Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Scope:The term "revealing" in a biblical context refers to the act of making known or disclosing divine truths, mysteries, or knowledge that were previously hidden or unknown. This can pertain to God's self-disclosure to humanity, the unveiling of prophetic visions, or the illumination of spiritual truths through the Holy Spirit.
Biblical Instances of Revealing:1.
Divine Revelation: God reveals Himself and His will to humanity through various means, including nature, Scripture, and direct communication. In
Romans 1:19-20 , it is stated, "For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse."
2.
Prophetic Revelation: Throughout the Old Testament, God revealed His plans and purposes through prophets.
Amos 3:7 declares, "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets." This underscores the role of prophets as conduits of divine revelation.
3.
Revelation through Jesus Christ: The ultimate revelation of God is found in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:1-2 states, "On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. But in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe." Jesus is the full and final revelation of God’s character and redemptive plan.
4.
Revelation through the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in revealing spiritual truths to believers. In
John 16:13 , Jesus promises, "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come."
5.
Apocalyptic Revelation: The Book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse, is a prime example of revealing in the form of apocalyptic literature. It unveils the end times and the ultimate victory of Christ.
Revelation 1:1 begins, "This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John."
Theological Significance:·
God’s Initiative: Revealing is primarily an act of God’s initiative, demonstrating His desire to be known and to communicate His will to humanity. It reflects His grace and love in making Himself accessible and understandable to His creation.
·
Human Response: The appropriate response to divine revelation is faith, obedience, and worship. As God reveals Himself, individuals are called to respond by aligning their lives with His revealed truth.
·
Progressive Revelation: The concept of progressive revelation suggests that God’s disclosure of Himself and His purposes unfolds gradually over time, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This progression is evident from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
·
Mystery and Revelation: While God reveals much, there remains an element of mystery in divine revelation.
Deuteronomy 29:29 acknowledges, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law."
Conclusion:The theme of revealing is central to understanding the relationship between God and humanity. Through various means, God discloses His nature, will, and redemptive plan, inviting individuals into a deeper knowledge and relationship with Him.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
p. pr. & vb. n.) of Reveal.
Greek
602. apokalupsis -- an uncovering... Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: apokalupsis Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-ok-al'-oop-sis) Short Definition: an unveiling, uncovering,
revealing Definition:
...5460. photeinos -- bright, light
... light. Cognate: 5460 (an adjective) -- brilliant (shining), describing
the revelation (revealing nature) of light. See 5457 ()....
1783. enteuxis -- a petition, ie spec. supplication
... 1783 ("Spirit-directed ") refers to the petitions (intercessions) of believers as
they "fall in line with" --revealing how the one intervening should after...
4187. polutropos -- in many ways
... This includesrevealing Himself in the OT when speaking through (in) the Hebrew
prophets in dreams, visions, etc. It is used only in Heb 1:1....
Strong's Hebrew
1540. galah -- to uncover, remove... 4), opened (1), opens (3), published (2), remove (1), removed (3), reported (1),
reveal (5), reveal* (1), revealed (12), revealed* (2),
revealing (1), reveals
...Library
June the Twentieth theRevealing Presence of the Lord
... JUNE The Twentieth THEREVEALING PRESENCE OF THE LORD. EPHESIANS vi.1-10. A starling
never reveals the richness of its hues until we see it in the sunlight....
Free Grace inRevealing Christ, Luke 10 21
... Hymns. Book 1. Hymn 1:12. Free grace inrevealing Christ, Luke 10. 21.
1 Jesus, the man of constant grief, A mourner all his days...
Christ Thanks the Father forRevealing to Babes what He had...
... Chapter XXV."Christ Thanks the Father forRevealing to Babes What He Had Concealed
from the Wise This Concealment Judiciously Effected by the Creator....
Free Grace inRevealing Christ. Luke 10:21
... HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS IN THREE BOOKS. HYMN 12 Free grace inrevealing Christ.
Luke 10:21. CM Free grace inrevealing ChriLuke 10:21....
They that Quarrel at the Manner of God'sRevealing Himself are...
... THE SECOND CENTURY 19 They that quarrel at the manner of God'srevealing
Himself are troubled because He is invisible. They that...
The Old Prophets and Righteous Men Knew Beforehand of the Advent...
... IV Chapter XI."The old prophets and righteous men knew beforehand of the advent
of Christ, and earnestly desired to see and hear Him, Herevealing himself in...
Marcus' System Explained by Iren??us; Marcus' vision; the vision...
... Book VI. Chapter XXXVII."Marcus' System Explained by Iren??us; Marcus' Vision;
The Vision of ValentinusRevealing to Him His System....
Explanation of the Words of Christ, "No Man Knoweth the Father...
... misinterpret. Proof that, by the Fatherrevealing the Son, and by the Son
being revealed, the Father was never unknown. 1. For the...
Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
... of God by two classes of terms, of which in our view, the first expresses the idea
of God as revealed, the other that of God asrevealing Himself; or, to put...
Concerning the Holy Spirit, a Reasoned Proof.
... And it is this which in the moment of utterance becomes the articulate
word,revealing in itself the force of the word [1471] ....
Thesaurus
Revealing (7 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Revealing (7 Occurrences). Romans 8:19 For the earnest
expectation of the creation waiteth for the
revealing of the sons of God.
...Reveal (29 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Arevealing; a disclosure.... (See NAS). Proverbs 18:2 A fool has no delight
in understanding, but only inrevealing his own opinion....
Revealeth (9 Occurrences)
Reveals (14 Occurrences)
Eternity (23 Occurrences)
... But, as finite beings, we can form no positive idea of eternity. Time is less
contradictory of eternity, than helpful inrevealing what we know of it....
Light (2869 Occurrences)
... In these rare instances the supernatural light was not only symbolic of an inner
spiritual light, but instrumental, in part at least, inrevealing or preparing...
Divination (25 Occurrences)
... but one form of divination and it rests upon the ultimate belief that the heavenly
bodies are deities controlling the destinies of men andrevealing the future...
Hezekiah (124 Occurrences)
... The Chronicler represents him (2 Chronicles 32:31) as lapsing from the wisdom of
piety only by his vainglory inrevealing the resources of his realm to the...
Nineveh (23 Occurrences)
... Palace after palace has been discovered, with their decorations and their sculptured
slabs,revealing the life and manners of this ancient people, their arts...
Necromancy
... (n.) The art ofrevealing future events by means of communication with the dead;
the black art; hence, magic in general; conjuration; enchantment....
Resources
What is the Apocalypse? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Great Tribulation? | GotQuestions.orgDoes The Harbinger really predict America's future? | GotQuestions.orgRevealing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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