 | Revelation | |
An uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times (Hebrews 1:1) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing. (see WORD OF GOD.) The Scriptures are not merely the "record" of revelation; they are the revelation itself in a written form, in order to the accurate presevation and propagation of the truth.
Revelation and inspiration differ. Revelation is the supernatural communication of truth to the mind; inspiration (q.v.) secures to the teacher or writer infallibility in communicating that truth to others. It renders its subject the spokesman or prophet of God in such a sense that everything he asserts to be true, whether fact or doctrine or moral principle, is true, infallibly true.
Revelation, Book of
=The Apocalypse, the closing book and the only prophetical book of the New Testament canon. The author of this book was undoubtedly John the apostle. His name occurs four times in the book itself (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8), and there is every reason to conclude th
Revelation of Christ
The second advent of Christ. Three different Greek words are used by the apostles to express this, (1) apokalupsis (1 Corinthians 1;7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7, 13); (2) parousia (Matthew 24:3, 27; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; James 5:7, 8); (3) epiphaneia (1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; 4:1-8; Titus 2:13). There existed among Christians a wide expectation, founded on Matthew 24:29, 30, 34, of the speedy return of Christ. (see MILLENNIUM.)
