THE REPETITION PRINCIPLE OR RECURRENCE PRINCIPLE.

a. Definition.
That principle under which God repeats some truth or subject already given, generally with the addition of details not before given.
This principle is closely allied to the progressive mention principle. “Repetitions with additions.” Repetitions are made for the sake of additional information.
b. Examples.

  1. Gen. 1:2—The creation of man recorded in Genesis 1 is a mere statement of fact, but in the second chapter there are added details. A moral aspect is also added. In the first chapter the name of God used is Elohim, the creative title. In the second chapter we have the name LORD or Jehovah, God’s redemptive title. This is the name of God when He enters into covenant relationship with man.
  2. “Verily.”
    a. The repetition may be of a single word, phrase, or sentence, and that is always significant and of importance—just as if God were saying, “Take note here.”
    Note how many times the Lord Jesus said, “Verily, verily.”
    John 5:24 John 6:47
    John 5:25 John 6:53
    John 6:26 John 8:34
    John 6:32
    b. Truth concerning hell.
    The mind of natural man has always rebelled against the thought of hell. This is treated by the Lord in a three-fold repetition—Mark 9:44-46-48. A simple statement, but one that men need to face.
    c. Judgment of the stubborn nation—Isaiah 6:10.
    This passage is found in the Bible seven times—six times besides Isa. 6:10. This concerns the judgment of judicial blindness on Israel.
  3. It was first given in Isaiah.
  4. When the Lord Jesus came and the nation treated Him as they treated God the Father in the Old Testament, and rejected Him, then Jesus pronounced judgment on them and quoted Isaiah 6.
  5. In the Old Testament God the Father dealt with them; in the Gospels, God the Son worked with them; in the Book of Acts the Holy Spirit tried to reach the hearts of the people of Israel. But this could not be done, and in the Book of Acts through the pen of Luke, and the mouth of Paul, the Spirit pronounced the judgment of blindness upon Israel, and quoted Isaiah 6.
  6. Paul in the Epistle to the Romans quotes Isaiah 6. concerning judgment on the nation of Israel. It brings out the amazing fairness of God’s dealings with man. Judgments that men fully deserve are not meted out until sufficient warning has been given.
  7. References: Isa. 6:10; Matt. 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; Jn. 12:40; Acts 28:25-27; Rom. 11:8.
  8. The Book of Revelation.
    You can never understand this book aside from the Repetition Principle. It is a series of visions with the coming of Christ as the climax. This is repeated three times in the book, each time with added information.
  9. The ministry of Paul.
    In the Book of Acts, which begins with the ministry of Peter, we have a record of Paul’s ministry, and in all of the record he seems to be preaching only to the Jews. Only toward the end of the book Paul says to the Jews that he is now going to preach to the Gentiles. In the Epistles, however, we have the repetition of the record of Paul’s ministry, and in this we find the record of another marvelous activity, the establishing of churches among the Gentiles. It is a repetition with added details. We have the same period, the same preacher, but two lines of ministry.
  10. History of Israel.
    It is given in the Old Testament, and is repeated in the Book of Acts in the sermon of Stephen, with added details, not contradictions. In Romans we find a record of Israel’s wanderings, which is a repetition of the record in Deuteronomy.
    a. You will often find that in the repetition, the divine viewpoint is given, while in the first account, man’s viewpoint alone is given.