1-11]:

"A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. ..."

[1 Peter 3:12]:

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

The literal voice of God being heard is not in view; nor His ears, nor His face; nor His eyes in view, for God is not limited to having such human features. This has a figurative meaning, not a literal one.

[Hebrews 3:7]:

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,"

The literal voice of God being heard is not literally in view; nor His ears, nor His face; nor His eyes. This has a figurative meaning, not a literal one.

[John 5:25]:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

Hear not literally but figuratively in the sense of listen, understand and acknowledge & believe.

[Hebrews 4:2]: 

"For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened."

Hear not literally but figuratively in the sense of listen, understand and acknowledge & believe.

[John 10:3-4]:

"To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice."

Figurative not literal, otherwise those who were not present with Jesus would not have such an opportunity, except figuratively via studying, learning and obeying God's Word.

[Matthew 4:4]:  

"But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Figurative. For how may one understand the words of God's Word by only reading them without actually hearing them from God's mouth, when God is not limited to having human features such as a mouth? A conversation not demanded here. And God does not have a mouth, so “mouth” is figurative.

[Hebrews 4:7]: 

"Again he appoints a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.' ”

Notice that David is saying the words. The words are figurative.

[Acts 17:11]:

"Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

Nothing here that would ascribe God being limited to having human features.

[Revelation 3:22]:

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Neither God the Father nor God the Holy Spirit is limited to human features. The words are figurative.

[Ephesians 1:18]:

"Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,"

[Revelation 1:1-20]:

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ..."

[Hebrews 2:1-3]: 

"Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,"

This is not a warrant to assume that all believers may be appointed to have a conversation with angelic beings. Notice that the Lord declared it first, whereupon the message became part of the New Testament books of Scripture. Hence the source of this message is God's Word. So one does not need to wait for God to make an appointment in order to have angelic beings teach them the Word of God. They simply need to study it to show themselves approved.

[1 Thessalonians 2:13]:  

"And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers."

Talking one on one directly to God is NOT in view, the expression is figurative.

[Proverbs 2:1-5]:

"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God."

Talking one on one directly to God is NOT in view, the expression is figurative.

[Deuteronomy 4:12]:

"Then the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice."

[Habakkuk 2:1-2]:

"I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the LORD answered me: 'Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.' "

[Jeremiah 6:10]:

"To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it."

[Heb 3:7-8]:

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,' "

[1 Samuel 3:1-10]:

"Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, 'Here I am!' and ran to Eli and said, 'Here I am, for you called me.' But he said, 'I did not call; lie down again.' So he went and lay down. ..."

Note that the prophets like Samuel did indeed have actual conversations with God, as stipulated above. But not all believers have been specially appointed to experience this.

[Matthew 7:24]:

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock."

Jesus was speaking directly to His disciples who actually heard Him speak out those commandments as they traveled with Him in His Perfect Humanity. This is not to say that such an experience is available for believers in this age.

[Deuteronomy 13:4]: 

"You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him."

There is no presumption here that one hears the voice of God audibly, but as a result of studying the commandments and then internally and figuratively hearing those commandments that one has studied through the activity of the mind.

[1 John 5:15]:

"And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."

God does not have ears. He does not need them. For He knows whatever we ask because He is absolutely sovereign and decrees all things, hence knows all things, i.e., He is omniscient.

[Heb 2:3]:

"How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,"

The phrase rendered, "Those who heard" evidently refers to those physically present in the 1st century with Jesus Christ, who heard Him speak or perhaps heard from others who relayed to one another what Jesus said. Thereafter, there is no further opportunity for one to literally hear His words literally spoken, nor such a need as the great salvation has been well attested to in the written bible available throughout the world even before Jesus arrived upon the earth in His Perfect Humanity, which the bible tends to provide the most accurate means by which to receive the information of salvation and the rest of the doctrines of the Bible, because it is not hampered by ones own sin nature which might confuse what one thinks one has heard from God, when it is not confirmed by comparing what one thinks one has heard to Scripture.

[Ephesians 2:8 NASB]:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,"

Hearing this verse spoken will not be a more reliable means than simply reading the text of an accurate translation.

"He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him."

To call upon God is not necessarily to have a literal, audible conversation with Him. To call upon means to rely upon. To answer likewise does not mean to literally voice an answer in a human voice.

[Ps 34:15]:

"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry."

God does not have eyes or ears, these expressions are anthropomorphic, not literal.

[Revelation 1:3]:

"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near."

[Romans 12:2]:

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

[Acts 13:2]:

"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me ' Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' ”

[Proverbs 3:5-6]: 

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

[Rev 2:7]:

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

Literal ears, and voice boxes are not in view literally as possessions by God the Holy Spirit, Who does not need them in order to hear or speak. The referenced words are figurative, even for individuals as well.

[Romans 2:13]: 

"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified."

The word rendered, "Hearing" does not require a literal hearing.

[Revelation 2:4-5]:

"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent,"

Rev 1:1 stipulates as follows:

(Rev 1:1 NASB) "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,"

Notice that Jesus Christ's revelation to author John was communicated to John by His angel which may or may not have been through an actual, literal conversation. In any case, author and apostle John was an especially appointed individual to have this 'conversation,' in order to write an account which is part of God's Word. Not everyone is so specially appointed.

[Psalm 91:15]:

"When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with Him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him."

The calling, answering, is not needed to be literally a conversation.

[Psalm 66:18]:

"If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."

[Rev 2:1-3:22]:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent..."

Whether or not this was an actual literal, audible conversation between God or an angel and John is not stipulated. Besides this, John was an apostle who was specifically appointed by God to be an apostle and to write a book of the Bible. This is not a mandate for any believer to be enabled to literally "talk with God." This is especially true since what Apostle John received was new revelation from God, and not just information that could be received directly from current Scripture.

[John 10:6]:

"This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them."

The issue here is beyond the context of whether or not anyone may have a literal, audible conversation with God outside of what Scripture already has revealed. The issue is one of reognizing whether what is being conveyed is of God or not, which has to do with whether or not one has trusted in Christ as Savior and by that enabled to discern what is of God and what is not, simply by comparing what Scripture says on the matter. This is not beyond the capacity of one who is of accountable age and a matter of the will of the individual to believe in Christ. For the meaning of Scripture is not beyond anyone who is accountable to God and follows the normative rules of reading - of language, context and logic, .