57. What is the ultimate reason for God revealing His “plan of loving goodness”? (CCC 51) The ultimate reason for God revealing His “plan of loving goodness” is to make men sharers in the divine nature.

58. Why, according to St Irenaeus, does God communicate Himself to man gradually? (CCC 53) According to St Irenaeus († 200) God communicates Himself to man gradually, in order to accustom man to perceive God and to accustom God to dwell in man.
St Irenaeus of Lyons (France) is one of the early Church Fathers.

59. Which are the four main stages of Revelation in the Old Testament? (CCC 54-64) The four main stages of Revelation in the Old Testament are:
1. God’s manifesting Himself to Adam and Eve
2. the covenant with Noah
3. the vocation of Abraham
4. the forming of the People of God through Moses and the prophets.

60. What was the first stage of God’s Revelation to man? (CCC 54) The first stage of God’s Revelation to man was when He manifested Himself to our first parents, Adam and Eve.

61. Was God’s first manifestation to man broken off by Adam and Eve’s sin? (CCC 55) No, God’s first manifestation to man was not broken off by Adam and Eve’s sin.
After the Fall God kept speaking to them.

62. What was the second stage of God’s Revelation to man? (CCC 56) The second stage of God’s Revelation to man was His manifestation to Noah and His covenant with him.

63. What is the covenant with Noah? (CCC 56) The covenant with Noah is God’s pact with Noah, his descendants and all the animals promising them that the earth shall never again be destroyed by a flood (Gen 9:9).
The rainbow is a sign of the covenant of God with Noah.

64. Why does God, beginning with Noah, split humanity up in many nations? (CCC 57) Beginning with Noah, God splits humanity up in many nations in order to limit the pride of fallen humanity.

65. How long does the covenant with Noah remain in force? (CCC 58) The covenant with Noah remains in force during the times of the Gentiles, until the universal proclamation of the Gospel at the end of times.

66. What was the third stage of God’s Revelation to man? (CCC 59) The third stage of God’s Revelation to man was the vocation of Abraham.

67. Why did God call Abraham from his country? (CCC 59) God called Abraham from his country in order to gather together scattered humanity.

68. What does the name Abraham mean? (CCC 59) The name Abraham means “the father of a multitude of nations”.

69. What was the task of the people descended from Abraham? (CCC 60) The task of the people descended from Abraham was:
1. to be the trustees of the promise made to Abraham
2. to prepare for that day when God would gather all His children into the Church.

70. What was the fourth stage of God’s Revelation to man? (CCC 62) The fourth stage of God’s Revelation to man was when He formed His people through Moses and the prophets.

71. How did God form His people through Moses? (CCC 62) God formed His people through Moses by:
1. freeing them from slavery in Egypt
2. establishing with them the covenant of Mount Sinai
3. giving them His Law.
The covenant of Mount Sinai contains the ten commandments and is described in Ex 19-40.

72. How did God form His people through the prophets? (CCC 64) God formed His people through the prophets by modeling them in:
1. the hope of salvation
2. the expectation of a new and everlasting Covenant.

73. What are the four features of the New Covenant announced by the prophets? (CCC 64) The four features of the New Covenant announced by the prophets are that this Covenant is:
1. new
2. everlasting
3. intended for all
4. written on the hearts.
The old Covenant was written on the tablets of the Law and intended for the Jews only.

74. Where does it say that Christ Jesus is “mediator and fullness of all Revelation”? (CCC 65) Dei Verbum 2 says that Christ Jesus is “mediator and fullness of all Revelation”.
Dei Verbum is a Vatican II document, the dogmatic Constitution on divine Revelation.

75. Why does the Revelation through Christ differ from all previous Revelation? (CCC 65) The Revelation through Christ differs from all previous Revelation, because Christ is the Father’s one, only, perfect and unsurpassable Word in whom God has said everything.

76. Why will there not be any further public revelation before the Second Coming? (CCC 66) There will not be any further public revelation before the Second Coming of Christ, because God revealed Himself fully and definitively when He sent His own Son.

77. What is the function of “private” revelations approved by the Church? (CCC 67) The function of “private” revelations approved by the Church is to help men live Christ’s Revelation more fully in a certain period of history.
A “private” revelation is a message to one or more faithful given in a supernatural way. It can be approved by the Church (e.g. the message of Our Lady to the children of Fatima).