04.02 - Revelation: Its Meaning and Purpose

(2) Revelation its Meaning and Purpose The word Revelation means an unveiling, an uncovering; it is to make bare or naked, like the removing of the locks from the ear in the whispering of a secret. This uncovering may be effected either by the person receiving the secret or by another on his behalf. Another idea implied by Revelation is the making-known the declaring or testifying as when God is said to reveal or make known Himself, to declare His mind or will, to testify His truth, grace, and love to man. A still further concept is the Revelation 12:1-17 manifestation of what is hidden, unfolding what is concealed, disclosing what is mysterious as when truth hidden, concealed, and before unknown is made manifest to the minds of men which, in the doctrine of Scripture, is Revelation proper. There are mysteries in nature, providence, history, and science, the disclosure of which is not so much revelation as discovery. Revelation strictly belongs to religious and spiritual truths truths relating to the person and character of God and the mode of the Divine existence in the Godhead; the relation of the Persons in the Godhead to each other, to the universe and men; to the Divine purpose and work in creation, providence, redemption, and the economy of grace. This is the “ mystery,” Paul says, “ which by revelation was made known to him, and which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto His holy Apostle and Prophets in the Spirit.”:

Revelation is the act of Divine self-manifestation in a supernatural way for gracious ends and spiritual purposes. This revelation is called in Scripture “the mystery of redemption,” to distinguish it from the revelation of God in creation; it is further called “the mystery of Christ,” or “ the mystery of God in Christ” “the mystery which from the beginning hath been hid in God, but is now revealed unto us,” to distinguish it from the revelation of God in Nature and in Providence. This revelation takes place in history, which aga: n distinguishes it from the intuitional, or what is revealed in the moral consciousness. This revelation is special rather than general, spiritual 1 Ephesians 3:3-5. rather than cosmical, ethical and Divine rather than material and human, enshrined in the purposes of divine selection, and appointment of men to the prophetic and apostolic office, by whom God made known His will to the race; while the highest and fullest revelation of His purpose and love was in the appearing of Jesus Christ, who came to “show us the Father,” and to accomplish the purposes of Divine redemption and reconcilation for the world,