George Warnock — Bibliology
b6 — Who Are You?
Relation Old and New Testament — typological interpretation
In chapter 4 Warnock addresses how the Book of Revelation is written in the “sign-language” of types and shadows from the Old Testament:
“The Book of Revelation begins with the statement that God made it known by signs. The angel ‘sign-ified’ unto His servant John… made it known to him in ‘sign language’. If we are not real familiar with the Old Testament, we can read the Book of Revelation and fail to realize that the ‘sign-language’ that is used is largely from the types and shadows of the Old Testament — not only from the books that relate to the sacrifices and ceremonies of Israel, but to the words of the prophets as well.”
(Source: George H. Warnock, “Who Are You?”, who4.html, ch. 4)
On the extensive use of the Old Testament within Revelation, Warnock writes:
“There are approximately 400 direct quotations or other references to the Old Testament in the Book of Revelation, as the Holy Spirit saw fit to clothe the ‘Revelation’ in terminology that would be something very ‘hidden’ from those who continued to walk in disobedience and rebellion against God.”
(Source: ibid.)
Interpretation: Warnock argues that understanding the NT — particularly Revelation — is inseparably bound to knowledge of the OT. The Spirit deliberately employed OT typologies as the interpretive code for the NT.
Hermeneutics — Scripture as hidden secret, revealed by the Spirit
In chapter 4 Warnock ties the hiddenness of Scripture to a spiritual precondition for interpretation:
“The ‘mysteries’ of God are secrets, revealed to God’s chosen ones, but ‘secrets’ that the world about us cannot know or perceive, except as the heart is laid bare before Him. For He tells us clearly that ‘the secret of the Lord is to them that fear Him’ (Ps. 25:14).”
(Source: George H. Warnock, “Who Are You?”, who4.html, ch. 4)
In chapter 6 Warnock develops this pneumatological hermeneutic principle further:
“The gospel is not just a message declared… IT IS A SECRET REVEALED. For the word ‘mystery’ means ‘secret’ …a secret that is made known to those who are initiated into it.”
(Source: George H. Warnock, “Who Are You?”, who6.html, ch. 6)
On the role of the Spirit in understanding Scripture, Warnock cites 1 Cor. 2:10:
“For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
(Source: ibid.; see 1 Cor. 2:10)
And on the revelation of hidden wisdom through the Spirit:
“But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:7-10)
(Source: ibid.)
On spiritual blindness as a hermeneutical obstacle:
“No one can come to know God, except blinded eyes are opened, and deaf ears unstopped. The gospel is a ‘mystery’, a ‘secret’ that men can only know as the Spirit of God reveals Christ to their hearts.”
(Source: ibid.)
Interpretation: Warnock maintains a pneumatic hermeneutical principle: Scripture is not accessible by intellectual effort alone. The Spirit is the necessary key — not as a supplement to Scripture, but as its Interpreter.
Hermeneutics — contextual reading of Scripture
In chapter 5 Warnock articulates a principle of contextual scripture reading:
“If you will take your concordance and examine the various ‘beginnings’ mentioned in the Bible, it becomes clear that there are many, many beginnings, and it all depends on the context in which they are mentioned.”
(Source: George H. Warnock, “Who Are You?”, who5.html, ch. 5)
Interpretation: Warnock points to the importance of context-sensitive Bible reading — the same term (here: “in the beginning”) can refer to fundamentally different starting points in different texts. This is a hermeneutical principle that places literal-contextual reading above lexical uniformity.
Inerrancy — God cannot lie
In chapter 5 Warnock grounds the reliability of Scripture in the nature of God:
“The scriptures tell us that ‘God cannot lie’ (Titus 1:2). Are you telling us then, O man, that God who cannot lie can nevertheless create a liar, and the father of all lies?”
(Source: George H. Warnock, “Who Are You?”, who5.html, ch. 5)
Warnock also cites Calvin (Institutes, Vol. I, ch. XVI) to support the perversity of the idea that God could be the Creator of evil.
Interpretation: Warnock derives the reliability of Scripture from the nature of God himself — the trustworthiness of the Word is grounded in the trustworthiness of the God who cannot lie (cf. Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:18).
Typological interpretation — sacrificial types as hermeneutical key
In chapter 7 Warnock applies the five Mosaic offerings typologically to Christ and the Christian life:
“There were five offerings that Moses instituted for the people of God; and as the sin offering Jesus fulfilled that in a very unique way. He only could die for the sins of the world. But the burnt offering was different. It speaks of a life of obedience unto the will of God.”
(Source: George H. Warnock, “Who Are You?”, who7.html, ch. 7)
Warnock cites Heb. 4:12 on the penetrating work of the Word:
“…the piercing sword of God’s Spirit begins to divide and cut asunder and expose… ‘the thoughts and intents of the heart’ (Heb. 4:12).”
(Source: ibid.)
Interpretation: Warnock employs typological exegesis as a consistent method: the OT sacrificial rites are not obsolete laws but living types that portray Christ and the Christian life. This confirms the pattern already visible in b1–b4.